Timpano Hyde Park — Restaurant in Tampa

My experience at Timpano was far from satisfactory. The combination of poor management, subpar food quality, and UNSANITARY conditions is inexcusable for any establishment, especially one claiming to offer a premium dining experience. I have no intention of returning, and I urge others to proceed with caution. The FDA must pay their visit here again..

From the moment we walked in, the poor service from the manager herself set the tone for the lunch.The saving grace of our dining experience was our server, who was attentive and accommodating. Additionally, the Truffle Arancini appetizer was a delight, showcasing the potential of what Timpano could offer...

However, our optimism quickly was turned when our main entrees arrived. The Linguini with cedar key clams sounded promising on the menu. However, the pasta was rubbery, tasteless, and riddled with an excessive amount of SHELL fragments, making each bite an unpleasant surprise.

To make matters worse, my boyfriend discovered a piece of METAL piece in his Rigatoni halfway through his meal. This was extremely alarming to us, we immediately sent the dish back. The manager's response to our concerns was both shocking and unsatisfactory. She casually informed us that the metal was from a "dish metal cleaning brush" that had somehow found its way into the food.... yes. a cleaning brush used to clean everyones food...This is a major health hazard.The FDA considers Metal fragments 0.3 inch–1 inch (7mm–25mm) in length are unacceptable if found in any products (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)... the metal piece found in his pasta was ~2 inches long.

Furthermore, she nonchalantly attributed the presence of shell pieces in my pasta to negligence in the kitchen, revealing a disturbing lack of hygiene standards. Saying this problem arises from cleaning poorly of the clam shells...Her dismissive attitude towards our legitimate health and safety concerns was deeply unsettling.

Despite the unsettling incidents, we were still charged for our barely eaten meals, which left a bitter taste in more ways than one. However, out of respect for our server, who was not at fault for the shortcomings of the kitchen and management, we left a generous tip... We were not expecting a free meal by any means but a bit more concern for our complaints could have sufficed.

I have no intention of returning, and I urge others to proceed with caution. The FDA must pay their visit...

I visited Timpano for brunch, and I don’t anticipate returning.

Food: I ordered the lemon ricotta pancake. Despite the menu listing it as "Lemon Ricotta Cakes" which suggests multiple cakes, it was, in fact, one single cake, which is hella deceptive. Overall, the cake had a light, crispy texture, and was complemented by a flavorful sweet strawberry compote. The roasted potatoes stood out, being hot, crispy, and seasoned just right. The scrambled eggs, however, arrived cold. While they were replaced, they still lacked flavor. A simple addition of salt or pepper at the table would have made a difference. Rating my meal, I'd say it was a 3/5. Good, but there's room for improvement.

Service: This was the more disappointing aspect of my visit. Despite the restaurant being fairly empty, we had a 10-minute wait for a table. Our server, unfortunately, lacked enthusiasm and never introduced herself. After our food arrived, she was notably absent, forcing us to wait even longer to find another server to replace our cold eggs. I’m generally generous with tipping, but if you don’t even have minimal courtesy or attentiveness then that extra cash stays in my wallet. Tips aren’t given, they must be earned.

Atmosphere: Timpano has a relaxing ambiance, characterized by mid-century decor. However, the atmosphere and decor was ruined by cleanliness issues. Upon being seated, we noticed food remnants on the floor, detracting from the overall dining atmosphere and experience. Although it's a small detail, in a setting that aspires to a higher-end dining experience, such lapses in cleanliness become pronounced. To their credit, upon requesting, the staff promptly addressed the issue, but it's something that ideally shouldn't be overlooked to begin with.

I know this review may sound minor, but given that the lemon ricotta pancake alone costs $17, with an additional $7 for potatoes, my expectations for service, food quality, and cleanliness were naturally higher. For perspective, these are issues I don’t even encounter at a place like...

Okay. Maybe I caught this restaurant on a good day. I read the bad reviews first, as I always do, and this had me hesitant to try to the food. BUT let me tell you, what my son and I ordered for lunch this afternoon was absolutely delicious and we had an awesome experience. Green flag#1- no salt and pepper on the table. I love love love this. This shows that the chef in the kitchen is serious about their art and it’s about to go down. Green Flag # 2- short menu. I greatly appreciate this. I don’t like to eat at restaurants that have a lot of items on their menu. This tells me that they have no specific specialization or theme. Short menus tell me that the chef is once again not playing and they are serving. Green flag #3- we sat outdoors but it didn’t feel like we were on the street. They had bushes and plants as a barrier from the pedestrians. So it was a pleasant experience where we’re in public but still had our privacy.

My son, an aspiring chef, ordered the Wagyu carpaccio. I ordered the veggie panini. Both had excellent flavor and the portion size was decent. The pesto on the veggie sandwich was amazing and tasted as if it were made fresh, in house. The Wagyu carpaccio was unbelievable. The cured egg added enough flavor along with the arugula that you did not need to add anything. The bread was also delicious and crispy with just enough olive oil.

Our server, Steven, was also super professional and honest. I greatly appreciate this. He answered all of our questions patiently even though he was clearly busy. He handled himself well managing all the tables in his section.

I don’t want to take away from anyone’s negative experience but seriously I left a happy customer and would come back. I was surprised too because usually restaurants that look like this don’t have enough flavor but salute to the chef back there. I know how tough it can be to be consistent and satisfy everyone’s palate but you did a...