Thyme Table — Restaurant in Bay Village

My wife and I celebrated our 30th anniversary on Saturday, September 7 at Thyme Table. It was our first time at the restaurant after hearing many glowing reviews from friends. We promptly arrived for our 6:15 reservation to find a full parking lot (good sign), so we drove a few feet away to another small lot and parked.

Warning, here comes the unpleasant part of the evening…

On our way into the restaurant we witnessed a young girl (perhaps 6 or 7 years old) getting out of a car parked along the side of the restaurant. The girl was carrying a tub of Reese’s peanut butter cups. The driver of the car was a woman who had the window down and music UP. A strange sight, but we walked past and went in the front door (there is apparently an exit near the back where the young girl entered).

By the time we reached the hostess podium, I could see the young child at a table, pleading with the foursome of diners to purchase her candy. I also saw money changing hands. After giving the hostess our name for the reservation, I leaned close to the hostess and said, “Just so you know, there is an outside solicitor in your restaurant selling their wares to your clients.”

The hostess (literally) laughed in my face and disregarded the information that I had provided. My previous experiences of seeing indoor panhandling were in places of far lesser quality. I was shocked and disappointed when the hostess chose to do nothing about panhandling by an unaccompanied YOUNG child in her restaurant. My wife, who teaches in an urban setting, was equally saddened and disturbed by the situation and the nonchalant attitude of the hostess. In her world (my wife’s) if a child was seen getting out of car and sent to panhandle unaccompanied, the school’s policy is to call Child Services because this act is viewed as exploitation of a child.

My above statements are not meant to be “mean” or “heartless,” but there are ways for children to raise money aside from entering private establishments and begging tableside. If Thyme Table sees no issue with the above situation, they should certainly put up a “solicitors welcome” sign on their doors. If they had, I never would have gone to the restaurant and this review would never be written. If Thyme Table HAS an issue with outsiders soliciting their customers, then they should do better since they know better.

On to the pleasant part of the evening….

We were seated in an enclosed side area attached to the main room. Our server (I WISH I remembered her name, but we were pretty flustered when she made her introduction!) was very attentive, pleasant, and focused on making us feel comfortable. I ordered a beer (3 Floyds Turbo Reaper) and my wife ordered a glass of sparkling Rosé. Both were fresh and tasty.

We decided to split the crab cake appetizer. The 2 well-seasoned cakes were the perfect size for sharing and very tasty. For the main course I ordered the vegan smoked eggplant and she ordered the grilled flank steak. The waitress perfectly described the eggplant dish prior to my ordering. It was rich, big, and VERY good. Almost like a deconstructed baingan bharta, it had hints of curry and was visually beautiful. The dish left me feeling full and aesthetically pleased.

The grilled flank steak was also properly portioned and accompanied with some pickled onions, chili chimmi, and half of a poblano pepper which was stuffed with a light cream that had (to me) flavor hints of cheddar cheese. The steak, to my tongue, was marinated and flavorful. My wife also enjoyed the entire dish.

For dessert I ordered the olive oil ice cream and she ordered the key lime crème brulee. She raved about the perfect texture and flavor of it and I thoroughly enjoyed my ice cream in strawberry sauce - a fine finish to a fine meal.

Would we go back? If the tableside panhandling was an...

Lovely lovely lovely experience. This was our 3rd time indulging in the food sciences from this brand, but our 1st time at the actual restaurant. My boyfriend and I have been fortunate enough to have food from the Thyme Traveler food truck and Thyme Table's catering services via a brew & dinner pairing at Twin Oast Brewing Company on Catawba Island, OH.

Katie/Catie was our server and she was full of great recommendations and gave us the perfect amount of time to enjoy our current dishes before bringing out the next round. We love to try new things and try all the things so we ended having six dishes and six cocktails for our dinner.

First course: Drinks: the orange & the watermelon. The orange was boozy and the nutmeg on top made it a very cozy drink. The watermelon was just flat out good with the perfect tasting of watermelon. Apps: loaded lobster tots & crab salad (pictured) The lobster tots were DELICIOUS!! Generous portion of lobster meat on top of crispy tots and a yummy cheese sauce. The crab salad was one of my favorite dishes. Super lite and unique with the southwest flavors incorporated.

Second course: Drinks: the fennel & the pear (both pictured) The fennel was my favorite cocktail of the night. Crip and easy to drink. The pear was okay. Probably our least favorite drink of the night. Dishes: blt & pork schnitzel (both pictured) The blt was sooooo good!! I have dreaming of the Thyme Traveler's fried green tomato sandwich for almost two years so when I saw the blt on the menu AND it had fried green tomatoes on it, no questions asked on what I was getting. I did not try to pork schnitzel (easing out of a vegetarian diet and have not committed to pork and red meat yet), but my boyfriend said it was good.

Third course: Drinks: espresso martini & the curry leaf An espresso martini is in fact not just an espresso martini and not everyone can make one, but Thyme x Table knows what they are doing and they do a GREAT job with their espresso martini. We both really enjoyed the curry leaf. A little slice of tropical on a rainy day and do not let the cocktail's name steer you away from it. Trust me. It is yummy!! Desserts: lemon & blueberry tacos & crème brulee (both pictured) Dessert is hands down my favorite part of any meal and makes life so worth it. I always save room in my dessert belly and I was so happy I did for these two choices. The tacos were tart, fresh, crispy and sweet. The crème brulee was smooth, creamy and rich is flavors. The blood orange marmalade, short bread cookies served on the side were a bonus dessert and go figure, delicious.

All in all, such a treat to spend a Monday night out with my hunny and doing together what we love to do: eat and drink really good food...

Highlight: Creative menu and top-notch service, though some dishes felt a little underwhelming for the price.

Restaurant: This suburban gem brings a touch of upscale dining to the neighborhood with a sleek, polished space and a menu that leans into fresh, seasonal ingredients. The vibe is elevated yet approachable, with an emphasis on creative culinary concepts—especially for those seeking vegetarian or vegan options.

Service: The staff was fantastic from start to finish—warm, attentive, and genuinely knowledgeable about the menu. Our server gave thoughtful recommendations and checked in at the right moments without feeling overbearing. Despite the restaurant being on the quieter side during our visit, the hospitality didn’t skip a beat.

Food: We tried one vegan and one seafood dish. The vegan entrée—an artful arrangement of vegetables with grains—was clean, flavorful, and clearly made with care, though it leaned on the simpler side considering the upscale pricing. The fish dish, served with a peach salsa, was a unique pairing—light and fresh, though an unexpected combo for our tastes. We appreciated the originality, but the flavors didn’t quite wow us in a way that matched the higher-end price point.

Recommendations: If you're vegan or vegetarian, it's worth exploring the plant-based options—they're clearly a thoughtful part of the menu. That said, we’d love to see slightly more complexity or boldness in those dishes to better reflect the pricing. The service and setting make it a great option for a relaxed but refined night out, though we’d suggest confirming whether a reservation is necessary, especially if dining during a...