fork, please?. i dined at timpano's in hyde park years ago and enjoyed the experience. it felt laid back and cool with an "adults only" sort of vibe (something rarely found in hyde park). although i enjoyed my time there, it hadn't worked out for me to return - until recently.
over the weekend my fiancee and i decided to try it again. figuring we would be on a wait of at least 30 minutes (we didn't make reservations) we tried to get there relatively early. upon arrival two things surprised us: 1. we were greeted by three hostesses standing awkwardly close to the front door 2. there wasn't any wait at all, for inside or on the patio. after getting our menus, a kind, but also a little awkward, older man showed us to our table. when we arrived he was shocked to see that the table next to us had snagged one of our chairs when an extra member of their party joined. he promptly told the man the chair was for our table and took it back... uncomfortable. one of the hostesses must have taken notice though, and was quick to deliver a new chair to the standing man.
items of note: if given the option again i would've requested a table toward the back or outside. the band was a little too loud that close, and apparently the front area of the restaurant is more of a bar/ lounge. there isn't a specific dress code so i, in my dress and heels, sat next to a group of group that had quite obviously just gotten back from the beach or a pool. the women's room was atrocious. i won't go into detail, but it obviously hadn't been "touched up" since they opened that morning. lastly, they may have some sort of silverware shortage. my oysters didn't come with a fork, our soups didn't come with soup spoons, and they only brought a steak knife out with my meal (short ribs) but not with my fiancee's (veal).
on the upside, service was excellent! i feel as though i rarely can say that anymore, so it's anicechange of pace. our waiter knew the menu and helpful with all of our questions. even the waiters nearby were friendly with us and made themselves accessible to our needs.
unfortunately the food was sub-par. our flatbread was bland, two out of six oysters had grit/ broken shell in them, his veal was colder than it should have been and my spare ribs were overdone. highlights included a creamy risotto, hearty lobster and minestrone soups, and crispy potato wedges. we didn't order dessert, but i did have two well made cocktails. unfortunately, it seems as though the cheapest items were the most well made.
we may go back, but it may be a few more years....