Tempo reviewed by Lady Blonde Blog, 14 January 2011

"[...] Tempo is sophisticated but unassuming, integrating superior service with an affability not always associated with Mayfair. This intimate, ‘local’ and unpretentious atmosphere created by the Tempo team is supplemented by the warm and tasteful décor, which some might denounce as ‘safe’: the style is contemporary but not trendy; the colour palette consists of taupe with accents of blue; the finishes and fabrics are subtle, seamlessly – rather than interestingly - juxtaposing. [...]


We chose beef carpaccio with hazelnuts and parmesan (£8.75) which was the best CG claimed to have had: the dish was packed with flavour, texture and crunch. We also shared scallops, with an inspired side of golden beetroot with lemon and chilli (£12.75). For my main course I had a fleshy, seared tuna loin steak, with roasted peppers (£19.75) and CG had tagliolini with fresh Cornish crab, dill and lime (£16). He asked for extra seafood, and they added clams, muscles and prawns without hesitation. To finish, we had a magical lemon tart (£6.25). [...]


Tempo offers good value Italian in an enviable location. Open for lunch and dinner, the food is a delight and the décor is stylish, making it well suited for discerning Londoners looking to dine informally." 

Tempo reviewed by Wyndham Grand London Blog, 7 January 2011

"[...] It does not take a genius to work out that there are literally hundreds of Italian restaurants gracing London’s streets.

With such a vast amount of choice on offer, how could we possibly ever decide which one to choose? Well that’s easy, go to the swankiest, grandest and clientele ‘prestigious’ Italian restaurant the capital has to offer.

Tempo in Mayfair fits the criteria perfectly. Attention to detail is at the vanguard of this exclusive Italian restaurant." 

Tempo reviewed by Giles Coren for The Saturday Times, 4 December 2010

"That's brilliant for Mayfair. And even better for Mayfair is the charming, rather laid-back service and the modern, 'chicchetti'-focused menu, which encourages the table-wide sharing approach that is almost the only way that I can bear to eat these days." 


Giles Coren, The Saturday Times, 4 December 2010

Tempo Review In Metro by Marina O'Loughlin on 1st of December 2010

"If Tokyo’s anything to go by, the Japanese 

love Italian food. Maybe it’s a noodle thing. New Mayfair swankpot Tempo’s kitchen is headed up by one Yoshi Yamada but apart from some very sashimi-ish carpaccios of fish and a belter of a lemon tart, the flavour is Italian to the core. [...] butternut squash risotto with an astonishing depth of buttery flavour; a dense, chewy but excellently flavoured rabbit and pistachio tortelli in a quantity of sage butter (Yamada sure likes his dairy). There are so-now cicchetti –Venetian-style small plates – of spicy n’duja crostini, seared octopus with apple and pomegranate. These are also available in the upstairs bar, which is beautiful – a luxurious, creamy rococo room and that rarest of London things, a hidden gem."


Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/lifestyle/848925-tempo-is-an-italian-restaurant-well-worth-going-out-of-your-way-for#ixzz16sSwXtKU

Article on Tempo in Tatler Magazine by Jeremy Wayne, December 2010 issue

"Like most Japanese, Yamada is enamoured of all things Italian, an seems to have mastered the art of Italian cooking, sprinkling his menu with dishes from the diary-rich north all the way to Calabria in the South. [...] The food runs the gamut. Cicchetti, those must-have little snacks, come first-bruschetta of roasted peppers and burrata or a saucer of featherlight fried squid and whitebait. Lovely. Carpaccio is expertly done, not sliced wafer-thin and all the better for it: beef with hazelnuts and Parmesan, sworfish with capers and olives."

Tempo Review In The London Magazine, December 2010

 ‎"Our favourites included scallops with golden beetroot and a chili 'kick', and seared octopus with apple and pomegranate, while our gnocchi were so light and fluffy it's amazing they didn't spontaneously levitate on the way from kitchen to the table. My companion's pork belly main course was melt in the mouth, with a deep rich flavour and no fat whatsoever. [...] 

Tempo has achieved its aim of being a an intimate, upscale but reasonably priced neighbourhood 
restaurant" 

Tempo Review in Tatler Magazine by Jeremy Wayne, November 2010

"Yoshi Yamada, formerly chef at St Alban, disappeared when the restaurant closed at the end of last year. Now he's resurfaced at Tempo, a new authentic Italian, bang in the heart of Mayfair. Irresistible northern Italian dishes, made with rare skill and served with bags of charm."

Tempo Restaurant in Food & Travel Magazine by Rachel Truman / October Issue

"Yoshi Yamada has created an approachable, good value and appealing menu where sharing is very much encouraged. Perfectly crisp calamari and whitebait, oozing burrata Pugliese with tender baby artichokes and swordfish carpaccio, cut through with citrus segments and slivers of fennel, preceded plates of the lightest gnocchi known to man. [...] Special mention should go to the pastry chef, also Japanese, whose terrific breads and delicate lemon tart reveal a deftness of touch"

"20 Restaurants for Right Now" by John Mariani in Virtuoso Life Magazine - September/October 2010 Issue

"In a city ravenous for modern cucina italiana, Tempo opened with a bang and immediately drew a chic Mayfair crowd that dresses to dine in a room done in Amalfi Coast blue accentuated with tables of hand-painted glass. [...] Specialities are small-plate antipasti like seared octopus and pomegranate salad, but this being Britain, there is succulent roast rib eye of Scottish beef with bone marrow, potatoes, and kale."

Interview with Henry Togna and Yoshi Yamada in Mayfair Times / September Issue

"The most important thing is the food has to be excellent. The second - which is only a degree under - it has to be consistent. Then we have to have the ambiance and, of course, the service. And if we do that, people will inevitably come here. So Yoshi and I have done a deal: we're in a no compromise situation. Quality is everything."  Henry Togna