Terrigal is the main coastal town located on the Central Coast. The town which is 1.5 hours north of Sydney is popular amongst both tourists and locals for its family-friendly beach and great mix of restaurants, cafes and bars.
I grew up in Terrigal and now live just one suburb away so I thought I’d shared the best Terrigal restaurants. The great thing about downtown Terrigal is that everything is within walking distance so all of these restaurants are only a 1-2 minute walk from each other, we often start at one for dinner then grab a drink or two at another.
Here’s our guide to the best restaurants in Terrigal. Whether you want authentic Italian pizza, fine dining with a view or Thai cuisine with a modern flare we have you covered! All these spots are tried and tested which is why I have kept the list short, these 5 restaurants are always consistent!
If you are a restaurant owner, good restaurant decor can attract customers to patronize you, custom neon signs as restaurant decor create a cozy and warm atmosphere for dining. Bright or warm lighting atmosphere can make customers enjoy their dining moments better.
Related: “Romantic Weekend Getways From Sydney”
More from the Central Coast
Meribella
Perched within the Crowne Plaza, the new restaurant Merribella brings a refined coastal dining experience to Terrigal. The menu highlights locally sourced seafood and premium produce, with a strong focus on sustainability and seasonality making it one of the best restaurants in Terrigal. The space is airy and elegant, perfect for long lunches or special dinners, whether you’re celebrating a milestone or simply treating yourself. The views across Terrigal Beach add a little extra magic to the dining experience,
Must-Try Dish: Steak Frites, Balmain Bug
Perfect For: Couples, celebrations, and foodies wanting to indulge in one of the highlights of Terrigal’s dining scene.
Details of Meribella
📍 Location: Crowne Plaza Terrigal, Pine Tree Lane, Terrigal
💰 Price Range: $$$
📷 Instagram: @merribella_
Rhonda’s Bar
One of the best Terrigal restaurants and my personal favourite is Rhonda’s Bar! Last year Rhonda’s had a bit of a rebrand and renovation which saw the venue go from late night bar to an authentic Italian dining experience with a fresher interior!
Their vision is to bring a relaxed dining experience with Italian-inspired cocktails and food to the Central Coast, somewhere for families to come along or friends to sip wine over a long lunch. If you are after a great Italian restaurant on the Central Coast you need to dine at Rhonda’s Bar!
As you walk in you are immediately greeted by the bar, showcasing a range of exotic spirits and liquors. The kitchen has an Italian built wood-fired rotary oven and the central location allows diners to take a peek as their fresh baked pizzas are made to perfection! Guests have the options of dining downstairs at the bar and restaurant or experiencing the new rooftop alfresco space upstairs which is an ideal spot for sundowners.
For the Starters, it was hard to go past the classic Italian bruschetta. Tomatoes, black olives, parsley and capers mix sit on top of garlic-rubbed freshly toasted bread. A strong textural starter with fresh tomatoes and lots of salty notes.
Okay now onto the big dogs! The mouthwatering pizza! Roman-style pizza to be exact thanks to their built-in wood fire oven! Their traditional pizza dough is hand stretched resulting in a very thin and light base. The pizza dough is made using 5 Stagioni wholemeal flour which is high in protein and milled by granite grindstones which reduces the stress on the grain, and the dough is then left for 48 hours to proof.
They offer a range of toppings on both red and white bases.
We choose the De Funghi Pizza. A vegetarian white base pizza that is big on flavours! It has porcini, buffalo mozzarella, button mushrooms, zucchini, truffle oil, pecorino and rocket. Best bit? Take away is available for these babies!
We also tried the mouth watering crab and squid ink fettuccine- amazing! Which you can read more about in our Rhonda’s Review!
Details of Rhonda’s Bar
Rhonda’s Bar Terrigal
3/5 Kurrawyba Ave, Terrigal NSW 2260
02 4385 3100
www.rhondas.bar | @rhondas.bar
Swells
Right in the heart of Terrigal village, Swells offers a relaxed and stylish spot for lunch, dinner or a cheeky cocktail. Think bright interiors, ocean breezes, and a menu packed with fresh, vibrant flavors. We tried the oysters (which were way too big), Korean eggplant, Texan short rib, tuna tataki and the zucchini flowers.
Every dish was packed with flavor, but the standout was definitely the Texan short rib—absolutely melt-in-your-mouth. This spot has quickly become one of my favourite and best restaurants in Terrigal. The food is exceptional, the cocktails are top-notch, and those gorgeous views over Terrigal are just the cherry on top.
Must-Try Dish: Crispy Pork Belly Bao Buns or the Smoked Salmon Benny
Perfect For: Brunch lovers, group hangs, and those chasing chilled coastal vibes.
Details of Swells
📍 Location: 2/13 Kurrawyba Ave, Terrigal
💰 Price Range: $$$
📷 Instagram: @swellsterrigal
Yellowtail
A new addition to the Central Coast dining scene, Yellowtail has a lot of offer and is definitely one of the best restaurants in Terrigal! The chefs at Yellowtail strive to serve unique and flavour-forward dishes. They source local produce and have a strong sense of community and working with other local businesses to achieve the freshest dishes!
I really love the menu at Yellowtail, all the dishes are made to share or you can opt with a ‘larger plate’ and finish with a dessert.
They also offer a range of vegetarian options! Winning!
We started with a couple of oysters, the snapper sashimi with green chilli, finger lime, galangal, coconut, the mushroom and water chestnut dumplings with chilli and soy and the raw yellowfin tuna with miso dressing and chilli cracker.
Each one was more delicious than the last! The sashimi dishes were fresh, delicate, with perfectly balanced sauced whilst the dumplings were tasty bite-size delights!
For the larger plates, we settled on the roasted cauliflower with tahini, pomegranate and dukkah, the fried eggplant with miso and shallot and the snapper fillet, charred savoy, ginger, shallot, potato dashi.
Although we were fairly full at this point the lovely waiter talked us into the cherry and chocolate dessert. Despite being a tart the dessert was light and refreshing. The perfect way to end a delicious meal.
They are open for Dinner 7 nights from 5.30pm and Lunch from midday on Friday, Saturday and Sundays.
Details of Yellowtail
Yellowtail Restaurant
Shop 3/1 Campbell Cres, Terrigal NSW 2260
(02) 4384 6656
yellowtailrestaurant.com.au | @yellowtailrestaurant
Maew Maew
Maew Maew is the new kid on the block with serious flair. This Asian-fusion rooftop bar and restaurant offers bold flavors, creative cocktails, and a buzzing atmosphere that’s perfect as the sun goes down. The menu is designed to share and brings together Thai, Japanese, and Southeast Asian influences, with plenty of spice and punch. Pair it with a spritz and take in the views over Terrigal Beach.
They do monthly events including a Loose Lunch – for $99 you can enjoy unlimited drinks and a spread of some of their delicious popular dishes like chicken wings, sticky tofu, spring rolls,moo ping and dumplings.
Must-Try Dish: Crispy Pork Belly with Nam Jim or the Kingfish Sashimi
Perfect For: Sunset drinks, date night, and anyone looking for a modern twist on Asian classics.
Details of Maew Maew
📍 Location: 3/98 Terrigal Esplanade, Terrigal
💰 Price Range: $$
📷 Instagram: @maewmaew_terrigal
Four Hands
Another great restaurant in Terrigal is Four Hands, a well-established pizza joint that is always busy!
This is a great place to go in a group or for long lunches, as they serve shared plates and pizzas that are perfectly accompanied by their stand-out choice of cocktails.
As well as creative hand-crafted cocktails they also do craft beers! For cocktails, we loved Cuban sipper and Passion Flower sour. The Cuban sipper comes with a Havana7 yr aged rum, Domaine Canton ginger, limes, guava and cinnamon crust it was such a refreshing drink with the exotic mix of guava, lime and ginger. The Passion Flower Sour was an interesting one. It is Bombay Sapphire gin, mixed with St Germain elderflower, passion fruit, lemon, and finished with orange bitters.
We often order a couple of tapas and a pizza to share. My top picks are the roast pumpkin with feta, basil, pine nuts and pomegranate molasses and then the grilled corn with chilli aioli, parmesan and lime! For the pizza’s I wouldn’t go past
Australian chilli prawns with roasted peppers, buffalo mozzarella and chimichurri or for the vego’s the mushroom, caramelised onion, artichoke, salted ricotta, salsa verde
Details of Four Hands Pizza
Four Hands Pizza
6/17 Church St, Terrigal NSW 2260
(02) 4384 4492
fourhandspizza.com.au | @4handspizza
Thaiger Temple
After tasty Thai cuisine? Don’t go past the best Thai Restaurant in Terrigal- Thaiger Temple! Thaiger Temple is all about bringing people together; a place where family, loved ones, and friends; old and new, can meet to create special memories over mouth-watering food and drinks!
The Samingkaw family have in the restaurant business for over 25 years, with their first Terrigal success ‘Terrigal Thai 2’ they earned their strong standing in the central coast food scene and then relaunched with Thaiger Temple that offers unsurpassed Thai cuisine, warm atmosphere and top notch service that keeps the locals coming back for more!
I have so many favourite dishes here! I often go classic opting for a hearty curry or traditional pad thai with tofu. This place never fails to deliver, which is why it’s on our best restaurants in Terrigal list.
You can view the full menu here.
Details of Thaiger Temple
Thaiger Temple
Shop 1/100-102 Terrigal Esplanade, Terrigal NSW 2260
(02) 4385 6199
thaigertemple.com | @thaigertemple
The Reef
UPDATE: Unfortunately the Reef is now permanently closed.
For the best Terrigal restaurant with a killer view, it’s hard to go past The Reef Restaurant. Located at Terrigal Haven, overlooking the stunning Central Coast beaches, the Reef Restaurant offers fine dining using the freshest produce.
On arrival, you are greeted with fresh interiors, beach wood timber flooring and floor-to-ceiling glass showcasing the northeasterly view. I prefer my date night to be a date day as the lighting is much nicer for photos? So we decided to opt for a mid-week lunch, although not the sunniest day on the coast we enjoyed a lovely 2 1/2 course meal (we shared dessert) overlooking the crystal waters.
The unique elegance and ability to cater for up to 160 guests makes the space perfect for special functions and events or your weekly date night! I can’t wait to get back and try the 6-course degustation.
The Reef Restaurant offers a range of entrees with a changing seasonal menu, as well as vegetarian options. My partner ‘shot-gunned’ the Soft Shell Crab and I opted for the Goats Cheese Tart.
I was impressed with both plates on arrival but couldn’t help feel somewhat envious of that deliciously crispy crab! The crab was served with a Vietnamese salad, green mango, cashew nut nam-jim and was a perfect start to our3-course lunch.
The tart was accompanied by slow roasted tomato, avocado salsa, and lemon champagne dressing. The highlight on this plate was the avocado salsa, the tart although pleasant could of either had a little bit more flavour or an added element.
My favourite part of dining at the Reef Restaurant is the inspiring dessert. We finished up our lunch with a deconstructed New York Cheesecake! Usually, I opt for chocolate desserts (fondant to be precise) but this dessert read like a dream!
The candied lemon gave the cheesecake an extra little kick. It then also had little cubes of blueberry jello, fresh blueberries and strawberries and another little berry sauce, all were fresh and delicious and went with the cheesecake perfectly. The stand out though was the lemon sorbet! This added element tied all the components together amazingly and each spoonful was such a delight!
Details of The Reef Restaurant
The Reef Restaurant
The Haven, Terrigal Esplanade, Terrigal NSW 2260
(02) 4385 3222
reefrestaurant.com.au | @reefrestaurant
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