Tempo Restaurant

What… Happen? (allyourbasearebelongtous)
I had a wonderful RW meal here, everyone has always raved about this place (including an ex-​waiter at Blue Ribbon down the street), and I was looking forward to going back to try the ribeye steak for two!!!
Sadness.

Tempo is the best that 5^th Ave Park Slope has to offer!
The service was great, the wine was good, and the food was even better. They even have numerous awards lined up on their walls.
The waitress talked up their «steak for two» ribeyes, and I’m now intent on returning.
Other deals the waitress slipped to our party:
— Tue & Wed = 50% off all bottles of wine
— Sun brunch = a free pitcher of sangria per entrée
— Happy Hour (weekdays 5:30 — 6:30pm) = 50% of alcohol, including bottles of wine

I went back to Tempo last night to say my goodbyes — they’re closing on Saturday, June 6. Had a freakin’ delicious meal and talked to our waiter Stan about the sad news — apparently a lot of their business came from corporate parties for doctors and drug companies and that sort of thing, which have obviously been hit hard in the past year.
RIP Tempo — my favorite restaurant in Brooklyn. :(

My girlfriend and I went here during Brooklyn restaurant week, and it was great. The portions were surprisingly large and everything was good.
For appetizers, she had the duck rolls (which were amazing) and I had a salad, which was good. The bread was also excellent, and I wanted to eat the white bean paste that it came with with a spoon.
For a main course I had the pork braciole, which was in an orange/​tomato sauce that was delicious. The pork was cooked very well and the mashed potatoes were good. She had the hand-​cut tagliatelle which was also excellent.
The only disappointment came at dessert when we were informed they were out of the limoncello tiramisu. Instead, I had the Gelato Affogato and she had the Gelato en Copetta, both of which were very good.
Our waiter was attentive and knowledgable about the wine list, always a plus. I would go back and pay full price next time.

Tempo was delicious! Lots of fish dishes, I ended up getting chicken and my girl got the pork, I’d skip the forgotta and go with the lemon tiramisu dessert. The salad appetizers looked delicious, but we went with the duck rolls which were kicka$$. I can’t wait to see what other menus Tempo comes up with later on. My girl also commented on all the new shopping in the area.
Brooklyn Restaurant Week Prix Fixe Menu

Went there at 8 p.m. Friday night and there was an hour wait for two. Luckily, they serve full menu at the bar so we sat there and were treated to great service by the bartender. Ordered the winter salad and the spicy fries to start. both were excellent, especially the fries. Just the right amount of crisp, salt and spice. Feeling full, we split the duck entrée and they were nice enough to put it on two plates for us. The real surprise on that dish was the bacon smoked pear, YUM. I guess everything tastes better with bacon! I’ll definitely be back to try more.

Since airlines don’t feed passengers anymore, I arrived home on Friday ready to eat my arm. I made a reservation at Tempo instead.
We were greeted with slices of country bread and a garlicky white bean spread. I’ve said it before — I love white bean spread. I can (and sometimes do) eat it up with a spoon, it’s so good. This was nice and garlicky. Yum.
We started with the wild mushroom polenta, which people have spoken highly of here. It was good, but almost too smooth and a little gummy. I like my polenta to still have a little texture. I liked it, but it wasn’t fantastic.
We also shared the mussels with chorizo. It was good. My favorite part was the country bread they put in the bottom of the bowl to sop up the mussel sauce yumminess. It was delish.
I got the ricotta cavatelli with asparagus and fava beans and it was delicious. Perfectly al dente, bright and green and very tasty. B got the porchetta with lentils. It was very flavorful and the lentils were rich with pork fat. Yum!
We each got a quartino of wine, which amounted to a little more than two glasses, and was priced at a reasonable $ 13. Definitely the way to go, since their by the glass prices are in the $ 8 – 10 range.
It wasn’t cheap (pasta was high teens, porchetta was mid-​20s), but it was tasty and good for a special occasion, date or dinner with visiting family, etc.

My best restaurant in Park Slope for now. Went there a couple of months ago with friends. We went there not knowing anything about it, just because we liked the look and atmosphere.
We were a bit surprised by the fixed menu, but ok … let’s do it!
Oh boy, it was sooooo goooddd! Great, great food. Super nice waiter and very nice place. We had a great dinner …

Tempo’s Prix Fixe menu has changed a little, it’s only offered early afternoon and limited to the pasta dishes, but it’s also an amazing deal now. Their food is consistently great, and occasionally better. The menu is seasonal, and they’ve added a mushroom cappuccino/​soup which still needs some tweaking, but otherwise the current menu is as good as it’s ever been.
Dinner prices haven’t changed much, and it’s actually a lot cheaper than it used to be if you order their pasta (which is just as good as the rest of their food.) The service is exactly in my comfort zone, and the décor is attractive without being overly formal. I still like it, but after the disappointing mushroom thing I had to pull the fifth star.

Made a reservation here for a celebratory dinner on a Friday night. I had expected the place to be more crowded, but at 7:30 we were one of only a few tables seated.
Tempo is either underrated or under-recognized…or possibly both. Yes, it’s expensive ($ 30-​$ 35 per person), but that’s because you get three courses for the price. And these are serious courses! No skimping on portions to compensate for the prix fixe menu, so come hungry.
Entrees are stronger than appetizers. The duck pastilla rolls are great, and presented beautifully, but they get a little old/​heavy after a few bites. The polpette meatballs come in a wonderful lemon sauce, though I’m not a fan of lamb. The entrees have a wider variety (fish to steak and everything in between) and are more artfully executed. I’ve ordered the fazzoletti with chicken ragu twice and have never been disappointed.
Desserts are solid. Points as well for a good, innovative (albeit brief) cocktail list and the well-​priced wines. For best value for money if you and your dining partners can’t agree on a bottle, go for a quartino — 250 mL of wine (third of a bottle) for between $ 11-​$ 15.
This place deserves a bigger audience, but as long as people keep staying away I won’t have trouble getting a table… and that’s just fine by me.

This review is for their gelato alone. I did not dine here.
I went in after brunch one Saturday and ordered 2 scoops of gelato. The amazing coconut raspberry and the too sweet for me pistachio. They give you big scoops that are overflowing in their tiny cups. So I had to lick this thing every 2 seconds or else it was going to melt down my hand.
$ 4.50 was not bad considered that they gave you so much. Nice staff and pretty nice interior with a few tables set up. I will be back to check out the food because the menu looked great.

I’m a huge fan. I think Tempo wins the award for most under-​appreciated restaurant in Brooklyn. It seems like it slips under the radar in terms of publicity. Regardless, the food is phenomenal, the menu extremely creative, and the wine list, encyclopedic. I have loved everything I’ve had here. In my dreams, I’m mainlining their truffle vinaigrette that I think was Lydia Bastianich’s concoction (I think one of the owners or the chef worked at Felidia?, amended to say that my sister tells me the dressing is Jean-​Georges Vongerichten’s (sp?) concoction; the bitch is a know-​it-​all foodie and she made me spell out his last name).
Raving aside, I’m on the fence about the mandatory prix fixe menu; if you aren’t in the mood for three courses, then you’re forced to take your business elsewhere, and in my opinion it’s kinda lame that they foist gluttony on their patrons. Only in America, folks! Then again, I’m a gluttonous, cheap American so I’m titillated: you get three courses for around the price of what a less expensive entrée and appetizer would have cost in Tempo’s early days, so I’m not taking the issue to City Hall or anything.

This place is AMAZING.
I was here to attend a private event and the food was outstanding. We had three appetizers, a pasta course and then three main dishes along with cake and two desserts and everything was really, really good.
So yeah, LOTS ‘O FOOD.
The staff was attentive and were always there with our drinks (and we were drinking a lot), they were also cute and very nice!
Seriously I am coming back here just for dinner one day, but if you need a place to have an event in the area — this is the place to come to.

I heart Tempo (as if you couldn’t tell by the 5 stars — and I’m very stingy with my stars). Some people may not like the fact that Tempo has gone prix fixe, but I think this is great — plus it ends up being more affordable for me… or at least it feels that way. Well… maybe not when you add in the wine. but whatever.
I have not had anything here that I did not like. (Although I think the duck pastilla roll is overrated) Service was excellent. I didn’t feel that they were too intrusive — just the right amount of attention. All waiters are very knowledgeable about the menu and will patiently explain each dish to you in case you dont know what something is. Most importantly, I did not feel like they were snobby here at all. You are able to enjoy your food in peace, without anyone looking down his nose at you for not being so knowledgeable about the wines or showing up dressed too casually.
Normally I like to make a list of my favorite things to order, but I would be listing practically the whole menu…
Just go… now.

Another Brooklyn success story — went here with a group of 5 last friday night and must say we were all equally impressed. the food was a 3-​course prix fixe with real courses (ie you are going to eat a lot of food!) and truly different options, i had a delicious pesto pasta, others had fish, short ribs etc… the staff was all you could hope for and the clincher was the space. no tucking elbows in or squirming to not hear the next table’s uncomfortable conversation as is so often the case in those ‘amazing’ italian places nearby/​manhattan. we also lingered and talked and just enjoyed the meal/​experience in a way that is so often lost these days in ny. maybe im just getting old or nostalgic but (and i realize it mainly has to do with business and the costs therein) there is something being lost in many of the manhattan places (esp on weekends) where its keep spending or get out kinda service.
anyway give Tempo a try if you want a good value and relaxed vibe.

The parents came in from the Garden State to take me to diner for my bday. We were going to go to another restaurant down the street that doesn’t take reservations but since yours truly f — –D up the opening time of that much lauded culinary destination you will have to wait for the Unilocal review of that.
I have been wanting to check Tempo out for awhile and now that I am a resident of the Mid-​Northern Park Slope area or Mid-​No-​Slope as though in the know like to call it (*I kid… or do i?*) it is very close by.
They had a three course prix-​fixe. I am unsure if this is how it works all the time over there; sometimes prix fixe can be like oh no the sucky food but this was FAR from the case here.
what we ordered:
ME:
First Course: Polenta w/​mushrooms
Second Course: Baclianetti with pine nut pesto
Third Course: Buttercotch Crème Brulee with choclate chip cookie
Cocktail: Blood Orange Cosmo
Mom:
First Course: White Bean Bruschetta
Second Course: Salmon with some sort of cake (quinoa?) and eggplant
Third Course: Date and Sticky Toffee Pudding
Dad:
First Course: Mussels
Second Course: Short Ribs
Third Course: Molten Chocolate Cake
I timed how long my mom would go while purusing the menu until she said «They have polenta!!» My mom’s mom was Italian and polenta was what the poor kids ate so my mom is always amazed that it has gotten big play in restaurants over the years where people pay to eat.
The service was well trained-​attentive but almost invisibe which I like-​appearing and disappearing to refill water glasses, remove dirty plates, or set cutlery we would need for the next course.
My cosmo was good but the blood orangeyness was not that apparent (to me) but I was feeling quite festive after a light lunch and a mixed drink is always helpful when dealing with ones parents. I kid. No one loves mom and dad more than me.
Overall the food was good, well portioned and plated nicely. I liked that my pesto dish was not a soppy mess of basil and oil. Moms eggplant purée was a little off somehow-​not off bad or gone bad but I didn’t love it. Dad who is notoriously hard to please and works his own wonders in the kitchen; he enjoyed his food.
This is the second time where I have had crème brûlée and it came in sort of a cup not a flat dish. It was tasty but I did not get to have my amelie brulee moment.
Our coffee arrives in individual french presses which was SO cute-​the coffee was a tad too strong though.
Tempo is a nicely decorated and seems to have enough space for a private event or large party.

Service is great — definitely go for the tasting menu! The wine pairings are superb. Quite pricey — but worth the splurge if it’s not on your dime. Make sure someone with a SUPER flexible spending account takes you! The décor is quite classy and comforting.
This place is NOT one of my must-​visits in Brooklyn — but it’s worthy of a mention.

Like Jasmine, I came to Tempo during Dine In Brooklyn (Brooklyn’s Restaurant Week). I came without reservations, and my friends and I knew that it would surely be hopping, but we were more concerned with having a leisurely dining experience, so (ahead of time) we decided not to worry if we had to wait to be seated.
When we arrived, the place was indeed very busy! The Maitre’d took our coats, and soon after he did that, he realized we didn’t make reservations. Well, there was «no room at the inn,» or so they say, but the Maitre’d said we could sit NOW if we wanted to sit at the bar, which is exactly what we chose to do!
We were dressed very casually in jeans and we were treated no differently than those who had dressed up.
The restaurant week selections were plentiful — there were lots to choose from, so my friends and I got all different things so that we could all sample multiple things. The calamari, the salmon, the half-​chicken — all flavorful and delicious. Chickpea fries RULE. The wine we had was OUTSTANDING.
It seemed to be taking a while for the food to arrive (which didn’t concern us), but our waiter/​bartender was on top of it. We could see him frequently checking on the status of our food. We received many apologies for the lateness from him. (Even though we weren’t complaining!)
At the end of the meal, as we were enjoying the scrumptious desserts, we were each offered a complimentary glass of (delicious) champagne for our «trouble.» It is exceptional service like this, as well as (or sometimes even more than) the delicious food that makes dining out so special.
Although Tempo is more expensive than restaurants I usually go to, I will remember it for future special events, because despite the hustle and bustle of Dine In Brooklyn, all of the staff really took care of us and ensured our dining experience was top-​notch!

Absolutely delicious food, great service, nice ambiance. Yes, a lil pricey esp. for Brooklyn but hey let’s face it prices are going up in our beloved borough! :(
I had the wild mushroom polenta (creamy & yum), the roasted beet salad (yum), and the porchetta (slightly less yum). My friend had the steak for 2, and based on the nibble I had, I am definitely coming back for that next time!

Very pricey.
Worth every penny though.
The service is out-​of-​this-​world (I suspect the waiters are drama students), the food is fresh and delicious in a sophisticated way.
The décor is mega-​luxe for Brooklyn, and it’s very, very clean!