Timpano Chophouse & Martini Bar - Houston

We went for valentine's day and couldn't have chosen a more appropriate romantic date spot. the lounge area has recently been transformed into a more ""supper/jazz club"" type area like they had in the 40s and 50s. I had been before and wanted to be near the exceptional light jazz band but the tables in the bar area were low cocktail tables and not acceptable for dining, in my opinion. I will definitely be back to enjoy the great food and the improved jazz lounge. Pros: great music, good food Cons: none really, parking downtown and moderate service. more

We ate there on a slow Saturday night. The service was wonderful. Our waiter was very attentive and very helpful. Our party had the Lobster Ravioli, the 8 oz hand cut filet with asparagus and tomato risotto, and the 8 oz hand cut filet with potato wedges. The food was cooked perfectly, served promptly and was absolutely delicious. Whatever rub they use on their steaks makes it melt in your mouth. We had the Flirtini and the Blueberry Thrill Martinis and they were very good. I look forward to going back for dinner or happy hour! Pros: Great food and drinks Cons: Can get crowded, reservations probably should be made more

I dont know who came up with the martini menu but WOW ...is it lame. I had a tequila drink with wine in it( maybe that was my fault) and I tasted my girlfriends drink which had pineapple and chambord but I dont remember the name, but it was terrible. Totally uninspired. Reminded me of a low rent Fridays or something. Frat house drinks in fancy glasses. Also way overpriced. I didnt have any food but the couple sitting next to me did not like their salad or calamari. I will say that our bar staff was lively and attentive. But if I ever come back (like if Im forced at gunpoint) i will have a beer. more

On a business trip, I arrived as a party of one for a 9:30 pm reservation on a Tuesday night. The restaurant has a spacious outdoor patio and a piano inside. After being greeted warmly and seated immediately and observing several waitstaff walking about, I waited for eight minutes before being acknowledged by anyone (and it was not my waiter). Pros: Outdoor patio, Ambience, Music Cons: Service more

We visited Timpanos for a birthday dinner. We had eaten at the one in Tampa, FL and enjoyed it. Our first problem was the Martinis. We requested extra dry and they were loaded with vermouth. The waiter stated we should have ordered them ""wet"". In my 20+ years of drinking Martinis I have never heard this. Our second problem was the food. My chicken Marsala tasted like a piece of Tyson frozen chicken patty with canned beef broth poured over it. Very bland. My partner's pasta dish was salty and our friend's pasta dish special was a lump of dough but did have a good sauce over it. The service was overall ok and we were 1 of 3 tables in the place. The manager did come by and after listening to me removed my dish from the bill and sent over a glass of Champagne for each of us and a trio of dessert. This was a nice gesture and we appreciate it. Overall - we would not go back. Pros: Nice interior Cons: Poor Food, Bad Martini, Service Ok more

My husband and I went here a few months ago for dinner, and needless to say it was an experience. The food was average at best, but the funniest part was our waiter, he was hammered! He came by our table several times and asked us where we were from each time, making a game out of it my husband and I made up different areas of town every time. By the time our bill came we had lived from the woodlands to clear lake. He spilt the bottle of wine all over the table. It was a mess, both my husband and I used to bartend, so we just laughed it off, and still left a 30% tip just because we were so proud he actually made it till the end of our meal. If you're looking for a romantic night out the atmosphere is nice, but the food was so/so my husband's steak was overcooked, I had the lobster ravioli, which was alright. I do remember getting the mussels as an appetizer and wow they were def the highlight of the meal. The only reason I would ever go back would be for entertainment from the drunk waiter! Pros: the drunk waiter, the atmosphere Cons: the drink waiter, the food more

I wasn't sure what to expect when I walked in. I was greeted at the door by the Manager, who made me feel very comfortable and welcome. I was led to my table (was on a blind date) and from the moment I sat down, I had the best dining experience!! The service was phenominal...it seemed our waiter knew just the right time to interrupt...very attentive, but not to the point of annoying. From the drinks, appitizer, entree, wine, etc...this food rates in my top 5 of ""all time favorite"" dining experiences. I can't wait to go back...even though the blind date didnt work, I know I will be enjoying cocktails / food / service and ambiance at this wonderful addition to downtown Houston for years to come! Pros: Perfect service, Food taste / quality, live jazz music Cons: there was no outside valet service more

Ok, this isn't a cheap everyday place, but if you can afford it, they have very good steaks (even if it takes them an hour to make it) that melt in your mouth. The only bad thing is the outside seating because every 5 minutes you're confronted by downtown beggers asking you for money without shame. I'm not sure what the business can do about it but really downtown is going back to being a huge hassle with all the bums and lack of parking lately. more

It was prefessional from the beggening to the end. It reminded me of a classic supper club with Buble playing instead of Sinatra. The staff was very attentive and were at our beck and call. As for the food, We had steaks. Chef, you made a perfect 10. I am a general manager of an upscale restaurant in Houston and have to say for a restaurant open under six months, I couldn't tell. I was very impressed by what Timpano brings to the city!! kuddos to the staff, they made our experince. we will see you soon!!! Pros: Staff!!! Ask for William Cons: Parking is $10 dollars for Vallet, but seems within downtown avg. more

Timpano Houston has a great location and a jazzy decor, but my meal there was a BIG DISAPPOINTMENT. My vodka tonic arrived flat, my salad had almost no dressing on it, the the pasta was over-salted. The wait staff was alternately professional an inattentive: sometimes almost chatty, sometimes absorbed by something happening across the room (while still talking to us). I'm new to the Houston scene, but man, there must be something better downtown. more

Olive Garden has better italian food. The ""sauce that came with the lobster ravioli's was like the tomato sauce drained from a can. The calamari (what little was on the plate) was not cooked correctly so it was to rubbery. The mussels were good, but so small. We had mash potatoes for a side that were cold. The lolipop tree was unique. The service was minimum and the waiter smelled like smoke. The steaks were decent. The server tried to convince us that it was Prime beef, but I highly doubt it was U.S.D.A. Prime. I guess you can get away with calling anything Prime these days. The martini's were short poured. There are too many great places both around that area and in the Houston area to waste the time and money here. Oh, and they had butcher paper on the tables, I was just waiting for the crayons. No class there. Pros: Location Cons: There is paper on the tables???? more

We stopped in for a quick drink and some appetizers a couple fridays ago. We were pleasantly surprised by the vibrant atmoshphere and beautiful decor of the restaurant. Not to mention the cool piano player and lounge singer. We went to the bar and ordered a couple drinks from their huge martini menu which had a lot of variety for you fruity martini drinkers. Right away we were greeted by two bartenders one of them mentioning that we would not be getting happy hour prices (not that we were expecting it) which we thought was odd. We also ordered an order of the sliders which was highly recommended from our friends. The bartender paused and said they might not be able to do them and a split second later said they would be able to make them but they would have to charge us more. I was a little confused because i didnt know why appetizers would cost you more at night then at lunch if they were the same thing. Nonetheless, the martini's and slider's were great. When the sliders came out my fiance requested ketchup. The bartender quickly told us that there was no ketchup in the house and he would have to find packets back there if we wanted. Now i dont know about you guys but it would be logical for a restaurant that serves fries and rings to serve ketchup. He acted like it was a big deal for us to ask for ketchup. So we see him walk behind the bar, grab a bottle of ketchup and pour it into a container for us out of our sight. By this point, we were pretty annoyed. All in all, we enjoyed our meal and will most likely come back and try the restaurant or sit down with a cockatail waitress. Definately will never go to the bar so we can be chased away again. more

A friend and I went for a Friday dinner. The menu includes a great variety. You can order a few things to share or have your individual entrees. The list of different martinis makes it a lot of fun. Try a few, it's worth it! The service was fantastic. We had two waiters constantly helping us, and the manager would check in on us to ask our thoughts on everything. Pros: martini bar, service more

Aside from the great company that evening, I had a horrible dining experience. The atmosphere was delightful, food was average, however the customer service was horrific. I'm still not too sure WHO our waiter was but the one who came to our table the most frequently was quiet aggressive. He kept pushing appetizers on us after we told him we were not interested and then pushed desserts on us. When we received our bill he over charged us, probably trying to pocket the cash & overcharging the credit cards. After looking at the itemized bill we noticed he charged us double the deserts. It took the manager at least 20 min to come to our table (our group and another table were the only ones in the restaurant) and when he finally did he came by and basically said he would accomodate us by re-running our credit cards. We were outraged that this is the only manner in which they would rectify our bad experience. I would NOT recommend this restaurant to anyone who expects to be treated with respect and to feel as a valued customer. more

We bought a bottle of champagne at the bar and didn't finish it, it was moved to our table,asked to have it on a seperate bill and then was charged a 20% gratuity on both that bill and the one for the table. We were then over charged because the waiter forgot to apply the cash to our bill that some had paid seperate from credit cards, and we were charged for 2 desserts when we only had one. Our bottle of champagne was half done before anyone came over to put it on ice. Had to refill our own glasses with champagne. Food was overdone, cold and not very tasty, and I got one of the specials! They did try and make up for it with a free cocktail and adjustments to our bill after waiting for about an hour for them to work it all out. After all of that we all checked our statement and found that we've all been charged 2x!!!!! more

I can't compliment the pear-fect martini enough! Wow, what a great drink.... more

We were wowed by Timpanos!! People, Service, Food, Atomosphere, its the total Package. First My girlfriend and I sat the bar where Kevin made us the most unique martini's. They were called Liquid Karma and the pear-fect. We then joined with a couple of friends for dinner. The service was perfect, something Downtown has been lacking for years. The Chef, Marcus, personally came out and created a special dish for our friend who has an alergy. We can't say enough about the music either. They have the best Jazz singer I have ever heard and it wasn't to intrusive!! WOW! I recomend this restaurant to everybody, The menu covers everything and we spent under $100 for two people. oh yeah, Dont forget the cheesecake lollipops!! Pros: The people, everyone cares about you! Cons: parking more