Tempo Restaurant in Alexandria

We prefer bistros, but we also like to be able to hear someone when he is talking. When we first moved here nine years ago, we found ourselves at a restaurant in Alexandria called Tempo, and recall it being very crowded, a little old style, but the food was quite good. So instead of going to one of our "usuals" on Sunday evening, I made a reservation for Tempo after reading all the reviews - which for the most part were good. Wouldn't you know it was pouring rain on the one day we reserved a table, so we left in the thunder and lightning and headed to Alexandria along the GW Parkway. We arrived a few minutes late, but the rain had stopped. The restaurant is an old converted gas station and has been around since 1990. We got a nice seat by the window. It wasn't very crowded and the clientele was on the older side, and probably "regulars" as the reviews mentioned. I had flounder with crab and my husband had steak diablo. The bread, salad, and key lime pie were all good. It's more than we typically care to pay for a meal without leftovers, but once in a while not a bad thing to do. As much as we liked it, we probably won't go back for awhile. It reminds us of those places that were all the rage twenty years ago and have since been replaced with a more casual atmosphere and fare. We were easily able to have a conversation without yelling - a very difficult thing to do in most places in our neighborhood. I wonder how it is on a Friday or Saturday evening?