Went there for lunch. My friend and I got an appetizer, lunch entree & dessert. Super expensive for what you get. The food was ok, the portions small and the service was awful. I had tea and my glass was empty from the appetizer to the time I left-even though the waitress promised she would bring it back when the entree was delivered... And again when the dessert and check was delivered. We were never asked if we needed anything else or if our food was ok. Plus-I had a salad and only had two choices of dressings the house and Italian. When I asked if I could have my salad with no tomatoes-the waitress told me that wasn't possible as the owner is the chef and refuses to make any adjustments to his foods. Save your $50 for something much more enjoyable-food, service & something less than a 1970's decor! read more

Timpone's is a very nice restaurant, particularly at dinnertime. My boyfriend and I went here for a nice post-valentine's day weekend dinner (we knew it wouldn't be too busy this weekend, so we opted to do our v-day dinner this weekend instead.) When we walked in, the door and sign were very old-looking, but in a charming way, so that was promising. The first floor is a little more laid-back, but they say you can go to the upper floor if we'd like, so we opted for that. It was very nicely decorated with sculptures, paintings, and plants. The other diners were dressed casually, but still nice, if that makes sense. Like, jeans with a button-up or nice sweater. It was quite nice up there and the service was lovely. I ordered the veal and it was absolutely delicious, and the perfect portion size; however, it was not the perfect portion size for the price. For a $29 entree, I expected a little more on the plate, or for the price to be lower for the same amount. None the less, the food was delicious and so was my boyfriend's. We ended up sharing the crème brûlée for dessert and it was very good. Overall, the staff was very attentive and helpful. Although the atmosphere was slightly intimidating, it still had a nice, cozy, fancy-restaurant feel, and I wouldn't mind going again. TLDR: It's a nice place with good food and service, but expect to shell out some dough. read more

Amazing wait staff and food! Great place to celebrate and very nice decoration and design. Sauces are amazing here!

Food was excellent. Host lost our reservation and then seated us next to a party of twelve loud mouths. Good wine selection. Server brought wrong entree which she eventually remedied which left one of the party with dinner and the other waiting. This is not what was planned for our 25th anniversary dinner. Food was good staff indifferent. For the $75 should have gone to Silver Creek or even Biaggi's. This experience was not worth driving from Mattoon to have. Scott R read more

My wife and I took her Mom and Dad out for her Mom's birthday dinner. I'd never been here before, and won't be back again soon. The main reason is the price - we spent over $230 for four glasses of wine, three starters, four entrees, and two cups of coffee. I had their Pinot Noir, which was of average quality at best. All four wine glasses arrived only about 1/3 full, which was disappointing. Always up for something exotic, I had the foie gras starter (admittedly the most expensive starter we ordered), but the sweetness of the fig/pomegranate sauce overwhelmed the rest of the food in dish, and the actual foie gras (a very small amount of it) was lost. For the entree, I had the roast duck. The flavor of the duck itself was excellent, but the portion of meat was small. It was served on a bed of rice with a fruity sauce that was surprisingly bland. My wife ordered a salmon entree that consisted of a few meager strips of salmon, a few shrimp, a few scallops, and a single fingerling potato. Our waiter was very good; he was prompt and attentive. There was another waiter, though, who was very loud and informal with his customers. Every time he talked, he drowned out the low hum of conversation in the dining room - everyone in the restaurant could hear every word he said, and it was disruptive to everyone's conversation. The dining room itself was extremely warm. I enjoy a gourmet meal once in a while, but the tiny portions, poor flavor blends, and high prices will keep me away. As we left, my wife said to me, "I can't believe we paid that much for old people food." I couldn't agree more. read more

I went here once for lunch when I was in town for a collaboration meeting. I chose a panini with ham, gruyere, onions, and apples. It was, to be brief, the best panini I've ever eaten. I have since attempted a replica at home (with great success!), but the original is still better. For about a $10 lunch, I was very pleased. If I'm ever in the area again, this place is definitely on the top of my list. read more

The food this valentine's was very good. We enjoyed. The menu was prix fixe for $45/person. They did not offer an optional menu. We witnessed multiple tables of college aged valentine's dates (and some older folks too) sharing one dinner or actually walking out before ordering because they couldn't afford it. Our waiter was HORRIBLE. He had an incredibly loud voice and though friendly enough, was not really "nice restaurant" material. For example: instead of "may I offer you more coffee sir?" he said, "do you want more coffee?" (in that really loud obnoxious voice--think yelling).... I mean, I am not snooty but it's Valentines and we are trying to be romantic on a night out so a little politeness could go a long way. I could hear his voice across the dining room. He actually called out one of the couples who left before ordering---saying "Sorry Guys! You know the menu is really good and if you were in Chicago, you would pay $150, etc." I mean, he kind of went on and on....really loudly...and you know these broke college kids were just trying to sneak out of there with the least amount of embarrassment. Geesh! HE was horrible. Did I say that already? and we had to ask for everything- bread, refills, etc. nothing was anticipated---he was just bad. The price is steep- especially for Champaign- but it was a holiday so the splurge can pretty much be justified. Portion sizes were very big and good. Food was hot and perfectly cooked. They didn't accommodate vegetarians well- as we overheard at the table next to us----the veg options included the Chilean Sea bass without the Chilean Sea bass---so just basically the sides (what? Like, have a pasta dish, it is an italian joint after all). We had a decent date---would have been great if the waitstaff were better. Would probably go back. I think they should consider some new staff though. :) read more

This was my first visit to Timpone's. The chicken parm with cheese ravioli was so delicious. The chicken parm very thin well breaded and layered with cheese with tomatoes sauce on top. The cheese ravioli was perfect with tomato sauce and shredded cheese. Creme brulee topped off the meal. I am stuffed! read more

I was in Urbana alone on business and wanted to dine at a nice restaurant within walking distance of the Illini Union where I was staying. The restaurant had a nice ambiance and the wait staff was professional. I ordered the halibut with brussels sprouts and proscuitto. The lemon beurre blanc sauce served with the fish was divine. The white wine I had was also very good. I was too full for dessert but wanted to try the lemon tart so I ordered it to go. I figured I could have it later while I worked in my hotel room. I was surprised when I got my bill and saw that I was charged .50 for the container b/c I asked for the tart to go. It's not a big deal but after paying over 60.00 for my meal (for one), this left a negative impression. I've gotten dessert to go at other restaurants of all different price ranges and have never been charged for a container. I wonder if I had eaten part of the tart at the restaurant and then asked for the rest to go if they would have still charged me the .50. Again, not a big deal but this changed my impression of Timpone's from being an upscale restaurant to a fine restaurant wanna-be. read more

My review is strictly for the pizza. I have never eaten a regular meal here. I heard about Timpone's pizza back in the 80's when my sister and brother in-law were attending U of I. When I was living on campus in 1990-91 I would go to Timpone's as often as I could. I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and have been eating as many different pizza joints as possible all my life. I will travel for pizza. Timpone's is still one of my all-time favorites - that's how good it is. I have always eaten downstairs in the bar. Back in 1990 a small cheese pizza was $3.50 and a large was $6.00. Today they don't have a large and a small is at least $13.00! When I go I get two because it's rare that I get to Champaign living almost 3 hours away. I was last there when I was heading downstate for the Eclipse in August 2017. The pizza is very thin, with minimal cheese and what I feel is a perfect balance. I need to return soon, I miss it. Back in the 90's my brother was in a band with 7 members. They would try to schedule their cross country tour driving to coordinate with being able to stop at Timpone's! read more

I love this restaurant. It's warm yet a fancy restaurant. It reminds me of a restaurant that you would get dressed up for. The waitstaff are incredibly professional like waiters should be. They're polite, they bring you a fork and knife new if you had an appetizer. The food is AMAZING. It's unique and 4 stars and different every night. They have many special appetizers (all delicious), pizza, pastas and entrees from steak to scallops to lamb to halibut. Everything is homemade even sauces and dressings. Back to the waitstaff, they're all college grads and formally trained. That is so refreshing. Dining out and having excellent service. You never have to look for them to refill anything (unlike many downtown Champaign restaurants.) The chef comes out and says hello. My only issue is that the bathrooms in the winter are too cold, but the restaurant is toasty so it's a small issue. If you want to dine at 4:45 or 8:45PM you can. The deserts are outstanding too. I had a smoked trout on greens with little vegetables and crème fraiche with horseradish... it was amazing as the chef smoked his own trout (instead of the packaged salty kind). Surprisingly parking has never been an issue being on campus. Very well done operation. read more

My wife and I came back to UIUC for business and decided to hit Timponi's for dinner. I had the tagliatelli and shared a portion with my wife. An hour later back at out hotel, my wife and I weren't feeling very well. While my wife only had an upset stomach, I was severely hit with a stomach ache and all that comes with it! I'm still feeling ill the next day. My wife called to tell them that we think that we were food poisoned and they were very abrupt and told us nobody else got sick and to maybe stop having such a negative attitude. I'm so disappointed on this restaurant and I am sad that we have to take it off of our list of places to visit whenever we visit UIUC. read more

I couldn't tell you about the food because my boyfriend and I were waved away the first and only time we tried to go here after finding pretty good reviews of the food on yelp. We walked in for an early dinner and were not greeted by anyone. We looked around and waited to see if we would be noticed by some of the bar staff, but nothing. We decided to follow an older couple up the stairs and were then greeted by a host who asked if we had reservations. We didn't and the host said that they were all booked upstairs, but that we could sit downstairs at a table by the bar if there were some available since those tables are first come, first served. That was fine with us and we headed downstairs and started to walk into the bar area where there were 2 or 3 empty tables. The older woman bartending was on the phone and as we started to head towards a table she looked over, shook her head, and waved her hand to indicate that we should not sit there. She went back to her phone call, didn't say a word to us and no one else spoke to us or tried to help us. Given no explanation and no other option and feeling embarrassed, we left and won't be back. read more

Totally average for what it is trying to be. The food is competent but a little boring and is perhaps a hair overpriced. Gnocchi tends to be pretty ok. read more

Overpriced and overrated. The ambience is what makes the dining experience less than excellent, quite honestly. The "bar" (and I use that term loosely) sucks, to be blunt. It is a strange and uncomfortable set-up as a whole. The food is decent but not excellent, especially for what they're charging. The service is very fair. It's boring, average, and expensive. read more

I have booked at this place twice and when I turn up they have no record of my booking and no apology. I will never go there again or in fact try to go there or with anybody associated with visiting the university. I have never been treated so badly at anywhere in Urbana. read more

This place is a hidden gem. Went for lunch today and the experience was wonderful. Server was attentive, they graciously accommodated us even though they closed in 45 minutes, and the food was beyond delicious. We ordered the mushroom pizza as an appetizer, the steak burger (cooked perfectly medium and only available on the lunch menu), mushroom ravioli, and the spinach tagliatelle with chicken. The menu changes often and I've been there multiple times and enjoyed my experience/meal. Definitely a special place to take out of town guests but we also enjoy it for a lunch or dinner when we're feeling fancy! I do agree that the portions are on the smaller side compared to other restaurants (of lower quality) but I feel very satisfied after because the food is good quality and delicious. You get what you pay for here. read more

They change their menu base on fresh food they get. It's the only real Italian restaurant in town. Good place for gathering and family.

My husband and I have visited Timpone's regularly for several years, and we consider each experience to be a special one. Having lived in Champaign since 1971 and sampled other restaurants over 40 years, I feel that Timpone's is by far the best restaurant in the Champaign-Urbana area. Admittedly I cannot speak about the entire menu, as my husband and I have focused primarily on appetizers (Beginnings), pizzas and pastas. However, when we have sampled entrees, they have been original (different from what is found in other restaurants), seasoned well and not too salty, and with quality ingredients. Even though I do not eat much red meat, I have been able to find plenty to choose from in each category on which we have focused. Seafood dishes are invariably excellent, a chicken dish (Spinach tagliatelle) has been one of my favorites and I like the fact that the chicken is free-range. My husband does eat many of the red meat dishes, and he has always been happy with his meals. We also like coming in each week and invariably finding specials in all four categories on the board next to the entry. However, I would miss the Bistro salad, Spinach pizza with artichoke hearts, Seafood risotto and vegetable-based pasta dishes if they disappeared from the menu. We have both been satisfied with portion sizes, and when we order a multicourse meal (often splitting a salad or dessert when we order one), I find there is enough to take some of the main course home to enjoy the next day. It is not surprising to learn that many ingredients are locally sourced and that many pastas and all sauces are made from scratch. The prices seem reasonable for the quality and quantity of food. Finally, the wait staff has generally been polite, friendly, solicitous and observant as to when water needs a refill or plates are empty. Our food has been served promptly after coming from the kitchen, so hot dishes have never been cold and salads not wilted. Again, my experience places Timpone's as the best restaurant in the area. read more

This place it's not worthy at all. They emulate Italian real food and it's really, really expensive. The coffee is totally indecent for an Italian restaurant. read more

To the best of my knowledge, Timpone's and (in the evenings only) the Bread Company, are the only sit-down non-pizza places adjacent to campus. So I end up here periodically to entertain faculty who are visiting the U of I from elsewhere. It's decent enough upscalish Italian-American food, but location is the only reason I go there --- places like Radio Maria, Cafe Luna, or Milo's have quite a bit better food. Overall the place gives the impression of a reasonably-nice hotel dinning room with mediocre food to match (though, in contrast to that image, prices are reasonable). read more

I'll start by saying we enjoyed the food. Nice portions, great flavor, good price. Because we enjoyed the food is the only reason I will give this place another shot. Terrible service. We arrived early for our reservation so we could have a cocktail in the bar first and wait for the other members of our party to arrive. Bar tender was a grumpy older lady. She didn't greet us and also didn't clear the dirty dishes off the bar where we were seated. We pushed them out of our way and were only greeted by a server delivering dirty glassware. He also gave us water. After about 5-7 minutes the lady came over and said "ok, who's next" This was after another couple came to the bar and went upstairs to complain they hadn't been greeted or received service (we were there a while before them). I ordered a cosmopolitan. It was not good. And I had to ask for the lemon twist. Once we were seated we had to ask for a wine list, we were handed a glass wine list and were told they did not have moscato by the glass. Then, we had to ask for a by the bottle list. We ordered a bottle of white wine and were then brought the wine, in an ice bucket, and were informed they don't keep that particular wine chilled so we would have to wait for it to chill. Weird. We ordered several appetizers and entrees to share. All were delicious but we weren't given any explanation as to what everything was. Meanwhile, the host/bus person ran around frantically covered in sweat. He was so sweaty his shirt was visibly wet. It was not hot in there. Gross. No one wants to look at staff wearing a sweat soaked shirt while they eat. One member of our party was drinking Pepsi, which he had to ask for a refill on more than one occasion. The server actually reached over his empty glass to fill my 2/3 full glass with water. I feel like this place can only survive in the location it is in. Good food but there are many better options for ambience and service. read more

This is one of the few VERY nice restaurants on campus! Obviously since most students are poor they don't offer many fine dining experiences but this is one! The food is Italian, which is your normal Italian. The atmosphere is great-cozy and romantic at times. Everything is made fresh and tastes awesome! We got introduced to the owner and the Chef which made it even more enjoyable! read more

Timpones. We treated my parents after a long trip. We were in Champaign when they first opened around 1984. The chef was exceptional then and now. The starter fig pizza with prosciutto was crisp and tasty. We ended up sampling each other's dishes including the seafood risotto and fresh pastas. The most outstanding was a real gnocchi, light and fluffy paired with a scrumptious lamb Raghu that melted on the tongue. For dessert, creamy cappuccinos and a steamed bread pudding worth dreaming about. Beyond that the staff was gracious and warm. A perfect lunch. Thanks Timpones! read more

Amazing thin crust pizza and the best seafood risotto ever. Also great deserts. I have never been disappointed at Timpone's.

I've been to Timpone's twice. The first time, I thought the food was specatular and was wowed by the experience. I ordered the Foie Gras and Ahi Tuna and thought the quality was comparable to some of the better places in Chicago. However, on my second try the food was a lot worse. It was the night of an important football game so the place was deserted - but no excuse to be serving sub-par food. Overall, I like the place and will definitely be back to give it a third try. read more

This is the only restaurant where my husband and I eat - we live about 15 mins. away. the food is always excellent and the service is fantastic. We tried Silver Creek last year when Timpones was closed and will NOT ever go back. It doesn't get any better than Ray's caesars, pastas and Ginger's desserts. The pasta is to perfection, and the duck, and the pizza - you can't go wrong (and if you don't like it - find the closest McDonalds because that must be what your taste buds are geared toward). read more

Great service but expensive food not of high quality! These are small plate servings mind you! Even charges $1 for complimentary bread that you find in most restaurants. What a turn off! read more

We had a birthday lunch at Timpone's on July 18, and all three of us found the food delicious, particularly the sweet corn chowder, tomato risotto, ahi tuna, and the best key lime pie I've ever eaten. Our server was friendly and extremely professional. We'll certainly return! read more

I've been eating at Timpones for about 25 years. This is one of the best choices for fine dining in C-U. The food is always excellent. The menu is constantly changing but they always have nice fish, meat and pasta choices. Many people love their pizza. The long-time favorite appetizer is Frito Misto (usually shrimp, calamari, scallops) with a garlic aioli on top and a spicy tomato-based sauce below. Highly recommended. Desserts are always interesting and wonderful. The service varies as they do have a lot of turnover with students that come and go. But the food makes up for inconsistency in service. read more

I took my wife to Timponi's for lunch the menu looked great so we ordered two "specials". Unfortunately as time elapsed we never saw our meal and I had to return to work without eating. Needless to say there are many other restaurants in the area with much better service. read more

My daughter came from Texas over Thanksgiving weekend. There are very few restaurants she misses and requests to go to when she is here. Timpones is one of them. Being long term customers will probably now be a thing in the past. We came Saturday after the Champaign Christmas lights show. We had a party of three adults and two young children. The male host was the most unwelcoming and least accommodating employee I ever came across. If the look of disgust wasn't enough to inspire us to take our business elsewhere it was his rudeness by telling us they don't really accommodate young children. No highchairs or Booster seats. He looked at us like we have done something wrong. We tried to make it work even so squished in a booth. After the glares and uneasiness we decided to leave and go downstairs to the bar and order our pizzas to go. The bartender was nice and professional. Timpones.. you definitely need to consider obtaining a more pleasant host for your establishment. I recently heard a similar incident without children after sharing with others. The food is ok but we won't be going back. The experience had us all in bad moods after read more

Every meal I've had at Timpone's has been delicious. Most recently, I visited with my husband and mother-in-law and we had the following meals: bread to start (costs $1 but worth it!), veggie pizza, bolognese with pappardelle pasta, and seafood risotto. Their pizza is a very thin, almost cracker-like crust, but is quite tasty and the veggies they put on it are fresh and delicious. The bolognese was hearty and rich with multiple kinds of meat in it, and the pappardelle was fresh made that day. But the star out of our 3 meals was definitely the seafood risotto. Nice size shrimp and scallops in a delicious savory tomato sauce with risotto that melted in your mouth. Would order this again in a heartbeat! This restaurant has two floors, with the host station being upstairs (and no elevator) so you will need to go up the stairs when you first arrive. It can be a concern for people with mobility issues, but I suspect you can request a table downstairs to accommodate your group as needed. They also have a private dining room that you can reserve which has its own bathroom and coat rack as well as a dedicated server just for your large party. We have used it a couple times in the past for large groups and been very happy with the food and service. You don't necessarily need reservations here, but if you're going at busy times (Friday/Saturday nights), you might want to call ahead and make a reservation. read more

i had the mushroom ravioli for dinner and i thought i died and went to heaven. the best part though was not the dinner....it was the service. my waitress mary kate was one of the most wonderful people ive ever encountered. thank you mary kate, for being an amazing individual. read more

This was the first time in two years that I returned to the restaurant - primarily because the average cost of a meal is about 35 dollars per person with tip. We ordered the grouper and the pasta with bolognaise sauce, and their thin crust pizza. Overall the dining experience was mixed. The service was pretty good but the food was just blah. The grouper wasn't presented well and it was such a small plate; the pizza was a fig pizza, gorgazola, proscuitto was a little dry - the combination of ingredients didn't work, but the pasta was very tasty - again - very small plates. What 's dreadful about this restaurant is the ambiance and the decor (circa 80s) and that they charge $1 for an order of six slices of bread. When asked, we were told that patrons have asked for refills and the management was covering costs. what a lame excuse! Also its not as though they served bread that's to die for - its just a VERY small loaf of freshly baked bread - no big deal!Try another restaurant - i won't be going back anytime soon. read more

took my wife, ordered the special, a burger, the meat was totally spoiled, sent it back and got the hell out. avoid this place, the service was just as bad, don't ask. can't believe this place can stay open. thinking about getting ahold of the health dept. this is one star only because i couldn't post without giving it one star, i would give it a -\ negative 5 star read more