The hole in the wall Il Toscano Pasta Bar in Terrigal quickly made a name for itself in the beachside holiday town, and now their much anticipated restaurant opening in Long Jetty is here for your Italian dreams. 

Born and raised in a small village of 2000 people in the countryside of Tuscany, owner and chef Matteo Piccardi has spent his life in hospitality and tourism proudly sharing the heritage of his particular slice of Italy. Working for campsite resorts, restaurants, pizzerias and a pool bar he naturally met plenty of Aussie travellers which eventually brought him here on holiday in 2013 only to never to go back. 

When COVID hit and froze his tour operation business Tuscany Untouched, Matteo decided if he couldn’t take people to Tuscany, he would bring Tuscany to Australia. Il Toscano began as a Facebook business making lasagne, gnocchi and traditional Tuscan dishes that his Nonna and Mum used to make, and delivering them personally across the coast from Budgewoi to Woy Woy. 

“These are dishes that go back to my great grandmother, then grandmother, and I will do the same; nothing more, nothing less than the way they made it.”

The success of that early business led to the opening of the Terrigal trattoria, a small kiosk style space like the small restaurants found in Tuscany, Florence or Rome. The unique concept pays tribute to these small family businesses, in small shops with limited seating, doing specialised authentic local food using local produce. 

Now with the opening of the Long Jetty restaurant, you can experience exactly the same menu, quality handmade pastas, and imported beers and wines in the larger indoor dining restaurant. 

“Both locations have exactly the same menu, prices, and experience. We use fresh handmade pasta, made fresh every day and feature some sauces that follow traditional recipes from Tuscany, and some special ones that I have created.” says Matteo. 

The Ragu Toscano is pipped as the most popular dish, but we bet you’ll be tasting your way through the entire menu and travelling around Tuscany right here at home. With Italians heading the teams at both locations, you can be sure you are getting an authentic and quality meal at Il Toscano. 

With the booming “Newtown of the Coast” vibe in Long Jetty, and Sydneysiders moving into the community, Matteo is committed to nothing short of the best Italian restaurant on the Central Coast.

“We want to provide an authentic Italian experience in Australia, so those who have been to Tuscany can come to Il Toscano and find exactly the same scenario, and for those who haven’t visited it is a new experience that we hope they love.”

Head to Il Toscano Terrigal or Long Jetty for your next pasta craving, it’s the next best thing to a trip to Tuscany!