5 of us had dinner here a few weeks ago. Had a nice wait at the bar for our table, nice beers and wine available. Server was nice, service a bit slow but we did not mind as we were there to enjoy the food and company. All of our meals were great, hanger steak, pork chop, salmon. Had to ask the server for bread ( saw in some reviews that it and the spread were great- and they were) as it was not brought to our table. Split 2 desserts, one chocolate and one divine banana dessert (forge the name but was fantastic). Will be back. read more

So great! Everyone at our table enjoyed dinner here. The kiddos loved the sliders and wings. The kale Caesar salad was great with the baked eggs and Parmesan crust. Nice selection of beers and cocktails too. read more

I love tempo! The food is great, the prices are reasonable. We love to sit at the bar (great and attentive bar staff - spiro is great!). They have dollar oysters on Tuesday nights. Overall its fab! read more

I love Tempo. My absolute favorite go-to local restaurant for upscale casual dining. Food and drinks are always excellent - we have never been disappointed. The truffle fries are the best we have had anywhere hands down. The tuna and salmon tartare is consistently wonderful. The duck entree is phenomenal, although not always on the menu. We rarely have enough room for dessert but those we've tried have been delicious. Interesting cocktails and a strong wine list round out the menu. read more

We had a delicous meal at Tempo. The philly rolls and baked brie were perfect size appetizers. I highly recommend the seafood and steaks. The wait staff is very attentive. The bar is a great place to meet friends for drinks and appetizers. The specials list is very extensive. I will be back next week. read more

Enjoyed a fun evening at Tempo. Interesting and tasty food. Great service. Relaxing atmosphere. Easy to get to and park. Look forward to returning. read more

My girlfriend and I have been to Tempo 3 times. Each time, my meal has been good. Unfortunately my girlfriend's food was very poor each time. Our overall experience the last two times was also poor. I'm sorry to say, but I shall not be returning to Tempo anytime in the near future. 2 Stars is being slightly generous for poor value, poor experiences and poor food. 1st time - Sat at the bar instead of waiting 15+ minutes for one of the empty (albeit, probably reserved) tables. The bartender was friendly, checked our ID's when we ordered drinks, and brought us bread fairly quickly. So far so good. I ordered the pork Milanese (4-star) and the gf ordered her staple at new restaurants: Caesar Salad with Shrimp. The salad is grilled and comes with chunks of shaved Parmesan, a corn salsa, and croutons of course. The shrimp were covered in pepper. LOTS of pepper. Almost inedible if it weren't for the extra caesar dressing that the salad most definitely needs. The bartender was attentive at the start, but became harder to reach as the restaurant filled up and he got fairly busy. Overall, it was a 3.5 star experience. Not bad, so we came back another time a little over a month later: 2nd time - I had learned reservations were key to getting a table at this point, and yet we were sat at a high-top next to the bar - Not a big deal since we didn't have to wait. Our server (blond, forget name) was EXTREMELY nice and very attentive the whole time. I ordered the salmon (medium) with hong kong noodles and vegetable stir fry - definitely a 5-star meal in my opinion. A little spicy, and a nice sweet taste to the miso glaze. The salmon was cooked perfectly, and still tender and tasty. My gf ordered the scallops and shrimp over a rice cake, without the hot peppers that normally come with it (hmm, doesn't like hot, or spicy pepper). The scallops and shrimp came out - with pepper all over them! It was almost funny how the seafood was practically battered in black pepper. The rice cake was tasteless, and that was the whole dish aside from a few tomatoes on the plate. -- It is probably prudent to note here that I'm not picky and my gf was a server for 7 years. We haven't sent a dish back in the 2+ years of dating until this 2nd run at Tempo. Who wants to send food back anyways - its awkward and a waste of time. -- But we had to, since her dish was basically inedible. Again, the server and manager were nice about it and I gave her a good tip (20% of the original check) because she didn't really do anything wrong - in fact she informed us that the pepper wasn't anything new, they put it on basically every dish, and a lot of it, something to remember for the next time. Overall I'd say it was more of a 3-star experience. Next: 3rd time - Utter disaster. I only decided to take my gf back here because they were offering a "wine tasting" for free with dinner, something we've been getting interested in doing lately. Wine tasting was a rushed 3 sips of 3 different wines, and then a spiel on the by-the-glass and by-the-bottle prices. Weak. We didn't even get bread until an hour after we arrived (at which point we were both starving since we work 9-5, eat lunch at 12, and it was bordering 7:30). We ordered around the same time. I got the salmon again. My gf got Caesar Salad with Shrimp again, taking care to ask for NO pepper on the shrimp. She got grilled chicken with grilled hearts of romaine - No parm, no corn salsa, no dressing! We actually thought we had received someone else's order it was so far from what my gf had asked for! We asked our server what was going on and she didn't apologize, but practically told my gf that she had ordered chicken! When she asked for the shrimp, the server asked how many, telling us they were 3.50 each - my girlfriend ordered 3, got 4. Covered in pepper. The server came over 1 minute after getting the peppery shrimp, and asked my gf if she wanted more pepper, and i practically laughed in her face. The manager did some damage control, and I tipped our server about 15% of the original bill before leaving. Negative 1 star. read more

I didn't see a vegan option on the menu and asked the server if the chef could put something together for me. The chef delivered a delicious mushroom risotto with veggie sides. All of the meals in our group were beautifully presented and delicious, and mine was the envy of all. read more

Pretty solid dining experience. Came in on a Thursday night. Restaurant wasn't packed but seemed a bit noisy for the amount of people in the restaurant. Started with a round of cocktails which were well made and not watered down (good sign that this would be a good place for drinks). We ordered the tuna ahi appetizer which was just ok. Our server forgot to put in our salad order so we were food-less for some time after we finished our apps. Which wasn't a big deal but when the salad showed up, our entree came right behind it so we felt rushed to finish our salads because now our entrees were getting cold. Food was really good though so I could kinda overlook the timing issue. We ordered off the specials of the night. Pan grilled barricuda with freakin' delicious "liquified corn on the cob"- essentially a cream of corn sauce. Why they tried to fancy up the name, I don't know. But again, pretty damn tasty so they can call it whatever they want. Hubby had the pork cheeks which I thought was braised to perfection. Desserts were a fantastic value for $4 each. They are on the small side but "good things come in small packages" would apply in this case. We had the pear, cranberry and pecan pie and malt milkball cake thing (can't quite remember the exact name). Totally worth the extra minutes on the treadmill tomorrow! So why not 4 stars? There's the entree timing issue plus the noise factor. I also thought if they took a dollar or two off the entree or apps prices, it would be a better value. Their prices are more upscale than what it should be. I would have given it a 3 1/2 stars for the food alone. Would definitely come back though. read more

Having eaten at Tempo no less than fifty times, I can give it an accurate review. First, the service is really consistent, never bad. The hostess counter is always staffed, friendly and capable. The wait staff is very good. Two of the waiters, Sean and one other fellow, have been there for at least six years. They're not bubbly friendly, but they know the menu and get it done. The food is very consistent, and almost always very good. The chef isn't marvelous, just good, and it definitely matches the price point. If you and your date are interested in the lobster paella, definitely share an order. For the longest time they dropped the lobster and we stopped ordering it. The lobster is back! The bar staff is friendly and attentive. They often run specials on appetizers and oysters at the bar until seven PM. The downside - its really noisy and the bar can be really crowded. It looks like 75 Chestnut did before they renovated and put in a wall of windows between the bar and dining room. That wouldn't be a bad idea here. read more

We recently ate dinner at Tempo on 8/8/14 to celebrate a birthday. The availability of gluten free menu items was a priority in choosing this restaurant. In speaking with the staff, it was apparent that they were knowledgeable about what "gluten free" actually means and the importance of avoiding cross contamination. I wanted to order the salsa and chips, but usually chips are fried in the same oil as everything else -- but not here. I was told they had GF chips available for diners such as myself. I was thrilled and the guacamole/salsa/chips appetizer was outstanding. I also ordered the "statler chicken breast" entree (prepared gluten free) and it was delicious. The meat was tender and the veggies were cooked perfectly. And, to my absolute astonishment, there were choices for a gluten free dessert! Very unusual! I tried a coconut custard based dessert (i can't remember the exact name) and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a wonderful surprise to eat at a restaurant that offers gluten free menu items that are as flavorful as everything else. I had no adverse reactions to my meal, so I feel confident it was truly gluten free. Also: the service here was top notch. The staff was friendly and attentive. We were given a carafe of water. Drinks were refilled in a timely manner. All the courses were served at comfortable intervals. They came through with the requested "surprise dessert with a candle" for our birthday guest as well. This restaurant is pricey, but for this gluten free diner...it was truly worth it. (check out the unusual faucet/hand dryer combo in the restrooms - an amusing experience...) read more

Love this restaurant! Plenty on the menu for someone who's fairly picky. Sitting at the bar is my favorite place to hang out for a few drinks and dinner. read more

The food is fine but the service is slow and the prices are very high. I was irritated with our waitress for insisting our daughter order an two sets of tacos "because they are small" when I said several times she wouldn't finish two sets. She kept insisting so we did - and wound up wasting half as predicted. I am going to stop using this place as a regular go-to restaurant - it's fine occasionally but not worth the price (especially for mediocre service). read more

Tempo is a great spot. It is casual, yet nice decor and ambience. The. pork shank was outstanding, fries as an app were excellent. Definitely would recommend. read more

One of the best places in Waltham. The scallops, ribs, steak, truffle fries, chicken wings -- you can't go wrong at Tempo! The menu changes seasonally, so you always have something new to choose from. It can get noisy by the bar, so if you are looking for a quiet dinner, ask to be seated in the back. Make sure to call ahead for a reservation. Enjoy! read more

Last Saturday night I went to Tempo for dinner with a few of my girl friends and it was absolutely amazing! We were in a group of 6 and got to sit in a great spot right by the front window - very spacious (and got to people watch everyone who walked by.) We first got a bunch of different craft cocktails, I got the Darling Amelia and it was SO good! Our server was Colleen who was always there when we needed her. She gave several suggestions on different appetizers and even helped us choose a perfect bottle of red wine to pair with our meals. We ended up choosing the Foxen Pinot Noir. For apps, we had the Philly steak and cheese spring rolls which were made to perfection, as well as the tuna tartare which was fresh and flavorful. I got the pork chop which was recommended by a friend who had come to this restaurant a few months back. It was amazing and I loved the sides that it was paired with. Overall, the prices were average and the wine was very well priced compared to other restaurants in the area. All of my friends loved their meals and the majority of them all got seafood dishes, which they all said were great. Overall a 10/10 from staff to food. I will definitely be going back for more!! read more

First visit...slipped and had a hard fall on the super-slick wood floor. Haven't fallen like that since learning to walk 30+ years ago. No one, including manager, inquired as to my status. Perhaps the hostess and waitress were trying not to smirk or laugh. Ever heard of LIABILITY??? Three salads ordered; roasted pear with gorganzola was outstanding. The others had dressings that were a bit off (too much balsamic etc.). Wild mushroom gnocchi was rich and flavorful. Fish tacos were fresh and good, but needed slaw with more pizazz (e.g. jalapeno, cilantro etc.). Filet mignon was reportedly delicious and tender. Rolled stuffed steak sounded nice, but was pounded thin and came out dry. If I want rolled and stuffed, I'll buy it at Whole Foods for 1/3 the price. And next time I'll wear sneakers that will provide traction on the ice-rink like wood floor. read more

A wonderful bar with attentive staff and martinis to die for. Unfortunately, their food is fairly expensive and blah.

Ive been going to Tempo for years and it still remains to be one of my favorite restaurants. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, and there's always a great vibe. The bar is ideal for apps and drinks and catching a celtics game (they have 2 flat sceens). The dining room has several booths and banquette seating, which I love. Great place to take a date or friends and family. The service is always excellent and the food is consistently delicious . Everything on the menu is appealing...not to mention a great selection of daily specials. Ive sent many friends to this place and now they have become regulars...I think that says it all! read more

I believe Tempo Bistro has become the the flag ship of what Moody st. wants to become. Great food, fun drinks, and the atmosphere of a Boston experiance. Its a place to entertain clients, take out that someone special for a first date, or celebrate an anniverasry. There open space and friendly staff help you feel relaxed and at home. I truly recommend Tempo Bistro for its great food, scotch and wine selection. Plus if your a fan of a super tasty martini as your starter, ask for there drink menu that has a variety of drinks to please all palets. You wont be disappointed!! read more

Had a terrific meal at Tempo tonight. Everything was done with care and attention. The quality of the food was excellent , as was the preparation. Our waitress was informative and helpful without being obsequious, and was making good suggestions with a full knowledge of the menu. The sommelier steered us to a good wine (and not the most expensive), adding in a good chat about vineyards in general. I started with the pear gorgonzola salad (wonderful) then had the Portuguese stew with the seafood spiced just right. My wife had the cashew crusted flounder which was buttery perfection. We shared the tasting dessert of creme brulé, fudge cake and chocolate mousse cake. I have to say it was the most pleasant restaurant experience this year. A good way to end 2010! read more

Great seafood restaurant, possibly better than those in downtown Boston. Everything was very fresh and there was a great selection to choose from. read more

I know I said I would never go back to Tempo, but I heard great things about their gluten free menu and decided to give them another try. I'm sorry I did. I had a scarily similar experience as my first. After ordering drinks and GF/DF apps, my boyfriend and I ordered dinner. The service started to go downhill when I received attitude about switching my side dishes due to my allergies. Then the pregnant woman next to me had to send back her undercooked meal. My pork arrived completely raw in the center. When I informed the waitress, she encouraged me to eat it, as they "have great quality meats." Is this how Tempo handles every situation?! I ignored the recommendation (as it's extremely dangerous to eat undercooked pork), and sent it back, only have to send it back again because it was still extremely pink in the center. The kitchen did not cook another piece of meat for me, they kept returning the same piece of pork which was now cut up into multiple pieces - great presentation. Once again, my boyfriend was finished with his meal by the time I received mine. A manager on duty offerred dessert (which I couldn't eat due to allergies) or the next round of drinks on the house, to compensate us. We weren't about to continue this terrible experience so just asked for the bill. Two strikes, Tempo's out. read more

4 Stars is high praise from me for a Boston area restaurant (having lived in the San Francisco/Bay Area for 7 years, I was spoiled by some REALLY good restaurants). I had the salmon. They cooked it exactly as I specified. Nice and crispy on the outside and cooked through (hate it when you get raw bits in the middle). Perfectly seasoned. The turnip puree was excellent (very sweet... loved it). read more

excellent food. great sauces. great ambience. have eaten there a few times and will go back. and oh yes, the coffee is the best. well worth it. read more

We are regulars at Tempo. We've gone to the best restaurants for seafood in the greater Boston area and Tempo continues to impress us with its imaginative and creative menu. We always leave pleased with the food and the service. We highly recommend Tempo! read more

We have just been to Tempo two weekends in a row! The menu is so good that we could go many more consecutive weekends and not order the same thing 2x. If you like fish, the variety is extensive and there are lots of other great things too. Everyone in our family loved it (including our kids ages 13 and 11) and we can't wait to go back again. Top family picks for mom (Swordfish Chop), dad (Cajun Salmon), daughter (Black Sea Bass), son (home made mozzarella sticks). Desserts and salads were great too. read more

I go to Tempo at least a couple times a month after work for their great bar apps. I've been for dinner a couple times too, and so far I've enjoyed everything I've tried. Their swordfish entree is one of the best I've ever had. Service is friendly, but can occasionally seem disorganized (apps and entrees coming out at the same time, not refilling drinks/water quickly, etc). But, I think this is the best restaurant on Moody St, and that's saying a lot! read more

Our first visit to Tempo almost a year ago was disappointing - the service was quite poor. However, we have returned three times since and they have definitely improved in this respect. The menu is huge, so there is something for everyone and the portion sizes are very (very!) generous. You will not leave this restaurant hungry! That said, a few things are keeping Tempo out of five star range: firstly, the bread is absolutely terrible - dry, tasteless and totally unappetizing. They really should fix this because it is so far out of register with the high prices for the entrees. Second, while they have an exciting cocktail menu with several interesting choices, they really need to mix and pour it at the bar. Keeping it in a shaker with ice and then having the waiter shake and serve it at the table lets a cocktail become watered down rather than cooled to the right temperature (and over-cooled). They can fill it to the very rim of the glass this way (and it creates the illusion of a strong drink) but watering it down creates a markedly inferior cocktail. Finally, the oysters are ok, but they serve them with their cucumber puree and horseradish already applied to the oyster - some of us (most oyster fans?) like our oysters briny and only want the horseradish to clean our palate in between oysters; the sides should be...on the side. Positive aspects pushing Tempo toward four stars: the main courses we have had were excellent. My strip steak (I could swear it was a ribeye though) was deliciously tender and cooked perfectly (not over-cooked). The asparagus had a very nice smoky flavor and the potato with cheese was ok, if very filling. The only thing missing from this dish was balance: only four strips of asparagus for such a large piece of meat - more greens please! My wife's sea scallops were seared almost to perfection and the risotto was very good. The greens (roasted beets and sauteed watercrest) were divine - no complaints about this dish. We had steamers here and they were excellent - very clean without any sand inside. My only request would be clam juice in addition to the melted butter for dipping. The desserts are excellent and come in two sizes, which is a nice variation - Tempo is one of the few restaurants where the entrees are so big I cannot finish, but the desserts are so tasty I must have one - thankfully, they have a small portion size if you need to avail yourself. The last few times I have eaten at Tempo I have really enjoyed myself. It's a bit expensive but, overall, mostly worth it. A nice atmosphere inside for a date or evening out, however the high-speed bustle may make it better for a relaxed/impromptu dinner, rather than a formal night out. read more

Great meal at Tempo! The whole family enjoyed it. Service was excellemt. kids loved the Caribbean chicken tenders. Tuna tartare appetizer was very good. read more

If i could give this place 0 stars i would. This place had awesome food, but they compensate with horrible service. The waiter didn't even get us water for at least 20 minutes. After all that i was over charged 18 dollars for the meal which was Awesome! I want to thank this place for overcharging me, i paid 18 dollars to never go back to this place again in my entire life and campaign for other people to avoid it at all cost. Again the food was awesome but don't think that they will get to you with in 2 hours. ENJOY. read more

I am shocked to read the negative reviews regarding the waitstaff at Tempo. My husband and I had dinner at Tempo with another couple on Saturday night. Our wait, Peter was attentive, knowledgeable and extremely friendly. The food was delicious and their specialty martini was a hit! read more

Specifically wanted to go to Tempo for the the Heath Bar Crunch Bread Pudding - checked out the menu online before going, it was listed as a dessert - very excited about the bread pudding! Get to the restaurant, very nice atmosphere, nice bar, friendly bartenders. My BF and I decide to do some apps and save room for the bread pudding. Come to find out, they don't have the Heath Bar Crunch Bread pudding, they have some peanut butter bread pudding. I don't want peanut butter, I want Heath bar.... what a dissappointment! Not to mention they had Dogfish Punkin listed on the beer list and didn't have that either... another dissappointment. But despite these dissapointments the truffle fries, calamari and steak and cheese spring rolls were delicious. And we did get dessert, Smores in a jar that was not listed online but caught our eye and did not disappoint. I would reccommend trying this place out, dinner menu looked amazing! I was just disappointed that they didnt have the Heath bar bread pudding...please update the website to show the actual menu! read more

We had an excellent meal tonight at Tempo Bistro! The seafood including spicy tiger shrimp appetizer and deconstructed chowder with flounder were fresh and very tasty. The specialty cocktails including muddled grape with elderberry liquor was outstanding and there is a good selection of wines and beer on tap. Our server, John, was extraordinarily polite, helpful and attentive. Will return soon and bring friends! read more

Great date spot, good food. I like the creative food selection, though my boyfriend wasn't as big of a fan of the unfamiliar ingredients. They should add a couple of classics to the menu. The food was cooked to order and very good. It's a little loud in the restaurant (Friday night) but I don't mind that. The drinks were outstanding. We never got a specials list, and even though our waitress read some to us (she was a little odd), she missed others and I had to keep standing up to try and read what was on the chalkboard, they need to hand that out to all customers. It's definitely overpriced, they could go down a bit seeing as it's not huge portions, but nonetheless, great food and good experience. read more

Food delicious - Bread basket really bad!!!! Why are stale bagel chips served as a bread basket? How is it the chef prepares gourmet meals and the first food item you taste are bagel chips?!? Bagel chips are sold at good bagel stores as day old left-overs, not-able-to-sale items that no one wants. I go to a nice restaurant and I want a warm bread basket with fresh butter or nice dipping olive oil with my martini -NOT cinnamon bagel chip (stale bagels?!) read more

One of my favorite places in the area! Excellent menu with many rotating specials, great craft beer selection, creative mixed drinks, and a consistently awesome staff. I'd give specifics on particular meals, but everything I've ever had (and I've been here a bunch) has been at the least very good and at best absolutely phenomenal. If you can park by the fence at the Tedeschi's behind the building, that's an even better bonus (don't park on the building side though, you may be towed). Failing that, there's a couple of lots within a 2 minute or so walk down Moody Street, one of which is right by the theater - tough to beat! read more

I went in a large group, about a dozen, on a weekday. It was early enough that it was not crowded. I wasn't impressed with the service - seemed we had to wait a lot, for a disinterested waiter. I had the pear & gorgonzola salad - which honestly could have been better. The yellowfin tuna was excellent (I asked for it rare) with a nice peppery crust.. Looking around the table, I thought I was in the one-third who got a good looking meal. I didn't eat dessert, but a lot of people did, so I had a look at several offerings. All told, the food was okay, but the price was a significant notch above where I thought the food was. read more

We have been going to Tempo for years. Usually we have tasty, creative food with good service. We went there a few months ago and were disappointed, but gave it a try again this week. It was back to very good. We sat at the bar. The bartenders are always friendly and knowledgeable. I enjoy the infused pineapple vodka up. We shared a salad, the mussels, the roasted beets and the swordfish chop. It was delicious and hit the spot. We will continue coming back. read more

I was here about a week ago, so I can't remember the details exactly, but I wanted to come to yelp to praise Tempo for being super allergy-friendly. Currently I cannot eat wheat, dairy, garlic, onion, beans, stonefruits (low-FODMAP) and I actually had more than one option here! My server and a man who I think was the front of house manager were both very respectful and careful with respect to my food allergy requests, and my modified entree came out just as flavorful and delicious as I would expect the regular entrees are. I got some dish with scallops and shrimp and it was awesome. I stole a tiny bite of sweet potato bravas and those were amazing as well. Luckily they even had sorbet, a perfect gluten-free dairy-free dessert, and it was really, really good - you could tell it was made in-house and with fresh ingredients. Overall I was thrilled with my experience at Tempo. read more