Il Toscano Pasta bar — Restaurant in Terrigal

This little gem that started as a “hole-in-the-wall” pasta bar has evolved into a gorgeous, small but deliciously authentic, flavour-punching symphony of Italian dining experience. From the fun music to the the service which is honest, professional and (again) authentic. But what what else do you look for when you dine in an Italian restaurant but real authenticity?!? My son and I had the $39pp menu for two, sharing the Tagliere misto Toscano of cured meats, cheese, olives and grissini, then he had the pappardelle Ragu and I had the fettucine funghi with truffle oil, so perfect it was the plate of pasta I dream of. The pasta here is hand made and the dishes are all assembled carefully in a way that only a small and dedicated establishment can carry off. We followed with the most divine slice of dessert cake and a sweet ricotta-filled, pistachio-dipped cannoli, accompanied by a warmed glass of heady, fruity and complex Grappa. We enjoyed a laugh and a chat with the wait staff, again something that can only be enjoyed in such a small establishment, and we absolutely cannot wait to come back again! Terrigal is blessed to have Il Toscano....

We got takeaway as a little treat after a big day of work. To say we were underwhelmed is a nice way of putting it.

When our order arrived, our burrata had exploded and was all through the bag and completely empty. Basically just the outside skin was left which was a disappointment. The marinara pasta wasn't made with good seafood, it's cheap seafood I could get at Woolworths so it isn't remotely worth the money you pay for the dish. My family is Italian, and I am always excited to try new Italian places, but I could've made everything from home and it would've been much better, the pasta wouldn't have been mushy and it would have saved us money which is really a big let down.

We won't be coming back and I'm really disappointed to say that after hearing so many good things. The only good thing I can say is that the tomato served with our burrata skin was fresh. Overall we paid almost $90 and I don't think it's remotely worth the quality or the hour and a half it took to...

We walked around the precinct and found this little space. We liked the concept so we decided to get a table for 4. The food was yummy and authentic, though the portions were quite small. I scored it down to 3 stars because of the service by the girl who worked there. In my country there is a saying that translates to "more than the food, the service" ... The evening had turned quite cold and we were sat outside. We asked if we could be moved to the space inside which would have meant adding an extra table to accommodate 4 patrons - there was more than adequate space to do that. She was quite rude about saying no and it felt like it was an inconvenience that we'd even asked. When she brought the food to us, she was in such a mood that we felt like naughty little school kids. Was not pleasant at all. I will say though, the guy there was quite pleasant! We paid over $200 and wish we'd walked away with a bit of a wholesome experience but...