FOUR HANDS TAPAS & PIZZA BAR: Spoilt for Choice in Terrigal
Share plates and casual social dining are a big thing on the Central Coast. We’ve got plenty of options, and mostly they’re all pretty amazing. Many, though, are quite cuisine specific. Lebanese and Turkish mezza. Greek mezé. Spanish tapas and Mexican feasts and Italian pizza and antipasti. It’s all here on the coast, but rarely can you walk into one place and have so much choice.
Luckily for us, Four Hands Tapas & Pizza Bar is that place!
Four Hands Tapas & Pizza Bar has been operating in the same space at Terrigal for just over a decade now. That’s no small achievement for any hospitality venue in this day and age, especially when you take into account the number of venues at Terrigal that have come and gone over the years. But when you visit you’ll know as soon as you arrive why Four Hands has the staying power.
Four Hands Tapas & Pizza Bar’s is near packed with locals on almost any given night of the week! At the same time, the layout of the tables and the outdoor areas, means you’ll never feel crowded. The place is busy, but not overly noisy. You can actually talk to the person across the table without shouting, and I think this too is because of the open nature of the venue.
That, put simply, is the very first thing I like about Four Hands.
The second thing is the friendly and genuine welcome from staff. You immediately get the feeling that they love where they work and what they do, and talk enthusiastically about what is on offer.
Thalia looks after us for most of the night, and she knows the menu well enough to make good wine suggestions when asked. She’s knowledgeable about the food too, talking us through the menu and specials, and suggesting just the right amount of dishes to order for a table our size. We always thought we were being looked after but never once did we feel rushed or fussed over. Seriously, the service was perfect!
To start, there’s an extensive Cocktail List. All the classics are there along with a heap of fresh and fruity originals. There’s an ever changing weekly Cocktail Special too, and a bunch of mocktails to cater for those who don’t drink as well as soft drinks, sodas and juices. The wine list is quite extensive for such a small venue too, with a nicely diverse list of Australian and overseas varietals. A great range of craft beers are on offer too.
No matter what tipple you’re looking for to accompany your meal, you’re sure to find something to please your palate. And if you’re not sure what to order, the staff will happily be able to steer you in the right direction.
The main menu is divided into Starters, Tapas, Sides and Pizzas. There’s also a bunch of Specials on the board too. As of late November 2023, the menu has had a bit of a revamp courtesy of newly onboard Chef Jordan. So, lots of old favourites are still there, such as the totally delicious Lamb Arancini with Porcini Mushroom which has been on the menu since the restaurant first opened! But lots of new and fresh options too.
We started our meal with the newly introduced Confit Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes with Basil Granita. This was a terrifically refreshing and season dish, light but very tasty. There’s also a Trio of Dips with light and crispy house-made Pizzetta that are great for dipping into between other dishes and would pair especially well with an ice-cold craft beer.
Apart from the Lamb Arancini with Porcini Mushroom mentioned above, we delved deep into the Tapas section of the menu for the rest of our meal. One thing my wife will never pass up is the chance to try a cauliflower dish, so ordering the Dukkha Crusted Cauliflower was a no brainer. Served with confit garlic and tahni, we were both happy with both the size and the quality of the serving.
For seafood options we had Lemon Pepper Squid with Aioli and Lemon, which was perfectly cooked and so very tender, and the Charred Clarence River Octopus with Chorizo & Romesco. I’m fairly sure that the octopus is a new dish from Chef Jordan and it not only looked incredible upon arrival, it tasted amazing too. The slight heat from the chorizo and the smokey sweetness of the romesco sauce paired perfectly with the octopus. Definitely a stand-out dish.
Also deserving of mention and praise are the Chipotle Beef Brisket Tacos and the Signature Sticky Quince Pork Belly. The beef tacos were served deconstructed, with just the right amount of fresh tortillas, lime aioli and tender chipotle marinated beef brisket to make four very satisfying tacos. The sticky pork belly is another dish that has been on the menu forever, and deservedly so. There’s a reason this is called Four Hands’ ‘Signature’ dish. The pork belly is melt-in-your-mouth soft and rich, sweet and salty in all the best ways. I could eat a huge bowl of this all by myself and, although I might regret the over-indulgence later, it would be worth it. These little pork bites are wonderfully delicious.
Despite being near-full to the eyeballs, we finished the evening with another dish my wife can never pass up…Churros! Served with cinnamon sugar and dulce de leche, this was a really nice sweet ending to the evening.
Seriously, there is not a thing about Four Hands Tapas & Pizza Bar that we didn’t enjoy. The atmosphere is great. The service is outstanding. And the menu is a delightful mix of flavours and cuisines that all work together in context of the venue. The price are reasonable and the portion sizes are large too, which means you’re not going to go home hungry. Four Hands Tapas & Pizza Bar is certainly we recommend you take friends and family for a very enjoyable lunch or dinner in the heart of Terrigal.
And we didn’t even get to try any of the Pizza! We will definitely have to go back soon.
Four Hands Tapas & Pizza Bar is located at 6/17 Church St Terrigal NSW 2260. It is open for Dinner 7 days, and for Lunch Thursday to Sunday. For bookings check out the website at https://fourhandspizza.com.au/
