Popular Italian chophouse in tony neighborhood re-opening by end of the month

TAMPA—A well-known Hyde Park Village eatery that’s been shut for more than a year is close to reopening.

Timpano Italian Chophouse, one of Tampa’s most popular restaurants for nearly 20 years, is holding a VIP event Oct. 25 to show off the new menu items and décor.

An invitation went out Oct. 13 urging invitees to “Be the first to experience” the reimagined Timpano.

A spokeswoman for the restaurant's Orlando-based owners, Tavistock Restaurant Collection, says no official opening date has been set for the public yet, but she expects it to be in late October.

Timpano closed in the summer 2020 but signage on the window has long promised it return at some point.

In July, the spokeswoman told the Business Observer that when it reopened it was going to be a “re-imagined Timpano, fresher, and it’s going to have some new brand colors and it's definitely going to feel more of the vibe of Hyde Park than it had.”

“It was starting to feel outdated before COVID. We’re hoping to freshen it up and be more in line with what Hyde Park looks like,” she said. “Definitely still focused on cocktails, Italian food. We’re really working to… play into seasonality and what Florida has to offer.”

Timpano sat right on the corner of W. Swann Avenue and South Dakota Avenue in Hyde Park Village for years. On most weeknights, and especially on weekends, well-heeled patrons sat outside watching pedestrians and being watched. For Hyde Park regulars, its absence was notable when venturing out after dark.