timpano hyde park

beautiful atmosphere, awful food!. my son was visiting from nj and wanted to take us somewhere nice to eat. we have been wanting to try timpano's for awhile, so we went for dinner.
the service was wonderful, as were the oysters and salad, however all of the items we ordered for the entree were awful!!!
the veal piccata was chewy, the pasta with veal ragu was something unrecognizable, and the easiest dish to make, chicken parmigiana was not a chicken cutlet, but a chicken breast that was over fried.
the side dish with the chicken was a lump of spaghetti with diced tomatoes with a little oregano in the "sauce".
our great waitress was kind enough to remove the uneaten entree's off the bill.
the only way we would go back there was to order appetizers and a salad and to enjoy the beautiful atmosphere.

i ordinarly steer clear of chain restaurants...but this one is just a little chain and does most things pretty well. it boasts a slick interior with a new york piano bar ambiance and more-professional-than-average waitstaff for its price point. the menu is comprised of steaks and a macaroni-grill-pedestrian selection of pasta dishes and americanized italian classics (all the usual suspects...chicken parmesan, lasagna, fettucini with chicken, spaghetti and meatballs, etc.).

very nice. upscale atmosphere, perhaps a bit pretensious, but very nice. service was great and the food was delicious! skillet shrimp app, 12oz. perfectly cooked filet with a flavorful char and massive stonecrab claws with mustard sauce! soooooo good!

espresso for dessert because we just couldn't fit anything else in, although the dessert selection sounded amazing.

overall a very good experience.

grade 'c'. food: clam chowder - it was good, but full of potatoes, tomato stack - slices of tomato with mozzarella in between, very average taste, for sure not worth $9.75, wild mushroom pasta - my experience is that wild mushrooms are spectacular anywhere, these were blend, the pasta was overcooked, and the dish itself was full of oil (as if they were trying to make up for something), fettuccini and grilled chicken - chicken was undercooked, the sauce tasted like it was from a can with no sign of pesto contrary to the dish description.
ambiance: not too bad, definitely trying to fit in with other upscale places like donatello. although, the huge writing on celling fixtures looks like the building was converted from a bowling alley.
service: it wasn't great but acceptable (left 15% tip) - they messed up our dishes, took a while to bring the check, and gave back the wrong card.
cleanliness: acceptable, table was covered with thick paper, however, the tablecloth on the sides had pasta stains (kind of nasty, if you ask me).
so, overall, i'm thinking that bella's down the street would be a much better choice.

food is great and so is the atmosphere. i like the live music. this is a regular date night spot for my boyfriend and me.

i read the other reviews about the service being slow and it tends to be.....and i have been there at all different times but the atmosphere is so wonderful it makes up for the lost time.....especially if they have the a jazz singer or the piano quartet. the tuna carpaccio and the mussels are amazing... i get the filet every time and it is always consistent and perfect....my wife loves the place and so so i....

nice location,, excellent service, the mussels were fabulous, both the lobster ravioli and wild mushroom dishes were delicious. our special occasion was made truly special!! we will surely return.

holy expensive bar tab batman!. i saw a greg norman pinot noir bottle and just had to have some! it's a wonderful blend! anyway, i had three glasses and my bill was- no lie- $68! the bottle of wine is only $12!! i could have bought five bottles!! i guess i should have looked at the price first, but i just assumed a moderate mark-up!

anyway, the muscles are great and the staff is knowledgeable and helpful. just make sure you look at the menu before selecting what you want!

top 3 in hyde park restuarants. i really like timpano. things to get are the mussels, pork chop, the tuna tartare or the salmon carpaccio, and or any of their flatbreads. great atmosphere with nice decor; one of the better restaurants by far in hyde park,

awesome appetizers, great service, nice atmosphere. although they might not serve up the best steaks in town, timpanos has my vost for best mussels by far! they also have mastered the art of a crafted cocktail. always busy, but not too stuffy or stacked on top of each others tables. plus they usually have lovely live music including local jazz favorite lisa casalino. if you are in the hyde park area and like to people watch, they also have sidewalk patio tables to enjoy.

timpano italian chophouse is a restaurant and bar located across the street from cinebistro in old hyde park. the exterior seems fancy and upscale and that wouldn't be an incorrect way to describe timpano. inside the place is lit well, most of the people there are dressed up. my visit was during evening hours and the restaurant was booming with both a dinner crowd and a crowd surrounding their frank sinatra bar. there was live music playing the night i visited, the tunes were pleasant, but just a backdrop to the chatty conversations in the restaurant. the bartender that took care of us was friendly and quick to get us our drinks. he recommended me some drinks from their martini menu and i decided to try their flirtini, quite tasteful for someone like me who hates bitter drinks. there was a crowd of older women there, tuesday nights are ladies night so they were probably just appeared to stop by while making their way around town. my party and i ordered their bbq short rib flatbread piz

question????. i had lunch there with my aunt on a saturday afternoon. the place was not busy when we walked in the restaurant. the hostess was out to lunch (in the head). we finally found a table we liked to sit at.
we order a cocktail, but our lunch order took so long. we were wondering what happen to our order??? i had to ask our server for water several times. by the time our lunch was over it was almost time for dinner.
bottom line: service very slow, even when their not busy. too pricey!! where are the deals in this joint????

excellent food the tuna carpcella was phenomenal! our filets were tender and flavorful

a decent lunch experience.... good food and strong drinks but watch out for the portions - they tend to lean on the extremely small side. it has a delightfully swanky interior that reminds me of a supper lounge in a large city. i know that i would have to drop some serious coin if i went here for dinner so i decided to treat myself for a lavish sunday lunch instead and was pleased. 50 dollars total for two lunch "boxes" and 2 alcoholic beverages. pricey? yes. but imagine what i would have spent on dinner...

wonderful mussles. must try the pan roasted, salted mussles. extra cudo for iron skillet presentation. flat breads were tasty as well.