Ristorante Machiavelli
1215 Pine St, Seattle, WA, 98101
Ristorante Machiavelli Menu
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Appetizers
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Pizza
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Pasta
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Specialty
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Entrees
Healthy Meal suggestions for Ristorante Machiavelli
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Appetizers
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Pizza
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Pasta
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Specialty
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Entrees
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Address :
1215 Pine St
Seattle, WA, 98101 - Phone (206) 621-7941
- Website https://www.machiavellis.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :5:00 pm - 11:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : No
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : No
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Pizza
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
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Arman E.
Reasonable portions. Entrees around 10$
(3)Alfa Alyssa E.
This place already gets 4 or 5 stars from everybody so I really don't have to say much. We will drive from Renton to eat here and it is SO, SO good EVERY single time. It's a smaller place and always busy but the wait is worth it. I've tried so many things on the menu and as much as I'd like to go over each one, my mouth is already watering and other Yelpers have pretty much taken care of the details. Drinks are good, Customer Service is awesome. If you haven't been here yet, don't even hesitate. These reviews don't lie!
(5)Hassan S.
Machiavelli is an Italian-styled restaurant as I like to call it, and a good one. What do I mean by Italian-styled ? Well, the menu isn't really authentic Italian food, sure there are some 'classic' Italian dishes, but a number of the others are creations around the subject of pasta that you wouldn't really see in Italy, and they are good creations. The restaurant is *always* crowded on Friday and Saturday, and they do not take reservations. Luckily they have a bar surrounded by a number of seats to make it a fun wait and cheap wine :) The place itself has a certain charm, and I would actually recommend it for a date or a slightly romantic dinner for that reason even though the place is a bit noisy. The restaurant is no non-sense, the place itself is simple, the food isn't a tiny portion presented beautifully and with arrogance. It's a good portion, in a sizeable dish, it's good, flavorful, filling, and it's quit cheap for what you get. Yup, that's why they're always busy ! They provide you with bread and olive oil to get started, and I always see that as a test of the restaurant. If the bread is not good, the restaurant automatically loses a star for lack of attention to (important) details. Machiavelli didn't lose a star, good, hard-crusted, bread and a decent olive oil make the (small) wait for the food enjoyable. I had the penne with roasted pepper pesto (I think I never ate anything else in that restaurant in like 3 or 4 trips...) and the miss had the Veal Saltimboca. As you can guess from my habit of eating that same dish over and over again, it was delicious. That roasted pepper pesto is incredibly flavorful, creamy and has a bit of crunchiness from the nuts in the sauce. Plus it makes a perfect dip for the bread at the end of the meal. The miss loved her Veal Saltimboca but I can't give you a more precise description as I didn't try it since I don't eat pork.
(4)Ian B.
I had been wanting to go to Ristorante Machiavelli for a long time, and I really wanted to like this place. It seemed like the anti-Olive Garden: a cute, small business with reasonably-priced food... But, for tonight at least Machiavelli did not deliver a masterpiece. The wait time for a table was only about 20 minutes, but, the waitress flirted with another couple who ended up arriving after us and seated them before us. My wife and I just kind of looked at each other and said, What? For mid-week dinners this place is more noisy than romantic. There are a lot of Capital Hillers who walk in with their jeans and backpacks and my wife and I were pretty decked out for our wedding anniversary. For someone who really enjoys cooking Italian food, I would say it was just average. I ordered the special: penne with chicken and a crushed tomato cream sauce. I admit that the sauce was pretty good, but, having powdered parmesan instead of fresh parmesan at a restaurant really did not complete the dish. My wife felt like the overall presentation of the food was kind of sloppy at least for tonight. Anyway, my overall feeling when I left was that I wanted a do over for my wedding anniversary date. So, I will be cooking some salmon for my wife at home tonight.
(2)Julian H.
Hadn't been here in a couple years, little has changed. Still good, fresh Italian food, at a good value, with good no-nonsense service and a simple though cramped atmosphere. Still long waits on a Friday night, still no reservations, still tough street parking. If you are going to a show at the Paramount you can't beat this dinner spot for convenient location. If the wait for a table is long, skip Machiavelli's cramped bar area, and duck around the corner to Melrose Market for a drink and apps, or build up your appetite walking around browsing the shops.
(4)ty p.
Surprise Celebration dinner, we had a killer seat right on the window ( You need to get there around 5 if you dont want to wait forever, place is small and popular) We got a tremendous Ceasar, IPA, Red WIne, Salmon Dish and a Killer bacon/tomato pasta which I cannot remember the name of. BIG FAN, already told 5+ people about it ; )
(5)Stan F.
I've been very interested in trying this restaurant for a long time. I have been intimidated by the lack of reservations and having a young child, so I have just been curious and wondering instead. Then I noticed while surfing Ristorante Machiavelli's website, they do take-out. How awesome is that? A highly rated restaurant that is open till 11 PM and does take-out! So, fresh from being back from Rome, Italy, I decided to test this restaurant out. Well, here is how it went: I ordered (to-go) the following: Chicken Picata, but they only had Veal Picata so I ordered that instead. Very delicious, small portion size though. 5/5 Clams linguine- This was kind of unusual since it was in a red, slightly oily and spicy sauce with ground clams that looked similar to ground meat. The noodles and everything about this dish was perfect, off the scale good. 5+/5 Penne with Marinara sauce- This was a little spicy for my daughter, but I still enjoyed it just fine. 4 out of 5 Tuna Carpaccio- This was one of the best carpaccio's I've had. I can't believe this was take-out!!!! 5+/5 Meat balls served with red sauce. This too was totally awesome....moist juicy flavorful. You had to pull the place away from me so I wouldn't eat the box that it came in too. 5+/5 Salad with gorgonzola- Nothing special here. Greens, croutons, about 5 garbanzo beans, 1 piece of red beet and a balsamic oil vinagarette (pretty unmemorable) 3/5 Overall, this would be an excellent restaurant all on it's own. Now, add in that you can get it take-out which is a huge plus and that it is open late night another big plus. Lastly, they said that the food would be ready in 20 min. and we arrived in 20 min and it was ready and we were in and out of the restaurant in about 2 min. Great restaurant! I'll be back.
(5)Ndub C.
Let me just first say what an amazingly sweet and wonderful staff at Machiavelli. Ordered: Gnocchi and Tortellini Formaggio Handmade Gnocchi was FANTASTIC! The sauce was perfectly balanced, sweet perfection. Tortellini Formaggio was delicious but a bit spicy from their bolognese sauce. However no complaints just caught me off guard. I am so in love with this restaurant. Ristorante Machiavelli I HEART YOU!
(5)Lana G.
We arrived on a Wednesday night and were given a 30 minute wait. (This restaurant does not take reservations.) I sat on the bench inside the door while Roger and Rebecca ran a short errand. While waiting, I saw a rat run across the door threshold. When I told the waitress, she showed no surprise. "That happens," she said, "There are rats in the neighborhood. There's nothing we can do." The atmosphere was busy, high energy and LOUD. So loud we could not easily converse. The waiters were polite but short: they gave the impression of being really rushed. We ordered two house red wines -- a sangiovese and something else -- but, on tasting them, we found both of them bitter. Our server claimed that Italian wines are bitter and then, when we inquired after a Northwest wine, explained that they serve only Italian wine! Assuming her disparaging opinion of Italian wine were true -- which it isn't -- what's wrong with this picture? We took her at her word to this extent: Ristorante Machiavelli serves only bitter wine. We exchanged ours for gin and tonics. The bread with olive oil and the dried beef appetizer were good. All three entrees -- red pepper penne, tortellini formagia with peas and prosciutto, and fettuccine alfredo -- were distinctly mediocre. We were not offered dessert and did not bother to inquire if it was available. We were ready to leave because of the noisy, busy atmosphere. In sum, this restaurant is an appropriate choice if you are willing to wait for mediocre Italian food and bad Italian wine in a rushed and noisy environment. AND if seeing a rat on the front step doesn't conjure images of rats in the kitchen!
(2)Heather H.
The place to be if you want a delicious Italian dinner at 5:00 in the evening. If you want to eat at 8:00 - really, what were you thinking? This small local favorite seats on a first come, first served and the space is limited. The 'bar' waiting area is fun-sized, so good luck wrestling that glass of chianti for you and your date. But, all hate-spiral inducing wait time aside, the food is delicious (and so reasonably priced) that you'll be glad you persisted. This seems like a good time to mention the olive bread and olive oil dipping sauce. At first I thought that my wait-induced hunger had caused me to overreact to the bread - giving it more enthusiasm then it warranted. But as I found myself still eating and dipping well into my entrées finale, I realized that the bread and sauce really are THAT tasty. I would go just for the bread basket. I think that says something. Those carbs aside, the pasta dishes (the classier carbs) are well seasoned, and comforting. I've never been disappointed here, but my latest meal (Lasagna Bolognese) was cooked perfectly and very savory. Others at my table ate and raved about the Veal Saltimbacco, the Chicken al Forno and the Eggplant Parmasen. Absolutely recommend - just follow the early bird senior citizens and show up at 5.
(4)DR W.
Average food, average service. Alfredo was good but you get what you pay for ! Michael waiter has a chip on his shoulder , but need one on the other side ..
(2)Alice K.
Ok, the ONE time I want epic portions of Italian food.. I tend to go to these places with these guys who: a) like to eat fancy food b) are push overs c) realize they're hungry at 7 and spend at bare minimum 30 minutes deciding what direction we're going to go for food.. So you can imagine that combo and we get to this place.. Waitress said 20 minutes. Try 1 hour. 9:33 we sit down. At this point I just don't even know if I'm hungry anymore. Glad they had bread, but it was pretty stale and not enough for our group. Waiter was sort of deadpan (probably pooped from the rush). Taste of food: A+ meat sauces and tender, juicy prawns in marinara sauce. Red wine was great. For taste if you're a big pasta fan and too yuppy for boxing leftovers good choice. Haste of food to table: For Italian not a bad wait after the rush. Price: For the portion size you get it's a bit disappointing. Now one could tell me that that's because it's a "fancy" restaurant but we got a pretty steep bill and still had to head to Molly Moon's after to get more food.
(3)Sean C.
I've been known to favor honesty (justice) over moderated truth (mercy) which is not the most social or interpersonal amenable personality trait. However, it does strengthen respect of those who pass the initial filter, and as long as I'm not at the weak point of kowtowing to popular opinion and refusing to speak truth to power and/or the masses, I'm likely doing just fine. It is thus with lightly mixed emotions that I say that I just don't understand the Ristorante Machiavelli hype. Perhaps the 30 to 90 minute waits in the extremely small waiting area that I've experienced on my visits set and reset legendary expectations of the mildly intimate Capitol Hill staple, but I've yet to feel satisfied here. Beyond the homey feel, the street overlook, the moderate parking situation and the slightly awkward layout, one significant noteworthy plus of Machiavelli that might explain the draw is that it is significantly cheaper than most of Seattle's Italian restaurants, with the appetizers and pizzas in the $5-$9 range and most pastas in the $10-$11 range. However, the food itself, while prepared well, just falls a bit flat. Ranging from the obligatory bread with olive oil to a standard gnocchi to a spinach ravioli in a pink sauce to tuna carpaccio to pizza to tiramisu, everything has been... A-OK and not much more. As someone who is into food I generally expect better than A-OK from a local favorite. By New Jersey standards, Machiavelli would survive modestly with its prices (especially when factoring in the 5% cash discount) on a street corner in one of the more urban suburban sectors, but it would be the quick and safe place one would go when under time constraints or when the food itself was not the focus of the dining out experience. The Prince is A-OK, which in some sense has become a pejorative adjective due to grade inflation, and it does have a strong Seattle neighborhood feel to cement an acceptable gestalt, but on any particular dimension there are better nearby alternatives.
(3)Manuel W.
Solid, no-nonsense Italian. Cheap, sugary house wine poured out of huge jugs. Food wasn't amazing, but not overly heavy either. The place gets packed but they process the waiting list with mechanical precision. Go around the corner and get a drink at Still Liquor while you're waiting. If you miss your call they'll pick you back up in the list.
(3)Andrew W.
Food: homey authentic Italian fare. Nothing too fancy but yummy. I had a lasagna which was delicious. Friends all liked their food. Portion was just right. Service: good. fast. Overall: they are great, so they are always busy!! No reservations taken. but you can get their early to put your name on the list. or hang out at the bar!
(4)RONALD W.
Moderately priced neighborhood Italian restaurant with small portions and always busy. I had the spaghetti with meat sauce and it may be authentic Italian but tasted way to subdued for my taste. I might stop by if I am in the neighborhood but definitely not a destination restaurant, long waits and very noisy.
(3)Orlene C.
Veal or Chicken Milanese 5 stars Going to Machiavelli is like going to an Italian grandmother's home for dinner. Such a cozy place to visit and you can always expect a quality meal. Not to mention the great value (Pastas $10 & other items around $15). It is well worth the wait. The olive bread dipped in their balsamic vinegar and olive oil mix is addicting. Some items I have found to be just average such as the lasagna and the chicken parmegen. However, some items just standout as exceptionally good such as the Veal or Chicken Milanese (lightly breaded and sautéed, lemon butter) and then you forget about the soso dishes. It is a cheap enough menu that you can play around with it till you find your favorite dishes on the menu to keep coming back to.
(4)Chi D.
Authentic, mom-like meals. Not that I know what it's like to have Italian home cook food :). However, the portion, the unpretentious taste and presentation definitely make me feel at home. I love their pasta, have not disliked anything I ordered. But I usually stick with the pasta. The most recent time, I had the best Italian orange creme soda...yum! My only reason for giving it a 4 star is the fact that we always have to wait, doesn't matter weeknights or weekend. They don't take reservation and it seems to always be crowded, which is a testimonial for great food, but sometimes you just need a quick meal!
(4)Priyanka M.
Went back to this place yesterday and couldn't believe I had yet to put in a review for them. Hands down one of the best Italian restaurant in Seattle. Some people think its too small or the ambiance could be better but the tiny space and unpretentious ambiance makes it so special. The thing I love most about their food is ITS LIGHT and not extra creamy, heavy or greasy like a lot of Italian restaurants. Is a very reasonable place for the portions they provide. The antipasto platter goes perfectly with wine. Their specials never miss the mark. We've had the clams, mussels and shrimp linguine in marinara sauce as well as sausage in marinara sauce. Both have been incredible. The alfredo fettucine and Penne with roasted pepper pesto are absolutely delicious. This restaurant does not take reservations and wait time can be as long as an hr and a half but its absolutely worth it!!!!
(5)Julie N.
Yet another great happy hour turnout for me! woot woot! Didn't have to wait for a table or anything, and especially after an hour of being stuck in traffic on a Thursday afternoon, I didn't have much patience. I ordered a pesto pizza and my friend had a copa & garlic pizza. We were told to wait 15 min. and sure enough, the pizza came out on time. Ahhhh what a delicious pesto pizza it was. It was an 8 in thin crust pizza with slices made already. Nice and hot right out of the oven!! $5! :) My friend had a glass of wine which she kept tipping over - 2x!! The bartender was so kind that he refilled it for her twice. What great service!!
(5)Sung C.
I am reluctant to write this because the last thing we need are more people falling in love with this place and making my wait longer! My friends and I have been going here for many years, we eat here so often all of the staff know us. For a while we were going every weekend and sometimes twice a week. Often traveling through traffic always coming from the Eastside. We are what you might consider crazy for the stuff. We lovingly call it "Mack's" and its our not so secret place that always comes through. We order two entrees per person because we are pigs and its that f-ing good damn it. On to the food: Filet Mignon: Super tasty filet at a very fair price. I highly recommend it if you like steaks. I dont get this very often because we get pastas and the specials and stuff. Fettuccine carbonara: This has been my go to item for my number one entree for a few months now. Large chunks of bacon? or some other bacony thick peppery win. Sets the bar and undisputed champ of carbonaras as I challenge it at other places tested. Chicken parm: Really delicious. You get a large plate with chicken, sauce, and melty goodness. You can choose a side and I usually get spaghetti (*cooked perfect! with a bit of bite) with meat sauce. This was my long time number one entree but now has taken a number two slot if I dont get the special. Lasagna: This is by far the best lasagna I have had in my life. I know. I eat the shit out of lasagna. I thought I was Garfield and started scarfin down the stuff ever since I learned of its existence when I was a child. I dont discriminate and even eat the microwave kind and have been seen ordering it at a bar. I think many establishments use premade or reheat and never never never never as fresh as Macks so when you try Macks lasagna its like a life changing experience because it will forever be the standard and everything else will just taste like cold crap you dug out of that burnt cardboard tray... Its so melty and delicious... I am salivating as I write this now.. Do yourself a favor and try it. Comes in meat and not Antipasta: plate of cured meat ham and this blended olive dip? really good Cheese cake: its like crack sprinkled on crack and during the holiday season they have pumpkin cheesecake and its crack on crack on crack Anytime we would try to go somewhere else for a "change" we would be really disappointed that the food wasnt nearly as tasty as Macks not to mention two to three times the price. Go.
(5)Matt R.
went again last night and it was excellent. I can't figure out how this place is so damn good- but so damn cheap!!!
(5)Kelly C.
Amazing! My favorite little italian restaurant in Seattle. Probably tried half the menu now and everything is delicious. Great spot to bring family or on a weekday late date night dinner - they're open til 11pm! Stick to weekdays if you can, the place is small, cozy and fills up fast Fri/Sat. All time fav's: green salad w/ gorgonzola, chicken milanese, carbonara, sausage w/ baby spinach shell pasta Also, shhh, if you have a light appetite, or just can't decide on one thing (like me), they'll make you a 1/2 portion of almost any of their pastas for about half the price. Just ask your waiter.
(5)Kate S.
The wait can be a little long, but it's well worth it. Try the tuna carpaccio, and the pesto gnocci. So good! Drinks are reasonably priced and the service really good. Not too invasive, but quick and thorough. Have a drink in the bar area while you wait!
(5)Gene B.
A small, crowded and hard to get into (especially on a Friday or Saturday night) Italian joint, and it is a joint in every sense of the word, on the Hill. given all those difficulties it would be so easy to be a hater, but you know, I had a really good time when I was there. Is this the best Italian food that I've ever had? No, but it is very affordable and very tasty. I had that chicken liver lasagna and was a very happy camper as were my fellow diners; Saltibocca, pasta bolognese and pasta in oil and garlic. Everything was generously proportioned and yummy. I also like that they have decent bulk wine sold by the 1/2 or whole liter, very Italian. The desserts and the house salads were pretty pedestrian, but not bad. The staff was fun and energetic and did an amazing job keeping up with all the chaos of a packed house on a Friday night. Worth the wait.
(4)Larry L.
Hopping Saturday night Italian Dinner place. Corner window seat is awesome! Food is great! Service is fabulous. You can't go wrong here unless you hate food and just want to be all alone. Best deal in the city! You may have to wait for a seat since it's a small place but Pine and Melrose is an entertaining place to wait for a table.
(5)Paul B.
The part I love the best about Machiavelli is the price. Everything is delicious and very-very affordable! Guys who bring girls here for dates are smart because they are sensible with their money. Girls who come here on dates with guys, know that the man is cheap and he knows that he's getting bang for his buck. Order what you feel because it'll all be good and fresh. The ambiance is pretty small but cozy. Great street views no matter where you sit. We did end up waiting half an hour to be seated, but I heard we actually got off easy considering others have tolerated waiting over an hour. I'd love to come back!
(5)Daniel M.
I really wanted to like this place. Close to home, good prices and menu and a charming basic trattoria style ambiance. Service was fast and ok, they seem very busy even with not so many tables to serve, but we were disappointed about the food. My spaghetti sauce came soaked in garlic despite I not picking up the one cleary marked as garlic heavy on the menu. My wife parmesan eggplant was soggy and she couldn't enjoy it enough to finish (she loves this dish and always eats it until the last drop of tomato sauce). Will insist and try it again because I really want to like the place but right now is a 2 star.
(2)Jennifer M.
Pro-Tip: Order takeout and it only takes 15 minutes. I never dine in, especially since the wait is usually 45 minutes to 2 hours! But takeout is always super quick, and they'll always include bread, butter, and parmesan cheese without you asking. Damn good traditional Italian food. Lasagna and chicken picatta are my favorites from them.
(5)Nick J.
When I asked our server where they got their cheesecake, her reply was "oh, we make everything here..." That about says it all. Amazing food, reasonable prices, friendly staff. There's a reason it was a 45 min wait at 8:15.
(5)C L.
We came here on a busy Wednesday night. They seemed understaffed, which I don't mind. I understand when restaurants get busy, but that doesn't mean you can't be friendly. The friendliest person working was the man filling our water and bussing the tables. We actually saw him more than our own server. The food was bleh. The pasta was so overcooked it was falling apart. That's really sad for an Italian restaurant. Each of our dishes had sauce that was really liquidy too. Our server had one last chance to give customer service when we were leaving. He was standing right there and a nice, "Thanks for coming in." or "Have a good night." would have been appreciated. Instead, he said nothing. Not impressed and I won't be returning.
(2)Jen L.
Machiavelli is one of the places I go for comfort food. I've been there many times (mostly because it's close to home). They don't take reservations, but I usually go across the street and get coffee while waiting. Yes, the service is variable, but the food and flavors are consistent. Everyone that I've brought here, find it delicious. The bread comes pretty fast! We regulars, as a group of 6, ordered: Penne with Roasted Pepper Pesto, Tortellini Formaggio w prosciutto, Veal Saltimbocca and Fettucine Carbonara. Loved them all. My fav is the Penne with Roasted Pepper Pesto and the bottle of Malbec. I advise not going on a weekend or theater night and be prepared to wait.
(4)Constance B.
I have been a couple of times, it is a great place to go before a show at The Paramount. I would give five stars if they accepted reservations. There was a line waiting at the door when they opened at 5:00 and our party of seven was seated 90 minutes later. Plan ahead! Luckily they have a most excellent bar, while small, churns out great drinks. You can also order food and eat it there. Everyone in our group loved their food (chicken parm, lasagna, gnocchi, fettucine, penne with pancetta and prawns) and there was plenty of wine to go around. The prices are very reasonable and the service is attentive.
(4)Maggie D.
We have been here a few times and it's amazing! It is the epitome of comfort food with great pastas, rich, thick sauces, and the ambiance is perfect. Quite lame that they charge for bread (reminds me of a Mexican restaurant that charges for chips...odd) but that's really the only bad part and why I rated 4/5. Olive tapenade was good, caesars were great and all the pastas we have tried are amazing too!! Wonderful place!! --see, it was so good that I am already over the bread thing :)
(4)Michael S.
They get five stars for the food and atmosphere, and one star for the service. The food is good and cheap considering what you get (the entrees are mostly around $10). The atmosphere is good too, with a cozy, dark setting that far more Italian restaurants should emulate. However, the restaurant seems to be consciously run as a high-volume business that doesn't care about making customers happy because there are more people literally waiting outside for the chance to eat quality $10 a plate food. Examples of things they've done: Close for a few days without announcing it online. Charge for extra orders of bread without informing the customer. Leave the windows open even when it is cold outside, which is probably done to keep the working waiters and cooks comfortable at the expense of freezing the customers. They don't take reservations and will claim there is no wait when you call only to have a 30 min. wait when you show up five minutes later.
(3)Nik N.
Sitting at the bar allowed for immediate service. The bread and ceaser were incredible. The pizza was tasty but looked unappealing. The entree too also lacked presentation but tasted quite good.
(4)warren c.
A Capitol Hill gem that has remained homey and true to its Seattle roots whilst still maintaining a wonderful Italian vibe, Machiavelli is hard to beat. Tucked away at the base of Capitol Hill, right before the descent into downtown, this little restaurant is the perfect date spot both for its intimate atmosphere, but also its reasonable portions. Fewer things are more embarrassing than concluding a date with a to-go bag in tow, a maneuver the smart portions of Machiavelli help its patrons avoid. Its only drawback is the near impossibility of getting a table in under 45 minutes if frequenting this place Thr - Sun after 5pm, so one should just brace for that. Otherwise, this place is a real find!
(4)feisty f.
Cozy & good traditional pasta dishes for a decent price. Convenient location if you are near downtown.I found the best time to stop is around 5:30 & 6 or after 8:30.It's a popular place & fills up fast.
(4)Bob D.
We are visiting from San Jose, used yelp to find some Italian, we had less than a 5 minute wait and were seated, water showed up as we sat, bread followed almost instantly. The bread had olives in it, which my wife and daughter loved. Our food arrived fairly quickly and was steaming hot. I had the fettuccine carbonara, my wife had spinach shells with sausage and marinara and my daughter had the clams and linguine. We all ate every bite. It was fantastic.
(5)Emily M.
A friend suggested I try this restaurant on my recent weekend trip to Seattle. My other half and I went here on a date our first night in town and we had a great time. Our table ordered the antipasti (yum!), chicken liver lasagna (my other half enjoyed it), crab ravioli special (pretty good, but nothing special), and the tiramisu (out of this world!). The house wine and Columbia City bread were nice touches too. Our bill came to $50 for all of the above, including a half carafe of wine. The service was excellent. We had a nice table by the window. I would definitely go here again, though I think I will opt for a standard house entree rather than a special next time.
(4)Rachel A.
A delicious carb-feast of crusty olive bread and vinaigrette followed by shared dishes of gnocchi, tortellini and eggplant parm. Pretty much by-the-book Italian food, and a great place to take picky eaters. (Their tiramisu is not nearly boozy enough for me, though!)
(3)Vidin M.
The food is very good and authentic. Great flavor and prices aren't bad. Only downside is the restaurant is small so not many tables.
(5)Aman V.
I went there yesterday with my girlfriend and a friend upon my girl-friend's recommendation. At the entrance, there is a cozy little bar that seemed stacked with all major drinks. Then as we go into the dining area afar climbing a few steps, we see that there are multiple 2 & 4 people tables set in a very trendy intimate manner. The service is very good and friendly. The pretty ladies serving us made sure we felt comfortable and 'at home'. It was great. The best part, the food was amazingly delicious. I recommend this place for a date or even for a casual italian diner with friends. Great place. I am glad my girl-friend picked this place yesterday.
(5)Heather H.
Romantica Alimentare: loosely translates to romantic food served at this fine little hole-in-the-wall spot. Crispy bread and fresh olive oil will be first to wet that appetite before you can dive into any of the heavenly pastas! Each one is creamy goodness - as are the wonderful antipastos. Pizza here looked amazing too! My Tapenade appetizer consisted of fresh buffalo mozzarella with a puree of calamata olives and salty anchovy. YUM! The menu is pretty simple and well done. No need to confuse you with a hundred different pastas. What makes this place is the nice dark coziness - great place to take that second date! And If your lucky in seating, you can be gazing out at the space needle whilst dining this classic vibe.
(5)Katie M.
Food was average. I had spaghetti bolognese, wish I had gotten the spinach ravioli like my dining companion. Good prices, but with all the other options in the area, I wish I had gone somewhere different.
(3)Lexie R.
Yes it is a 5 star restaurant!! They give 5 star service and here's how... I went to the restaurant with the knowledge that they were a friendly, busy restaurant. I waited for my friend in the bar. It was crowded, standing room only. I had to wait 20 minutes for her and watched the bar clear twice. When I let them know my party was complete we only waited 5 minutes longer. During that 5 minutes my friend told me she had locked her keys and purse in her car across the street and her dome light was on. As we sat down at the table I asked the hostess if they had a screwdriver and a coat hanger for my friend to McGyver her car open. She said she would see what she could do. While we were perusing the menu the waitress popped up with a coat hanger and a screwdriver and a man from the kitchen staff to help!!!! It took them 45 min in the rain, but she came back successful. During the time that I was waiting I was never glared at by the staff, or made to feel that I was taking up a table that could be used for a party that was ready to go. Every server was warm & friendly the whole time we were there and went above and beyond the call of duty to be of service. I can't wait to take other family and friends to experience such a great restaurant.
(5)Jessica S.
Thank you Machiaveli for being close to my house, keeping my water full even when I guzzle it, bringing my pasta out piping hot, my salad cold, crispy and fresh (lovely dark green leaves for the caesar every time), and just being overall awesome. From food, to service, to cozy ambiance, this place always hits just right! Thank you cute blonde waitress for your great service last night, sorry I forgot your name :)
(5)Singto K.
Ristorante Machiavelli is one of the best restaurants in Seattle, it's difficult to put into words what an amazing place it is! Everything I've eaten here has been delicious, one of my go to spots for good food. Restaurant fills up very quickly and is compact!
(5)Ozzie L.
This place is awesome! One of my favorite Italian places in Seattle, fairly priced, clean and simple Italian food just the way it should be. The seats aren't that comfortable but well worth the quality of the food! Highly recommend.
(5)Dusty B.
I'm a little surprised that people have collectively rated this spot at 4.5 stars. Don't get me wrong. We had a very good meal for a very fair price. However, it wasn't 5 stars. That's for sure. Also, I'm not one to knock a free plate of bread and oil. But, the oil and vinegar was rather flavorless. The oil seemed like vegetable oil! Canola perhaps? Anyway, I would invest in extra virgin olive oil. I believe they sell it throughout the country. Gnocchi with marinara: Good, not great. I like a firmer gnocchi. And, I think pesto would have been a better pairing with this ye olde gnocchi. Pesto Pizza: Not as flavorful as I would like. Pretty good. Fettuccine with mushrooms, chicken and a crushed tomato, cream sauce: The star of dinner. Not too much cream. Very flavorful. Unfortunately, the pasta could have been more al dente. All in all, the place has a great feel. Good food and service. I would return.
(3)Mikhail H.
We popped up to Seattle for the weekend and while waiting for our friends to arrive we grabbed a bite to eat based on what my husband's Android recommended. I joked during our half hour wait for the table that this better be worth it since the wooden block my ass suffered for the wait was a bit much. This restaurant is rather small - especially for it's popularity. Quickly we were realizing how many people come here regularly as the staff greeted them as old friends which was nice and promising. The tables are tiny and the restaurant itself is SUPER loud but the food is amazing. I highly recommend their tiramisu which I even got to go and had numerous hours later...if that says anything. So, although the service is wonderful I recommend take out just so you don't loose your hearing!
(4)Ben D.
I went to Ristorante Machiavelli on a Friday, and there was a long wait. Instead, we were able to eat at the bar. It was quick and easy to place a drink order, even though the bar was crowded. They give you two types of bread with their meal; one of the breads has olives in the dough and it was very tasty. We had the sausage with shells stuffed with spinach and the penne pesto dishes. Both were very tasty. Both dishes were rather inexpensive for Seattle. A half carafe of the house, red wine (2 full glasses) was only $8. It paired well with each dish. The cheesecake was also very tasty. It was very creamy and smooth. I was very pleased with the meal and I will gladly go back.
(5)Jason M.
I travel several months a year, and I'm always eating out. Ristorante Machiavelli has a great little charm, and atmosphere. I have been here twice and sat at the bar both times, as I'm usually alone, and have found the food great, the service very friendly and the prices very reasonable.
(5)Senait G.
I visited this place with a couple of friends and its not the best service I've had, let alone the best Italian food. My friends and I wanted something really filling because we tend to study late, so we needed something to suffice our hunger. Wrong place to go! Upon arrival we couldn't be seated until our entire party was present (I left my wallet in the car, so I had to turn around but urged my friends to go ahead) which is lame because the place is so small you'd have to either literally cram in a corner or stand in the cold. Both options suck. just let us sit down. My friend is really picky when it comes to ordering food and she believes that good customer service should come standard in a food franchise (she works for Starbucks, so she thinks everyone should deliver the same service they do, whatever) boy was she wrong. When inquired about the best pasta dishes the server was pretty much like, "well the menu has been the same for like 50 years so nothing has changes, people have their preferences." How the heck is that helpful? I mean she didn't even try, she could have made up a dish and called it a day but she had to give a lame ass ambiguous response. Boooo! I ordered a basic pasta dish, as did my friends because nothing seemed worth the price, and we were right. Maybe it was because we chose something so basic but I felt like I could have made my food at home. It just tasted simple. It didn't blow my mind, but I guess in a cruel twisted way I deserved it. Also they don't offer refills on tap soda...really? Its on TAP! whatever. I won't be going back there again.
(2)Mini P.
Great Italian food. I love to come here because it is so close to home. I have eaten here about 5-6 times already and they are always packed. Its a small restaurant with big taste. The average wait time has been about 25 minutes for a party of two. The waiting area is quite small, but there are seating options at the bar or standing outside on a nice sunny Seattle day. Once seated, I personally love to order the half carafe's of house wine. Its $8 for half a carafe and it fills 4 cups of wine. I have only had the red and it is yummy! The actual restaurant may seat around 50 people, if I had to count. The hostesses and servers are super friendly. They bring out Columbia City bread as a complimentary appetizer, super yummy. We have tried almost all of the appetizers on the menu and have yet to be disappointed, including the soup and salad. I love to eat the prawn linguine and my boyfriend has had almost everything else on the menu. We are super pleased with this place and will continue to come here. Who would have known that you can get great Italian food in Capital Hill for so less. Our total bill probably hasn't been over $65 and that's with wine! I wish they had outdoor seating on the rooftop or something. I don't think I want to eat on on the sidewalk on Pine St. in Capital Hill, just my opinion! Parking is streetside, free after 8 pm for those driving into the city.
(4)emily r.
I went here with a group of friends for my birthday dinner last week. We had a large group (7) and had no problem being seated. The service was prompt, the food was delicious, and the prices were very affordable! The gnocchi was seriously delicious, as was the tortellini with peas. I will be back!
(4)Greg A.
This is my favorite Italian restaurant in Seattle. It's a relatively small operation (seats about 40, probably?) and they have a wait most nights. Their very reasonable prices probably contribute to the excess demand ($10 for Lasagna, $14 for chicken parm). Their service is always excellent, and it's the same handful of people working there every night (long term employee retention or family run, whatever it is, they're doing it right). The food is DELICIOUS. Quality ingredients, tasty, amazing. Our routine is we go, put our name on the list (usually a 30-90 minute wait), and then go around the corner to Still liquor and have a drink while we wait. Machiavelli has a small bar in the front if you want to have a drink there, but it's usually cramped. I can't recommend this place enough -- it's the place I bring out of town guests to. Go and try for yourself!
(5)Rachel B.
I love this place. The food is fantastic. I love the cesear salad, the baked chicken and the chicken parmigiana. The service is really good. The atmosphere is cramped, loud and a bit frenetic. It is what keeps me from going here too often. Not really a romantic date kind of place but like another reviewer said, it is a place to go with friends. It is a bit expensive but worth the price.
(4)Alison V.
This place is tiny and quaint. It can be perfect for a first date or for catching up with a few friends. There aren't a ton of tables so expect a wait if you go during dinner. However, don't worry about waiting and go get a bottle of wine from the bar and enjoy the time. Once at a table you get bread and an olive oil/vinegar dip. If you love it, they sell it by the bottle so you're in luck. Check the white board toward the back of the room (by the kitchen) for specials. There was Caprese as an appetizer special and it was delicious. For the main meal I got the chicken parmigiana with a side of pasta. It was also fabulous. My friend got the special which was a pasta with prosciutto in a white wine sauce. I stole a bite of his and it was amazing. My friend had a pasta dish with clams in it...she seemed to enjoy it but since I'm not a big fan of clams, I can't really judge. I did steal a bit of hers though and have eaten the dish had it been mine. Anyway, don't expect super fast service here. It's a slow and laid back place. The waitresses are mostly attentive but not hovering. The prices are reasonable. The wine is fabulous. The food is great. What more do you need?
(5)Bri F.
This place was exactly what I was looking for--bustling, small and delicious! I sat at the window in the bar, which allowed smoked people watching and quick service. The Riesling is sweet and crisp, the bread was chewy in the middle with a hearty crust and the mixed green salad had a delicious pickled beet in it. The sausage and mama lil's pepper pizza came out piping hot, although it wasn't the beat pizza I've ever had--the flavors blended together into a gooey, cheesy bite, but overall the pizza wasn't a highlight. Everything else was spot on though- highly recommended!
(4)Lee R.
Best Lasagna in town, try it and you will be every happy you did. It can have a long wait to get a table, but its worth the wait.
(5)Diane K.
We went there for the first time last week. Very small place so long wait for a table. Loud. Hard to have a conversation with your dinner partner. Food was OK. Very salty.
(3)Sam T.
Try it, you won't be disappointed. if you go on the weekend expect a wait. I'm not the waiting type so i go during the week. The Tuna Carpaccio is amazing. Top three favs for entrees are Conchiglie della Casa, Penne with Roasted Pepper Pesto, Linguini alla Vongole. And last but certainly not least their cheesecake is to die for. Hands down the best cheesecake I've ever ever had.
(5)Melinda E.
This place is mediocre at best. The best thing about it is it's cheap which is why it's so busy all the time. The wine is only adequate. The food is basically a "redsauce italian" place so if you want really good italian food, don't go here. But if you want a cheap meal that fills you up, this is the place for you.
(3)Rowena D.
I came here recently for a birthday dinner. It had been awhile since the last time I had dined here. The food was still as great as I had remembered. I ordered the Spaghetti Bolognese and my husband had the Chicken Picatta. My entree was so delicious and the portion size was just the right amount of food. My husband enjoyed his dish as well. I had a bite and will definitely order the Chicken Picatta next time. For dessert, our group ordered the Tiramisu and Cheesecake. I loved the Cheesecake. It was light and not dense like other cheesecakes. The Tiramisu was just as good. I don't know why I don't come here more often. This will definitely be a regular spot for me from now on.
(5)Joey Y.
as i'm sure you've read in previous reviews, the portions here are in some sort of fucking space-time continuum warp. the dishes look tiny, but then you barely finish and you look like you've just had sex with a facehugger from aliens. OH MY GOD THAT PASTA IS TRYING TO BURST OUT OF YOUR FUCKING STOMACH. this place is usually crowded as shit whenever you're thinking of taking your date/significant other to a nice italian restaurant, but damnit, is it worth it. and you can always booze up at the bar while waiting for your table [extra points there, machiavelli. extra points for booze]. the carbonara is splendid and [since it's been a while since i was last there] i also had a chicken dish that i can't quite remember the name of. both were fan-fucking-tastic. the service is quick and the servers are usually attentive, even during high traffic periods. and this place serves you comp bread with olives in it. with fucking balsamic vinegar/olive oil. ain't that fucking boss? i LOVE fucking olive oil. no, really, i fucking LOVE it. so five fucking stars for you, machiavelli, you heartless bastard. only the strong shall survive, eh? good thing i couldn't find any glaring weaknesses.
(5)Dennis M.
Small great ambiance. The linguine vongole was superb. Ask for the white wine version not on the menu.
(4)Claire T.
My designated date spot, Machiavellis has amazing Italian cuisine, plentiful fresh olive bread, and the best cheesecake in Seattle for dessert. Their specials are often seasonal and delicious, and the bar is a perfect place for a drink and a snack while you wait for your table. Build at least an hour into your timeframe for waiting if you are there on the weekends, they do not take reservations.
(5)Jenna S.
Average food. Street parking is a nightmare. I've never been here without having to wait an hour to be seated, and there's even a wait to find a place to sit while you wait. My last meal there was one of those bad dining experiences where you watch the people beside you who were seated after you finish their dinner before yours arrives. It wasn't like this other times I've eaten there, so I'm willing to assume the awful service was a fluke, but after waiting an hour to be seated and another hour for dinner, the ordinary food is just not worth it. My husband is one of those people who is crazy for this place. I however, and one of those people who just don't get what the fuss is about.
(3)Wan Q.
Lovely place to have a dinner with a date or a few friends. Atmosphere was really lively and cozy, but not crowded. One complaint was the waiting time for the table, but well worth it for the delicious food. I had the Prawn and Linguini and the sauce was just right and the prawns were plump, flavorful, and delicious. Yums!
(4)Maria X.
I had one of the best dinners of my life here. The chicken piccata was a piece of lemony, buttery heaven on a plate. The bread was chewy and had tasty green olives nestled throughout. My friend and I shared a half carafe of wive (about 2.5 glasses each) for $8. Yummy! I can't wait to go again!
(5)Lauren D.
LASAGNA FANATICS!!! this is the best lasagna in town, hands down.
(5)Tony S.
possibly my most favorite Italian restaurant. this place has been here for at least 12 years. the food is delicious, unpretentious, and unheavy. the bread and olive oil & vinegar works well as an app and you'll need it since the meal portions aren't gargantuan! the place itself is cozy and gets a little noisy but you'll find yourself hypnotized by the food! overall a time tested dinner spot! would go again and again and again!
(5)Caitlin B.
this is our go-to neighborhood place to eat. the staff is incredible, and the food is always consistent and delicious. we always get the chicken milenese, and the ravioli with mushrooms and split them for the perfect meal. the salads are small, but simple and great. they also have some great cocktails, but the wine is not so good.... if you want simple, inexpensive, great italian-this is the place. but just know that there's usually a wait.
(5)Justin H.
My wife and I were craving Italian and found great reviews from fellow yelpers so we decided to try it out. Ristorante Machiavelli more than held up to what everyone else says about it. We live in downtown and it was only a short walk away (very close to Paramount Theatre). The food was great, the service was great. the prices were great. My wife nor I have any complaints at all. We will be back for sure.
(5)Kimberley D.
Tasty Italian food with under $10 entrees, $4/glass or $8/half carafe decent house wine and vegetarian options.
(4)Masanori T.
This place is awesome! It had been recommended to me ever since I had moved to Seattle in Feb 2007, but I finally tried it with a buddy of my who was visiting me from Detroit. It's a nice cozy place with really good variety of pasta that come in sensible portion & the prices are very friendly. Next time I would love to try their gnocchi - saw somebody order it and looked delicious! A good venue for either a romantic date, or quick dining out with friends.
(4)Dan H.
I would say this is definitely great for how much ti costs. Its just not the top Italian restaurant you can dine at. But very on point if you are craving Italian for cheap. The biggest downfall is when I went we waited almost 2 hrs. So the dinner rush on the weekend would not be the best time to go. -Verdict = Go if you are craving some good (not the best), cheap Italian on a weekday.
(4)Connie L.
It's a small place and can be quite crowded, but it's worth the wait! I've never had gnocci so fluffy and the chicken parm is light (not breaded and fried) but delicious, too. Sides of pasta or potato/veggies are rather small. We left feeling satisfied without being stuffed or having that heavy feeling in our stomachs. I'll be back again soon :)
(5)Carly C.
this place is awesome. You must go here!! I wont repeat what everyone has said already, but it is great great great.
(5)Sophia P.
I get take-out from this place on a regular basis and I highly recommend the red pepper pesto penne. It's a cute place to go when you're looking for a great, casual Italian meal at a great price.
(5)Emily Elizabeth S.
went with a group of six for dinner on saturday night.. very very busy with a long wait but it was for sure worth it! the food was sublime. I had the special for the night which was prawns wrapped in prosciutto and basil with asparagus and risotto. Beautiful presentation, the prefect portion size -- I was just full enough but not stuffed -- and all the food was perfect. Risotto was creamy and delicious. not only was the food amazing the price was just right -- I had the most expensive dish at the table and that was $18.95. Most of the pasta dishes are between $9-$11. its a small place that gets packed pretty easily. ps: prosecco is on the wine list --little split bottle -- delish!
(5)Tialen K.
We heard and read many good reviews of Machiavelli, but honestly when we went there the food was very average. Definetly not worth a repeat in our book. Serving sizes were small and there just wasn't anything we had that really stood out. I found Volterra in freemont a bit better. And Spazzo's (before they moved to redmond town center) was pretty decent also. (we haven't been to the redmond towncenter location but the menu did not look the same and they no longer had the osso buco or lobster raviolli on it...
(3)Kim C.
run, don't walk here! really, really good italian food! the staff was super nice, the food was outstanding, and the wine was yummy. loved it here. LOVED IT!
(4)Amy J.
I love this place for so many reasons, but the top one being it's consistently delicious. The specials are always amazing. My favorite being in the fall when chanterelles and butternut squash shine as main ingredients. Some of my favorites are the chicken picatta, spinach ravioli, the caesar is one of the best I've ever had, and the chicken al forno is so good. Here are some things that Machiavelli's isn't... pretentious, quiet, expensive. Also, to address several reviews that say the bread is stale... it has a european style crust, which is thicker and a little chewy, but it's heavenly. The dipping sauce the comes with it is making my mouth water just thinking about it. Anyway, this is one of my go-to favorites in the city. It's delicious, cozy, and reasonably priced. Be prepared to wait, but it's well worth it.
(5)Danny F.
Went here for dinner with my wife, great little place with some amazing Italian food! We both shared the Caesar and has the Chicken Milanese. Both were fresh and the pasta was cooked to Al Dente, a list go for a intimate group dinner or date!!
(4)Scott H.
Great chicken parm and nice environment with a small town local feel. Will come back next time I'm in Seattle!
(4)Meghan G.
My boyfriend and I went here with his sister and her fiance while they were in town. While we had to wait quite a while for our table, they have a bar and you can order beverages ahead of time. The house wine was delicious (which is very rare) and kept us happy while we waited. Our waitress was great - very attentive and nice. The bread they bring is absolutely delicious, but keep in mind that you have to pay for refills. I ordered the ravioli special (it had lobster) and it was absolutely delicious. The only reason I'm giving it four stars is because of the small waiting area. We went on a busy Saturday evening, but it was too cold to stand outside. People are sometimes unaware, especially women with their large purses, and my boyfriend had a wine incident when a woman swung her purse around and knocked his glass. Small space at its best. All in all, great place. I'd definitely go again!
(4)Nick J.
Had to wait a long time for our seat, but the quality of the food made the wait worth it. I loved the pasta dish I ordered. Our waitress was also great. The only downside (which is why I'm docking a star) is that this place is very small, so people are constantly knocking into you in the waiting area/bar. 30 minutes of that is not what I consider a good time. However, I'll be back because of the food and the actual seating area of the restaurant, which is nice.
(4)Julia B.
Such a small hidden gem in Capital Hill. It's small & cozy. Has great staff & is very reasonably priced. The olive bread is delish!
(5)Steve B.
We stopped in to Ristorante Machiavelli last night and were delighted with the delicious food. Our early arrival allowed for immediate seating by their friendly and attentive staff. After seating us we were immediately served their rustic Italian (Columbia City) bread while we lingered over our dinner choices. The small but airy dining room is intimate and casual without being overly quiet. Expect to hear street sounds as well as other diners. We had the antipasto for starters, followed by "right sized" portions of their linguini carbonara, spinach ravioli and tried the chicken liver lasagna. All were a delight to the palate. Their selections of moderately price wines complimented our meal nicely. Try the tiramisu for desert. The only change I would make is to add cappuccino. Still, it's worthy of 5 stars. Great food and great atmosphere. Get the corner table for 2 across on the far side of the room...great for people watching.
(5)Pianda X.
Sad to say my evening here proved to be the most hostile and unfriendly dining experience I've had in Seattle. The owner flat out told me not to come back and so I'll be following her instructions. The experience was so hostile with the owner (she was our waitress) that I left her zero tip and I've waited enough tables to know how shitty of that thing that is to do... but she left me no choice (sorry, that I'm not sorry). Advice: Go somewhere else if you want to have a pleasant dining experience or at least hold out until my yelp review convinces the owner to takes a crash course on customer service. And on a deeper level, I come from a restaurant background and I refuse to support a restaurant owner who puts ego before food and customers. I came here last weekend with my roommate after reading all the great yelp reviews. We were looking forward to it as we even waited thirty minutes to get seated. I opted for something pretty standard, spaghetti and meatballs and my roommate got the spinach ravioli. No complaints about the food; no compliments either. Well, except for the fact that the bread was so stale I nearly broke a tooth on it. Unwilling to compromise and accept stale bread from a place that warrants 4 stars on yelp; I asked her to swap our bread. She came back with a new plate of bread and plopped it down on the window sill without taking the old bread away...until I asked her to. And so we dined and asked for the bill, "Separate checks please!" Owner: "We don't do separate checks here." The bill comes with a $3 charge for bread that annoyed me; thinking you're going to charge me for stale bread? (Though to be fair I did eat a couple pieces of the stale bread because I was kind of famished after the 30 min wait). I called her over and said "You misunderstood me; I didn't want another order of bread I wanted the bread to be swapped because the first plate was stale." Owner, not liking what I had to say, looks at me straight in eyes, slows her speech for enhanced clarity and heightened aggression: "The...bread...is...not...stale....and ....we...don't...give...out...free...food...here." My roommate chimes in and tries to explain our case but the owner whips out a menu and points to the big fat $3 next to the bread. She then interrogates us, "Did...you...eat...the...bread? Did...you...eat...it...or...not?" Me: "Yes I did, I did eat it. You know what, I'll be happy to pay the $3, but I want to speak to your manager." Owner: "Oh yeah? That would be me; I'm the owner. Yup, Me!" Me: "Oh okay, service hasn't been super great..." Owner: "It's okay you don't need to come back." (Not shitting you, these were her exact words). Me: "Okay then..." I get out my phone and open Yelp Owner sees my phone "Oh yeah, please yelp, yelp about it...PLEASE DO!"
(1)David S.
Incredibly over- hyped restaurant... Mediocre food, with worse customer service. I do not understand all the hype for this little restaurant. The hostess was rude and promptly walked away after getting our names without a greeting or wait time. After waiting 30 mins (with a surprisingly good drink from the bar), + some stale bread, my Eggplant Parmesan came as overly thin slices of slimy eggplant with 90% oily cheese and sauce on top. Since my entree didn't come with any sides I had also ordered a $5 bowl of minestrone soup that tasted like spaghetti Os with raw carrots. Being that it was one of their specialties, I had higher expectations, and literally only took two bites from my plate. The waitress and or bus girl with the tatoos, just took my plate away, without asking how my meal was, or if I wanted it to go. I actually thought my first two plates were just flukes due to how busy they were, and wanted to order a different dish, but the waitress just brought back the bill. The bill was also non-itemized, so I had no clue if they over charged me which I suspect they did. Needless to say, I won't be back. There are far too many good restaurants in Seattle to waste your time in this hole in the wall. Although you may think there is a line because of great food/service, it's more than likely it's only due to the limited amounts of seating and it's hipster clientele.
(1)Brandon B.
I've been coming to this restaurant for years now and consider it my favorite in Seattle; it's cozy, friendly and has absolutely delicious Italian food. If you're looking for a fabulous dinner with a very reasonably priced house burgundy then this is your establishment.
(5)Foodie N.
This is by far my fav Italian restaurant in the city. The food is delicious, consistent, and so reasonably priced. The staff is awesome and has very little turn-over, so if you become a regular (as I have), you'll start to get to know the hostesses, bartenders, waiters, and my man Gerry who is a runner. Things to consider... - The wait can be pretty long (it's a small place), especially on Friday/Saturday if there is a theater show. - No A/C so it can get pretty hot in there during the summer; especially this past summer when we were regularly hitting the 90s here in Seattle. - Closed on Sunday's. - The "Chicken Al Forno" is my fav dish - I highly recommend it.
(5)Alex S.
Machiavelli is incredible. Locally owned, small, always crowded, and very homey. The only downside is the long wait, so I usually try to show up right when they open. I've eaten here probably 50x over the last two decades and never had a bad meal. Oddly, I don't think they achieve their incredible taste through the use of high end ingredients. These are the same basic tomatoes and garlic you could get anywhere, yet somehow they just do everything right, and it always comes together in perfect balance. Most Italian places I go, I want to see something fancy. I want heirloom tomatoes, high end cheeses and pasta, etc.. But here, a simple (and inexpensive) plate of spaghetti and red sauce with absolutely no frills can blow your mind. The wine list is also full of spectacular values. The original owners sold this business to their own employees a few years back, but it seems to have lost none of its consistent quality. I was born and raised in Seattle, and I consider Machiavelli to be hands-down the best restaurant value in the city. Five stars isn't enough!
(5)Kristine S.
Everything at Ristorante Machiavelli is amazing -- the olive bread with dipping oil, the Caesar salad, the wine, the entrees, and the Tiramisu are all to die for. I like to get their penne marinara, which sounds so simple and boring (penne, tomatoes, garlic, basil, etc.), but somehow they make it incredible. I don't know how they do it! On top of everything else, the service is top notch. My husband and I have eaten dinner here probably twenty times in the past four years and not once have we had a bad experience. All of the staff members are friendly, knowledgeable, and provide prompt service. Just make sure to show up early in the dinner hour because this place fills up quickly. Also, if you pay in cash instead of using a credit card, you get a small discount on your final bill.
(5)Chris V.
Spectacular Italian cuisine. Even the side dish of spaghetti with meat sauce was a perfect blend of red sauce, meat & spices. We had the Spinach Ravioli, Chicken Cacciatori & Chicken Milanese were tasty. The Milanese had a perfect blend of of garlic and citrusy lemon, as well as, crispy like a schnitzel. To top it off, we had Tiramisu. It wasn't the best I've ever had but in the top five. I'll be back for round two soon.
(4)Jen M.
The wait here can be quite a bit long since they don't take reservations, so we had to get there early to put our names in. Space in the lobby waiting area is quite small as well, but thankfully, its nice that there's a lot of places that are walking distance to peruse or explore while you wait. Food-wise: We were happy with our tuna carpaccio dish, but the rest of the main dishes were just ok. Our party ordered the eggplant parmesan, mushroom pizza, linguini all vongole, prawns with linguini, and fetticuini carbonara. Service was nice, prices are definitely fair and reasonable, noodles were al dente, but some of the dishes just tasted pretty average and similar. I don't know why, but I also felt a little disheartened seeing so many cans of tomatoes filling the kitchen - yeah, I get that a lot of dishes have marinara sauces which can call for crushed/ canned tomatoes, but sometimes fresh ingredients / tomatoes can make a big difference in taste.. or at least break up the monotony of taste? Perhaps I just didn't see any that day.
(3)Mav M.
This review is just for the take-out option. Restaurant is pretty packed during dinner so I did a phone order and pick-up. Person said that it would be ready in 30 mins but when i got there, i still had to wait an extra 20 mins. I know food is suppose to not look good when you do take-out, but the food looked like crap- looks like they just threw the pasta in the box. They could put more pressentation and effort packing the food. Anyway despite the service, the flavor is still great. Eggplant parmesan is my go to meal. Tried the chicken liver lasagna and they made liver taste good, impressive I recommend dining in and making reservation instead. The restaurant is small and nicely located in downtown. Dishes are around $8-16
(3)Natasha P.
Look, I really don't wait for anyone or anything, but I'm only here til Monday, and this was my last chance to try a recommended spot. So we waited an hour, first uncomfortably between way too many people and then we eventually snagged a seat by the window underneath an inviting, almost sleazy cocktail sign. $4 glass of the house wine, some kind of cocktail that had way more ginger ale than rum. By the way, an hour long wait means ten people need to be seated before you. So, an hour later we find ourselves nestled by the window, a street lamp our source of light. I think I was so starved I couldn't figure out what to order, and that of course led to the inevitable when we shamelessly ate the entire bread basket. We had the special: grilled prawns with risotto and asparagus; and veal piccata with a side of spaghetti with meat sauce. Not a huge fan of the overly lemoned veal, but the special was perfectly cooked, and the spaghetti sauce was magnificent. Well, it must've been relatively magnificent because we ate the whole meal before the waitress could check on us once, which is why I'm not a fan of waiting an hour to get a table. Le sigh. I'd come back, definitely, but probably on a weekday at 5 pm.
(4)Julie R.
Hands down our favorite Italian food in the city! This place holds a special place in my heart, comforting Italian classics done the right way, $20 carafes of wine, and lovely service. It doesn't get any better than this for a nice date night! Do yourself a favor and try them out if you haven't had the chance, and if you have been here make sure you don't wait too long before returning!
(5)Q Malik F.
Come and enjoy some of the best non Olive Garden or Maggiano's in Seattle. Small space with just enough room to breathe. It's worth the wait for the food and the great service you will receive from the friendliest staff in Seattle.
(5)Sunny L.
This is a cute little Italian restaurant on lower Capitol Hill, great for dinner or an intimate date. There aren't a lot of tables and they don't take reservations, but the food is great and worth a wait. There is a decent selection of pasta and pizzas to choose from, all of which sounded delicious and are reasonably priced, especially for an Italian restaurant. I always feel ripped off paying $20+ for a pasta dish that is meatless, but I definitely didn't feel that way here! I ordered gnocchi with a tomato-based sauce. The serving size wasn't huge, but it was enough to fill me up without being overstuffed. The gnocchi was soft and pillowy...perfect texture! They also have a good selection of wine and cocktails to go with your meal. They give you complimentary olive bread and oil to start off with. The bread actually has pieces of olives in it, which I loved. We got a small table near the window, with flowers growing on the awning. It was actually kind of romantic, especially paired with the intimate sized restaurant and sunshine shining on us through the open window. I've been looking for some new Italian restaurants to add to my favorites, and this one is promising so far!
(4)wilko s.
I can't believe that I haven't written a review until now. My girlfriend and I have been coming here regularly for at least two years - for some periods coming 3 times a week. Part of me doesn't want to review because I don't want to attract attention to this local gem. First, the staff - wowsa - all great and super personable. It starts in the bar - hang out for a while before you get a table. Honestly, you may have to wait a while to get a table on a busy night, but Joe and Michael in the bar couldn't be friendlier when at the bar and are more than happy to customize a cocktail for you or to serve you full dinner. Then, dinner...holy guacamole - we've loved everything we've tried in our likely over 100 sittings at the restaurant. Again, it starts with the team - Meghan, Suzette, Tracy, and all of our favorites (you know who you are) - couldn't be a better bunch. And then..the food! We have done the greatest hits of all of the menu. But, it would be a painful review if I did an itemized list because it would be obnoxiously positive about all of our dishes. I'll just tell you what we do every time we go. Start with tuna carpaccio and caesar salad. Move on to a pizza - any will exceed your wildest expectations. And then the entree - pick a pasta (at random) and you will be wildly pleased. Augment with another pasta or another meat entree - we've tried them all, they're all great. Anyway - don't go here, because you'll make the wait longer for us...but we're willing to wait and hang out in the bar, just not for too long!
(5)Heather F.
The line is no joke. Arrived at 5:05pm (they open at 5:00pm) and still had to wait almost 40 minutes to be seated. This restaurant is very small and intimate. Although the wait was long we found seats at the small bar and had a drink while we waited. Once seated had the spinach ravioli and the chicken liver lasagna. Everything was divine. The sauces were delightful and the portions were the correct size. A lot of people might think the portions are small but the sauces were so creamy and rich I don't think I could have eaten more than what they gave me. I'm excited to have a found a local spot that I can frequent. Great location to do things after dinner and very good prices so it won't break the bank. Check it out.
(5)Lucy L.
I have discovered the secret to not waiting 1+ hours for a table here: come right after work on a weekday. 5:30-6 should be just fine. Yes, some of you are probably thinking no duh. But there are places in this town where you cannot avoid a wait even at 4pm *cough* Walrus *cough*. People shouldn't have to use PTO just to avoid waiting at a restaurant. That said, the food there was good this time but not fantastic like I thought it was last time. My Conchiglie Della Casa was a little too tangy, a little too saucy for the amount of pasta in the dish. Maybe they were having an off day. Maybe I was having an off day too.
(4)Alex B.
Ristorante Machiavelli makes life worth living. The pasta is the closest I've found in Seattle to authentic Italian pasta. It's cooked to the perfect firmness. The sauce is impeccable - delicious flavor and the perfect amount of spice that will leave you wanting more.
(5)Cindel M.
If it wasn't for the long wait and the fact that I couldn't add chicken to my pasta, I would've given this place five stars. I ordered a Ceasar salad to begin with, then had Alfredo pasta with prawns, and for dessert Tiramisu. It all tasted homemade and fresh. Delicious!
(4)Masoud T.
Lets talk about how amazing this place is for the price you pay. First, it has a total divey vibe to it, really laid back and chill. The staff are nice but you know you're gonna have to wait to be seated. We had the Chicken Milanese and a pizza on the side, both were very tasty. I really enjoyed the bread and vinegar they bring also. I will be back again to try other dishes but I highly recommend it.
(5)Effie F.
We liked it so much we came back a few nights later and I'd happily go here again anytime. The prices are reasonable, the staff friendly and the food and wine as good as it gets. Totally happy at this lovely little eatery. So many great choices on the their menu! We came here twice in summer and the wait for dinner wasn't long either time.
(5)Brian B.
I have been here several times and sent many visitors to this restaurant. Tonight I went and was completely dissatisfied. They don't allow to substitute penne for spaghetti. I understand the need to limit substitutions but penne vs spaghetti are you serious!!! WTF Then they charged $10 for three cans of flat soda. The chicken parmigiana had no taste and of course there was no salt on the table to make it edible. The special was linguini in a white wine sauce; again no flavor. Seems like this place is on a super downward spiral. They got the last $100 dollars from me and no more referrals.
(2)Eeshin C.
My main complaint is the long wait. If the hostess had given us a more accurate estimate of our wait time, we would have been less annoyed at the restaurant. However, they were able to accommodate us later on and the food was delicious. My table ordered a pizza and veal piccata which were both great.
(4)Liz E.
The bread is good, and the house wine is kind of fun but isn't the best. Generally the food is great for the price but not great in general, know what I mean? But it's good. Bread is great but you pay for refills.. I guess that makes sense since they don't make it themselves. The food tastes fresh, but just not as great as it could be. My eggplant parm was really mushy and didn't have the crunch I would expect. The meat dishes are just ok, I don't know nothing mind blowing.
(3)Kate D.
My boyfriend and I went to this place while in town visiting. We chose it because it was within walking distance from where we were staying. I now always want to be within walking distance of this place! One of my favorite Italian restaurants anywhere. I normally don't like a lot of pasta sauce, but I was eating every drop of it, even after my pasta was finished. Good service and you get a discount if you pay in cash. Small restaurant so expect to have to wait a little.
(5)Ruby P.
When you walk in its old rustic Italian charm The bar area is first you see and above the stairs is the dining room... Wait was about 50 min - so we waited in the bar area drinks were tasty .. We had the lasagne - special of the day which was in limited quantity and the last piece we managed to snag. And 4 cheese ravioli.. Both dishes were 4/5 the sauces were amazing the bread was delicious too. Just wish the portion size was a little bigger We had the diplomatico which a tiramisu basically with a twist - it was way too wet sort of broken down but was still yummy. 7/10 Also had the vanilla bean cheesecake - it tasted a bit sour but the crust was amazing!
(3)Bev R.
Great vibe, lively, friendly, and not toooo loud, with good, upbeat servers. We had spaghetti bolognese, a veal dish, plus salads, and house wine. All tasty and well prepared.It's an unpretentious place, and we will be back.
(5)Eva-Tanja H.
The wait is no joke, 1 hr and 5 min. Hostess claimed she called my name, but I guess being a tourist you might get by passed by the locals. I probably should've given this restaurant 2 stars. Maybe being from Ft. Lauderdale, I'm used to more exquisite tasting Italian. Taste was mediocre at it's best, but since I didn't want to hurt this establishment, I gave it average. We wanted to try a local establishment vs. a franchise. The bartender made some meanl Long Island Ice teas, their crunchy bread was very tasty, and yes their Tuna appetizer was also very good, but the main dish itself was mediocre. Their service was good one we were sitted.
(3)Emily K.
Tried to walked in and dine in on a Friday evening (whoops) the wait was about an hour and 45 minutes! Luckily there are plenty of other nearby bars and eateries we tried while we waited (Taylor shellfish farms is around the corner). When we finally were seated, we ordered the spinach ravioli and the eggplant parmesan! Both were absolutely delicious!! I get why people wait forever. It tastes like there's a group of Italian grandmothers in the kitchen whipping out your home-made Italian dinner! Like seriously that's how homey and enjoyable it was. I loved the food and the service was wonderful while we dined. And the bill was wayyyy less than anticipated! Will definitely try to come again! Maybe on a Tuesday morning or something lol
(4)Priyanka N.
It is a cute little Italian restaurant. It was my first time here. I had read many reviews about the long waits so we were prepared for that but to our surprise we were immediately greeted and seated. (Yay! I was really hungry.) We ordered: Spinach Ravioli 4.5/5 Pesto Pizza 5/5 Handmade Gnocchi Al Sugo 4/5 I would have said the Spinach Ravioli is the best I have eaten if I was asked 2 months ago but I have tasted better. The sauce it was served with was delicious. My husband loved the pizza so it easily gets a 5. :) The gnocchi is served with tomato basil sauce which is simple and tasty. The dumplings were of the right thickness. There were only 2 dessert options so we skipped it. My overall experience was lovely and I will surely come back!
(4)Liz O.
Still can count on Ristorante Machiavelli! Every visit has been a solid four stars. This past visit, I tried the chicken parmigiana again as well as the lasagna (shared meals! I'm not that gluttonous). The lasagna was very flavorful - would go with that again next time. Chicken parmigiana was a little "soupy", which I wasn't expecting... tasted good, but the texture didn't sit well. I love that they offer cash discounts!
(4)Derek F.
Great restaurant, great service, great ambience. Though it is invariably a long wait to be seated, you can always have a good glass of wine! My wife and I had a great meal here and will definitely return
(5)Isaiah B.
Have been coming here for 15 years and have never had a bad experience. The service, food, drinks, casual atmosphere - they get it right every time.
(5)Yazan M.
Really enjoyed the entire experience. The food was phenomenal. Went as a group of 6 and 2 on two different occasions and everyone was very VERY pleased with the food. The staff was seriously just amazing.
(5)Brian S.
Pastas were very good. Make sure you are aware all the sauces have a bit of a kick (spicy). We had spaghetti and meat balls, linguine and clams, and a daily special. Get there early as the place really fills up quickly. Also, 5% off the bill if you pay cash.
(5)Jonathan H.
First time being in Seattle and first restaurant I have eaten at. The location was very cool and had a very rustic Italian feel when you entered through the front doors. The bartender was quite artistic with his drinks and host staff was very friendly. As for the food, the gnocchi was delicious; however, the portions were small and they did not allow chicken to be added to the dish which I am still quite surprised about. They told me if they added chicken to my dish they could "run out....". Overall experience was good.
(4)Camille L.
Been to this joint twice. Last night was my second visit with my favorite brother, for my birthday. The food here is very good and tasty. However, I'm not too happy about the wait. If your party are not all present, you will not be seated because they do not take reservations. Yes, the ambiance is nice but it is also a very tiny place and very noisy.. I couldn't hear my own conversation going. The price is okay, pretty reasonable but probably could consider expanding at some point or changing the seating aspect of it.
(3)Emily L.
Best Italian food I have ever had. My boyfriend and I were looking for dinner our first night in Seattle and wandered in here. It's a small joint with a little bar in the front. The wait was about 30 minutes, so we ordered cocktails. They were delicious and strong. I had the clementine, which was very citrusy and bright. When we sat down, they have a large selection of simple Italian classics. I went with the veal piccata. It came with a side of spaghetti and meat sauce. It was one of the best plates of food ever. Such simple flavors and ingredients perfectly melded together. I ate every single bite and would eat it again in a heartbeat. The portion wasn't huge, but the quality more than made up for it and the price was very fair. If you're in the Capital Hill area, check it out!
(5)Jessica B.
I'm a bit reluctant to leave this review because I don't want more people to find out about this amazing little gem! This is the best Italian food you'll find on the hill, especially for the price. The dining room is tiny and they don't take reservations so there's always a wait but it's well worth it. We usually are able to find seats at the charming bar area and enjoy a glass of wine or cocktail before dinner. The lasagna is some of the best I've ever had and rivals anything you'll find in Italy. You won't be disappointed.
(5)Karey R.
Our party of four walked here from the Space Needle, hungry as bears. It was a 40 minute wait for a table, and the waiting area is this awkward bar space that doesn't hold too many people. I ordered the (vegetarian) penne with roasted pepper sauce and walnut pesto. My husband had the penne marinara. Our dishes were good, solid food, but nothing I'd rush back for. The bread bowl was delicious - thick crusty slices with slivers of olives in the bread, with a dipping oil. Yum! Service was excellent. Room was very crowded and therefore quite loud. I definitely wouldn't want to bring a larger group here.
(3)Arry Y.
This restaurant is a Capital Hill classic, it's been around forever. I know tons of people that adore and love this restaurant. Really cute place. I'd go back. To explain the 3 stars: I am more the type to favor the La Spiga/Tavolata for the casual night out and Barolo/Spinasse type of Italian restaurant. It might be more personal taste/style preference. We had the seafood pasta and a pizza (for my husband, of course). Both were solidly very delicious and good. My husband was tickled happy that the restaurant offered a cash price that was different than the credit card price (which makes sense to do).
(3)Lauree C.
Machiavelli is a great place for a weeknight bite. They do kind of push you in and out quickly and you will have to wait awhile to get a table, but at least there is plenty of cheap, house wine for the wait. The food is nice, classic pasta dishes done well and at a great price. Nothing fancy but sometimes some unfussy italian bites are just what you need.
(3)Kari G.
Prices are phenomenal as is the food and service! The house wine is actually really good here (according to my wine taste buds, which means a fruity, sweet wine) and not the usual sour mess it is at other places. The specials here ARE actually special... One per night ranging from asparagus ravioli and prawns to salmon fettucini. We typically get the following: 1. Bread (free!): Comes out quickly with two types of bread, white and olive. Comes with olive oil for dipping. So good, especially for sopping up those last little slurps of sauce. 2. Bresaola alla Valtinellese (cured beef): soooo great! just the right amount of food for an appetizer. 3. Mixed greens with anchovies: The anchovies are great and the dressing is light. There's even a beet or two in the salad. 4. Pretty much any of the pastas. We've tried them all. My personal favorite is the spinach ravioli that comes in a slightly sweet tomato cream sauce or the always-classic gnocchi. Both are excellent! Overall, love this place!! Service is fast and friendly and everything is always on point!
(5)Kristin P.
This is the place to go for some amazing Italian food in Cap Hill! Small, so it's better to have reservations...but cute bar in front & just delicious, authentic food!
(5)Sabrina G.
Let me start this off by saying I'm not a 'yelper', in fact I created an account just so I could write this. My boyfriend and I have made an effort to come here every Friday for the past 2 years and with all they've given us I feel like opening up a Yelp account for 5 stars is the least I can do. Trust me, between the two of us we have tried literally every dish on the menu (except minestrone soup because *meh*, but I'm sure it's delicious) and I swear there is nothing I've tried that I wouldn't want to order again. Every dish is worthy of stuffing yourself to the gills. My personal favorites are veal saltimboca or carbonara if I don't mind the ensuing carb coma. As for the bread, it's not stale, it's crusty. The crust is crispy and chewy as it should be, and then you get to the pillowy stuff. It's baked and sent from one of Seattle's best bakeries. So I guess if you're expecting olive garden breadsticks then it's not gonna float your boat. There is a wait on Friday and Saturday nights (about 45 minutes, on occasion an hour) but they have a cozy bar with a busy, relaxed atmosphere so time flies by. You just have to go with people who you can have a good time with and drink and people watch with. So basically how you would go out for a vacation in Italy....It's not all breadsticks and hyper servers
(5)Thomas C.
Wow I really wanted to leave a raving review of this restaurant but either I'm east coast spoiled or you're west coast deprived. But it's not a 4 or 5 star Italian restaurant by any means. Very bland and plain tasting although the Tuna carpaccio was excellent.
(3)Ryan N.
Good old-fashioned pasta, especially their spaghetti and meatballs and lasagna dishes. If you want some of those over-prices, high sodium, and saturated creamy pasta then you're better off at Cheesecake and Olive Garden. Tiramisu is overrated. Even Whole Foods' is better. Cozy vibe and ambiance. Expect to wait, but if you get a spot at a bar you can wine and dine.
(4)Shriram P.
After getting victimized by Olive Garden food, we went to this place with similar expectation. Cut two...The food was mind blowing. Potion sizes were just right, the pasta was cooked el dente. I almost swore after my first bite of the food bursting with flavors.So much flavor and yet so comforting! We went on a weekday almost during closing time. Hence it wasn't crowded. Generally, the wait times are insane is what I have heard. We ordered: Red Bell Pepper Pesto Penne, Alfredo Linguini and a pizza. All were equally good. Price range is typically $9-$13 per dish. Stop reading, go book a table..oops sorry..go stand in the line. They dont take reservations!
(5)Heidi M.
This is my favorite little secret Italian restaurant in Seattle. Always consistent food. Love, love, love this place. Depending on when you dine there is sometimes a long wait but well worth it!!! We have been going he for years and always have a great meal. Puttanesca is the best!
(5)Pekka R.
Promise of cozy atmosphere, friendly service and good Italian food. What can go wrong? Well, at Machiavelli, nothing. Excellent tuna carpaccio and the best lasagna you can get outside that boot shaped country. If you like Italian, go there. It will not disappoint you.
(5)Debbie P.
Oh, Ristorante Machiavelli, how do I love thee, let me count the garlicky ways... If I lived on Cap Hill I would be here all the time and I would be twice my size, easy! They are only open for dinner and take no reservations, which is smart and adds to the appeal of this adorable corner restaurant by the Melrose Market. The wait can be excruciatingly painful, especially when you smell the heavenly goodness coming from the kitchen. We usually pass the time in the bar area, if there is space, and will grab a carafe (or two) of the house red. As for the food, really, we love everything. Our usual starter eats may include the antipasto platter, tapenade, mixed greens with anchovies. We always get the Linguine alle Vongole (it should read garlic in marinara with clams, there were tons of them) and Chicken al Forno (once again, the garlic theme is pronounced). The specials should also be considered, we've had them from time to time and have not been disappointed. However, you shouldn't hold back, just order whatever looks good, and it all looks good! Plus the prices are very reasonable (very inexpensive for the quality and flavors). Here's a money saving tip: If you pay with cash, they'll take 5% off your bill. So not only will you be well fed, you'll also have more cash to enjoy the rest of your garlic laden evening. Watch out vampires!!!
(5)Trudie M.
Nice recommendation! Small, nice atmosphere. Food was very good, and service was great. Salads very fresh. Best for couples or small groups. Accommodating for kids but tight space. I'll be sure to try it again when in Seattle.
(4)Chrysteen B.
My husband and I are big fans of this place. Every time we want italian food, we automatically think of this place. I ordered the lasagna. I loved it. It was everything I want in a lasagna: cheesy, lots of sauce, and the noodles were perfect. I prefer it a little less greasy, but it didn't bother me. My husband ordered the tortellini. That was also wonderful. I love the homey feel of this place. It is not fancy by any means and that's exactly the way I like it. The prices are also reasonable for the amount of food they give you. One thing I dislike: when I go to a fancier restaurant with higher prices and smaller portions and I end up leaving hungry. Well, not here! I recommend trying this place out!
(4)Shari H.
The first time there we got in about 5:00 with no line or waiting. Tonight we went again and waited for an hour. The wait was worth it. Both nights the food was the best and the service was too. I live in Eugene and unfortunately we have nothing that compares so spending two evenings at Machiavellis was a real treat.
(5)Josie B.
Long Live Machiavelli!! I absolutely love this place. I've been coming here since 1993, and it remains to be such a special and dynamic place. The food is simple, fresh and delicious, and the service is always on point (a well oiled machine even). And in this time when Seattle is rapidly changing because of development, and all of our old and favorite haunts are being torn down or closing, it is SO comforting to still be able to go to Machiavelli and have a yummy Old Fashioned in the bar and a bowl of the spinach ravioli.... Don't ever close!! XOXO
(5)Alyssa K.
Great Italien food. Reasonable prices. Make sure to get a reservation and the wait can be quite long. They have a reasonable wine selecton and the bar, which you can wait in whle getting a table, is cozy. The lighting in the dinning room is romantic, whch makes this a great first date spot. Also, beware of parking. This would not be a place you would want to go if you were in a rush. I am a fan and would love to go back. Their pasta is fantastic and staff friendly.
(3)M J.
A neighborhood favorite for my wife and me. Great classic Italian -- the kind that Italian Americans ate back in the 1950's -- at reasonable prices. It's a walk-in joint and can run a little loud, but great for fun food and a solid staff that provides great service.
(4)Polly S.
Over-priced, over-hyped, mediocre food complete with grumpy and inattentive service. They don't seem to care about customer satisfaction. The place is nothing special and certainly not worth waiting for.
(1)Roland L.
After flying into Seattle later than anticipated, a little assistance from yelp landed me and friend Thomas N at Ristorante Machiavelli. Charming and inviting, Ristorante Machiavelli's dark ambience is suitable for a casual dinner date during your night out on the town and provides a nice people watching spot when seated by the window. Service was on point from hostess to waitstaff. Our server offered insightful tips and made timely visits to ensure everything was alright. As expected of an Italian restaurant, complimentary bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar is served prior to the arrival of your meal. Airy soft and chewy, the moderately dense dough was encased by a thick crisp outer crust. yelp.com/biz_photos/rist… Mixed Greens Salad ($4.50): 3.25/5 yelp.com/biz_photos/rist… Essentially a standard simple dinner salad loaded with fresh chopped Romaine lettuce delicately dressed and accented by garbanzo beans and delightfully crunchy croutons. Artichoke Mushroom Pizza ($8.50) 4/5 yelp.com/biz_photos/rist… yelp.com/biz_photos/rist… Considering how finicky my pizza preference is, this pizza was rather enjoyable. Although I would have liked a toastier and slightly thinner crust, this budget minded pizza was satisfying and toppings were delicious and plentiful. Spinach Ravioli ($11.50) 3.5/5 yelp.com/biz_photos/rist… While not completely mind blowing, the ricotta and spinach stuffed pasta was well balanced by the rich tomato sauce. This dish stands to benefit from a healthier serving size at its price point. Machiavelli's Signature Dessert: 2/5 yelp.com/biz_photos/rist… yelp.com/biz_photos/rist… Lost for descriptive words, our server was short of describing this as tiramisu. Essentially, this is tiramisu but Machiavelli's makes it their own with a heavy cocoa infusion. Tiramisu is one of my favorite Italian treats yet this version failed due mostly in part to its dry ladyfingers and odd taste and aftertaste. Perhaps we were served a bad batch, but if this is the norm, this should be re-envisioned. Overall, Ristorante Machiavelli offered a pleasant experience and served as a respectful introduction into my culinary journey to the Emerald City.
(3)Robin G.
The BEST veal/chicken Milanese this side of Rome. Great pastas, too. And the price is right! A little noisy but terrific wait staff. Come early to get a table. Otherwise, plane to have a cocktail (or two) in the bar before you're seated.
(4)Mai-Thi L.
The hostess was not the best hostess in the world. She took my name down and promptly walked away. Didn't even tell me how long the wait would be. The busboy on the otherhand was amazing! The bread came out even before I had a chance to open the menu, our water glasses were always topped off, and he was the one who noticed that we were done and ready for to-go boxes. That was some service! As for the food, my husband got the special of the day which was scallops in some creamy vodka sauce and pasta. The scallops were wonderfully sweet from what I tried off of his plate. I got the rotisserie chicken since I read great reviews of it and it was just alright. There was quite a bit juice and roasted garlic cloves hanging around the plate though. That was plus, but nothing too great to write home about.
(3)Paula S.
I have absolutely no idea why you would wait a half hour or more for this food. It's shocking to me. My cocktail was good, bartender friendly while we waited. Service was fine, food was bland and super saucy and the sauce wasn't good. It was fine, but again, bland. Seems like there's just a wait because the place is small not because it's great. If you want great Italian I'd go to the Pink Door downtown.
(2)Ted V.
Food and service is excellent. The tiramisu is the best I have ever had in my entire life! Omg I wish there was one where I live.
(5)Kelly J.
Visiting our daughter in Seattle so we yelped local restaurants as she has not found any real good Italian yet. Cozy, quaint place with the best Italian food we have ever had! From the lemon drop with real lemon juice to the veal parmesan and the special with cheese crusted asparagus over noodles... amazing!
(5)Clint W.
This was a last minute switch from going out for pizza to getting some pasta. My friend had been here several times before and was a fans, so she talked me into it. I found her in the bar and we grabbed a quick glass of wine before we went to our table. She warned me it was a tiny place and it filled quickly, so we went to our table before finishing our wine. Staff was both friendly and efficient. She already knew what she was after and I landed on linguini with shrimp, with the tuna app. The dining room was still half empty at this time and our food came out quickly. Honestly, I wasn't really a fan of the tuna carpaccio but my pasta rocked. Noodles had tooth, the shrimp weren't overcooked and there was plenty of sauce that had a little kick to it. Really enjoyed the dish and yes, very affordable. It's very simple fare, but from what I experienced, it's pretty well executed. I'm sure we'll be back.
(4)Jason C.
Came here for dinner and heard it was a good place for some classic italian. Started off with the Tuna Carpaccio. It was ice cold. It was not very good. Wish they would have had the Beef version of it. The bread was amazing though. I ordered the Lasagne, it was OK. Very cheesy but really couldn't taste the sauce because of the amount of cheese.
(3)Adrianne J.
Machiavelli's is over priced and over hyped. The wait list to get in is about an hour and not worth it. You can't make a reservation either. The eggplant Parmesan is a disaster, we couldn't even find the eggplant under all the cheese and sauce. Bleck! My fettuccine Alfredo wasn't as bad but again nothing to go back for. I also ordered a glass of Merlot and we they placed it in front of me in the shot glass they call a wine glass, I thought, "ok..." and to make matters worse, it tasted old. I will not ever be going back to Machiavelli's. Terrible.
(1)Sumi A.
machiavelli delivered some pretty decent italian food in a charming and warm environment. we arrived early ahead of our group, and sat downstairs in the bar area at the window and enjoyed some wine and appetizers. i love people watching, and this corner is a goldmine of interesting outfits and personalities streaming by. i'd be happy sitting there all night, actually, however our party finally arrived, so we retreated upstairs. the dining room was very homey, but kind of cramped. i ordered the chicken liver lasagna, and a mixed green salad to split with my fiancee, however the salad was a little skimpy, and the dressing didn't taste homemade. the lasagna was great, and served really hot. my only gripe was that there wasn't a prominent liver flavor, which was the whole reason for my ordering it. my fiancee's sausage/pasta dish was actually much better flavor wise, and the pasta was perfectly al dente. i'm still interested in exploring a few other italian restaurants, but i'd definitely return to machiavelli knowing i can get great service and solid italian food.
(3)Jackie F.
A terrific dining experience on our last night in Seattle. Found this little gem in The Capitol Hill area. Perfect for those looking for something off the beaten path of 1st Ave. Nothing fancy by any means, but there is something to be said for plain and simple. As our waiter informed us, the menu has it changed in over 26 years and with good reason... Why fix what isn't broken?!? I had a glass of the Montepulciano to accompany my pasta carbonara. Both were excellent! My date had the veal picatta with a side of spaghetti with meat sauce and a mixed drink from the bar. Again, fantastic, We shared the chocolate mousse tiramisu for dessert. You can tell it was fresh and homemade... Delicious! All of that, fun atmosphere, great service, AND the bill was under $50.
(4)Adam P.
This place is my go to spot for feel good comfort food. Tracy is the absolute best! Every time I come in I'm greeted with a warm hug and a smile. The food is phenomenal and their service is even better. Plus, they've got good, cheap house red that comes in giant carafes!
(5)B S.
There must be an absence of decent Italian food in this town for this place to earn 4 stars, because this place leaves much to be desired. The spaghetti and meatballs was overpowered by spice. The meat balls are suppose to be spicy, not the sauce as well. I couldn't taste anything else. The Alfredo sauce was rather bland as well. Nothing spectacular about the free bread, either. It's cute but I've only been here twice even though it's next to my apartment. The portions are filling and big enough for one person.
(2)Noy B.
Very homey restaurant and also very loud- that's not a very romantic location as you will need to shout :) . The bread at the beginning was a bit dry though very tasty. I ordered the greens salad which come with a little hummus and beat which was a refreshing surprise. For main dish I got the spinach reviolie which was a bit under cooked and was lacking more source. Except fir the host with was outstanding the service wasn't good at all (took them about 10 min to notice I'm waiting to order and brought the check extra fast though it wasn't very busy)
(3)Lauren B.
Machiavelli is my favorite Italian restaurant in Seattle, and very affordably priced. The gnocchi is delightful, as is the sangria (in the summer months - I like greyhounds in the winter). Lasagna, amazing. Oh and I just LOVE the toothsome bread and delectable oil/vinegar combo to start the meal. So good!! The one female server always seems kind of irritable but I bet she's busting her ass, this place is always crazy busy. Worth the wait tho!
(5)Paul M.
One of the best Italian restaurants in Seattle. Expect to wait around 45 mins to an hour for seating during busy periods (particularly the weekend), but it's worth it. The Tuna Carpaccio is delicious as are the Veal Piccata and Milanese dishes (highly recommend the latter). We pretty much always go for the wine special (usually around $30), which always proves to be great value for money. This is classic Italian dining - don't expect fancy place settings or high end cutlery. The emphasis is on the food - and what a bargain it is.
(5)Megan N.
Machievellis is well-worth the uphill trek from downtown, if you are visiting from out of town. It is one of my all-time favorite restaurants in Seattle and a legacy from what Capitol Hill once was. Expect a long wait--it speaks to the quality of the place. Grab a seat at the bar and have wine or a martini while you wait. The staff is warm and welcoming. Even though it's a popular place, they remember regulars (even years after you move away). The dining room has a cozy and comfortable feel. Grab a seat by the window to watch people walk by. I haven't had a dish I didn't love, but my favorites are the spinach ravioli, the penne with roasted red pepper pesto, and the puttanesca. The tiramisu is a fabulous way to end the evening.
(5)Chris H.
First time ordering from here. Reviews were high and this was one of the only Italian places nearby, so I had a lot of hope. I got some spinach ravioli take out and was extremely disappointed at the lack of food I received. I paid $12.95 for such a small amount that I'll never eat here ever again
(1)Lu Z.
I came late on a Monday night in an excellent mood: no wait to be cranky about, and our waitress was great. The ambiance is also what sets it galaxies apart from Amante, just a few blocks north. The narrow space and vinyl padded tables made me feel almost like I was back in Boston for an instant. But Jesus Christ, did Lot's wife look back when she was standing on my eggplant parm? There was no meatiness or roundness to the sauce: just salt and sugar -- such loudness on the tongue. Portions were on the meager side, but the sheer saltiness made it a trial to attempt. I'll try back and order something less saucy next time.
(3)Jamie L.
I had been eating at this wonderful place about 20 years now. They incredible Italian food, I tend to order the same thing over and over again, all these years. You should try it, but expect to wait about 45 minutes to be seated. Whatever you do though, don't show up early, and ask to be seated while your date parks the car. We did this, and the middle aged lady server got quite, quite irate with me. Very loudly, too. Turns out I broke a rule, even though the place was empty. NO seating till EVERYONE is there. I am too embarrassed to ever go back. But you should go and try the wonderful food. Just DONT upset the servers. The new owner is a former server there, and will just not even think of taking your side. And they appear to get enraged really fast. But I guess that is what you get with a really good place, having to grovel before the wait-staff. I am a bit deaf, too, so I miss cues. Oh well. It was nice while it lasted. Try ordering the 'angry harlot' spaghetti, it is quite wonderful, and don't miss the 'best in the world' Greek salad they do, be sure to get the anchovies on it. But all the dishes are superb, and they have fast service! And try to get a window seat by coming early. The neighborhood is a bit dicey, you can sometimes see drug deals/arrests right outside the window.
(5)Brenda K.
If only it were possible to give a zero rating... Wikipedia defines "Machiavellianism" as a widely used negative term to characterize unscrupulous politicians of the sort Machiavelli described in The Prince. The book itself gained enormous notoriety and wide readership because the author seemed to be endorsing behavior often deemed as evil and immoral. The restaurant is aptly named because the management takes "unscrupulous" to new levels. The experience Pianda X. from 4/16/2014 below reflects ours and she got off easy! The server was pleasant but the wait for food was too long. They put some rustic bread and olive oil on the table which we consumed before getting our order. We asked the bus boy for more twice (there were only 3 slices for a family of 4). The food arrived and was adequate--small portions but fairly good flavor. When the bill arrived, that was when a fairly pleasant meal spiraled into oblivion. Our clue should have been when we asked for bread with the food (our fourth serving of 3 slices each). The woman who we asked, responded, "it's your money". I had no idea what that meant but took it in the positive as if to say, you are spending money at our restaurant, I'm happy to serve you more bread. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. We ended up with $12 FOR BREAD ON THE BILL!!!! More than an entree! When we asked the server about it, she said they order it from another bakery so they get charged. That made no sense so we asked to speak with the manager. We said we were not told there was a charge for bread when we ordered more and she said it was shown on the menu. Well if it was there, I sure don't remember it and the restaurant is so dimly lit that it's hard to read the menu--but of course, they are going for a younger and more trendy crowd. Even the menu posted online machiavellis.com/menu_20… doesn't show the charge for bread! The manager was as brusque as Pianda X. writes and there was no apology for the misunderstanding, no compensation--I asked if they could split the difference--NOTHING, NO! Do not patronize this restaurant, they do not understand customer service nor do they disclose their unscrupulous charges! Some of these translations may be wrong but I post them here for anyone visiting Seattle because we landed there through Yelp. Question: Restorante Machiavelli? Answer: nee, jo, naï, laa, votch, xeyir, ez, , na, aïlle, ne, nann, né, no, tla, pù shi, nò, ne, ne, nej, nee, no, ne, ei, nei, ei, non, nee, no, non, nanni, ara, nein, ohi, nahániri, non, aole, lo, nahin, nem, nei, mba, tidak, no, iié, ala, thay, oya, ahneo, na, bo, nē, no, te, ne, nee, neen, , tsia, tidak, le, kaore, nennin, nei, non, æ, no, kheyr, nie, não, na, nu, niet, no, ag, ne, aiwa, na, nae, nie, ne, ne, aï, no, siyo, nej, hindi, aita, lla, illaï, yuk, kadhu, maï, hayir, oevoel, , nahin, neni, nage, awa, déedéet, nein, rara, cha.
(1)Kasie H.
Love the food here. Red Pepper Pesto Penne, my personal fave. But my husband likes the Meatballs. The bread with dipping sauce is awesome. You can buy a bottle of the oil too. The prices are just right. Just be prepared to wait, its tiny and crowded, but that's part of the vibe. You can grab a drink in the bar while you wait. Just don't be in a hurry. Machiavelli is a favorite when we go out to diner with friends sans kids. Although kids are welcome, its just risky with the wait times.
(4)Linda Z.
Good food at affordable prices, but not worth the long wait. On a Friday night at 8:30pm, we waited 1 hour for a party of 2. We waited at the bar, which is small (but you can start a food order if you can find a table). Avoid the house red wine (too sweet). The food wasn't bad and the portions are decent. We really enjoyed the antipasto platter. The spaghetti bolognese and fettucine carbonara were solid, but not mind-blowing - definitely worth the prices ($10-11). The atmosphere is intimate as the restaurant is tiny, and service is fast (we were finished in 30 minutes, but possibly because we scarfed our food from having waited an hour). Overall, a good experience but would only come back at off-peak hours.
(3)Amanda C.
Very cute, east-coast style Italian restaurant. If you're not here right when they open at 5pm, you will likely have to wait. Grab a seat in the bar and order some wine while you wait. We got there at 5:10 and had a 20 minute wait. We left around 6:30 and the wait was an hour and a half! Yikes! The food is delicious. Complimentary bread from Columbia City Bakery is awesome! Chewy inside with a crunchy crust with great dipping oil. We ordered the lasagna and the gnocchi. Lasagna was very, very cheesy and rich. Good ratio of meat to pasta to sauce, but again, lots of cheese. I'm fine with that, but if you're not, beware. Gnocchi was perfect. The marinara sauce it was tossed in was divine. I would definitely order this dish again. This is not fancy Italian, but it is perfectly cooked and authentic (to me).
(4)sara g.
I've been here at least 8000 times. Veal Saltimbocca. Side of crack sauce (meat sauce). Cheesecake. One piece of advice NEVER EVER ORDER A CARAFE OF WINE! Go CA cab or spring for the Barolo (cheapest Barolo on a wine list ever)
(5)Rick M.
My go to place for a warm friendly embrace and reliably good food. I've been a regular for years and the new owners are long time employees. Keep things the same but keep bringing back the old specials we are so fond of.
(5)Eric K.
First time trying this acclaimed restaurant. My girlfriend and I shared the chicken parmigiano, gnocchi, and puttanesca. The chicken was good, but had an "eggy" taste to it. I had the vegetables as the side and they were awesome. The gnocchi was delicious but if you're not sharing get the half portion and maybe try another dish. Puttanesca was average. We will definitely come back and try some other dishes. Good service, good food, great atomosphere. Enjoy!
(4)Alice T.
Food and service were solid here, but nothing stood out so much that I feel a strong draw to come back. Perhaps I didn't order the right dishes, because all these reviews can't be wrong. But personally, I thought it was just three stars. We ordered the tuna carpaccio, the shrimp fettuccine, and the gnocchi dish. The carpaccio had way too many capers in my opinion, which is quite a complaint from me who loves capers. The fettuccine was nicely prepared but I thought the shrimp wasn't quite fresh. Nice size and perfectly cooked though. Finally, the gnocchi pillows were a delightful shape but nothing stood out in this dish.
(3)Lisa O.
We were staying at the Homewood Suites by the Convention Center and stumbled upon this place. I was worried about the wait, as per the other yelpers' reviews, but when we came in at 8pm on a Saturday night, the two of us got a table right away (score!) What can I say about this place that hasn't already been said? Great service and yummy food (the bread and oil/vinegar? divine), all for an unbelievable price tag. I had to do a double take when I got my bill--I'm so used to paying much more for much worse. We got the cured meat with arugula and parmesan cheese (to-die-for), the linguine vongole (garlic goodness and the first time I had this dish made with tomato sauce--ah-mayzing), the lasagna (cheesy heaven), and the best cheesecake I've ever had. Not just the best in Seattle, but best in the world, life changing stuff. Trust me on this, I would have a degree in cheesecake if anyone gave those out, and I endorse this creamy yet fluffy, simple yet splendid treat. I wish I lived in Seattle just so I could pop on in here every night for a slice of that.
(5)Jessica G.
Ristorante Machiavelli is a great little spot in Capitol Hill for a romantic Italian dinner. I try to go at least once when I'm visiting Seattle. It can get rather crowded, and sometimes the wait can be upwards of an hour. If it's not too busy, you can usually grab a seat in the bar and get some wine/beer until you're table is ready. I am a big red wine fan, and I wasn't too jazzed about the sangiovese or chianti I had here, but they're both pretty cheap by the glass. Once you're seated, you get bread with delicious oil/vinegar. The baked lasagna is delicious, and the gnocchi is pretty tasty. My friend had the scampi puttanesca and wasn't a huge fan, but he overall likes everything else on the menu (including tuna carpaccio). You can't really get cute, quaint, romantic Italian like Ristorante Machiavelli. The staff is uber-friendly, too, which is a huge plus. ;)
(4)Dae Y.
the fruit of the sea was very good. it was spicy just as it was described. and i got the spicy salame pizza and added mushrooms. at the end of the meal they offer you a discounted cash price and the normal higher price. it's a 5% discount, which is pretty decent. we totally went for the cash price deal. and then afterwards i thought and wondered if prices would be lower at retailers in general if they had a similar policy. they should be. in theory, gross margin X is made and then you have to subtract all your expenses and operational costs (like merchant credit card fees) and you wind up at net margin XY. but if you have margin Y that is made on the discounted offer made to me, then because you didn't have the the extra credit card operational costs, then theoretically you could still wind up at margin XY. what is interesting is when a businessman decides not to discount prices to a cash price, but then raise prices to the credit card price. so then building off the same constants, the business makes margin Z. but then after subtracting all the credit card fees, he winds up with margin X. and therefore gets to enjoy a little more gravy. reminds me of the line from macklemore's 'thrift shop'... "you paid $50 for a t-shirt? i call that getting tricked my a business" but it's not really the same situation at all.
(4)Xavier A.
This place has decent service and ambiance. My friend loves it, so we go a lot. I've ordered several different items, and they all seemed less flavorful than other Italian places I've enjoyed.
(3)KT E.
I don't have much to say except for the fact that they have yummy food! Great pasta dishes! I'll be back and you should check it out over and over again!
(5)Lisa B.
This is good, solid Italian and at a great price. Home cooking at it's best. The service was warm and the atmosphere cozy,even good for kids. But based on reviews, I was imagining a Tin Table or a Plum Bistro - A restaurant that is affordable, with great food that also gives you something to look forward to. I'm not seeing this as a place I would wait in line to get in to or go out of my way for. If I lived a few block away, I might hop in for a solid dinner.
(3)Ninette C.
Wow this place is crazy busy. It's small, inexpensive and on the Hill...all factors which contribute to it's madness. They told us the wait for 2 would be an hour but we snagged a spot at the bar after a few minutes. My girlfriend and I shared the shrimp and pasta and the linguine with clams. The food arrived quickly and was very tasty. A lot of the dishes seem simple, yes, but they were simply yum. The portions are a good size and it makes for good comfort food. I also had a house wine, plus a small sample of a cocktail the bartender was kind enough to give me. He also custom-made my friend a non-alcoholic beverage and was so nice, friendly and quick in general. I love how reasonable the prices are compared to the rest of the neighborhood as well! The menu is basic and I would worry that I would get sick of ordering the same few things all the time, but the truth is, this fills a niche the neighborhood doesn't have: affordable, comforting Italian food. Can't wait to come back!
(4)Jen F.
Not impressed. I've been wanting to try this place for a long time but never made it in. My husband and I went right at 5 when they open. There was already a line of people outside. The prices are reasonable but the portions were small. My husband left hungry. I had the gnocchi and I was totally not impressed at all. The marinara sauce had a weird meat taste to me and I'm a vegetarian. It just didn't taste homemade or like anything special. The thing that really got me is I ordered an iced tea for 3$ and there were no refills. Ummm wtf? It was a small thin glass full of ice and barely any tea. I asked for a refill and was told I could buy a carafe of it if I wanted more. My husband had also got a tea. Umm no. Our server took our order in a hurry and never came back besides bringing the bill. This place is very overhyped. Will not go back.
(2)Robert F.
I will be extremely honest because I have no interest in this joint what so ever. I don;t hate the personal and I am not related to them. Besides that I am not in the food industry... Waiting is insane and not worth your (or mine for the same matter) time. The food is cooked by Mexican people with no knowledge where Italy is or genuine Italian food tastes what so ever... The people around me did not look like gourmet connoisseurs, but more like average people with no opinion... Was it eatable? YES it was! Was it Italian food which was served? Not at all! Was it some fake Italian food? Yes it was! The personal was nice to the extent that they did not make you leave after waiting 70 min for your table (waiting based on stupid revues) and they where OK in relationship with the customer; besides that... sorry guys... Bad food! Honestly, I hate having to write this but it was a destroyed Saturday night.
(1)Kristina V.
There was a small wait when we arrived (party of 2) around 6:00 p.m. on a Thursday - so we ordered a drink in the bar area - were seated within 15 minutes. The olive bread and dipping oil is delicious! We started with the Bresaola alla Valtinellese. Very simple, yet tasty dish. I had the veal picatta w/side of spaghetti. DIVINE! I thought the garlic, lemon, caper ratio was purrrfect! The side of spaghetti was just the right accompaniment. Both of us mentioned how the portion sizes were spot on. Any more food and we would have been too stuffed. My date had the spinach ravioli in a tomato cream sauce. She licked the plate...no lie. You definitely taste the love in the food and on the plate... The wait staff is very attentive and friendly. The service, splashed with the ambience, lathered in food, made this a fantastic dining experience! I'm already thinking about what I want to order next time I go...
(5)Marisa E.
Taught me to crave Chicken Picatta. Lovely staple italian joint- but go there 30-60 minutes before you want to eat! They usually have a wait list and you can't call ahead.
(5)Daniela R.
Ate here for the first time with one of my friends and it did not disappoint. A little advice, get there early or just order take out. We got there a little after 6pm and we waited a little over an hour. Since the place is so small there isn't very much room to wait. Once we got to our table we were sat near a window which was very nice to be able to look out and see what's going on around outside. It is a come as you are restaurant so if you're dressed down you don't feel out of place. It would be a cool spot for a date night. When we sat down they brought us a small loaf of rustic sliced bread which was delicious! We also ordered an appetizer which was thin slices of meat with arugula salad on top with parmesan cheese shavings. For the main meal I ordered the chicken milanese which is lightly breaded chicken that is sauteed with lemon butter and for the side dish I got the veggies and potato. You have the option between the veggies or spaghetti but since my friend ordered that for her side I went with the other option. Our waitress was pretty awesome as well! Can't wait to be back, I'd love to try some of their pastas the next go round. :)
(4)Ryan W.
Hip little spot on Capito Hill. It's a fairly small restaurant with a small bar that greets you and a dining area a few steps above. I came here for dinner with a friend one night and one thing struck me very odd: I arrived about 10-minutes before my friend and they wouldn't seat me until the "entire" party was here. So I waited in the bar... not a huge deal but I don't understand the logic. Anyways, I ordered the gnocchi which was tender and the tomato-basil sauce was very flavorful. My first time trying gnocchi so I can't compare it to any other place, but I enjoyed the meal. Nothing blew me away, but I'd say this is a decent spot for authentic Italian.
(3)Patrick M.
Hello.. Been going here since 08/1999. Wow.. All of it.. My soon to be wife, Lynne also went here before we met.... So, so many good memories... So many great times... Family, friends, acquaintances, strangers... Wow... One of the best if not the best restaurant for service... Food.. Awesome.. Sorry though... D-Jays Pizza and Icabod's emporium in Winnipeg, MB, Canada makes the best pizza ever...
(5)Nina H.
This is such a cute little Italian spot. There's usually a wait because they only have about 10 tables so this place isn't ideal for large groups. They don't take reservations either. My gf and I waited for about 40 minutes but we decided to walk around the area instead of waiting in the cramped hallway where the restaurant entrance is. We sat down and immediately ordered an appetizer, the carpaccio (I think) and we both got a glass of wine and a pasta dish each. The bread was quite delicious too. I really liked my fettucine carbonara but I'm not sure if it was the best I've ever had... it still tasted a little bland but still good. My friend ordered the tortellini and that was quite tasty as well! Overall, we thought the experience was great but for some reason, we noticed that the other parties got their entrees before us... and so we waited for quite awhile for our main entrees after the appetizer. But service was quick and efficient and I loved that about this place.
(4)Ken H.
This is a treasured establishment that always delivers. It is and shall remain a Seattle favorite. It is small and quaint and it fills up very quickly. If you go, go when it opens because it will be full by the time you leave. Spaghetti and Meatballs are amazing and the veal dishes are out of this world. They also have a great Caesar salad that you can get the WHITE SPANISH ANCHOVIES with and its worth it. Friendly, but not always warm and if busy, a feeling of being rushed. Still, a great spot for good food.
(5)Francis M.
Zach, remember our foray to Ristorante Machiavelli? It was that little place on the corner of Pine with the excellent Chicken Milanese. This cozy spot is surrounded by delicious restaurants, but Machiavelli should not be left unexplored. It is worthy of attention, though it may not be the best you'll have in the city. We sure weren't kidding about this space being small, right Zach? The entryway is fairly narrow, with a tiny bar on the side. It was no surprise that there was a wait to be endured before we could be seated despite the rather low volume of people. But that gave us an opportunity to see how the bartender fares in his craft. I tried the kamikaze, and it wasn't too bad. A bit muted for me, and I'm sure you would agree Zach. Good, but not great, which is a bit of a theme from our visit to Machiavelli. Once seated we ordered the Chicken Milanese. This is one of the better interpretations of Chicken Milanese we've had in the Seattle area, right Zach? The balance of lemon, butter and breading achieved here is amazing. The chicken is nicely prepared and very flavorful. It is the reason we will surely return in the future. If only Emily had decided the same, right Zach? The Chicken Parmigiana didn't impress her as much, and we can agree with that assessment. We tried a few bites and while good, we've had better. We don't think we would order it again. That being said, we will return! The Chicken Milanese is amazing, and we saw a few Bolognese dishes that require investigating.
(4)Rafael H.
We checked this place out for dinner before a musical show. Nice little place and ambiance. The pasta was really good. We decided to get dessert and this place has the best Cheescake and Tiramisu we have ever had!
(4)Karyn S.
I love this place. It's one of the few restaurants left in town that feels like home, where the staff actually cares about their regular customers, and where you can actually eat dinner without having to pawn something to pay the bill. Reading over some of the previous reviews, I just have to ask, who the hell expects free refills on drinks, unless you are at a fast food joint or a kid's birthday party where the mascot is a pedophile dressed as a mouse and the entire place smells like 7-up and food service ketchup? Does the person who wrote that complaint have any idea what it costs to run a decent business in this town? Would anyone who works in any food establishment anywhere be sad if someone like that did not return to their place? Anyway....Machiavelli is a class act, and a total labor of love. There is a reason people line up outside the door before it even opens and wait for a table even though there are five thousand other restaurants within a few blocks. (also, pretty sure none of those places offer bottomless cups either.... OR endless free baskets of bread... THAT was my favorite of all of the previous reviews. There is a reason I no longer work in restaurants, and it is because of people like that gal... )
(5)Sasha R.
This place is old school Italian. Simple dishes done well, plenty of garlic, tasty bottomless bread, and a cozy environment. I've come in right before closing on a couple of occasions and the staff was super friendly and accommodating. Fast service.
(5)Lisa N.
I can't believe I've never written a review for this place. Despite my sporadic Yelp check-in history, I've actually found myself at Machiavelli quite a few more times than is recorded on social media. The wait is almost always 20-45 minutes (and sometimes even longer, depending on the day and time of day you choose), but they have a bar at which you can wait and enjoy a glass (or carafe) of wine or a few appetizers. Once seated, you are presented with warm bread and olive oil and vinegar, which is tasty and wonderful. Refills on the bread do cost an additional few bucks, but I recommend getting extra to lap up your pasta sauce. I almost always accidentally order the same thing, which is the linguine alla vongole (clam linguine), and I am never disappointed. They go super heavy on the garlic which is just what I like in my pasta (or any other non-dessert food, basically) and the portions are definitely filling. A half carafe of wine is a decent serving for a lady date, or a full carafe if you plan on chatting for a while. The atmosphere is intimate, but unpretentious and welcoming of dates, friend-dates, or small groups. They don't take reservations, which is unfortunate for a place that often has a wait, but I don't mind as long as I have good company and some fermented grape in hand! Last note, they knock off some of your bill if you pay in cash. Woohoo! Cash money.
(5)Eunice R.
DELICIOUS! Must try the gnocchi and tiramisu :) The service, prices and food are great and it's a cute restaurant too. I will definitely be coming back
(5)Lina A.
After eating here for the 6th time yesterday, I realized I hadn't given Machiavelli a review! and they totally deserve my opinion and my crispy , shiny 5 stars :) The food is what I call "Homemade and delicious traditional italian food with a hint of love and originality" Their menu is simple, to the point, and with no extras or unnecessary additions to their food. They have a very small venue, so it does get busy very VERY quick, they don't take reservations, so if you 're there on a Friday night, I recommend you get there early, but not only you, your entire party needs to be there before you can be seated. I personally like this rule, since it makes sense they don't want to waste a table on someone waiting for their party, while they can be serving others who are ready to order. Their service is fast, although there are some things on the menu that are made to order, like their lasagna, and eggplant parmesan. It takes about 25 minutes for those to come out. If you order your traditional pasta dish, it only takes about 10 minutes. My favorite dish is the Linguini Alfredo, always cooked to perfection, "Al Dente" and super creamy sauce, very tasty. Their red pepper penne pesto is also very tasty, not your traditional pesto, but indeed delicious. I could go on, since I have been here a couple of times, but it's enough with the few descriptions, now it's your turn to go try it. By the way, if you pay cash, you get 5% discount! cool huh? Oh! and one more thing, their prices are very very friendly, another big plus for me, I hate when italian restaurants try to overprice their pasta, I mean, come on... it's PASTA! how much more can you charge for a pasta dish, well they have nailed it, and made sure they don't overprice for their dishes. Now go on! and eat at Machiavelli's you'll love it! :)
(5)Bren P.
Bolognese! The best I have had anywhere. The staff are super great. If you dont have a good experience you must be a jerk because they are awesome. Warning: They will not seat you until your whole party is there. Deal with it. They won't budge. This is my wife and my favorite place to go for date night. Its nice being a regular here.
(5)Lewis C.
I decided to come here for a date after reading a couple of reviews on yelp. I've long been craving the classic Italian food I experienced during my trip to Italy the year before, and I'm happy to say that Ristorante Machiavelli did not disappoint. Their menu is small but contains all the classic dishes you'd expect from a focused Italian restaurant. We got the minestrone soup to start, and it was very good, flavored just right, not too salty but not too bland, and with the perfect vegetable to soup ratio. I got the Spaghetti with Meatballs. The spaghetti's tomato sauce was very fresh and savory, and the dish comes with two gigantic meatballs that are jam packed with flavor. If you like meatballs or any sort of meat dish that involves a mix of ground meats, I'd go for this. My date got the Linguini Alla Vongole (w/ Clams) and even though I'm not the best judge of shellfish she assured me it was good. Beware! The place is small with very limited seating! If you don't get there early, then you'll probably end up waiting 30 minutes to an hour. Pro-tip: If you want, they might let you order and eat at the bar area near the entrance, just ask.
(4)Mark R.
So, we decided to try Ristorante Machiavelli for the Dine Out for Life evening. I was convinced that we tried this restaurant back in 97 or 98 (the first time around in Seattle) and that we weren't impressed, but the reviews on Yelp were giving me pause for thought. So, what the hey, we went (again, it turned out - I *was* right!) The restaurant itself is sort of "homey" Italian style with a peek into the kitchen. It also has a decent sized bar area (which is where you walk into first) with the dining room completely separate. The crowd that evening was sort of middle-aged and older Capitol Hill folk with a slightly younger set in the bar area (getting boozed up). The server was pleasant enough, though not the warmest person I have met. So how was the food? Well, quite frankly, disappointing. I started with the "cured beef" carpaccio ... Sorry, I'll stick to regular carpaccio. It sounded interesting, but really was just some dried meat on a plate. The accompanying greens and cheese was just fine. For main courses, we got carbonara and a some sort of pasta with a tomato sauce and Italian sausage (I forget what it was called - probably a good thing, really). The portion sizes were small for the prices paid (my carbonara didn't even cover the plate) and my dish was way too salty. I fail to see what all the fuss is about this restaurant. Discussing the meal, we decided that, yes, we *had* been here before and like before we're not impressed. I don't think we'll be back.
(2)Mailani W.
HELL YES!!! Straight up Italian, marinara, meat balls done right. The veal parmigiana is sinfully good (thank you baby cow for being so delicious). They don't over bread it, drown it with cheese, or make it frou frou. God dammit it is good! The bread has big chunks of olives in it, and I have to be really disciplined not to make that my entree while I'm waiting. I think there is a lot to be said about the classics done right. I don't want it to have a Pacific NW flair, or put goat cheese in my salad to make it more couture. It's a tiny space, so expect a wait. And yes, your entire party has to be present to be seated. They give you a 5% discount off your bill if you pay in cash. I'd check their math tho... Their bartender could use some help... I'm not going for drinks so I don't sweat it.
(4)Chris A.
Every time I have been to Machiavelli, I have been nothing but satisfied. The service and food is always amazing. I have gone here on dates, with friends, and with out of town visitors, and Machiavelli has never failed to impress. Often at restaurants, I stick with the same dish out of fear, but here I try different things every and am always glad I did.
(5)Matt G M.
Scuzza me, but you see, back in old Napoli That's amore!! get there early or be prepared to wait... Machiavelli will make you drool just like a pasta fazool!! Thats amore!!
(4)Nick J.
Wow! This is a great little place! The food, service, atmosphere, everything was incredible! We had the lasagna & italian sausage tortellini for dinner and both were outstanding! The staff was very friendly ... we had such a great experience!
(5)Helen K.
I think I ate a whole half of a chicken. Can't even remember what my sister got I was so into my meal- all I know is we left very happy, and very full. That's how you should always feel leaving a restaurant. Delish food, great staff, wonderful atmosphere. Love it and highly recommend it!
(4)Kathryn K.
I saw all the reviews and decided this would be a nice place to try. I was staying at a down town hotel and decided to walk because the concierge said it was close. 90% of the walk was uphill so keep that in mind if you are downtown. They don't open until 5pm and I was a little early because I was afraid I would have to wait to get a seat if I waited to long. They fill up really fast it's a small restaurant. The bar is also small so if you decide to go and wait you might end up waiting outside. The menu is not expansive but has some good food on it. My husband and I both go the Veal Saltimbocca. It tasted great the sauce they make for it is really good. We were disappointed that the portion size was very tiny. We each got 4 tiny thin pieces of veal and a lot of sauce. It comes with either veggies or spaghetti with meat sauce as a side. We got both and they were very tiny as well. Their version of tiramisu was scrumptious and worth the price. I think that the food portions are too tiny for the prices they charge. Don't get me wrong the food taste great but definitely don't go there if you are really hungry.
(3)Brandon S.
I'm not a fan of Italian restaurants generally, simply because I'm not willing to pay ridiculous prices for food that I can make a reasonable facsimile of at home for pennies on the dollar. That being said, I love Italian food and I've always wanted to find a place that I can go to often that combines great food and a great space with a reasonable price. Ristorante Machiavelli is that place. It's everything that I've been looking for in an Italian restaurant. It's delicious, it's somewhat romantic - though a little crowded, and it won't break the bank. And best of all, my favorite dish - the carbonara - is something that I can't easily make at home. And they do chicken parmesan right - nice tenderized nearly flat chicken breasts lightly breaded smothered in cheese and sauce. That's one of my hardcore rules for Italian restaurants. If you can't get chicken parm right, you don't deserve my business. I will agree that service is brisk and tries to hurry you along, but I'm fine with it. To keep prices that low they have to do high volume. Keep it moving Machiavelli and keep those prices low and that food tasty.
(5)Tai T.
I've driven by Ristorante Machiavelli so many times and just recently did I drop in for dinner. My girl friend and I had... Linguine and clams in garlic marinara sauce. Penne, bacon, and spicy red sauce. Both dishes were excellent! In addition to the excellent food, we really enjoyed the service and the low key and no frills atmosphere. I'm coming back soon...
(5)Craig G.
At the end of October while on tour we went to Ristorante Machiavelli for our Keyboard players birthday. It was not my choice as I normally and almost always shy away from Italian because of the amount of carbs I associate with the cuisine. So in Solidarity I went to this little restaurant just on the edge of Capital Hill. Upon sitting down I went through the menu over and over again trying to decide what was the most healthy and lowest caloric intake. Eventually I decided on a dish with the waitress help after I ordered our drummer ordered something a dish that was healthier that somehow I passed up. Inside I was upset with myself but let my original order be placed. After a few minutes of stewing I went to the restroom and on my way out bumped into our waitress and began talking about the other dish. She immediately said it was ok to change it and the told me I could get a half-order. Instantly I was not only in love with my waitress but was much happier about my selection. Once my meal arrived it was heaven and thought to myself if I lived in Seattle I would eat here more often. At the end of the meal because of the conversation I had with our waitress she brought the table a birthday desert. It was delicious and for some reason free as it was omitted from the bill. Honestly next time I am in Seattle Ristorante Machiavelli will be a stop for me. Oh and by the way I had the Just Prawns with something else I can't remember. Shouldn't have waited so long to write the review.
(5)The-Hoa H.
We found it! Took a friend out today at this nice little restaurant tucked away on the corner of east pine. My friend told me pasta was one of her favorite foods, so with the help of yelp reviews I narrowed it down to this awesome place since we were already in the capital hill area after taking a stroll in volunteer park. The wait time wasn't that bad, about fifteen minutes on a busy friday night. When seated we were greeted promptly by several servers. We ordered several drinks (don't order the belgian pale ale beer its awful). Bread and olive vinegret dip is on the house and I really enjoyed the dip perfectly sour and savory. I got the chicken liver lasagna and my friend got some pasta with mushrooms and capers. She loved her food and mine was pretty good too although a tad bit salty. I guess it tasted a bit off because I was really tired and had a major headache atm. The price was very reasonable, and service was spectacular. Our waters were refilled multiple times and everybody was very friendly. Great place to enjoy some ambiance, drinks and good food.
(4)Susan T.
Cute place, nice atmosphere, great prices. The food is really mediocre however, and COMPLETELY covered in cheese. I've been to Machiavelli several times and each thing I try is drapped in about a pound of melted cheese (especially the pasta dishes). I want to like the place more, since the prices are so good, but it's always the same. It's not bad, just not good either.
(2)Sherwin T.
Went there tonight with the hubby and because I practically orated an entire review during our meal, thought I should get it in writing. Simply put: Machiavelli's greatest strength is its consistency. Once you've made the decision to dine here, you pretty much know what you're getting into: + Food options are consistent and don't switch around much. + There will be an item on the special's board above the service window to the kitchen. + You'll recognize one or two friendly faces on staff. + $16 (full) carafe of damned good house red or white. Flat out: the entire Machiavelli experience is consistent. Yes, the food is not gourmet-quality, but IS absolutely 100% solid! Rich flavors, perfectly cooked noodles, adequate amounts of heat/spice and LOTS of garlic (my fave!). The oil and balsamic concoction that comes (with bread) shortly after being seated is delicious - AND they'll continue to give you as much of both as you want. (Or keep asking for some if you want the cutie busser to keep visiting your table.) Serving portions aren't excessive, but juuuuuuuust right. We typically start off with some sort of appetizer - the antipasto plate or individual salads (and, you MUST get the anchovies if you order the Caesar!). Tonight we shared a mid-course of the Just Prawns, prior to getting our individual meals - the spinach lasagna for him and spaghetti bolognese for the other him (a.k.a.: me). I left realizing Machiavelli excels in red sauces - not too oily, which is great cause the resulting consistency is thick enough to coat noodles (or whatever it might accompany). This is a great spot for a not-too-exorbitant date or a party of no more than six. Plenty of opportunity for people watching (inside and out) AND they offer cash-paying customers a 5% discount off the total bill, which I haven't experienced anywhere else. I think Machiavelli's consistency is a testament to and the biggest reason for their 20+ year presence on Cap Hill.
(4)J s.
Nothing fancy about this place, but speaking of $ value, i think this place could get 5 stars. We had short wait in the bar, and bartender was not at all helpful. We wanted to have wine while wait, which didn't happen. (short wait, but long enough to have a glass of wine or two. I had heard the wait could be very long, but it wasn't too bad at all when we went.) very prompt service on the dining room. we ordered salad, which was simple, but nice crisp fresh veggies. And each one of us ordered past dish. They were all pretty good for $10 pricing range. very generous portion, too. This place wouldn't be my first choice on special occasion, but if I am in the area and wait is short, I would for sure go there again.
(4)Jeff W.
I don't know what it is about this place. It's really like being on a date with someone you really, really like, but you just don't love them. I mean, don't get me wrong. I dig the atmosphere, it's cozy in a Little Italy sort of way. I really enjoy the food, the gnocchi, the veal parmesan - it's all so delicious and well prepared. I even like the waitstaff who have been there forever - they give great service. So, what is it that makes me not love this place? I think it boils down to the fact that this is more of an Italian-American restaurant than an Italian restaurant. The food is like what Americans want Italian food to be, not the robust flavors of Tuscany. And while everything here is flavorful, nothing stands out as spectacular. And for the most part, when all you want is a bowl of Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, that's perfectly fine.
(4)Justin P.
Ristorante Machiavelli is truly a hidden gem in Seattle. Great service, excellent food, unpretentious atmosphere and awesome location! I moved to Seattle almost 6 years ago from the Midwest and expected the food scene in Seattle to be over-priced and saturated with chain restaurants. Wow was I wrong. At the time I was fresh out of college and entering the job market. Ristorante Machiavelli was one of the first restaurants I experienced and for my first two years out here, provided the best culinary experience that I could afford. Fast forward to today: Really nothing has changed from a value proposition standpoint. It's still the same awesome food at excellent prices and from what I can tell, it's been practically the same staff for the last 6 years! This is definitely a local's hotspot and if you haven't tried this place you ABSOLUTELY have to! *Their Pesto Pizza kick's ass as well as anything they have as a Daily Special
(5)johnny w.
You're right. From the reviews she's equally rude to everyone.
(1)Bunneh L.
Wow, everything here is SO good I could die! The BEST fettucine carbonara I've ever had in my entire life. The sauce was incredibly flavorful, rich, and creamy, even though they don't add cream, per se, to the dish. No bits of scrambled egg either! Woot. The bacon was perfectly carmelized and the pasta al dente. What else can you ask for?? Other stellar dishes include (but are not limited to) the fresh manilla clams with linguine, lasagna, minestrone soup, Caesar salad, and tuna carpaccio. You really can't go wrong with anything you order here. Seriously. A great "rustic" Italian option when you're not in the mood to fork over $100 for a fancy, shmancy dinner for two at La Spiga.
(5)Becca C.
Simple.Italian.Food. I always seem to get the vino del casa and spinach ravioli. I'm not in love with the entrée; maybe it's because the portions are a bit skim, but I always get the antipasto platter. It is a quaint restaurant that gets quite busy, even on weekday nights. This is not a special date place, it's more of a neighborhood-ey, lets-go-get-some-cheap-but-tasty-Italian-on-my-$12Â-an-hour-salary kind of place.
(4)Neal J.
We stopped in for dinner here while visiting Seattle for work. A few of us talked and were finally able to agree on Italian for the evening so we turned to Yelp! for guidance. I was somewhat impressed at how small this restaurant is. It gives it a family run feel to, although I am not sure that is true. There were maybe 10-15 tables in the entire place and it was packed. Packed restaurants are always a good sign. We ordered a antipasto appetizer as well as another with sushi grade tuna. Both were amazing as was the bread. The dipping sauce was a bit on the vinegary side, but still tasty. All the entrees looked delicious. I ordered the chicken picatta which had the most disappointing appearance, but the dish did not disappoint in any other way. Everyone raved about their dinner and none of us left a crumb on our plate. We ordered dessert, which the only option was tiramisu. We actually had to share 3 between the 4 of us because we took the last ones. We should have only ordered 2 as these were good size portions,. Even so, we cleaned these plates as well. I will have to make it a point to stop in here again if I ever get back to Seattle.
(4)Natalie W.
Quaint, attentive service, cheap wine, and pasta. Total winner to me! A little FYI- this would have been a 3 star to me, based on the food, if it was not for all the factors* Our meal was good and the 1/2 chafe of wine a wonderful addition. The pasta could have been better. The fettuccine special, with mushrooms and chicken, sauce didn't stick to the noodles enough, but the taste of garlic in it was wonderful and a step above many other places. The cheese ravioli with panchetta and peas needed more panchetta and peas- a few pieces just does not suffice. Go figure. The vibe of Ristorante Machiavelli was wonderful and our people watching placed table a great seat for viewing an evening go by on Capital Hill. Maybe I didn't order the right thing- I just wasn't wowed. I had a wonderful evening at Ristorante Machiavelli and will be back to try more- maybe find my favorite dish?- there has to be one right?
(4)Chris C.
Decent food. Lovely staff. I love the vibe here -- lively, friendly. Staff - bartendress especially - very capable. Long wait for a table but bar was just as good.
(4)Pete M.
What a great spot. So intimate. It's always crowded. The service was good. Food is classic. The pasta is cooked perfectly. The chicken liver lasagna, the gnocchi and the eggplant lasagna are all excellent choices. A little on the oily side (which I only noticed when I reheated my leftovers the day after) but - hey - it's Italian. The portions are good sized and the price is right. Wines are good. Full bar - mojito was good. Thought it was kind of odd that you had to settle your bar tab before getting seated in the restaurant...but no big deal.
(4)Alex W.
The restaurant has a wonderful atmosphere and the staff were friendly and efficient but I just didn't love the food. Having grown up in Boston and New York I guess I'm just spoiled. The marinara was thin and bland, a little on the sour side, and short on seasoning. I'd suggest countering the bitterness of the tomato and garlic with a dash of sugar, some basil an oregano. I ordered eggplant parmigiana and the cheese had an odd strong smell which I'm unaccustomed to, could be the brand they were using. They don't take reservations and while the food was adequate it wasn't worth the wait.
(3)Cameron B.
We decided on this place after looking for Italian in Capitol Hill. We arrived at around 8:15 and were quickly seated. Drink orders were taken quickly and brought out along with a plate of table bread with an olive oil and balsamic dip. I ordered a Caesar salad to split as an appetizer - nothing special here, just a straightforward quality Caesar. I ordered the Fettucini Alfredo and my date had the red chilli pepper pasta with spaghetti substituted for the penne. The Fettucini was ok; the noodles were very al dente and the sauce was very thin -- two characteristics that I am personally not a huge fan of. The place was pretty busy, I'm thinking this probably had something to do with the cursory preparation. The pepper noodle dish was actually really good, I wish I had gotten it. Bill for two was less than $50, including two glasses of wine. For the price, this place is a pretty great joint. Atmosphere can be loud, it was when I was there, but overall it was basic Italian food done right.
(3)Divyanka M.
The fiance' and I were looking for some novelty and good food.A little research and we came across this place. We are the kind who are too lazy to go online and write a review for anything but OMG!!!...the chicken liver lasagna melts in your mouth and as if that were not enough, the cheesecake took it to a new level altogether. Amazingly decadent food, great service ( our cocktail was on the house since they got it to our table 5 minutes too late!), very cosy and romantic. Brilliant is the word for this place
(5)Daniel P.
My wife and I LOVE this place. We made the mistake of going on a weekend night, sooo crowded, 1 hour wait, but we toughed it out and as usual it was well worth it. All I can say about the food is close your eyes, point down at the menu and order what you are pointing to. Always order extra bread, and if you come on a weekend night, get ready to wait!
(5)Vincent E.
Other than the wait to get in, this restaurant is amazing! Good food at reasonable prices and a very intimate atmosphere.
(5)Alissa K.
This place has stayed exactly the same....which is to say, amazing. Good service, reasonable prices, great food. Still a bit of a wait, but so worth it! Good for a romantic dinner or even a casual one with friends. A great spot overall.
(5)lucy c.
I'm in town visiting and my friend who brought me is a regular. I would be too if I still lived in Seattle. This is exactly what you want in a neighborhood place: great food, nice/focused wine list, cozy room...all at extremely reasonable prices. Plus they have hot, sassy, opinionated ladies working there to keep everyone happy. We had to wait a while for a table, but passing the time with some wine at the bar was no burden. Machiavelli - I salute you and your kind.
(4)Carl F.
Really hard to find anything wrong with this place. It's a pretty small dining room so it's a little noisy but that is part of the atmosphere. The food might be the best comfort food in seattle, great pasta/italian. All at a very reasonable price point.
(5)Betterthanmao ..
It was my first time eating here and I've been dying to go for a while. I'm not sure if it was because of the hype of built or just the reality, but I'd give it 3 stars. The service was "eh", they were super packed and it is such a small place. We had to sit and eat at the bar due to the wait, and my bartender had to google the ingredients of a Grape Nihai. The food was not as rich as it is at Maggiano's and they don't fill the plate as much as Il Fornaio or Maggiano's. it's a very kitschy place though, a hipster haven. All in all it was not bad but not great. I would visit again no problem.
(3)Kara B.
Simply put, this place serves up great food where the portions are not huge but neither are the prices. As an added bounus you will always receive a discount on your bill if you pay with cash. Parking is a nightmare here so if you live nearby walk or take the bus or you can pay out the nose at a paid lot across the street.
(4)Corrine B.
This restaurant has horrible service! I stopped in to meet my honey for a light dinner, and decided to wait for him in the bar area. The wine list is unimpressive- only three white wines?? And this is supposed to be a restaurant? I have more (and better) at my house! After tasting the 'most crisp and refreshing' white-which was cheap and sweet- I ordered the cocktail of the day. Some sort of vodka lemonade concoction. Just then a party of 10 showed up. Instead of quickly making my drink, the bartender chose to ignore me and served the other party. After he was done getting them drinks he chatted with him and continued ignoring me. I go out to eat several times a week and live two blocks away- they are not going to bring him more business in the long run. My man showed up and we left. We won't be back!
(1)Nora R.
For starters, I'm only rating the bar and the dessert. Last night two of my favorite ladies and I were driven from another local bar by some terrible stand-up comedy that invaded after the end of our happy hour. We headed to Machiavelli for two reasons: they had dessert, and they were close. That was the best decision I've made all week. My friends LOVE the diplomatica dessert, and if I enjoyed coffee I probably would have too. The best think about the evening was the bartender. He not only put up with us, but made us fabulous drinks "made with love." We sat at the bar and went OOOO and AHHHH as he made fabulous cocktails for the many patrons in the restaurant. We started just telling him what we liked in a drink and letting him give us a surprise. Second best call I've made all week. I live nearby and haven't really found a bar that I'd call my own, but that may have changed. It's a tiny bar that mostly serves to provide people waiting for their table access to libations. That meant it was perfect for my small group last night to sit and chat, drink, and admire the drink-making skills of Joe.
(5)jacques h.
I've been here twice. The ambience is quaint and warm, the service is fair to good, but the food has been nothing special. This restaurant has been highly recommended before but I must say that I have not been impressed with the food. The pasta itself is good but the sauces and fillings were very unimpressive. This past weekend I had the crab ravioli special and the portion size was small (my girlfriend that eats very small portions agreed) and the dish was anything but special. Maybe I've had bad luck while there.
(2)baka t.
Living back in Chicago now for over a year, I am looking back at what i miss about Seattle. As far as places i miss in Seattle go, Machiavelli is in the top 3. I have yet to find a substantial replacement for it. The Staff is always helpful, and quick. The menu is Short and Sweet. Everything I had ever tried had me coming back for more. The Specials are always great, make sure someone you are with tries the special of the night. The standards are all done with love, and as simple as they might be, keep you coming back for more. Great atmosphere, great spot for after work drinks, nice people. Price is right. Wonderful. If you are going for the first time, try an off hour. Upon your second visit, you will know its worth the wait.
(5)Alfonso L.
Absolutely charming place --yeah so it's a bit of a dive, but cozy just the same. Just the place to kick back with a partner or small group. And if they want delicious, cooked to order Italian dishes, this is the place. Started with a bowl of hearty minestrone soup. Let it cool a bit because that taste goes a long way. It is very delicious filled with veggies too. The pasta I had was the best most flavorful fettuccine carbonara that I have ever had. Utterly creamy, big pieces of bacon, pepper, and toothsome noodles. And great to sop up with the warm French bread you are served upon sitting down. The dessert was some kind of twist on the tiramisu. It was a cool sponge cake, called a Torta Ambassador, but it was bathed in chocolate, mocha, and rum....quite a slab was served but enjoyed with a cup of strong coffee to round out a thoroughly wonderful meal. The place is easy to find, the service always friendly, place always busy too. Across from Bauhaus Cafe so that's cool and plenty of other hot spots in Capitol Hill. Definitely a place to try for dependable Italian dishes.
(5)Amy C.
This is my favorite restaurant in town. It's very small so I would discourage more than 4 people (it can probably do 6, but that'd be the max I'd try). It's a neighborly restaurant with familiar restaurant staff at all times- it almost feels like a family-run restaurant. They have pretty good house wine for cheap and bread & balsamic vinaigrette is AMAZING. I highly recommend the gnocchi. It's what they really do far superior than any other restaurants. Other pastas are pretty good but nothing to die for. Veal can be a bit salty. It's a very cute restaurant- perfect for a date night!
(5)Randolph G.
I've been in Alaska for a couple of weeks. I missed having Italian food, so I tried this place by the recommendation. At best, bar food. This was Italian cooked by a Mexican. That bread with the dipping oil? The bottle they filled the dish with was one third vineger two thirds cheap oil. You better like dipping in vineger.
(2)Emily T.
For my birthday, my sister gave me the book How to Boil Water. That should say something about my cooking skills. I can't. I don't. So when it comes to a home cooked meal, I typically lean toward pasta. Just boil the water and throw some noodles in. Easy. After reading all of the glowing reviews on yelp, I guess I thought Machiavelli would put my cooking skills to shame, but no. Everything just seemed...fine.
(3)C P.
Now this is a "craveable" restaurant in Seattle - I happen to love Italian food, so that doesn't hurt. The spaghetti bolongese was perfect - the perfect size, and the sauce was delicious - rich, meaty, and not at all like the sweet tomato sauces served in a lot of Italian restaurants. The bread - crusty and soft on the inside. Love it, love it. Will be back soon.
(5)Jessica M.
Pure deliciousness! Totally accessible, easy to love, hard to forget, real simple and fabulous Italian food. Last night was my second time at this little gem... I went with a close girlfriend to catch up. We went a little early, at about 6p on a Thursday and only waited 10-15 minutes. The wait was actually delightful... we sat at the bar and enjoyed the house Burgundy - tasty and east to drink for a house wine - and some savory spiced nuts. Way better than most free bar munchies! The bartender was great, we asked him about some of his favorites on the menu, etc... very helpful! Upon being seated the wait staff was eager to serve us, once we told them we were in no rush and would need a while with the menu (and a large carafe of the house red) before we decided anything they were great... took our cues and were attentive when we needed them and left us alone when appropriate. To start we had the special caprese salad, which is usually good anywhere this time of year, but great here. Amazing mozzarella and the right seasoning and portion. We also, of course, had their bread basket with blended evoo/balsamic - that and a slice of their olive bread = heaven. I could have been satisfied there! For our main course we split the gnocchi and the carbonara, both were AMAZING. They really know how to cook pasta to that perfect texture. I'd always read carbonara recipes thinking it was just too simple... so wrong! It is too good and I think it could be addictive to the point of a 100lb weight gain - bacon, egg, red pepper, parmesan... oh man! I will be making this at home :) Gnocchi was also fab, fluffy, tasty, little melt-in-your mouth pillows of delight. I'll be back to try more... as everything at the tables around us looked and smelled amazing too. One note, the large carafe of house wine is big, we would have been fine with a half! We were a bit tipsy by the end of it, good value though! I think it was like $27 a person with tip and we left full, drunk and happy - I call that a great deal!
(5)Hans G.
Our visit was a disappointment considering the abundance of "warmth" in reviews here. Charming place in a delightful location. With cold, keep-the-conveyer-moving staff. The drinks were weak, the pasta was well cooked but unexceptional, and the sauces were watery and largely not worth noting. We'll give them another chance sometime, but they're pretty low on the Capitol Hill list.
(2)Anondah M.
Reasonable price, good food, good service, comfy decor, and great location. We dined at a table by a window, watching people walking by. It was a very pleasant experience.
(4)leeanne l.
i love the tiramisu here! i think about it everyday
(4)Katie K.
This place is one of my favorites in Seattle. You can't make reservations, which is fine because I forget that anyway. It's worth the wait and usually not long if your on a date or small group. The food is some of the best I've ever had, the lasagna is worth the extra time because they make it as your order it. Their staff is super laid back and friendly, always willing to suggest their favorites and happy to make accomodate to your tastes. I like penne noodles, so they let me pick penne instead of linguini. They also have great wine suggestions and happy to answer questions and serve you. This place is a win.
(5)A. B.
I really do love this place. Restaurant service on the hill generally sucks. sorry, but it does. but not at Machiavelli's! The service is GREAT! and not only that, but it's always great! no matter how busy it is! i love it! and the food... yes, it's simple, but simply good. For a long time i always ordered the special, and it was delicious every single time. now i have stupid dietary issues and have to be more picky- but that's ok because the kitchen and servers are always so nice and accomidating! sure, you have to wait a while for a table, but then you get a glass of wine and sit in the bar and extend your evening with conversation while you think about all the yummy food that you are going to eat... the salad! the anchovies! the bread! the carbonara! the antipasta plate!
(5)Melissa A.
My husband and I tried out a newish Italian place on Capitol Hill this past weekend, and the end result is that Machiavelli's is still our favorite Italian place in town. In fact, it's one of our favorite restaurants, period. The other place wasn't bad -- actually pretty good -- but Machiavelli's food is still better and the prices cheaper. We've been coming here for nearly 20 years and have been amazed by the consistency in both the food and service. If you become a regular you will see the same people both in the kitchen and out on the floor year after year. The wait staff truly works as a team here and the end result is friendly, prompt service. We're not patient enough to wait for a table so since they don't take reservations we like to show up right at 5pm opening time. I never eat out that early but I'm willing to do it for this place! There are always a few other folks waiting outside with us. Oh, and bring cash so you can get the 5% discount.
(5)Gretchen H.
Best night ever! EVAR!! This place was a godsend for my tourist trapped self. A short walk from Pike's Place, through corporate hell, and right into the loving arms of Machiavelli. It started with amazing staff and went into a great wine selection and then onto the bestest...the food! We scored a sweet table at the windows where we could people watch to our heart's content! And like dogs in a car, stuck our faces out the window for the cool breeze. The Lasagna with Liver was amazing, I never thought I could go for liver, but I sure did! We also had a pasta dish with sardines and the anti pasto was amazing. Everything here from the wine on down to the decor was great. Though, in the end, my tongue was curling from the oh so wonderfully delicious sodium in the dishes. Look for the kid pictures of the staff on the walls, it's fun to figure out who each one is!
(5)Mina S.
This is my favorite local Italian restaurant and I've been dining here for about 5 years now. The food is consistently delicious. My husband always devours the gnocchi and I go back and forth between a few dishes but lately I've been having the spaghetti with meatballs. The two meatballs are gigantic and so flavorful and the tomato sauce is scrumptious. The portions are perfect and it is inexpensive. We love celebrating special occasions here as well.
(5)Kurt A.
We came on a weeknight at 7:30 and waited about 15 minutes for a table. I called first but was told they did not take reservations. The bar is small and well worn, and the scene is friendly. There were two waitresses working the dining room, and though they were both working hard, they were fun and friendly. The dining room has a nice ambiance perhaps because it has so many windows and looks out on a busy corner of the neighborhood. The food was very good. We had the tuna carpaccio, the veal saltimboca, and the chicken piccata, as well as roasted vegetable and pasta sides. The meat sauce on the pasta was quite tasty. The vanilla bean cheesecake was spectacular, according to my dining companion, who is a cheesecake aficionado. We had read about Machiavelli at Yelp before going there, but I was still surprised by how good the food was. I disagree with those who describe Machiavelli as "cheap." Though the house wine is a bargain, the entrees are $15 - not what I would call cheap. Definitely worth it, though.
(4)Romeo V.
After driving by and walking by this place numerous times over 10 years, I finally decided it's time to try it. Took my better half with me here after a movie for dinner and luckily, we got a table. It got so packed quickly. She ordered the Penne with Roasted Red Pepper Pesto and I ordered the Linguine with Clams. Both dishes were so good that we traded plates after eating half of our own dish. The breads are excellent...especially the one small loaf of the olive bread. We had Tiramisu for dessert and that was great too, not too sweet. Overall, the dinner was perfect...the service, food, and price are excellent. So far, this is our favorite Italian restaurant in Seattle. Can't wait to stop by again.
(5)Jade C.
This is probably the best Italian restaurant I can remember going to. Yum! I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs and it was amazing. The food was great, the service was great and the price is surprisingly affordable. I just wish we had this restaurant in San Francisco. I was only visiting Seattle, but you can bet, when we're back in town, we'll definitely be paying this restaurant a visit. :)
(5)shellie a.
Fabulous food and service!
(5)Brad W.
Yum! Inexpensive, consistent and quality italian food. There is a reason there is an hour or so wait after 7pm on the weekends. I come here once every three or four weeks. Great goto place.
(5)Yossarian H.
I have to say, as much as I like the place, their policy of not seating people until everyone is present can be taken to ridiculous extremes. This last snowstorm the place was a quarter full, it was just my daughter and I but I needed to find a place to park. My daughter told them this and they still insisted that she wait until I found a spot to park. The place had still not gotten more than a quarter full by the time I got there. I understand the need for the policy when they are even remotely crowded but that was stupid.
(1)Ane P.
The Mr. brought me here tonight for our date night. He used to work around the corner, and said he remembered it always being very busy. I know why. It was the perfect little neighborhood Italian restaurant. It wasn't pretentious, was very cozy, had a great looking bar, great prices..friendly servers...okay, you get it. We had the tuna carpaccio, and then he had the Chicken Picatta while I downed a whole plate of Linguine alla Vongole. We didn't quite make it to dessert, but let me tell you about something different that they add in the bill. There's a little slip that tells you that if you pay with cash, they'll take an additional 5% off of your bill. So, with this crazy economy, we opted for the 5% discount.
(4)Sutee D.
Love the ambiance. The tables are the right amount of distance apart and the lighting is just right. And it's a nice mix of people. It's a good sampling of the different kinds of people you find in the different parts of Seattle-of course, the Capitol Hill hipsters, college-aged couples, older folks, and a some people you would expect in an organic supermarket. The portion is just right (so rare these days) and the bread is good, but overall the food was traditional but uninspired. Pleasant but nothing really popped. Would go back if I was with in a friend and just happened to be in the area.
(3)Saisai M.
Great place for a casual Italian dinner - especially if you live on the hill. I've never eaten here without waiting for at least 30 min, but that can be a blessing in disguise, considering the relaxed bar/waiting area and the cheap carafes of house wine. Relaxed atmosphere. Childhood pics of all the staff on the walls. Just-dim-enough lighting. Great place for a relatively inexpensive and casual date.
(4)Jen L.
Perfect date night on a budget. My boyfriend hates ordering Italian food because we can easily make it at home for less, but this place impressed the hell out of both him and me. $11 for a large plate, $16 for an entree, house wine was great and we had great service.
(5)Emily T.
Very straight-forward Italian. Almost too straight-forward for my tastes - I suppose you could call me too trendy when it comes to dining. The menu is full of classics, not much there to raise the eyebrows or challenge the palate... the decor is cute and cozy as well, but also nothing really standout or funky. I appreciate simplicity, so I can appreciate Machiavelli, it's just not my first choice as far as Italian in Seattle. I don't want to sound bitchy, I mean, I am not calling this place Old Spaghetti Factory or anything! While maybe not the most inventive or adventurous, everything here is tasty and well-made. They have great sauces. And their gnocchi has the perfect texture, something many restaurants seem to have difficulty pulling off. Sincere quality at very reasonable prices, I think most entrees are around $10. One of my favorite Italian restaurants is Bizzarro, so maybe you can understand where I'm coming from? I guess I just need bicycles hanging from the ceiling and crazy waiters and preciously-named dishes to excite me if I'm going to be dealing with pasta... ah, the youth of this country today, so ADD and irreverent towards tradition.
(3)Cassie S.
Little red votive holder on each table? Check. Enticing garlic aroma permeating a 10-foot radius around the place? Check. Cute waitresses and basket-bound Chianti? Oh yes, indeed. Everything is right about Machiavelli. Everything is in place, everything is perfect. But there's nothing fussy or self-conscious about this Capitol Hill favorite. It is romantic without feeling forced, comfortable without feeling sloppy, and most importantly, delicious without affectation. I had the shells in marinara here, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with it. Nothing. It was everything I needed and nothing I didn't. It is places like this that make me wonder honestly how anyone with $10 in their pockets would ever choose Olive Garden over a place like this.
(5)Raj L.
At a time where average Seattle restaurants are charging more to establish themselves as purveyors of "good" food, it is great to see a place like Machiavelli great food and reasonable prices. I have been going there for about 10 years and recently went back there last night. I had moved away from Capitol Hill and hadn;t been there in ages. Going back there after having eaten at a ton of other restaurants was a great reminder of just how solid the place is. We had the Tune Carpaccio appetizer, Veal Saltimboca, and the Cheese Ravioli. All excellent, great flavor, right portions. The bartender's wine suggestions were good as well. Yeah, you may have to wait to get a table, but you can't knock them for that. It's not a big place, has great food at good prices. There is no reason why it wouldn't be packed.
(5)Sam N.
This place has wesome food and good bread and butter. This is a family atmosphere. I ordered the seafood pasta and it was amazing. The file mignon is killer.....yummy.
(4)Mat R.
My favorite Italian in Seattle. There may be better elsewhere, but not at this price in such a cozy little place. Your best bet is to get their early so that you can enjoy having a window seat and the place (almost) to yourself. It's so good that I proposed to my fiance there!
(5)Amy L.
The price is right and the food it great! Just a quaint down to earth Italian place. It's conveniently located to where you can walk from downtown if you need a shopping break. I'd definitely show up early because you might have a wait, but its worth it and the little bar area is cute if you end up being there a while. It has pretty good happy hour specials too!
(5)Leopoldo K.
Great food, very friendly people, constantly busy proof of quality of restaurant. Some wait to get stable but acceptable
(5)Won M.
One word: "Sauce". Whenever I go to Machiavelli, I lick my plate. NO, Seriously! I lick it because they have the sauces DOWN. There is an undescribable depth and complexity to Machiavelli's sauces. Yet, their dishes are so uniquely simple. I can't describe it, it's like trying to define the word, "good". I always go for the prawns in pasta. Also, this is random but they've got amazing bloody marys. AND, you must try the Pumpkin Cheesecake when it is in season. I set there speechless staring into the space :o when I had my first bite.
(5)Melinda N.
Bear with me here - I'm using this as a forum for catharsis in addition to reviewing. I used to love this place, and I would love to love it again. The problem is that they know everyone loves them, so they make no attempt to accommodate anyone (unless you are friends with them). I used to come here all the time, and rave about the good food (penne with roasted red pepper pesto) and say the "wait is worth it". The service was always nice. Then, we were treated so poorly that it somehow sucked all the loveliness out of it and I have avoided going back. Allow me to tell my story in painstaking detail. We arrived on a warm day around dusk. We happily waited our wait. We were finally seated under a wine rack (so waitresses reached over us all evening, which I don't really care about, but read on..) and by a door. Every window lining the room was open, as was the door. Since the sun was setting, the temperature was dropping, and we became extremely cold. We asked if they could close the door by us. They claimed that made the rest of the room too hot (despite two entire sides of the room being open windows). They offered to prop it slightly open, but the breeze kept opening it. The hostess then offered to loan us her personal sweater (not sufficient or appropriate for a four person table). We noticed that there was an empty table in the middle of the room - why not move us there? They said that wasn't possible, then promptly seated people there who they were obviously friends with (they were hugging, etc). We suffered through the rest of our meal cold and sad with the knowledge that we would likely not be returning. If you care less about some customers enjoying themselves than others (or than your friends), that's fine. But then we shouldn't all be paying the same price for a meal/experience. I understand that not every seat in a restaurant can be perfect. If they had knocked even a few dollars off of our bill as a gesture (or thrown in a free dessert - just somehow acknowledged that our business was valued), all could have been forgiven. Anyway, due to that experience, I haven't been back in a while and maybe things (or staff) have changed in which case I would love to return. I imagine they haven't missed us, though.
(1)Darcy H.
Loud. Very loud.
(2)Beep B.
Eh. It was ok. It tasted good but the portion for the ravioli was tiny. I was still hungry. Even with the bread. They either need to lower the prices or increase the portion size.
(2)David N.
If you come here, dont try the Lasagna. It is way too salty and overpowers the taste of the cheese/pasta. I dont recall there being much meat as well. The rest of my party had some pasta/specials. They didn't seem to be Happy Campers. Maybe the prior benchmark of the Tour of Italy at Olive Garden or Pot Porri at Old Spaghetti has caused this dissonance. At the least, the dishes are pretty affordable ($10). Not a bad date spot and friendly service. They also provide olive oil and vineagar with your bread.
(3)John L.
Let me say up front, this is a great little neighborhood place. I'll explain at the end why I left one star off. The atmosphere in this compact little eatery is just the way I like it: classy but not the least bit snooty, busy and filled with the sounds of people having a good time - it was noisy and bustling. We had a short wait we spent at the bar. It was happy hour and my martini was good and it must be the best deal in town. We were called to table and got a generous basket of really tasty bread. We were packed in pretty good - it's a small space - and it was loud. I'm Italian-American and this is the way family gatherings are, so I loved it. Our salads and main dishes were very tasty, the wait people were great, the prices quite moderate, and we left satisfied. I recommend this place. Now for the star omitted: If you are seeking fine Italian dining, this isn't your place. I've had linguini alla vongole( pasta with clams) all over the world, including New York City, and Palermo - it's my favorite dish. This was not true linguini alla vongole, which is served with fresh clams in-shell right in the linguini. If you prefer your pasta al-dente (not fully cooked through, with a hint of crunchyness) you won't find it here. The sauce probably had clams in it somewhere, but I couldn't detect any and they were probably canned, because, while the sauce was good, there wasn't all that much flavor of clams, but then, that's how they keep the prices modest.
(4)Naoko S.
Yummy is what I say the first bite (and other bites followed). Mmmmmm is what I say when I'm leaving! Because I'm so full! I can't say anything but mmmm with a big smile and a gentle rub on my tummy :) I eat it all, man. Even the tiny bit of the lettuce stacked on the plate of the Antipasto Salad, I eat it all. I get the salad to share,,,but I think I eat 90% of it.. "Hahaha you are too slow it's MY salad!" ,,,I get little offensive about my salad at Machiavelli. I eat the bread, too. I like one better than the other (they give you two kinds) but I eat it all. Then regret it later cuz i'm too full to try their dessert. How could I have done that all three visits I made,,,I'm not sure. Oh their pasta is gooood. The last time I had the special, Fettuccine with prawns & lemon sauce. It was just tiny bit too lemony for me but the Prawns were BIG and the texture was just what I was looking for to taste. "Shiawase"(=Happiness) When I'm serious I talk in Japanese. The location is good. I've been lucky to be seated right away and by the window always. We've been avoiding the rush hours of the weekends. The Bauhaus side is cool but the Pine Ave. side, you can see the Space Needle! Lovely, indeed.
(5)Tim G.
Its good. It was better when Kelly worked there. If you know her, you know what I mean. Still solid food but I can't help think of how good it used to be.
(3)Yell P.
This is by far the worst abomination of Seattle dining I have ever experienced. Do not go to Machiavelli. Stay at home, open a can of Chef Boyardee, and save yourself $10. Their food strives to be as horrible as the Olive Garden and succeeds. Yelp is way off on this. I will never be returning to this crime against humanity.
(1)Ema C.
Other than waiting in the waiting area with no help for about 10-15 minutes, the bartender realized we needed to be seated after a group of 4 came in, he led us to our table. My bf had a delicious meal of veal wrapped in prosciutto drenched in a balsamic-y/red wine sauce. I had plain old spaghetti because their gnocchi has dairy in the dough and dairy is a big no-no for my tummy. Next time, I'm coming back for the veal and prosciutto. All meals are served with balsamic vinegar/oil and I'm not sure why, but none of the tables had salt or pepper on the tables. I'll probably be back, on a Monday evening or a Wednesday evening when it isn't crowded like it is on the weekends. :)
(4)Christopher O.
I took my boyfriend here for his birthday, and it was just what the doctor ordered. Italian is something that I know I love, but almost never seem in the mood for, so it's pretty much almost only on occasions like these, where somebody else's favs are the order of the day, where I end up having any. Sure, we've all had just unacceptably bad Italian, but often, mediocre Italian is still pretty good over mediocre something else. Machiavelli is more than good, it's pretty fantastic. You will also get a lot versus how much you pay (unless you order filet mignon, which I almost did, in which case, they simply go by market price, which is probably worth it if it is of the same quality as the rest of their dishes, but is otherwise easily the most expensive thing on the menu). We arrived late, so it was pretty empty. I understand that it can get pretty crowded, though. The dining area is kind of small. The wait staff were very friendly and attentive. The linguini and meat sauce I ordered was perfect. The sauce was meatty and flavorful. The ground beef actually worked with the seasonings instead of being just a chewy texture amidst a barrage of pepper, salt and tomato paste. The BF's Chicken Parmesean was outstanding and had a savory toastiness to it. When we were done, we were pretty full, but left a small opening for the option for dessert. They only had one thing left, which we were willing to pass on, but when we were told that it was a Tiramisou with a layer chocolate mousse, we went for it, and it was even better than it sounds. Thumbs up.
(5)Deb H.
Outstanding... I found it while on a business trip only because it was across the street from Bauhaus Books & Coffee. Had a special (fettuccine and asparagus in olive oil and garlic, with fresh parmesan baked on top), which was very reasonably priced and fantastic. The bread served before the meal was also very good, a rustic white with olives. The service was outstanding -- fast, attentive (but not overly), and friendly. It's a small space, with a real neighborhood feel, lots of lively conversation. I got there fairly early for dinner and got right in, but there was a large crowd waiting on my way out.
(5)Brutha Bill ..
I absolutely love this place! I miss it as I have not been there since the little one was born 18 months ago. F'ing shame. This was our default go-to place when ever we couldn't think of a place to go out to eat. Staff is great and very friendly... even if they didn't know your name they sure treated you like you were their best bud. They just make you feel good there. It's a very small and cozy place which gives it it's charm. Very affordable and great Italian food!! Simple menu and consistently good. Because of Machiavelli I am forever a Chicken Piccata fan. The Lasagna is great too. Oh and the bread! Ooohhhh! Remember to get there early because they do NOT take reservations and it gets packed on the weekend. And they won't seat you until your whole party is there.
(5)Puppy A.
Great food. Great staff. Very nice little restaurant. If you are in Seattle, do not pass this place up.
(4)Kyle L.
This is good cooking. I guess there is a debate about how traditional the food is to Italian cooking, but I really don't see the issue. Italian cooking is all about using whatever is delicious to make a meal that is delicious, and that is exactly what they do at Machiavelli. A little crowded at times, but the service and food make up for it. Plan on a bit of a wait for a table, but once you are seated you forget about the 45 minutes you may have spent standing. Pizzas are great. Gnocchi is my favorite. Great date place.
(5)Matt C.
OK, everyone seems to love this place, but I gotta step up and declare that l'imperatore has no vestiti (full disclosure: I babelfished that one. I don't speak Italian. ) My point is that this place has consistently underwhelmed me each of the three times I've been there and so I've vowed to never go back. Another thing I look for in a restaurant is something, anything, I can't get at home, and believe me, that's not a hard bar to clear with me. One thing I *can* do is a passable red sauce. And that's what Machiavelli offers. Passable. Red. Sauce. Beyond that, the menu is sort of plain and uninspired. The bread is just okay, the ambiance is crowded, loud and is often burdened by a long wait. If a restaurant is going to go for "common and simple" then they absolutely must nail execution to make sure the food is insanely fresh, portions are good, etc, wait staff is perfect. None of these things are true of Machiavelli A friend of mine who suggested this place to me was aghast that I didnt' like it, and challenged me: "well name an Italian restaurant in this town that's better, then!" Happy to oblige, in no particular order: - Bizarro - Volterra - Pink Door - Il Bistro - Tulio OK, the list goes on from there. What a grump I am, I know. With all due respect to my fellow Yelpers, I'm going to break with the pack here and give them two stars.
(2)Jason L.
This is my absolute favorite restaurant, Italian or otherwise, of all time! I love to dine out and I love Italian food but nothing compares to Machiavelli. The food is absolutely delicious and the dishes are unique enough so that you won't taste anything just like it anywhere else. I have had most of the menu but I have now chosen the spinach ravioli and the gnocchi as my favorites. Their consistency is almost superhuman in that I can count on the same level of deliciousness every time. The bread they bring out with olive oil and balsamic vinegar mix is house made, along with everything else, and is to die for. It's soft and moist on the inside and has a nice dark crust on the outside. The service is amazing. My partner and I dine at Machiavelli around 2-3 times per month for the past couple of years. Somehow they manage to maintain the same great crew without the crazy turnover of other places. The servers are friendly, prompt, and attentive. We have become regulars, so they remember us and what we like. The atmosphere is fantastic. It is extremely cute and quaint. It sits on an acute intersection so the building is triangular. The best seating is along the sidewalk so you can experience great people watching. Machiavelli is one of those special places that surpass just being another restaurant and has come to have a special place in my heart. I am going to hold back the best times to go because I am selfish.
(5)Blair G.
One word: Milanese. Machiavelli is one of the best Italian restaurants in the city. And the prices are awesome! Dinner for two, under $40 dollars. The pasta is always great, the bread is amazing (they sell their oil and vinegar dipping sauce for $5), and like I said, the milanese is the best in town. My husband and I are trying to go once a week, we love it so much!
(5)Durstin W.
I tried to call for reservations. They casually told me "we don't take reservations"... Then went on to say they get real busy on weekends. Be warned.
(2)Katie A.
I'd heard loverly things about the Mach.. mainly from several Yelpers who will remain anonymous (ahem, Purple Tongue.), so thought I'd finally give 'er a go. We showed up and waited just 5 minutes or so in the bar. Cute bar. Cuter bartender. So far, so good. We were seated by a window. Bonus. Me- green salad, Pasta Puttanesca, and bread.. a huge pile of delicious bread. My company- the spinach ravioli.The pasta was perfect and piping hot! I love it when places give you yer food when it's still cooking. It's too often the case that that's not the case.. so for that, I was grateful. The food was fab, the atmosphere cute, and the Chianti was cheap @ $5. The Tiramisu was stellar, although, I had just a bite (dairy dairy dairy= no no no). The bill was reasonable (I assume, I never saw it), and I will return. PS- another bonus- it's right next door to my sweet sweet Juliano. I chatted him up right before we went in. Stop by before of afterward for a slice a pie. Seriously folks.. I was stuffed when I left, but Juliano's slices.. well, I digress. This is Machi's review. Two Big Fat Thumbs up.
(4)Jeff G.
San Francisco has North Beach, Boston has the North End, New York has Little Italay and Seattle has....uhmm Machiavelli. Unlike those other cities where there are dozens of neighborhood Italian joints, Machiavelli is really the only join that comes to mind. By "Italian Joint" I mean a smallish place that serves good pasta, several specialities and has a small bar where you can happily wait. It's not a surprise that the wait her on weekends can swell to an hour or more. The bar is a comfortable, if crowded, place to wait, There's Sinatra and Vic Damone playing in the background and the food is worth waiting for. The Caesar is one of the best in town and uses marinated anchovies which are far less salty than the canned variety. The Lasagna with Chicken Livers takes about twenty minutes but is really hard to get anywhere else in town and is delicious. For me, veal is the test of a good Italian place and the Picatta is cooked perfectly, in a lemony sauce. The side dish pastas and meat sauce are great tool. 5 years ago I actually walked out of here one night because we'd waited 20 minutes for someone to take our order only to be told by our waitress that we needed to wait a few more minutes because she wasn't ready yet. The service here has gotten much better in the last few years. There was always a serer within reach and we didn't have to wait any lengthy of time for anything. The wait aside, this is my goto Italian place, especially when my east coast friends want to see how we do Italian on the west coast.
(5)angela y.
i LOVE the bolognese here. i get it with fettucine. it is my favorite bolognese, ever. what i had: 1. fettucine bolognese ($10) - the sauce is amazing! so flavorful and i can't get enough of it. the pasta isn't handmade, but who cares. the sauce is so good. i probably should base my rating on all different aspects of the restaurant, but i love the bolognese so much that it automatically gets 5 stars. i ordered the pizza once (a while ago), and it was no good (that's all i remember) and have never ordered it again. my friends have had the meatballs (yum!), lasagna, eggplant parm, and chicken picatta which were all super tasty. the portions aren't huge - but i never leave hungry. just get there right when they open, and you won't have to wait forever.
(5)Robin N.
this place is FABULOUS!!! My bf and I recently went here for our 2 year anniversary dinner. I've been to Italy 3 times, and he recently studied abroad there in Rome for a semester, so we're pretty picky about what is authentic good Italian food. Well this place just about hit the nail on the head! GREAT service - I love that the place is small enough that all the waiters wait on every table - makes it VERY EASY if you need something - just flag any waiter down! Also, there's no pushiness for you to hurry your meal and leave, just like in Italy... they respect you if all you want to do is sit there and finish all a whole carafe of wine (which is EXACTLY what we did!). You also get ample bread and dipping sauce - some of our bread even had olives baked in! We got the red house wine, an appertizer of olives, prosciutto, mozzarella, etc, and I ordered the lasagna bolognese. Perfecto! I got drunk off the yummy red wine and stumbled home drunk and with a tummy full of delicious food! Would DEFINITELY recommend this place to anyone and everyone, but would recommend getting there for an early dinner, since they don't take reservations and it is a smaller more intimate restaurant. :)
(5)Dan D.
This is my favorite Italian restaurant in seattle! It is truly delicious! Since it is so popular they don't take reservations, and the wait is usually 30-45 minutes. But just go put your name on the list then walk around the bustling and exciting Broadway area. They bring out amazing chewy, crusty olive bread with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The menu offers plenty of delicious pasta, including house-made gnocchi and fettucini alfredo made with guyere, fontina, and parmesan. All of them I've tried are DELICIOUS and sizeable portions all extremely reasonably priced ~$10. This is the best Italian place in Seattle! Love it!
(5)Kimber R.
We wanted a table for four in the restaurant. We decided to wait in the bar and drink a tasty red wine. The table took an hour to get and you know what? It was totally worth it! I live in the neighborhood and the people here are so great and the food so yummy, I don't mind an hour.
(5)Chelsey O.
Simple dishes, apps, etc. with the essential details to give characteristic flavor, appearance, etc. All fabulous.
(5)Damon C.
I've been waiting to eat at this place for the past year. It was recommended to me by a friend and for GOOD reason. The wait. Yes, there was a wait. But on a rainy Saturday night at 7pm, it was only 20 minutes. Those miutes passed quickly thanks to a particularly well-made mojito at the bar. It was a simple enough dinner. First date, so a great experience was necessary and Machiavelli delivered. I had been hankering for some good old-fashioned chicken parmigiana, but when I saw eggplant parmigiana on the menu, I couldn't resist. This is something my mother made when I was a child, so my expectations were high. The cheese-drenched, deliciousness that came out of the kitchen was second only to my company that evening. The inviting atmosphere and the drizzle of the rain outside (I had the pleasure of being seated next to a window) allowed me the comfort to continue to pick on my dinner well after I should have let it go to the giant trash compactor in the sky. As such, dessert was nowhere near an option and I waddled out the front door fat and happy. For the curious at heart, it's worth inquiring who the portraits on the wall are of. See if you can guess before asking, though! ;-)
(5)Alaina G.
One of my favorite spots! Gets busy because they don't take reservations but well worth the wait! Always get the ravioli with meat sauce... De-Lish!!
(4)Grace C.
The food was good but the wait was 40 min around 6:30pm and the waitress pretty much ignored our table.
(4)mark h.
Visiting Seattle for a college visit and decided some Italian food would hit the spot on a cold, snowy evening. This restaurant is terrific. The minestrone was some of the best I have ever had. The chicken piccata was also among the best I've had. I grew up eating my aunt's Italian food so I know a good Italian meal when I eat it! The prices are very reasonable and the service was very good. I don't usually gush over restaurants. Dinner tonight was really excellent. If you like Italian - eat here.
(5)Who W.
Italican: Food made the way American's (and third generation Italians) think Italian food should be. Would be unrecognizable as a 'local dish' to a Roma, Tuscan, or Venetian. Machiavelli is on the good side of what Italican food should be. Salami Pizza for an appetizer was good, crust was made of a very white flour that is crisp and tastes better than it looks. Sort of melt in your mouth type of crust. Salami was good, and the pizza had too much cheese. The gnocchi was good, very soft, good texture, the sauce was bland and unexciting. Ravioli was sort of unremarkable, fine, but you can do better at home if you have a few hours to put into it.
(2)A H.
What took me so long to try this place out? I had been a few years before and it was great. I even live across the street! But I just hadn't been back until last night. I'm glad we went in. There was a little bit of a wait, so we grabbed a drink in the bar and people watched while drinking some whiskey sours. I loved the atmosphere of this place! The music, the small space and the friendly staff. Everything went together well. The food was delicious and with so many things looking good on the menu, I'll be back sooner than later.
(5)Jim C.
Surprisingly, we were seated within 10 minutes on a busy Friday night to what has become one of our favorite places in Seattle. Cooool perks for showing off the wife's nearly 9 month growing belly. With amazing dishes, super friendly service, and very reasonably prices, this cozy little Italian restaurant is deserving of all the positive recognition. The pasta dishes were great, however the best part of the meal was the antipasto plate .. definitely one of the best that we've had.
(5)Todd X.
Machiavelli's is small but packed full of flavor. It's like a sun-dried tomato or a glass of fine wine or a tiny little Sicilian. Suffice it to say that Machiavelli's has delicious uncomplicated Italian fare. From the bread and oil to the Caesar salad to (my favorite) the spinach ravioli. Top it off with some cheesecake and you've got yourself a wholly (if not holy) satisfying meal in Capitol Hill. Four stars, really, but I added one star just for the great memories.
(5)M B.
It's very simple, unassuming Italian food. I prefer my Italian a bit authentic and a bit pretentious though, so I'll keep trying other places.
(3)becca j.
The food here is, for the most part.. well, average. Piccata is way too lemony, pasta is sometimes over-cooked, and most other dishes are very basic, but definitely not bad and reasonably priced. I give it 4 stars because the place itself is awesome. We love the corner seat by the windows, the service is outstanding, the bar is cozy, and really, if you show up around opening time, you are seated immediately, or you can chill in the bar while waiting. We love going here.
(4)Chad J.
I was going to give this place four stars, but I realized I probably will not ever eat here again because the negatives are so severe. But I do have a lot of nice things to say, nonetheless. I scoured the reviews on yelp for a place to go for my birthday dinner. Wifey said it was completely up to me (especially if there was Thai food involved) but I came up with Machiavelli Ristorante. "Are you sure you don't want Thai food?" So I showed her the reviews, and she said okay. That was amazingly easy. On our way there, we were driving down Broadway and spotted my brother walking the opposite direction. She dropped me off on Olive, I retrieved my brother, and we all went to Machiavelli. First negative: parking sucks (gee, Chad, welcome to Seattle). I know, I know, parking sucks everywhere, but it is a factor. We found parking after about twenty minutes of circling and then we went to the restaurant. Second negative: All of the reviews about this place that reference the long wait are dreadfully accurate. We asked the hostess how the wait was, and one of the other waiting patrons responded, "Worth it". That would be the silver lining -- people don't tend to wait for bad food in Seattle. We hung out in the bar. I had a wonderful Margarita. Time passed. More time passed. And still more time passed. And we were seated. We ordered the antipasto plate, but ultimately wished we had ordered the beef appetizer. The antipasto wasn't bad, but I wouldn't order it twice in a row. We asked for and received a platter of bread -- looked suspiciously like Essential Baking. The sauce seemed less like balsalmic and oil and more like Newman's Own Light Balsalmic Vinaigrette. It was good but not impressive. When we were asked if we wanted more bread, we said we'd like some with dinner, but the waitress decided that we needed to have it right then. Better she brought it early than not at all, I guess. We decided to each split a dish from the pasta, firsts and seconds menus. To that end, we ordered the chicken-liver lasagne, shell pasta with sausage and chicken milan. Everyone raved over the chicken. The pasta scored high marks, but I think wifey wasn't as impressed as my brother and I were, and the lasagne was good, but still a let down. It, and to a lesser degree the pasta, tasted like someone in the kitchen had stubbed their toe while holding the salt dispenser/carton/bucket. Should entrees taste saltier than margies? I report, you decide. As for dessert, they only had two options -- cheesecake and tiramisu. We declined on both. The lack of a selection was a let down as well, mayhaps they'd run out of everything else. I have to say that they do seem to pull off their menu, and that there are many a lesser restaurant that wouldn't be able to. If you can walk to it, it's a cinch that this should be your first choice for Italian, because at the end of the day it's decent Italian at a wonderful value in a lively venue. But given the choice of Machialvelli or Asteroid, I'll take Asteroid everytime, hands down, even though the price will double. Given the choice of Machiavelli or Bizzarro, Bizzarro wins that one too and I think costs roughly the same. My brother said that he would definitely come back to Machiavelli, but he lives on Capitol Hill and doesn't drive.
(3)Julia C.
This is my favorite neighborhood restaurant. I'd rather eat here than pretty much anywhere else in Seattle, in fact I'd say I do eat here more than anywhere else. Machiavelli offers consistently good food, terrific service and great atmosphere. I love this restaurant.
(5)Mariana P.
Delicious! It's crazy how many people they manage to cram into such a little space. All 6 of us that came here for dinner loved the meal...and the tiramisu (spelling?) style desert was really really tasty. Just a heads up, they won't seat you until your whole party is there....so if you have a friend who is always late, tell them you are meeting like 30 min. before you actually are.
(4)Areena M.
I'm going back and forth between 3.5 and 4 stars; can't decide. It's a nice neighborhood joint with pretty good food, though it's not great across the board. We had the antipasto for 2, but it was kind of weird--good meats, but no cheese, just a little pickled vegetables, but totally overwhelmed by 2 kinds of olive tapenade plus whole olives. I like olives as much as anyone, but there needs to be a balance. Hubby had the spaghetti and clams while I had the carbonara. Mine was delicious; his was ok but not great (clams were very finely chopped up in the sauce and there just wasn't a lot of flavor). However, we had a wonderful slice of cheesecake for dessert--if they had added a little strawberry sauce or something, it would've been off the charts delicious. Prices are very reasonable, though, and it was a short walk from our hotel. We'd go back to try some more items next time we're in the area. FYI: It's a casual, low-key place. No real ambience to speak of. It gets 3.5. to 4 stars for being a good family restaurant, but it's not at all fancy or refined--just want y'all to know.
(4)L S.
This is a cute little Italian restaurant that is well priced. The menu is tasty but one can't modify it (e.g. the roasted red pepper pesto was really plain & they wouldn't let me add chicken to it.) The lasagna was good. My dining date is a cheesecake fanatic - and the cheesecake here was hands-down 10/10 awesome. I guess the lady has been making it for the past 20+ years fresh in the restaurant. The bread and viscous oil/vinegar mixture was delicious, and we were asking for more. As per the previous reviews, there is one nasty dark-haired waitress (She never said her name). Why is she still there? She ignored us when she thought we were going to be a cheap meal (we initially didn't order any drinks or appetizers) but then perked up once we ordered wine, desserts, etc. However she remained verbally short with us, very cold, and very inattentive to our needs. The other servers were a stark contrast to her - they were friendly, attentive, and smiling.
(3)Mei-I F.
Had to wait a record hour and a half for a table this time! Okay so it was Saturday night, but it was worth waiting for their mouthwatering food.....ventured away from pasta and had the veal scallopine which was delightfully salty and swimming in a delicious pool of sauce. Had major food coma and slept it off when I got home...that's how we do it!
(5)Robert -.
I believe the best way to gauge how good a restaurant is going to be is to look in the window at the folks who are already eating there. The idea is that, chances are, they've been there before and so are most likely to be a representation of the type of person that would patronize this kind of facility. If they are hairy backed gorillas with guts extending out of their stained shirts and wearing trucker hats, you should probably pass...unless this describes you. So, judging by the packed crowds of people sitting in the red lit windows of Machiavelli's, it looked like safe place to take my foodie-companion. I was right. From the tangy olive oil dip for the bread to the gnocchi in tomato basil sauce she apparently enjoyed so much that she damn near licked the plate clean for, I claimed another win for my above referenced restaurant quality-profiling. For myself, I would have preferred a little more 'fixin's in my penne with roasted red-pepper pesto aside from just penne and roasted red-pepper pesto, but it was delicious nonetheless. Besides, she was happy and that was enough for me. And as we sat by the window looking out over the Queen Anne hill and Space Needle, she, so beautifully dipped in the red light, surely hinted these same, justified pre-judgments about Machiavelli's to those passing us by looking in from the street below
(4)Aaron J.
Simply put - this is my favorite restaurant of all time, and the best Italian restaurant on my list. I moved away from Seattle, and this is the place I miss the most. The staff was always excellent (even if they called me Grumpy) and they are probably the same staff. Loved them all! Loved the vibes here, and most of all loved the food. If I could replicate one restaurant everywhere I have lived, this would be it. Have the caesar with anchovies! Have the Vongole, have the shrimp, have the veal!
(5)Tara C.
Great food but horrible customer service.
(3)Tim O.
My favorite restaurant in Seattle. We go out to eat a lot and we like a lot of different restaurants. LOVE this place! Normally, I don't crave a restaurant, I crave 1, maybe 2, different dishes at various restaurants. I crave the experience of Machiavelli's. Yes, you have to wait - I look at the wait as proof this place is the best. Go 2 doors down to The Baltic Room for a drink. Way less crowded than Machiavelli's bar. Yes, the wait staff can be abrupt - They've all been there for years and have served thousands of people. They know what they're doing. The vongole (garlic and clams) is amazing. The cheap house wine (burgundy) is great. The diplomatico (tiramisu) is unbelieveable. Ok, that does it. We're going there tonight! I can't stand it any longer. :)
(5)Bob M.
This place is just about perfect. Great location, unpretentious, nice people, excellent service, and the food was really good. We got there at 5:30 and had a nice little table for two in the corner by a window. By 6:30 on a sunny Friday evening it was pretty well packed, so get there early or expect to wait. Start with the Tuna Carpaccio. Mmmmm. We had the Veal Picatta and the Eggplant dish. Both quite good but not over the top. The fresh olive bread was a hit also. We washed it all down with a couple cold Heinekens (made at the Heineken factory in Amsterdam!) and left completely satisfied and sure to return.
(4)Tommy S.
Machiavelli is small which makes it very charming. With tons of windows and a corner location, you can watch the street life as you eat. Down to the little red beehive shaped candle holders this is definitely an old fashioned type of Italian restaurant, but still casual. The space is divided into two areas - a small bar where you enter, and a separate smallish dining room up a few stairs. When you first sit down you are brought a small loaf of excellent rustic sliced bread with olive oil/vinegar to dip it in. Although uncreative, I always order the spaghetti and meatballs because they do it SO WELL. Savory meatballs, perfect tomatoey saucy - it is very satisfying. Add a glass of their house red wine and I am one happy man. Although the atmosphere is intimate, they could use some acoustic work because it can get loud with all the conversations going on in a small space. The servers are excellent. Portion sizes are just right - you won't leave starving, and you won't feel like Fat Bastard if you eat it all. FYI there is a small discount if you pay with cash. Bottom line - if I want Italian, this is where I go.
(5)Karen D.
Definitely the "go-to" Italian place in Seattle for this Sicilian-American, Boston-born girl. My spouse and I eat here at least once per week and also love to use it as a "first-double-date" spot for new friends, who often end up becoming regulars here as well. Their food is cheap and it rocks! And the service is always warm and inviting. While we are waiting for a table, we love to sit at the cozy bar and order a half-carafe of the tasty house red wine. My favorite food items include: -green salad with gorgonzola -tapenade -pasta puttanesca -chicken milanese w/side of spaghetti marinara -spinach ravioli I'm not usually a dessert person but sometimes we dine with people who like dessert. The Machiavelli "house" dessert of tiramisu isn't really a tiramisu, but more of a sponge cake with espresso and filled with a light chocolate mousse and topped with whipped cream....it's light and enjoyable, but don't expect a traditional tiramisu. All-in-all, Machiavelli is a gem, reminds me very much of the type of Italian restaurant of which there are many in my home town of Boston, but this seems to be the only one I have found in Seattle. I love it!
(5)Paul F.
I hope that this place never goes away. Nothing fancy, just great, simple, home-style Italian food in an awesome urban bistro setting. Great service, cool little bar area where you can have a drink while waiting. Warning, no reservations, so get there early, put in your name, and have a stroll around the hood (if there's no room at the bar). Highly recommended, and I am due for a return trip very soon. And, very reasonable prices to boot.
(5)Lee D.
This place is amazingly good. Had the eggplant parm, it was thin cut and cooked well. Also sampled the charcuterie plate and it was large for the price. I will definitely be back.
(4)Nico S.
Amazing little place! Will definitely be back. It was incredibly crowded even at 6:00 when we tried to go, since they don't take reservations. They have a bar to keep you busy while you wait, but expect to wait for about 10 minutes between drinks since there's only one barman. If you like wine, they do serve house reds and whites in small glasses, but full to the brim. Everyone was pleased with our food. We had the antipasti platter which was delicious and just the perfect starter for 4 of us. We skipped the pizza and pasta, so can't speak to them, but the main dishes were great! Most of us ordered the veal, either alla milanese or saltimbocca, and they were delicious! I would definitely come back just for the veal, hands down. They also had a special of halibut saltimbocca, which was very tempting and I hope they do more fish dishes the next time I go. It's a shame this place doesn't have more space to accommodate more patrons, but I guess that's what makes it special.
(4)Awesta M.
This places saves nights! We started out at another restaurant with the intention of having dinner there but after the not so stellar service we decided to split. Walked around a bit and kept looking over at Machiavelli's even though we'd promised ourselves we'd try somewhere new. Couldn't do it! I always have the pasta puttanesca and hubby is always the experimental one here. Regardless, we never walk away unhappy or hungry. The service is professional and friendly. And the food...my mouth is watering thinking about the pasta puttanesca. I'd move back to Seattle for that dish alone.
(5)J M.
I've been here 6 times now. Never a bad experience. Wait can be long but worth it. Love the spaghetti, veal parmigiana, carbonara, lasagna, Caesar salad, bread, and the house wine. Just a fantastic dining establishment.
(5)Sharon F.
Glad I came late on a weeknight in a party of 2. Just as the server finished writing the last letter of my name on the clipboard, our table was ready. I was, and still am amazed by the simplicity and freshness of the food. My server was also a mind-reader; she knew the right time to refill the glass, and bread, when it looked like we were rationing the last pieces to mop up the plate of reserved pasta sauces. On the subject of the bread: chewy, generously portioned and oh so tastily paired with a refreshing non-balsamic vinegar / olive oil mix. The salads were delicious, and the pastas were unbelievable fresh. Our ravioli couldn't have been plumper, and the pasta special - penne with rosemary, bacon, onions in a spicy marinara sauce - was one of the best marinara sauces I've ever tasted. I would go back and mop that plate clean again. For dessert, we had to try Machiavelli's Diplomatico - a tiramisu with chocolate mousse instead of mascarpone, so it was light on texture but heavy on the espresso flavour. There is only one world to describe it: heavenly. As if all of that wasn't enough, the bill was reasonable, and the cozy darkness of the restaurant allows you to watch people leave Paramount on a drizzly Seattle evening, with streetlights illuminating the glistening rain drops.
(5)Katy H.
Super romantic little spot. I was pleasantly surprised that this dim little, cute spot right on the North corner of the Melrose Market was so reasonably priced. Great apps, tasty entrees and most importantly - cheap prices for drinks too! This isn't a terribly fancy place but if you're hungry and you're in your regular Seattle gear (hoodie, jeans, etc) you're not under dressed! Hooray for Capitol Hill eateries.
(4)Bjorn F.
JACKPOT! My favorite type of eatery - quality food for cheap, cozy laidback vibe that doesn't take itself too seriously, laserquick but friendly service, and a nice house red that keeps on flowing for next to nothing (we got a half carafe for $8 - that's $2/glass). The penne chicken special was fantastic, and the bread was I think the best I've ever had at an Italian restaurant. I don't often marvel at bread at a restaurant but I kept wanting more. That olive vinaigrette was perfection. I'll be coming here many, many more times :)
(5)Brittany L.
In a very small corner location of Capitol Hill lies Ristorante Machiavelli, a restaurant that marries the concept of an intimate and sophisticated dining atmosphere with a casual and laid back experience that could only be found on the hill. What I like about this place is that people who work here seem to really care about the food and are knowledgeable -- you won't find the careless or attitude-diseased serving you here. They have a good selection of choices without going overboard and finding themselves in that not-great-at-any-one-thing rut. The dishes I've had here have been spectacular and I happen to appreciate the fact that they don't overfeed you -- I hate leaving an Italian restaurant feeling like I'm a giant ball that could be rolled down straight through downtown and into the water to float like a buoy for days before deflation. This place can get packed, especially on weekend nights, but if you can grab a spot and a drink at the bar out front, it's worth the wait.
(4)Nita M.
Restaurant Machiavelli is a cozy, homey place to come for a dinner & some drinks. There were lots of couples on dates when I went. I had: - Minestrone: This was more of a vegetable soup than minestrone, because I thought it was lacking the Italian spices that normally take vegetable soup to minestrone level. There was a bit too much celery in mine, so if you dislike celery, be wary. - House Salad: Average, not too much to it. There was 1 quarter of a beet, a few garbanzo beans, handful of croutons, and way too much salad dressing however at least the dressing was good tasting (strong balsalmic & herb taste) - Sauteed Vegetables: Delicious. The spinach was plump & perfectly garlic flavored, delicious baby carrots, and the potatoes were perfectly crispy on the outside & soft on the inside. Overall, my food was really oily. My plates & bowl were coated or puddled with oil after I had finished the food which was kind of gross. I think trying to order the healthy options is pointless since they are all pretty much drowned in oil so might as well go for the pizza or a pasta.
(3)Victoria C.
The place is crowded for a reason. It's nothing spectacular; I wouldn't call it gourmet Italian. But, the place hit the spot as far as tastiness, portion size, service, and atmosphere. If you want some Italian comfort food with many pasta options, I recommend Machiavelli's. The only thing I didn't like was the lack of vegetable/salad options. Also, I didn't bother asking, so maybe they have it, but I didn't see wheat pasta as an alternative. Overall, great place.
(3)Chad Y.
A friend and I recently were taking in a show at the Paramount and naturally wanted to have dinner first. I tell him to figure out a place (bad yelper I know!) to eat before and we'll go. He naturally turns to Yelp (See, I can be a good yelper...I influence others to use it!) and finds some great reviews for this Italian restaurant....Boy were the reviews right! After waiting a bit (they sadly don't take reservations) for a table to open, we were seated by a window in a fairly simply appointed dining room. Nothing pretentious, simple tables and chairs, photos of people dining on the walls, and views of people walking the streets gave to a laid back, semi-relaxed atmosphere. The menu is simple and offers a decent selection of stable Italian classics. We skipped what appeared to be a very good offering of appetizers and salads and just went on to the entrees. After filling myself with some very good bread and a great vinaigrette dipping sauce, I enjoyed the Chicken Parmesan which was a great portion size and tasted fantastic. It was a great blend of Parmesan cheese, breading, and marinara sauce. My friend enjoyed the Chicken Picata which looked very basic but offered some terrific flavors and was just the right blend of lemon sauce to complement a very moist chicken breast. We ended our dinner with a tiramisu which offered a great robust flavor of rum and chocolate with some very moist cake and tasty ladyfingers. All in all a great place to check out at what I thought was a very reasonable price!
(4)Deon M.
WE LOVE LOVE LOVE Machiavelli's anytime we are up in Seattle around opening time 5 we head over. We have tried many different things and it always amazing. My husband always orders the tuna carpaccio, I even took my 7 year old after going to see a play and they were so willing to make her pizza however she wanted it. I wish we weren't always too full from our meal to try the deserts. Yes it is a small restaurant and if you get there even 15 after 5 you might have to wait it is TOTALLY worth it.
(5)C J.
A total gem. Delicious food, reasonable prices, unpretentious and cozy atmosphere--you kind of feel like you're dining with everyone in the restaurant. Servers have always been really friendly and warm. Had the scallops last time--better than Assagios (virtually no sand). (Though I like Assagios too.) if you don't mind eating early, get there at five for the first seating. Otherwise wait time is very long. Great little bar, too.
(5)Lisa R.
It has been over a year since I've been here yet I feel I owe them a good review. I absolutely love this place. Perfect little hole-in-the-wall location that makes you feel just special enough without being awkward. It is always busy which is of course a good sign (but something to keep in mind if you're hungry -- you might be waiting a while for a table). My friend and I always get the burgundy wine. Delicious! And that roasted red pepper sauce is amazing. I have zero complaints about this place, and what some may call drawbacks are what gives it that added charm. Want a good meal, topped off with some good wine, in the company of other people who are clearly looking for the same thing in life? Go here.
(5)Becky D.
This place is our all time fav place! we brought a huge group and even though as small as the dinning room was they made room for all of us. The food is always fab! I have never had a bad meal here...
(5)James M.
I have been twice and both experiences were extremely enjoyable and I can't wait to go back! Since the restaurant does not take reservations they have a small bar located by the front door where you can order a drink and wait for the next available table. The entire restaurant is small but well laid out. Both times I have been, the same bartender has been working and the drinks were well made and creative. The food is delicious and so fairly priced it is almost hard to believe. I have had the Fettuccine Carbonara and Veal Milanese. The Fettucini was rich and creamy. The Veal, fried to a perfect golden, crispy state with a tasty lemony Milanese sauce. Machiavelli's is a fun, casual date spot that won't kill your pocket book.
(5)Brittany S.
Amazing food, amazing prices. Arrive an hour early to place your name, then head over to the Pine Box for a drink while you wait!
(5)Nathan D.
My mother had talked this place up a bit so I was expecting a lot and ended up with a decent experience. The food really stole the show as the service and decor were nothing terribly impressive. The carbonara was amazing, and is second only to the home made stuff a close family friend makes. Their eggplant parmesan was divine, though that might have been the near excessive amount of cheese coating it. Would come back, but probably only if some sort of happy hour was going on.
(3)Marie H.
Visiting from out of town and got dinner to go. The food was amazing and the staff was nice. Would definitely recommend but be aware that the place gets absolutely packed and there is hardly anywhere to stand while waiting for a table/ picking up food to go.
(5)Chef A.
I have been here twice and the food is OK but the chicken dishes needs some seasoning. The sauce needs more herb flavor,and the Chicken Parmigiana needs breading. The waitress (the same one both times) was not very friendly, and seemed to rush us. My date did not like her food(she took one bite) and the waitress did not offer to take it off, so I told her no worries,ill take it to go for later but that was before I tasted the Chicken Parmigiana. I will wait until the summer and give them one more chance. Other than that everything else was great.
(3)Mo M.
Worth the wait....the long, get me a 3rd drinkie wait. I always make new friends while waiting in the bar, another bonus. This is a splurge spot, yet for the quality it is a bargain. Adore every special I've tried, especially the seafood varieties when they create them. I bring out-of-towner's here, that's how much I amor them. The servers are always fast, kind and knowledgable. The bread is olive-licious, the balsamic fresh & tangy. My favorite beginning taste here is the Bresaola alla Valtinellese & caesar salad....in the salad, you can taste the lil anchovies, and it is the PERFECT blend of seasoning. I've brazenly stopped here just for takeout salad as I now crave them. Another sock-rocker is the Tuna Carpaccio. nom. And for entrees, my favorites are the Chicken Milanese & the Filet...goodness gracious, freshness & flavor. Sauces make you want to lick off fork. Now I'm getting sappy. Give it a go, be patient, have a Bombay...you will not regret it.
(5)Shawn H.
Expect great food, straightforward service from people who've done it for a long time, and reasonable prices. Two of us were brought here by a friend who lived nearby *five* years ago, and the place was exactly as he described it on our walk over: "It's great, honest Italian that is consistently good. It's like homecooked food; you could eat here every week and not get sick of it." Bread to start, a mixed salad, eggplant parmesan, and the special penne primavera that I tasted were all grade-A. This is a solid solid restaurant, comfortable and unpretentious. While this is only my 5th or so Yelp review, I've eaten a lot of Italian food in my day. I can put my hand on my heart and call this a great-value meal.
(5)Alice C.
Antipasto? Check. Bread with oil/vinegar? Check. Solid food, if anything, on the uninspired side? Check. Dad to pay for a seemingly overpriced and small portion of veal parmesan? Check. Solid, damn tasty Italian food, although this place seems to be more of a basic spaghetti and meatballs place than some of the more regional fare. I do love me some baby, cage raised cow when the oppurtunity arises (yeah, I know, there is a special place in Hell for the flesh eaters of the young), but I thought my veal parmesan was drowning in cheese; Im Danish, I like my cheese, but sometimes enough is enough, ya know?. And somebody, PLEASE, please someone lower the prices!
(3)Tara S.
There are distinct positives and negatives about Capitol Hill's Machiavelli's. Let's start with the good things: 1. Atmosphere is great. Its a cozy and rustic restaurant in the middle of the city that smells like roasted tomatoes and basil. 2. Food is delicious. You can taste the freshness in the sauce and cheese, as well as the perfectly cooked pasta. 3. CHEAP! The food is a steal for a quaint restaurant that dishes out some of the only Italian on the hill. Yet the good is always followed by the not so good: 1. If you want to dine on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, I would probably not recommend Machiavelli's. The waiting room is smaller than most inner-city bedrooms and the wait time can be over an hour. 2. Parking at night simply sucks (but so does every other restaurant on the Hill). 3. Not the most authentic Italian food. It's mostly a gourmet version of the pasta you could cook at home. Nothing too exciting - just the basics like tomato sauce, bolognese or alfredo. Good for: Romantic dates, good bread and olive oil Not good for: Formal setting, unique Italian food, groups
(3)Todd B.
I only went to this charming place for happy hour, but that alone was an awesome experience. The sausage bread, cheese plate with proscuitto, and pizza, all for $3 to $5, were tasty, generous and unique. The drink specials were the perfect price. The place was the icing on the cake, feeling more like a British pub in London than a restaurant in Seattle. I want to go back for dinner on my next trip.
(4)Chris G.
i love this place. it's small, quaint and has simple, well done food. the servers are there when you need them and not there when you don't. it's fun to take a suggestion from them when you just can't choose which of the delightful entrees to treat yourself with. go early if you can. they open around 5:00 and fill up fast. if you can't get there close to opening, you can hang in the bar until a table becomes available...but even the bar is small, so getting there early really has its merits. :-)
(4)Hannah L.
A girl could get used to this. To what, you ask? Besides sharing dinner with the loveliest of companions.... Thick slices of bread dotted with olives, dripping with tangy balsamic vinegar. Window seat, candles, dark cozy bar. Tongue-tender pillows of gnocchi resting in a tomato basil cream sauce (more tomato than cream, lovely sweet roasted taste, vibrantly salted). Penne heavily flecked with just-spicy-enough roasted red pepper pesto and cream. Friendly servers appearing just at the right moment to sweep away a dish (only after you've sopped up the sauce with bread), offer spoonfuls of freshly grated Parmesan, or a twist of black pepper. Dessert? That's a secret.... Mmm.
(4)Erica Z.
I've been debating writing this review for awhile. The people who run this place are from San Francisco and were inspired by San Franciscan restaurants (which they previously worked at, apparently). I have been to San Francisco multiple times as I have family there and I have not once had good food there. Italian food? A disgrace, compared to New York. That being said, I tried to ignore their back story and went in to have me some delicious Italian food (after all, everyone raves about this place, right?). My first experience was awful. I arrived and the place reeked of San Franciscan influence. No reservations? Alright, fine, but don't be snobby about it, and please don't lecture me about your prideful "San Francisco standard" of "first come, first serve". All I did was ask if they made reservations, and I got a long lecture about it. It was insanely rude. I patiently waited my turn, waiting for over an hour before my name was called. I was dropped at the table and spent a long time waiting for the waiter. After ten minutes I saw my waiter walking around other tables and flagged him over asking for some water. He said he would get right on that. Ten minutes later, I still have no water. I'm parched, starving, and have nothing to tide me over. I finally get my water, and then I am offered a menu (Yep--no menu for twenty minutes). I looked it over and could not decide what I wanted at all. The waiter rushed me and said there were people waiting in line. I had only been looking at the menu for about a minute or two. I ordered my food: tortellini formaccio with bolognese sauce. Tortellini in a good Italian restaurant almost always blows away any experience of pre-packaged goods at home. Especially hand crafted. Except not here. I found myself longing for my safeway brand, pre-packaged and processed tortellinis. They tasted better. I found myself eating the sauce around the tortellinis and ignoring the tortellinis completely. I have a relatively strong stomach, but the taste of them made my tongue feel sour and made me feel uneasy. Not in a sick way, in a way where I could not even try to force myself to eat them. Paid--or should I say over paid?--and skipped on the desert. Left. Flash forward a few months. My fiance had read about this place and really, really wanted to try it. He and I come from different areas. Like me, he has a good portion of Italian relatives and has been exposed to authentic cuisine. He's far more optimistic than I, so we went. I tried something a little different this time: Spaghetti Bolognese. Surely they could get this dish right. I make delicious Spaghetti at home in less than an hour. My fiance ordered Lasagna Bolognese. He only finished half of his food--something he never does. Usually he engulfs his food through some sort of black hole and steals food from my plate. He said the lasagna didn't taste right. I tried it. He was correct. My spaghetti was... Okay. The sauce was fine (but who can screw up meat sauce?). The spaghettis, however, were very sticky and sort of slimy in a way (like when you overcook it way too much). My fiance did not want to return there, either. The wait staff was also rude to him. Ruder, even. We usually over-tip but this time we decided not to and went with a much smaller tip. The food never made me sick. The prices never made us broke (though it wasn't worth the cost). Their sauce was okay. However, I would not go back here. Seattle has enough trouble finding a good variety of food without adding the fake, San Franciscan lifestyle to the mix. I'll take Maggianos any day, thanks.
(1)Doug B.
We LOVE this place. The staff are very friendly and the food is consistently good. The chicken parmigiana is outstanding. It's one of our favorite local restaurants.
(5)Mindy S.
From tragedy comes finding great food. My family was at the hospital due to my dad being in a motorcycle accident and when we finally ventured out and wanted some comfort food we decided on this place and even with a 45 minute wait it was well worth it. Food was fantastic, service was great and unfortunately due to cancer in the family we have gone back for that moment of comfort this place helps provide.
(5)Drew R.
Simply the best
(5)Audra M.
WOW what a place! Totally packed out! We were told the wait was an hour and it was exactly that, by the time the hour was up, they called us to our table. I tell you what, waiting an hour to eat here is worth it! The service is outstanding, the food is delicious, hearty, and just so comforting. I ordered the tortellini and my hubby ordered lasagna, they both were great! The bread is great, i loved the one with the olives baked in, so good. We both had the Italian soda's which were great.. Great food, wonderful atmosphere, and at a surprisingly good price.
(5)Heidi H.
The bread and oil amazing. I was totally blown away by the Ceasar salad. In my book once you have impressed me with the salad and bread the meal is going to rock... And it did! What a quaint little place, it was worth the wait. The cheesecake and tiramasu were the best I have ever eaten and trust me I have had my share.
(5)Aly M.
4 because I would like to go back and try more dishes to solidify my opinion . . . Also because the food is delicious (well-flavored and well-portioned) Nice atmosphere (yay for lots of window seats!) Pretty fast service Our dishes were . . . Conchiglie della Cassa and Pesto pizza. The pasta was fresh with some Italian sausage that had a bit of a kick. The pizza had so many nice flavors with such a simple dish. Also, the crust was thin and crisp. The portions were big enough that we could take some home (we weren't super hungry or we might have gorged). Next time we would like to go back with bigger appetites. Btw--using cash gets you a 5% discount!
(4)Jon E.
Italian food at home doesn't cost an arm and a leg, and thankfully, it doesn't at Machiavelli either. I've found that Machiavelli prices everything fairly while still providing an excellent dining experience. The food is great: You can eat healthy if you want, or you can get the cheese-marinara pasta if you're looking to pig-out. There's veal parmesan, chicken piccata, Caesar salad, all your favorites... The $5 house wine is awesome. It's good wine. Normally you get a $5 wine and you choke it down... not here. Plus, they have more options at the $7 and $8 points too, which are also yummy. Never had a bad wine glass here! Sadly, this place is no secret and there are no reservations. Get here at peak weekend times, you'll wait an hour. We usually come here around 5 or 6pm to avoid the line.
(5)J And M D.
We were ecstatic when we stumbled upon this romantic little Italian spot. The food and service are always great. My fiance and I have had a number of things on the menu, but we usually end up ordering a caeser salad (GREAT homemade dressing!), meat lasagna, meat spaghetti, and cheesecake. Machiavelli's red meat sauce is excellent, so the lasagna and spaghetti are always easy picks for us. And, you cannot end a meal with a better cheesecake. The plain is better than almost any we've had (go home, Cheesecake Factory), and if you are lucky enough to be in when they're serving up the pumpkin cheesecake, ORDER IT...you won't regret it. All this, and our tab is never over $40. Wow. You'll read in reviews everywhere that they don't accept reservations, and there's not much seating. This is true, but in the 6 or so times we've been on weekend evenings, we've never had to wait more than 15 minutes for a table. A much longer wait would be well worth it, and it would be easy to pass the time in the nice bar anyway. Street parking can be a challenge in this neighborhood, but it's never been too bad for us.
(5)Liana R.
Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum. Props to the servers, the chefs, the bartender, the busboy, the water-filler, and everyone else who frequents this establishment. Their food is Delicioso (picture me smacking my lips), the Barbera bottle is yummy and only $24. You can customize your plate (my gf requested pesto in her spaghetti with garlic sauce, bomb!!!!), the soup is hot, the salad is cold, the grapefruit juice is LOCAL and ORGANIC and makes a fantabulous Greyhound. We also were schooled on the term 'Greyhound' from the bartender, which apparently stemmed from the fact that grapefruits take a really long time to spoil and since the juice didn't need to necessarily be refrigerated, people during prohibition would take their vodka/grapefruit juice creation with them on their Greyhound bus rides. You have to hate Italian, friendly people, inexpensive prices and good wine to not want to come here.
(4)Alana H.
So I was expecting the wait. NBD. You are especially sympathetic when you see there are only like 10 actual tables in the entire restaurant. The decor was simple and unobtrusive. No frills, but not industrial either. Comfy. The little bar area in the front was a good way to pass the time watching all the busybodies of Seattle get ready for Saturday night. The service didn't exactly have a great flow to it. Not that it was bad or rude, just awkward if you know what I mean...more we spoke another language and that servers seemed to forget to communicate with each other. I got the gnocchi, which was good plain Italian. Enough to fill me, but not quite Italian enough to bring me back to any of my authentic ristorante memories.
(3)Lily S.
I wish I could give this place 4.5 stars, but 5 will have to do. Let the battle of the Italian restaurants begin! I likes me the Machiavelli. Their pastas are flavourful and fragrant - I had the penne w/ marinara, which was chock full of garlic - just the way I like it. The bf had penne w/ roasted red pepper pesto - which had amazing flavour as well. Our wait person was friendly and quick - just like our food. This places comes in a close 2nd to Swingside in Fremont. However, seeing that Machiavelli is just down the street from me makes it that much more tempting to go to. Plus they have $5 pizzas during happy hour - WHAT??? Um yeah. Please to go there again, yes?
(5)Sherry B.
Oh, my. What an amazing meal. My friend and I went here, and we were both raised in Italian households, in Italian kitchens. And finding honest to goodness food that makes the boot proud isn't an easy feat. We were thrilled. This is exquisite, lovingly prepared Italian food. The ingredients are simple, but vibrant, and fresh. Expect to spend a little time here, this is a place to kick back and enjoy, and as such the service isn't tailored for a grab and go. The staff was excellent, our server was very good and gave excellent recommendations. And do order a cocktail (or several) as the bartender is on point. Eat, drink, and be merry: this is a great spot for it!
(5)Jim D.
We had a fantastic time here. This place fills a hugely needed gap in our restaurant cycle: affordable & tasty italian. I absolutely HATE when I got pasta joints and walk away feeling $40 poorer, 2 hours older, and like I could have made better at home in 10min. This place has great service, wonderful atmosphere (reminds me of a couple places in the Bay Area) and very tasty food. We cant wait to go again!
(5)calluna s.
I see that this place has great reviews overall which really makes me want to try it but I am not so thrilled after what happened Monday night. I walk past this place a lot and it always looks cheerful and busy and the smells are deeeelicious. I have a friend who will be taking a trip to Rome soon so on a whim we decided to have dinner there. We walked in. Place was super-busy so we expected a wait. No problem. We saw the sign which says 'please wait here to be seated' or something along those lines. We looked at the bartender, he ignored us, waitresses running credit cards at the top of the stairs, ignored us. We sat on the bench thinking surely a hostess will come down. No one came. We waited, we sat on the bench again, I started up the stairs, we looked at the bartender and waitresses running to and fro and when we tried to politely signal that we were new clients people literally looked at us and looked away. Why? Since there was only looks to go on I have to assume that was the problem. This restaurant does not look black-tie/cocktail dress so I figured we were good. I, in a long Kenneth Cole cashmere coat, black dress slacks and Coach leather bag. My friend in a lovely long mauve, mohair coat, slacks, boots, leather bag. Thus I think we were dressed appropriately. Oh wait a minute! I forgot to mention that my friend is an African-American Muslim and was wearing a lovely Chanel headscarf, and that I am an Arab-American who many people peg as Hispanic due to my coloring. Therefore was the problem the assumed combination of ethnic + Muslim = people we don't want to seat in our restaurant? I hope not but as we decided to leave a woman in jeans and puffy vest with her young daughter came in. I stood on the porch and my jaw dropped as I watched a server come up to them immediately and ask how many in their party. I even made eye contact with the server and I think she registered my incredulity. Guess what? The lady and her daughter...white as snow. I actually think I would still like to give this place a try. Racism happens everywhere, even in the bubble we know as Seattle and at some point we all have to mix and not give anyone a reason for clinging to nasty viewpoints. My friend however has had to endure too much of this in her life and will certainly not be trying Machiavelli.
(1)Clarissa O.
The bread, the caesar salad, the carafes of wine, and everyone else's meals were great. BUT GUESS WHAT MY MEAL TASTED LIKE. Oh, it tasted like Spaghettio's decided to make a canned Gnocchi and pour it on my plate. I'd go back but I would stick with the ravioli.
(4)A. S. F.
This is a casual Italian spot near Melrose Mkt. The food is consistently hot, and tasty.. I usually go with the Chicken Liver Lasagna ($12 roughly) and its huge, tastes somewhat similar to what my grandmother used to make. This is definitely American-style Italian... but they do it well. ts definitely not as good as some of the higher end Italian spots on the hill (Spinasse, Altura) but its a great spot to have a cheap, casual dinner. Also they have columbia city bread (best in town), and we got a great bottle from Small Vineyards for about 20 bucks. 2 appetizers, bread and oil, bottle of wine, 4 entrees = $90 including tip. can't beat that
(4)Jason L.
Machiavelli's is my favorite neighborhood Italian restaurant. Some of the higher end places in Seattle have better food, but for the money, Machiavelli is consistently excellent. The Spaghetti and meatballs are great, the veal is great, the cocktails are great, the minestrone is must have. I love walking out of Machiavelli full and tipsy for under 60 bucks for 2.
(5)J S.
WOW, what a change. I have dined at Machiavelli rather frequently for decades and recently the place has changed a LOT for the worse. Our wait was well over an hour to be seated and once we were, the waitstaff was incredibly unhelpful and surly. :/ The menu has not changed in years and it is more clear than ever that there are many better places to dine out on Capitol Hill than Machiavelli. Skip it.
(1)Vas S.
An unpretentious, warm, friendly, intimate place with great food. The waiters there are wonderful.
(5)Rebecca L.
My Dear Machiavelli, Not only did I enjoy reading your letters to the Prince, but I enjoyed your tortellini Formaggio! Truly, the reason why you were able to defeat the Athenians was from the creation of memorable and delicious delicious dishes! From your delicious olive bread (with the great balsalmic sauce) and hand made tortellinies they all were lingering with flavor and taste. I must, however, mention that the wine list was very reasonably priced, but what is going on with the rinky dinky small wine glasses? It was hard for the wine to aerate. It felt like i was drinking wine for ants! please get the proper glasses for the various wines that you have. Will be Forever Yours (once you get the proper glasses), Rebecca
(4)Neil R.
I have always been impressed with this place. Really solid Italian food and inexpensive! Intimate ambiance and top-notch service. Great place for a first date. Worked for me; I asked a girl to be my girlfriend there and a 1.5 years later I married her!
(4)Doug M.
Great food at a very reasonable price. Next to Melrose Market, which is much more expensive, e.g. Sitka & Spruce, but it is competitive due to the lower prices. I have been going here for several years and keep going back despite the NO RESERVATION policy. The service is very friendly and I feel the neighborhood vibe. Tonight was no exception. DougMac@MacFoodie.com
(4)Brendan M.
Waited about an hour to get a seat, but it was 7 pm on a Friday, what do you expect? The wait was well worth it though! We started out with the meal with the Antipasto Platter appetizer which was very good and we finished it right as the food was ready. Perfect. We then ordered: Pene with Roasted Pepper Pesto (adding prawns) Pene with Roasted Pepper Pesto (adding sausage) Veal Saltimbocca Everything was good but personally I thought the Pene with Roasted Pepper Pesto adding prawns was the best. So delicious :) A bottle of red wine topped it off. We were stuffed. Everything listed above (1 appetizer, 3 entrees and a bottle of red wine) came to a shade under $80.
(5)alex m.
I always love coming here. Good, simple Italian food. Great atmosphere.
(5)Jack K.
Overall a great experience. Prices are very fair. You must try the tuna carpaccio. It is absolutely the best. I also had the veal piccata. Also amazing. It wasn't too heavy but had plenty of flavor. Add to that a good bartender and selection of wines.
(5)elsa f.
Hands down, my absolute favorite cozy Italian restaurant that will *not* break the bank. If I miss Seattle for any restaurant at all, it is Capitol Hill's Ristorante Machiavelli, where I may have left a piece of my heart...friends aside, hehe. I love the creaky old wooden floors, the semi open kitchen, the large windows for neighborhood people-watching, the wonderful aromas wafting from the kitchen and all around, and of course, the great service. We were hooked the first time we dined at Machivelli, so it was a no-brainer for us to make it a point of returning for Valentines Day, double dates, multiple casual twosome dinners, and our good-bye Seattle dinner. I have never been disappointed with anything I've had here. The sauce was always guud. The wine and cocktails always made me blush. The wait for a table was always loooonnggggg, since they don't take reservations (not even for Valentine's Day). We usually try to get there at the start of opening hour, so the wait would be minimal if any. If you arrive an hour into dinner service, the wait will require some patience, so do grab a drink or two. At Ristorante Machiavelli, your nose and taste buds will tell your salivary glands to get into gear, and that's not a bad thing.
(5)Linda V.
Came here on a weekend evening, and got hit with a 30 minute wait. That's okay, we just sat by the bar and observed the menu. Once we got seated, we got some very unique tasting bread. It was served with some balsamic vinegar, garlic (I think), and olive oil. The bread itself actually had olive pieces in it. I love olives, so this was a good thing! Wish the bread had been warmed though, it was a little chewy--like the kind you would buy at QFC at the end of the day. My boyfriend got the chicken liver lasagna and I got their special for that day, which was a crab ravioli in lemon butter sauce. I tasted both dishes, and they were both very flavorful. I have a pet peeve about super oily foods though, and neither dishes were very light. Of course you could've guessed that the lemon butter sauce would be very greasy, but It was really a little over the top in that department. I also noticed that they have just cans and cans of tomato sauce stacked in their kitchen. I guess most Italian places do use canned tomato sauce, but I'd appreciate it more if they used fresh tomatoes like some places do. Overall, it was pretty delightful. Our server was sweet and nice, and we had a comfy spot next to the window. It was very loud, yes, and the food was a little on the oilier side, but I had a good time eating there.
(3)Melissa K.
3.5 stars Visiting Seattle from NYC and looking for a decent place to eat that wasn't overrun with tourists. Yelp never let's me down. Very good Italian food, even by nyc standards. Two people, 3 drinks, two meals and a shared salad for $48. The portions were reasonably sized, and we weren't horribly full when leaving. The vibe was a little eclectic, funky and old school. No pretension. Laid back staff. The best part of the meal was the dipping sauce for the bread. I could have eaten only that for dinner. You can buy it if you want. I had the spinach ravioli, which was quite good. I'm a vegetarian and when I asked if it was veg, they didn't skip a beat telling me there was no chicken broth in the sauce. My mate had spaghetti and meatballs, and he said it was tasty. Overall, highly recommended for folks looking for a cool place to have a relaxed meal.
(3)Hana B.
Very disappointing and completely average. Based on the reviews, I chose this place for a well-priced, special Italian meal. Well-priced it was, but far from special. I think we were in and out of here in about 40 minutes, which would appeal to some but not what I was looking for.
(3)Keith H.
Nice small Italian restaurant with good pasta and great prices. Always packed.
(4)Gerry C.
First visit to this classic Italian restaurant. Loved the atmosphere and service was top notch for this "North Beach style" experience. Split Caesar Salad, a pasta, eggplant and chicken dish. Everything was terrific.
(4)Jonas J.
After having bad Italian food last night I decided that the only way to cure my disappointment was to go to Machiavelli! That food was absolutely amazing and the service was exceptional. Right from the bread and their special dipping sauce I was immediately excited for the rest of the meal. I highly recommend the chicken al forno and the linguini al vongole. Those two are my favorite dishes! This place always leaves mr feeling very satisfied. Let's eat!!
(5)Nina N.
I can't explain how much this is my favorite place of all time, I hope they never change, and the food is worth more than the price... shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....... ALWAYS GREAT, AND SERVICE IS GREAT.. AND THE FOOD IS GREAT.. ALL IN ALL GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Â!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! love you machiavelli
(5)Maura D.
These guys have THE BEST pasta carbonara I've ever had. And they introduced me to Columbia City Bakery, which competes for the best bread I've ever had. Atmosphere is loud, but the food makes it so worthwhile. Go!
(4)Helen H.
This is my husband & my favorite restaurant in Seattle. I discovered this place way back in the 1990s when it first opened, and have been going here ever since. When my husband & I first started dating, I took him here. He loves Italian food, but is very picky about it. He absolutely adores this place. The only downside is that it's very popular and we never seem to be able to avoid a long wait. I also wish they were open on Sundays, because our first year wedding anniversary is this Sunday and this would be our first choice of places to celebrate. The food is delicious, and you get pretty sizable portions. My favorite is the red pepper pesto penne, and I almost never deviate from that choice unless the daily special looks compelling. I always have to take about half of it home, but that makes for a tasty lunch the next day. As much as we'd love them to open a second location somewhere, or find a larger space, I'm happy that the quality of food has never wavered and I wouldn't want any changes to jeopardize that. This place is a real gem, we often take our out of town guests here and everyone has always come away from dinner very happy & satisfied.
(5)Melissa P.
Showed up at Ristorante Machiavelli last night (Tuesday) around 6:30 and there was a 30-40 minute wait. This was unexpected but didn't bother us in the least. I figured what I've read about the place being good and inexpensive must be true. We were eventually able to grab a glass of wine and sit in the bar area after a few tables ahead of us were sat. We waited about 30 min, perfectly quoted. My boyfriend and I both got caeser salads which had great flavor. He got the spaghetti with bolognese and I got the lasanga bolognese. Both had good flavor and were perfect portions, not too much or too little. Overall, this place was very good. Great atmosphere and good italian for a very decent price. I'm sure we will be back.
(4)Mia B.
After the service I received tonight, I am revoking a star.
(3)Shannon M.
I have never had a bad experience at Machiavelli. When I lived on Capitol Hill, I went there at least twice a month, and the food and service were always (always!!!) superior. It's a small place, but never feels cramped. It's so homey, I took my dad there when he came to visit from Missouri (home of some seriously good Italian food, believe it or not). Now that I live in Wallingford, I don't make it out to Machiavelli as often, but I still feel the need to sing their praises. As far as the menu goes, I have only two words for you: TUNA CARPACCIO. Everything else is good, too.
(5)Mark B.
I would give 4 and a half stars, if possible. I was on a weekend trip to Seattle with my partner of 6 years, for an anniversary celebration. We both did not feel like dressing up, so were searching for a casual, yet dim and romantic-esque, with exceptional food. We could not have picked a better restaurant! The place was packed, and we, having only 2 in our party, were seated withing 5 minutes of our arrival! The hostess, bar tender, and server were all very professional, warm and welcoming. We ordered the antipasto platter, which was a perfect starter, very fresh and delicious. I ordered the cheese tortellini in a white cream sauce, with Pancetta and peas. My partner ordered the Chicken Al Forno, which I have to say was better than mine, but not by much. Also, we ordered a full carafe of wine. All of this for about $55!!! I was thoroughly impressed.
(4)Seila K.
I've been here before but a very long time ago when I lived in Seattle. Came here the other night with a buddy and the wait was about 1/2 hour on a Friday night. They have a pretty nice lounge area to grab a drink while you're waiting. On to the food. We started out with the tuna carpaccio. I've never had anything like this before but it was delicious. It was sliced very thin, and not too salty with a great flavor to it with capers sprinkled all over it. I ordered the penne with roasted red pepper pesto. I needed some meat so I added sausage, expecting there to be a link of italian sausage on the side. Instead it was mixed into the sauce. This dish was also delicious, a great mix of cream and bit of spiciness with the penne cooked al dente. This may be my go-to dish when I come back. My buddy ordered the veal medallions with a side of spaghetti. I had a couple bites and it was pretty tasty, but I think I'll still with my dish. The service was friendly and the price was very reasonable. Next time I'll try some dessert!
(4)M B.
Seems to always have a wait but the food is good and the wait staff is friendly. My fall back is the chicken piccata.
(4)Miz J.
Best basic Italian fare in Seattle. Hands down. Cute little neighborhood bistro, soft lights, friendly awesome staff, serviceable wines, and the food? OH THE FOOD. Best fettucine carbonara I've ever had and that includes my own, which is saying something. Delicious DELICIOUS homemade Tirimisu. Light, fluffy, the real thing. Expect a wait. 30-45 minutes peak time weekdays and much longer on weekends. There's a little bar where you can have a drink while waiting which is usually crowded, but everyone always seems in a good mood. Probably 'cuz we're all looking forward to EPIC YUMMINESS. There's a reason for the wait. This is one of the gem restaurants of Seattle.
(5)Lula R.
i used to go to the ristorante machiavelli years ago with a friend. the friend is long gone but i'm glad ristorante machiavelli is still here. top notch food and service. consistantly delightful.
(5)Christina R.
Oh dear, I think I've found the answer to my Italian-Restaurant dilemma and that answer is Ristorante Machiavelli. The dilemma is that I am 100% Italian on my mother's side so I grew up on a ton of delicious Italian food (and no restaurant has ever been able to live up to my mother's sauce and baked ziti, my grandfather's ravioli, and my grandmothers' pizzelles). But Machiavelli? I not only want to camp out there and just live off the deliciousness, but I would also bring my mother and grandfather there, and be willing to bet that they'd love it. Machiavelli is seated in a small, but not tiny space along Pine Street in Capitol Hill. There are two levels, the first holds a charming rustic-ish bar (with a great happy hour!) and the second level has the kitchen and dining area. The bar/waiting area is large enough that it doesn't feel cramped, but intimate enough that you can easily strike up a conversation with strangers (in our case, a stranger joined one of ours-giving his valuable opinion on our subject matter...which was Education Policy, because we're cool like that). After a few rounds of drinks (Matadors--tequila, pineapple, lemon, lime-delicious- for me and my friend Maggie) our party of four was finally all there and we were seated (you have to have your whole party to be seated and all that considered, plus the happy hour, the wait wasn't bad at all). Everything on the menu looked amazing. Ben and I ordered a bunch of stuff to share: salad (with white anchovies for me-yum!), a mushroom pizza (small, flavorful, perfect), and the eggplant parmesan. Eggplant parmesan is one of my favorite things to make, and surprisingly my go-to at Italian places (its hard to screw up, unless it is way over fried). The eggplant was amazing. The sauce was so good (not too sweet, or chunky, or thin, juuuuust right), and the cheese plus the 'meat' of the eggplant was melt-in-your-mouth. What we ordered was by far enough to satisfy our appetites (especially since they had first brought an amazingly crusty and moist olive bread with olive oil to our table to start), but we did save room for dessert! There were two options, so the four of us decided to get both and share. Maggie, Sam, Ben, and I dug in to a great cheesecake and tiramisu. It was really an amazing meal, with great friends, fun and friendly service, and good drinks. I seriously can't wait to go back.
(5)Susan B.
If the Seattle weather is calling for cloudy with a chance of meatballs, I say head straight for Machiavelli's. Mmm... I can still savor the yumminess that is Machiavelli's spaghetti and meatballs. If you are not on a date and/or a fan of garlic, get this dish. From what I glanced on the menu, there are no crazy menu items which is great to see they've concentrated on the Italian basics. And from what I've tasted, the meatballs are moist, savory, and perfectly portioned to the ratio of the pasta and delicious sauce. Best decision ever was to pick up takeout since Machiavelli's doesn't take reservations.
(4)El S.
DO NOT EAT HERE! They lie about whats in the dish and then lie about you on Facebook. They had the gawl to tell me there was prechutto in my dish when there clearly wasnt, Telling me it was finely chopped and i couldnt see it. Poor dining area, poor staff, ok food, bad wine and lousy prices. Eat at Pasta Bella on Queen Anne or 15th in Ballard. Beautiful dining areas and food served by very kind people. Ristorante Machiavelli is a spiteful vengeful bad place. Unless your a part of their 'click'
(1)Matt M.
Not sure how anyone could have something bad to say about this place? I'm wondering if some of these folks even went to the same place as we did? It was first recommended to us by friends 4 weeks ago and we've been there 3 times for a weekend night out dinner. Coming from the East coast I've been dying for some real down home Italian in Seattle and this place was just perfect. What a great date night spot. Every time we've been there the service was absolutely outstanding, we love the servers. The portions are somewhat small but the prices are super cheap for Seattle dining. I've been too much, much more expensive restaurants in Seattle and left hungry ...haha. We order 3 plates. Actually, we like it that way because we can try more of the delicious menu. I don't think I could choose just one entree. We go out on average of 2 times a week for dinner. We've been to all the fancy, shmancy places that Seattle food snobs love. I can't think of a better place if you want real, down home, ma and pop style dining and the best bang for your buck this town has to offer. I wouldn't call this place a cheap date but rather celebrate that there is somewhere in this town you can get a quality meal with quality service and not have to chop off your right arm for it. The wine is fairly priced. Let's put it this way... we went next door to Melrose Market to have wine while we waited and paid $8 - $10 a glass for wine that wasn't as good as the $6 a glass Machiavelli serves. The wait can be long... don't show up at 8pm on Friday/Saturday in a race against time. Kick back, relax, have a glass of wine in the bar area and get ready to eat some delicious Italian food. Our favorites: Highly recommend the Gnocchi... amazing. I lick the plate clean...haha. I typically wouldn't order Spaghetti on a dinner night out but their Spaghetti w/meat sauce is awesome. Spinach Ravioli was really good. My girlfriend loves the fettuccini carbonara. Shrimp piccata was the special tonight and it was awesome. We also heard the breaded chicken is really, really good too. We can't get past the pasta's to try that. Maybe someday. Can't wait to go back!
(5)Bruce K.
One of the very best restaurants in Seattle. The food is fantastic. .Beats the heck out of the very expensive Italian restaurants. The food is freshly prepared and don't overlook their cheesecake which is made by the owner. They have a full bar and pour great drinks. The only problem is they have limited seating. If you don't get there by 5:30 you will almost certainly have to wait. No reservations and you cannot be seated until your entire party has arrived. (make sure you tell that to the people you are planing on meeting!) No worry though, the bar is excellent. It's not a place to sit and chat. They do their best to turn the tables so that the people waiting do not riot! Particular favorite of mine is the pasta with sausage. I order the spaghetti noodles instead of the one it's offered with. DELICIOUS!
(4)Brian W.
Machiavelli's is my favorite Italian restaurant in Seattle. I've been there over 30 times. Their food is consistent and great. The staff is friendly and helpful, but my favorite thing about this spot is the value. Most entrees are in the $10-12 range.
(5)Avitania B.
Machiavelli is quickly becoming my go-to place for pre-show dinners when I'm heading to a show at the Paramount, or when I need to do a little bit of carbo-loading before a night of drinking and debauchery in the Pike/Pine area. It's such a cute little first-date spot: very cozy and intimate, though a bit noisy. Food always comes quickly, the prices are very reasonable, and the service has always been great. I also love the fact that the grapefruit juice in the grapefruit juice + vodka that I had there tonight was made with fresh juice. Because nothing ruins a good cocktail with top shelf vodka faster than yucky canned juice. The food isn't fancy -- it's the kind of homey classics that you'd get in your mom's kitchen: 'sghetti and meatballs, fettuccine carbonara, chicken parmigiana, etc. The bolognese sauce here should not be missed -- it's awesome. I would come here more often if they offered a few more healthier options; however, the portions are on the smaller side -- it makes me feel less guilty about being compelled to choose the pasta instead of something more reasonable, like the Prawns in Marinara with a side of spinach. ;) With that said, I've never had a bad dish here. The food is simple, hearty, and reasonably priced. What more could you ask for?
(4)Molly L.
Not a fan. Walked in and asked for a table for two. The waitress/hostess told me that I couldn't be seated until my entire party arrived. This would've been understandable - if it was perhaps a large party or on a busy night. But this was two people on a Monday evening. I told her that I wanted to sit and have a drink while waiting the ~10 minutes for my friend to arrive. She was visibly frustrated that I was even bothering to make this 'special' request. She repeated several times "sorry that's just our policy here" and wasn't budging at all. This set the tone for my review :0) The food was ok, but not spectacular. My friend had the evening's house special, penne with bacon and I opted for the traditional lasagna. I thought the penne looked better. The lasagna was good - not super flavorful or complex - but simple and not bad tasting. The Chianti I ordered with dinner tasted a bit like it had started to turn, which is hard to imagine since I would think they go through considerable quantities. I would have given the place only one star, but the lasagna was palatable and the person that waited on us was pleasant.
(2)Agnes K.
Oh, satisfying. Ah, good Italian Food. Mm....will be back SOON. I LOVE Italian food. I am willing to eat average or even frozen pre-made italian food on a regular basis but I never forget that I am eating average to below average italian food. Good Italian food is just hard to come by. I was fortunate enough to have had access to some of the best (yet reasonably priced) Italian food while living in NYC. Since leaving the city 6 years ago, I have not had any *really good* Italian food but Machiavelli hit THE spot, in more ways than one. Besides the delicious food (I ordered the Roasted Red Pepper Walnut penne), the service was excellent, and the dishes were soooo reasonably priced. The only complaint I have is the parking, but it's no different than going anywhere else in Capitol Hill. I left feeling very full and satisfied, and still, I turned to my sister while walking out the door, "I'm already excited about the next time I eat here!!"
(5)Chris O.
I've been going to Machiavelli's for years now and I have yet to have a less than amazing experience. The wait staff is great, the manager/bartender is more than capable in both roles. He and I shared some great cocktail tips and insights at my last visit. My boyfriend and I arrived early for a double-date dinner and decided to head into the little bar area for a cocktail. Shane ordered a dirty martini and I indulged in a Woodford Bourbon Manhattan with a twist. Both made quite well and served with a side of great conversation about mysterious and hard to find liquors. As well as a pairing of gentle political banter. The dining room was as quaint and warm as usual. The simple tables and chairs around the edges with a few 2-tops in the center work quite well if not a tiny bit cramped. Which is an authentic Italian experience from what I'm told. The waitress was quick with our water, drinks and starter salads & soup as well as the complimentary olive'd bread and oil/vinegar dip. This visit I went back to a classic favorite of mine, Gnocchi! Light and fluffy potato pillows served in a simple red sauce and flecked with shards of basil. A perfect combination. Shane had the Lasagna which he graciously let me sample, much to my delight. Our other two dining companions had the Carbonara and the Eggplant Parmesan, all of which seemed to disappear from their plates. It must have been horrible :-) Another great experience and highly recommended. Also, Happy Hour until 7pm with $5 pizzas and drink specials. Enjoy!
(5)Jennifer O.
Ohh the food here is great, and so affordable! I have been several times and each time it is wonderful. I love their raviolis!
(5)Courtney G.
My husband and I are new to the neighborhood and are exploring restaurants! We stumbled on Machiavelli's and will definitely be back! The food was pretty fantastic and wonderfully priced! We actually just walked in and placed an order to go. The bar is right when you walk in before the restaurant is revealed. The has a great lowlit classy ambience with a FULL selection of booze and wine. We got the food promptly and it was delicious!!
(5)Kyle B.
This place has one of the best quality to price ratios of any italian restaurant I've been to. The food isn't much more expensive than The Olive Garden but the food is VASTLY better. The portions may not be "endless" but you'll get more than you can eat for dinner, that's for sure. The menu is standard Italian fare but it's all well cooked. We had a really enjoyable meal here for 3 people including wine and the total, including tip was around $70. You can't beat that with a wet noodle.
(4)Lucas D.
The food was ok, if I was just going off that I might have gone with a 3. While we were ordering the server told us about the special with sea scallops. I didn't like the special, but was all of the sudden craving scallops. So I asked her if they could add some to the carbonara I had ordered. Her response was "oh, they don't like to do that here". I said, feel free to charge whatever you want, I just want some scallops, but nope, they don't like to do that here. Do what, make guests happy, create raving fans, make more money, I am not seeing the problem here... I understand not wanting to change recipes, but if a guest wants to add something to a dish, just shut up and do it!
(2)Nick S.
I am not one to frequently eat Italian so my judgement may not carry much weight. This small, quick service, traditional style (I assume) restaurant has some excellent tasting dishes. Starting off with some crunchy bread with oil and vinegar mix. I don't know what is special about the mix but they sell it by the bottle for good reason. Moving on to a mixed green salad with Gorgonzola cheese and whole anchovies. Yeah, anchovies. Get them and eat them, it is part of the Italian feel. As for the main dish, chicken Milanese. It is a fillet chicken breast that has a little breaking, then baked/pan fried. It is served in a butter lemon sauce. Damn good if you ask me. I had a side of spaghetti with meat sauce which was also good. But like I said, I am not the best judge of Italian. However, I can attest to the desserts. Get the cheesecake. One of the better cakes I have had. Thick, rich, and a hint of lemon or maybe that was just the chicken. Either way, damn good cake. The downside is no beer on draught and I don't drink wine.
(4)Ami H.
Great Italian food. Don't skip their complimentary bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Actually make an extra order. It is definitely worth the calories...
(5)George W.
We were there at 6pm Saturday and it was already packed. We waited for 15 minutes and luckily got a nice table next to window. We ordered the $8 per carafe house wine ($3.50 per glass now). Wine is not bad. a veal saltimbocca which I think is mediocre in terms of taste. Honestly I think the veal slices were quite thin. My friend had the Filet Mignon which I took a small piece and a bit disappointing as the sauce was too salty. We also got side dishes: - spaghetti with meat sauce which has some special spice which I really like - mixed veggie - fried potatoes was really good. Generally, ambiance was nice but food was mediocre. BTW, you can save 5% if you pay by cash.
(3)Doug D.
Hmmmm...pasta! I love italian food; and if it's good, all the better. But there is a lot more to a restaurant than the food, so let's start there. This was my first time at Machiavelli and I would come back. The restaurant is small and very quaint. They don't take reservation; but no big deal. I'm always happy to wait 30-45 for a table, particularly if there is a bar (I'm a bit impatient, so don't expect me to wait much more than that on a weekday night and be happy about it). The bartender was busy, busy, busy and the drinks were okay at best. Fortunately, we didn't have to wait too long...about 30 minutes...and we were seated. Our server was helpful with the ordering (but then disappeared for the evening). Another server delivered our food, cleared our table, filled our water and wine glasses and in general, took care of us. Unfortunately, the other server also had tables so we were often without water and when the food arrived, we were missing a fork and had a hard time tracking a server down Same thing when it was time to pay the bill. It wasn't that the service was bad, they just seemed overwhelmed. The food was very good. About half of the group of four really liked their food and the other half thought it was okay. I had the Roasted Pepper Penne and thought it was excellent. A bit spicy...but excellent. The bread and oil was also very good. Service: 3 Food: 4 Cleanliness: 4 I'm torn between a 3-4 rating. It was better than average, but I'm certainly not a fan just yet. I'm going with a 3 and will bump it to a 4 if the service improves slightly.
(3)Timothy F.
5 stars is generous, but the 2 and 3 star reviews are ridiculous! This is old fashioned Italian though so if you are looking for some wild fusion type variations, better try somewhere else. Be hungry, take a friend and split the yummy classics - spaghetti and meatballs and the cheesiest most delicious mouth watering lasagna ever! Wash down with some Chianti then have a disco nap. I have the good fortune of being able to order take out since I live a block away! But love to eat in the bar. VERY busy, pre-theater, best after 9. Kids should be old enough to know how to behave. Leave the infant with babysitter. Romantic, charming place. Nice date place if I could find one..
(5)James T.
If mama had come out of the kitchen to greet my daughters, I would have been sure I was back in Firenze. But she was definitely in the kitchen preparing the perfect pasta with the perfect sauce. Small tables, great food, smiles and service, value. Loved the chewy olive bread and unfiltered, cloudy olive oil to start. Fancy - no, comfortable - yes, delicious - yes.
(5)Lindsay M.
Machiavelli's was just what we needed on a cold, wet night. The bar staff were friendly and didn't mind us switching tables to get away from a few loud folks just as our food came out. Portion sizes were excellent and the tortellini formaggi was lovely. Now, if only Machiavell's would open another location in Austin, TX.
(4)Jay C.
Thank you, Machiavelli. My dad is an Italian food connoisseur. I had been to the restaurant a couple times and was impressed. But would it live up to my pop's high standards? Last Saturday I decided to chance it. We got there at 5 on the dot, so were the 2nd group to get a table. By the time we left at 6 or so, the entire restaurant as full and the bar was packed with people waiting for a table. I got the puttanesca, which was so good and spicy. My dad's eyes lit up when he saw the veal parmigiana. His favorite! But would it pass the taste test? He said this dish is a true measure of a good Italian restaurant . Of course, I'm sure you can guess by my 5-star review and opening sentence, that it did pass. My dad loved it and said he wanted to come back soon! Beware your whole party must be there before you get seated.
(5)Tessa M.
I have only been here once, but I had a GREAT experience. I was visiting with my fiance from CT, and we looked up this place on Yelp! to find a place for dinner. The reviews seemed good, so we went, and it delivered. It was EXACTLY what we were looking for. It was reasonably priced for a dinner in a city, and the atmosphere was awesome. Inside, it was dimly lit, relaxed, and full of young people (friends, couples, etc) drinking wine and chatting. The staff was very attentive and friendly, and the food was great. We each got an appetizer, a full meal, split a dessert, and some wine, and spent only $70. We only waited about 5 minutes for a table, but it was a weeknight. I assume the wait would be very long on a weekend, since there aren't a ton of tables. Definitely check it out if you are looking for a nice dinner out on the town.
(5)Katherine S.
Ristorante Machiavelli is the classic "what you see is what you get" restaurant. Yes, it is crowded. Yes, there is going to be a wait. Yes, if the table next to you is occupied by drunk rowdies, its going to be annoying. But as many downsides as there are to a small family owned restaurant, there are more upsides. Way more. First off, as a Capitol Hiller, it is very rare to find such a reasonably priced place. I was really hungry Friday night when we checked it out, and after a longer then quoted wait (really annoying, ps) I was ready to try everything on the menu. I got the minestrone soup, the green salad with gorgonzola, and the roasted red pepper penne. The soup was $3.50 and awesome, the salad was $4.50 and awesome, and the pasta was under $10 and (you guessed it) awesome. Anyone who calls this place over priced does not eat out in Seattle. Period. So the food. The minestrone was homemade and full of nice looking veggies, and well seasoned, which I found is rare with the average Italian place's soup unless it is the special. The green salad was pretty basic of course, but nicely (and lightly) dressed, with lots of chunks of gorgonzola and a nice slab of roasted red beet on the side. I had asked the waitress between the Fettuccine Alfredo (I think a not too heavy alfredo can be a indicator of a good Italian Restaurant) and the penne, she suggested the penne. She was right on, and also just generally very helpful! It was exactly what I wanted, not too sweet, not too creamy, a really nice texture. Unlike some over reviews, I found my pasta to be nicely al dente. I would have really liked to try the tiramisu, but after all that, I was already stuffed and had my lunch for the next day. I'll be back though. Tip: They offer a 5% discount if you use cash, good for those money conscious!
(4)MaryJanesGirl ..
Been wanting to try this for a couple years now and finally did last month. Very pleased. We lucked up and got a window seat, which was nice for us since it was date night, and even though it was full we we able to linger over our wine and conversation. Candles lit, intimate, simple setting. Pasta we had was very good, priced right. Will definitely be going back.
(4)Jason R.
Decided to try Ristorante Machiavelle before watching Wicked at the Paramount. I read all the reviews and was expecting a great dinner. My girlfriend and I arrived early to place our name on the wait list and had a drink at the bar area, very convenient since the restaurant is cozy. The wine of choice was the 05 Chianti, which tasted great. The wait was roughly 30min, so not bad for a Friday night. Once we were seated, bread was served and quickly consumed =) For dinner we ordered the Eggplant Parmesan, Spinach Ravioli, and the Veal Saltimbocca. Everything tasted great! EXCEPT for the Veal...it came with prosciutto on top which is always a plus, but the veal was so thin and spongy from soaking up the sauce that it tasted like the breakfast sausage patty I had earlier that morning. As I mentioned this place is cozy and great for a date night if you don't mind spending 30min-1hr at the bar which could be an issue if you're on a tight schedule. I may try this place again, just to give it a second chance, but I will be going with the waitress recommended Veal Milanese.
(3)Daniel B.
EXCELLENT food, service and very nice atmosphere
(5)Thomas H.
I can't believe that I am just now writing a review. I've probably dined here 50+ times since moving to capital hill and have never once been disappointed. It's hard every time trying to decide what to order. But here are a couple you cant go wrong with: Meatballs....with any dish Daily Special gnocci Steak (yes really) PS, the staff are the best you will find anywhere. They truly treat you like friends. Especially Tracy, who I secretly think is the owner because she is so awesome.
(5)Lou R.
On July 19 planned to have dinner and was 1/hr wait to get a table which I did and finally hostess sat me. No one handed me a menu, only thing waterman served water and bread. Waited, waited and waited for a menu while seeing the waitresses tending to all tables around mine except me and even folks who got in after me were eating. 1/12 hr later after finishing 2 glasses of water and all bread I asked waterman who was ready to serve like the third glass of water to call the manager but he said he was not in at the moment, so he called the hostess who apologized and said how sorry she was but stated when they see a customer with no menu on hand their rule was to assume they already ordered and food was on the way, she apologized again but I was so irritated I had to leave. Whoever heard a restaurant assumes customers with no menus on their tables means they have ordered already? no one ever asked me how I was doing. Their food may be great which I never got to try but their service is terrible and staff are space heads. The least hostess could have said was salad is on them, or waitress serving around my table follow up with me. Customers beware: no menu on hand? better ask for one or they assume you have ordered food.
(1)Christie P.
Italian food can be tricky, especially since everyone and their mom has their own subjective idea of what is good, and even more so when it comes to great. If you're looking for something good, a solid place to lay your carb-restrictions down, Machiavelli's will hit the spot. The restaurant itself is small, but offers a variety of opportunities to play footsies with your date, hand-flying conversations with friends, or easy clean-up for the kiddies. The menu isn't too extensive, but big enough to satisfy any palate. The service was pretty good. L.o.v.e.d. the bread (amazing that they provide olive bread!), but their oil/vinegar mix is definitely different - just FYI. We ordered the Large Antipasto Salad, which is the perfect combination of the salt from antipasto and the tangy dressing for the salad. I got the Lasagna Bolognese, Hubby got the Spinach Ravioli. The lasagna was pretty rich. I ended up deserting it in favor of the other dish, mostly because the ravioli was uber good. The creamy tomato sauce with the mushrooms... ::eyes close:: delicious! Make sure you save some bread to mop the plate clean.
(4)Ron T.
We happened upon this restaurant when reading the reviews to another place. In town just for the weekend and loved this local Italian treat. Wish we lived here as we'd be back tomorrow! We had the eggplant, lasagna, ravioli and tortellini and everything was cooked to perfection! Would highly recommend.
(5)Kelsey G.
Amazing food, great environment and price point. Only bummer is the 30+ min wait from check in to seating. Oh well-- so worth it!
(4)Prince of P.
Walked in around 9 pm on a Saturday, didnt get a table till 10:30 so get ready for a wait. Food was very good and also affordable, wish they took reservations. Carbonara was very tasty. Different than most I've had (sauce had cream in it) but good nonetheless. Bresaola alla Valtinellese was also delicious. Whats more amazing than the food quality at such a low price is how they fit so many people in such a small dinning area.
(4)Yuliana A.
This was my second trip to this place...but the first time I actually ate there (the first trip was unsuccessful 'cos we had to wait 2 hours to get a table). Between my friends and I, we ordered lasagna, eggplant parm, spinach shell, vongole, and caesar salad. The salad was great! Very evenly coated with dressing and cheese, sprinkled with lots of parm, and topped with not-overly-salty white anchovies (don't order the anchovies if you hate 'em). I was anticipating the lasagna to be awesome, but it turns out to be my least favorite. Nothing special there...it was your standard textbook lasagna. Believe it or not, the lasagna at Il Fornaio bistro at Pacific Place was more stellar than the one here. But the eggplant parm was good, with the cheese was slightly burnt and crispy on top. I also love, love, LOVE the vongole pasta. You really can taste the clam in the sauce...very deep muscle-y flavor. The spinach shell (or spinach pasta) was okay....the sauce has too basil in it which I hate (I know...weird right?). But overall I would come again and again just for the egg parm and vongole (though I'm sure if I go there next time I'd order something else...)
(4)Sheryl C.
What a great find. They have a great little bar with terrific drink prices. Every course was great surprise. The Caesar salad was really good. The pasta was cooked al dente which is difficult to find in most restaurants. We had the fettuccine alfredo and the special pasta dish of the day, both were delicious. We also had desserts and both the cheesecake and tiramisu were incredible. I can't believe I have not been to this restaurant sooner. The food was good and the prices were great. I can't wait to go back!
(5)Stephanie H.
This is why I joined Yelp. So that I can find a gem like this when I am looking for something good to eat and I don't know where to go. So, being that I was in Seattle and had no idea where to go, I jumped online and a series of searches brought me to Ristorante Machiavelli. After asking the concierge about this place and finding out that he was a big fan I decided to try it along with my boss and our client. They don't take reservations, so we walked over to the restaurant, and managed to get one of the very few available tables. I love the decor. It reminds me of some small Italian joints in NYC and Boston. It was super cute. But how is the food you ask? Well you don't get 5 stars from me just for being cute. Our client and I decided to share everything, because well, we are both indecisive. So we stared with the special, an heirloom caprese. Not the best caprese I have ever had, but it was definitely note worthy. For our entrees we shared the eggplant parmesan and the spinach ravioli. Both were delicious. By the time we got to dessert, we were too full to try anything. The service was really great and the staff was ridiculously friendly. Oh yeah... and the best part of it all, the bread with the olive oil and balsamic. It keeps coming and boy is it good! I would highly recommend that the next time you come to Seattle, you try this place.
(5)Elena M.
After walking past this place at least a thousand times during the 20+ years I've lived in Seattle (1/3 of which I lived on Capitol Hill), I finally went to Ristorante Machiavelli for dinner with a friend about about six weeks ago. We were there early (just after 5:00 PM) on a weeknight and were seated immediately at big, comfy table by the window. We perused the very reasonably-priced menu while we watched the world go by. Drinks and food were ordered. Drinks and food were quickly brought to our table. Drinks and food were tasty. Drinks and food were consumed. By the time we'd finished our meals, the place had filled up and there were some folks waiting for a table. Our table. Service had been very friendly throughout the meal and remained so. But it was clear they wanted us to vacate our table so another party could be seated. So, it seems is the trick is go early and on a night when you have somewhere else to be so don't want to linger. I've already gone back with my husband on just such a night. And will do so again.
(4)Josh P.
Went here on a Friday night at 7:30. I knew they didn't take reservations but didn't think the wait would be an hour! But waited near the bar for that time as I've heard great things about this restaurant and figured it'd be worth the wait after reading Jason R.'s review... Was seated near the window about 55min later and started off with the antipasto salad which was AWESOME. It had a very nice not too light dressing with slices of salami, garbanzo beans, and great roasted red beets. Those beets alone are worth the salad, Dwight Shrute would have been proud. Alongside this came a small dish of bread and balsamic vinegar which was just ok. Now onto the main course. I ordered the veal milanese and my friend ordered the fettuccine carbonara. My veal came with a side of spaghetti(you can choose between spaghetti, fresh vegetables or potatoes) and was pounded thin and delicious. It was like a schnitzel in a pool of lemon butter. The portion was huge; I could only eat half before I had to tap out. My friends carbonara was also great; fresh and hot with smoky chunks of bacon and a creamy fettuccine sauce. Sitting here at a cafe I wish I was sitting down to this mean again. Overall would recommend but be prepared to wait for awhile if you go on a weekend night. Do yourself a favor and order the antipasti salad and don't forget about the beets...
(4)Ivan I.
This shiz is great. Really awesome food without a pretentious price. I've been here twice while I was doing Halo stuff in Seattle, and it's really good. The ONLY drawback is you usually have to wait like 20 minutes around dinner time, it gets super packed. Go derr.
(5)Gary H.
I will keep this simple, for once; "great sauce"! One can often tell a great Italian place by it's sauce and these folks have it down. I ordered the Just Prawns and it was simply that and delicious but it was the sauce that made this dish unforgetable.
(5)Jessica O.
We tried this place for our anniversary and i knew i was going to be a fan when i saw the variety of gin drinks on the cocktail menu. great Italian fare + a full bar is tough to find these days, so that was a huge bonus. We went on a Thursday night around six and we waited about 30 minutes in the bar before we were seated. there is plenty of seating in the bar and it has a great window to people watch so we almost just ate there, but we had already put our names on the list. the dining room is a little small but i didn't feel like i was at everyone else's table. we tried the spaghetti and the alfredo and they were awesome. very generous portions and well seasoned. we also got some vanilla bean cheesecake that we consumed later that evening and i would say it rocked our teenage dance party. so to sum it up, we had 2 drinks, a bottle of wine, 2 side salads, 2 entrees and 2 desserts for around $70! thats enough to bump chests in celebration!
(4)Joe R.
My favorite restaurant in Seattle (4-year resident). Ambiance is an incredible blend of authentic Italian diner + Pacific Northwest flare. Sauces on pastas are all very well spiced and balanced. Dishes are medium in portion; just right. Wine selection is unassuming yet has variety. House wines are good; great value. As a date spot, the waiting area is ideal (you can grab drinks and an app and find your own sit down or stand up bar). Then the dining room is a touch cramped, but I like the ambiance enough to overcome that. This was my go-to restaurant -- I miss it dearly.
(5)Nancy C.
I thought for sure I had revivewed this restaurant before, I guess not. Previously, I would have given it 4 or 5 stars. The price is definitely right and the service is always good. However, when we went there this week - the pasta was just like it was out of a Lean Cuisine box... was really disappointed in the past it was always really tasty. Probably won't be back for a long time : (
(3)Walter P.
Excellent in every way that matters.
(5)Chanele B.
I am so impressed with Machiavelli! I had told my fiance that I felt in the mood for Italian when we were going out for a special night, and he was recommended this place. While it doesn't look like anything special from the outside, the dishes being served on the inside are top quality. I had chicken parmigiana with a side of spaghetti with meat sauce, and he had chicken al forno with roasted veggies. Both dishes were amazing! I must say that across the four states I have lived in, Machiavelli has the best sauce anywhere! I cannot wait to go back and try more items, and Machiavelli's is a definite to take out of town guests.
(5)Mark S.
I've been to this place a few times in the past 6 years and had pretty good experiences. Its usually a safe pick to take a friend from out of town to...Well, that will never happen again after our rude service there. We waited to be seated right when they open, but was refused because only 3 out of 4 of our party was present! 10mins later we asked again to be seated while the other is running late and they refused again! Then we said that we are going to leave if you can't seat us now. The manager said "ok, sorry." how could you be so bold to tell any customer to go ahead and walk out. I would understand if the place was busy at the time - OR - I was alone and waiting for the other 3 to show up. Never will I go to this establishment again, nor will I forget what happen that day.
(1)Liz A.
This place is very small! Food tasted decent at the time, but 6 hours later when my friends and I were sound asleep, we all woke up to the same discomfort. Major food poisoning. Interesting thing is that we all ate different dishes but we all had the same symptoms. Could have been the tiramisu that we all shared. Anyways I wouldn't come back here because of that. Also we called the manager the next day to explain and they didn't seem to think it was their food. So I would also say they are lacking customer service as well.
(1)Eric P.
Chicken parmesan and chicken milanese were incredible. It was quite loud in the actual restaurant though and very busy.
(5)Brook C.
Wow, what can I say? Ristorante Machiavelli is top notch! We called them to make reservations only to find out that they don't take them. Now I know why, they don't need to. The place was jam-packed! There was an hour and a half wait. We went to Pacific Place mall to fill the time. Now on to the food; They give you fresh bread (mmmm olives baked in)with their own house made balsamic dip. Mark got Veal Saltimbocca (prosciutto, fresh sage, & Marsala wine) and it was fab! I got Chicken Milanese (lightly breaded and sautéed, w/ lemon butter) also delicious. We finished with their version of Tiramasu that had chocolate mousse in place of the mascarpone. It was extremely reasonable for the quality, service and setting. If you are prepared to put your name on a list and come back, this place is a go!
(4)Joshua P.
Really cute little spot on the hill. We had a pretty big group so had to wait for 2 hours as they do not take reservations. By the time we were seated we were all so hungry we each ate at least a loaf of bread each(which itself deserves 5 stars). We also made the mistake of ordering the same 2 dishes between 6 of us so we weren't able to see a variety :( Both descent but I feel there were better options... Next time I will get the marinara and meatballs...
(3)Andy K.
There's nothing out of the ordinary about Machiavelli, and that's part of why it's so good. More than once, when my brain and my stomach couldn't make up their collective mind about what I wanted to eat, Machiavelli has filled the bill. There's something comforting about a simple bowl of pasta that's steaming hot and not aspiring to be anything else. Clearly plenty of people agree - it can be tough to get in on weekend nights, but it is worth a moderate wait, especially if you're jonesing for Italian. Service is prompt and the food arrives fairly quickly considering how busy it can be. The dining area is warm and inviting and perfect for watching pedestrians as they climb up Pine.
(4)Steven E.
The food is good. My wife and I have been here several times because everything that we have had has been excellent. I think that the portions are small. But then I am not really a fine dining kind of person. I am use to having to take a to-go box home with my leftovers. I have had good service 2 out of the 6 times that we have been there. And 2 of the times that we have gone there I didn't get a soda refill. 1 of the times they took our order, then brought out the food, and never came back until I put my wallet and debit card at the edge of the table next to the empty soda glass that had already been sitting there for over an hour. The bussers always make sure that you have bread and water so it's not all bad.
(2)Jack F.
The Italian restaurants in Seattle seem to fall into two categories (broadly speaking) - those that feature stereotypical Italian fare (chicken picatta, chicken parmesan, spaghetti, etc), and those that aim for a more upscale/sophisticated/diverse selection of dishes that showcase more than just pasta & sauce. Machiavelli is definitely in the first category. The restaurant itself is quaint, I've been there many times in the 10+ years I've lived in the area, and to its credit Machiavelli is consistent, cozy and tasty. The menu seems rather static, however, and the place is almost always insanely crowded. I've never found it worth the wait - most of the menu items are familiar Italian favorites that the average chef could concoct at home with little trouble. Most recently I had their chicken parmesan - which was tasty but lacking in texture as the breading was soggy. The side dish - spaghetti and meat sauce - was bland at best, with watery pasta that had not been drained well enough, and a tepid/bland meat sauce that left no lasting impression. Don't get me wrong, you can get good food here at a good price, but the popularity and high ratings here on Yelp to this day puzzle me.
(3)Andre E.
Sadly, this was one of the biggest meal letdowns I've had in a while. After hearing so much about this place I decided to try it out... Bad idea. I ordered the eggplant parm. It was way over salted and the consistency was something I shouldn't even begin to describe. My date had the spinach ravioli which was ok, but still in my opinion sub par. Definitely not made in house. The tuna carpaccio I've heard so much about fell flat. I think that tiny piece of hammered tuna would have tasted much better had it not been overtaken (overshaken?) with Parmesan cheese. I have no reason to ever go back. Sorry guys.
(2)Stephanie S.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Seattle, and definitely my favorite spot for Lasagna...anything with their Bolognese sauce will probably change your life (and if it doesn't, I can probably never be friends with you, no offense). The atmosphere is fun, very small and cozy. Everything on the menu I have tried is very good, and their olive oil/balsamic bread dipping mix is so very delicious! The prices are excellent, portion size is good, and the service is always consistent (not overly friendly but always attentive and the staff is good at what they do). Their wine prices are very reasonable and they have a good selection. We do enjoy their happy hour, usually grabbing a drink before sitting down to eat. So keep in mind it's not a super fancy upscale place but it can accommodate a variety of people, we have gone dressed up for the paramount and also dressed down for a night in and fit in either way. They do not take reservations, despite our best efforts to persuade them to, so make sure to give yourself enough time, i.e. do not be in a rush to be somewhere. I am not a huge fan of their desserts, but by the time I finish with their Caesar salad, the lasagna Bolognese and a half carafe of wine I am too happy to need dessert anyway. This is a top recommended spot for any Italian food lover who isn't overly pretentious and likes slow meals with good friends in a close environment...Machiavelli's, I have a slight love affair with you, please don't tell my husband!
(5)Claire C.
Yelp, you are my hero. No matter how many people give you the finger because they think the reviews are too subjective, or to often subject to personal diary type storytelling, I find that a good average = a good restaurant and a shitty average = shitty restaurant. Hands down, it just works. I found this restaurant while on yelp Seattle and recommended it to a herd of Seattle residents for dinner, non of whom had been there before. We arrived at around 7 pm on a Saturday night and as promised were crammed into the front bar while waiting for our table. We sipped cheap chianti and decent drinks while we waited, the hostess brought people bread with dipping sauce so they wouldn't result to tearing each other limb from limb. After about 40 minutes we were seated and enjoying the tiny dining room. We placed our orders with the only bump in the road resulting from the surly attitude of our server, she seemed like she was having an off night, I didn't smell chronic bitch on her or anything. The ceasar salads were enjoyed by my companions while I scarfed down some antipasta salad, I love me some meat in my salad. The winners of the night were def the pastas. Everyone around me was scarfing down their food, cleaning the plates! Alas, I ordered a sausage pizza that was a lot closer to a 3 star rating, borrrring. Anyway, the nips that I got of my neighbor's alfredo and sausage red sauce with spinach noodles were amazing. AND the best part, we got outta there for dinner for 5, including a bottle of wine, at around $125! I know I overuse this phrase, but great bang for the buck!
(4)Mike C.
Well, where the hell have I been? What a great dinner I had here the other night. I cant believe i haven't been here yet. Great friendly service. The atmosphere was super cozy. We had a table by the window with a nice view of the space needle. Just in case you don't see it enough. To start they brought bread to our table. It was delicious. I couldn't stop eating the damn bread. Then we shared the Antipasto Platter. It had a nice variety of meats, a little fresh mozzarella and marinated vegetables. I ordered the Spinach Ravioli and my friend had the Lasagna Bolognese. We couldn't resist trying each others food. We both loved our own and each others food. The food was GREAT and I don't work for them. It was delicious. Great food. Great staff. Great atmosphere. Very reasonable prices. I'm so glad I finally made it to Machiavelli's. I can't wait to go back.
(5)Mat M.
Machiavelli is a great little urban restaurant. The atmosphere is very welcoming and warm although the sound level at busy times is very loud. The staff is very friendly. The olive bread and olive oil to dip in are very tasty. I had a yummy, spicy dish made of spinach shells and Italian sausage. My date's dish was too spicy for her; a problem that is more and more common. It name and description sounded tame enough. The clientele is all over the map, with quite a few overly tattooed and pierced patrons.
(4)Suzanna F.
I've extremely close to Machiavelli's and every time I walk past it to get to the bus I think about trying it. Well finally I did! And was not disappointed. We went around 7:30 on a Wednesday and had no trouble getting a table. The service was fantastic. We immediately were given menus, water, and bread (right after we ordered). The food came fairly quickly - just fast enough that you know they had just made it fresh. They offered both of us cheese and fresh pepper for every dish and were very attentive. As for the food... SO delicious for the price! I ordered spaghetti bolegnese and a mixed green salad. He ordered chicken parmigiana and minestrone soup. All the dishes tasted great - even minus the cheese on mine! I'd definitely go back here again!
(5)Lor B.
Still a favorite for me. Went on Friday night split a Spinach Ravioli for our "primi" then had the Chicken Al Forno for Secondi. Husband had the Chicken Parmigiano. Everything was excellent! The restaurant was busy when we got in - so we ended up eating at the bar. Didn't realize they had such a great scotch selection! Italian wines by the glass were ok.
(5)F H.
Love, love, love this place. Love to have a drink in the bar while waiting for a table (no reservations, and bar can be uber crowded, but good lighting, nice vibe, inexpensive cocktails). Love the food. Super simple, quality Italian food. No fancy-shmancy stuff. And the price is right! Caesar salad with anchovies, spaghetti bolognese, and a bottle of chianti classico and I'm in heaven. Love the waitstaff. No brown-nosers here. To the point, can be brusk, but good people. Highly recommended.
(5)Nader A.
Wow, wow, WOW! Yelp is truly at it's best when it helps you find a GEM like Ristorante Machiavelli...especially when you're visiting from out of town. Good ol' Niccolo was famous for saying (though somewhat less succinctly than the attributions would imply) that the ends of good governance justify the means of cunning and deceit - if he'd been advising me last Friday night as we waited in the tiny cocktail lounge for table at his namesake restaurant, he probably would have suggested I spread some rumour about health code violations, or just push people off their barstool so I could move up in the wait list, because dinner here was so fantastic it would have justified almost any means! We arrived at around 8ish on a Friday night, and were told the wait would be about an hour, but in truth it was much shorter than that. While we waited we enjoyed a few drinks and patiently watched all the satisfied customers exiting after their meals. It wasn't long before our names were called and we were lead upstairs to the small, intimate dining room Service from our super busy bartender, to the efficient and welcoming waitress, was all top notch. Lesser places would fall apart when the wait is literally standing room only, but we never felt ignored in the lounge or rushed once we were seated. We started with a wonderful Antipasto Salad, chock full of delicious cured meats, pickled peppers, olives, and other fresh veggies - sized perfectly to share for two, and priced well at $8.50! Ristorante Machiavelli has solid menu with good variety of standard and slightly more exotic Italian fare: about a dozen unique pasta dishes (i.e. not calling spaghetti with pesto and spaghetti with marinara 2 different dishes) plus about half that many choices in each of the the "Pizza", "Specialty", and "Entree" sections of the menu - all in all I had a very hard time narrowing my choices from 15, to 5, to 3, before finally deciding on the Conchigie della Casa. This dish of perfectly al dente spinach shells, in a ragout of crumbled Italian sausage and marinara was absolutely delicious! Full of the flavors of fennel, basil, and tomato set nicely against the spicy zing and texture of sausage - and visually all the more appealing due to the verde tinted this pasta this dish was executed perfectly! My Lady's Linguini alla Vongole was delicious, and the clams and pasta were both cooked to perfection and bursting with garlicky goodness! At less than $10 each both of our dishes were an amazing value; in fact the vast majority of dishes come in at under $12, and there's only ONE item on the menu above $16. Add in a delicious house burgundy ($3.50, $8, and $15 for a glass, half-, and full-carafe respectively), or one of their very reasonably priced Italian or domestic bottles of vino (many in the low-mid $20 range), and you can have a fantastic, romantic dinner that's pretty easy on the budget - and they even give you a token discount for paying cash! From beginning to end Ristorante Machiavelli was an amazing spot for dinner, and worth every minute of the wait!
(5)Erin W.
I am so disappointed with this place. I am even more disappointed I cannot leave this place ZERO stars. I have been here a few times, and it is my boyfriend's favorite restaurant which he used to visit regularly and lives within walking distance of. We decided to go out to eat, and chose his favorite place--Machiavelli. I have a service animal (who wears a vest that clearly labels him as such) and when I went in the door, the bartender/host told me they don't allow dogs. I told him he was a service animal and was wearing a vest to indicate that. The bartender checked the vest and then skeptically looked at me and asked me what my disability is. Not only is that illegal; it was embarrassing and offensive. I disclosed my disability and asked him if he wanted to see the service animal card (I have one from the Department of Justice that is to be presented when the handler encounters access issues which informs the business owner of the law, provides a number for them to get more information, and tells the business owner that the handler is NOT required to present such a card), to which he replied, "yes." I handed him the card, he read it, and then he told me that people try to get their dogs into the restaurant all the time. This made me feel really angry that people with legitimate disabilities and correctly labeled working dogs have to pass this man's scrutinization because other people have tried to take a dog into a restaurant. If the dog is labeled, the business owner must allow access. Anyhow, we get seated and the waitress is rude and gruff. I look at the menu (as I have food allergies), and see an item with pasta, shrimp, marinara, basil, and garlic. I have a pepper (not black pepper) allergy, so I order that. I get my food and have an allergy attack where I go in the restroom to see if I can take care of the attack before involving my epi pen. While in the restroom, my boyfriend gets lectured on how I should have disclosed my allergy in the beginning. I eat out virtually every day and I have never seen red pepper flakes added to something without it being listed on the menu. Not only do many people have problems with spicy food, but it seemed as relevant an ingredient as garlic. My boyfriend tried some of it and it was too hot for him (and he likes spicy food). It was so intolerable that he had no interest in eating more than one bite. The waitress came to the table and scolded me for not telling her about my allergy and my boyfriend and I decided we were going to leave. We paid and left our food and half a glass of wine. Unfortunately, this used to be my boyfriend's favorite restaurant in Seattle; now we will NEVER go back. EDITED 04/20/2011: Thank you, Linda, for educating the staff on ADA and service animals. I appreciate that. As for the fire-marinara, the complaint was more in the manner it was handled than the fact that not every ingredient was listed. Rather than a rude lecture, I would have appreciated the server saying something like, "I am sorry about that. Next time, if you let me know of your allergy, I can help you choose something that you will really enjoy. Would you like to try something else?" That gets your point across, but is still customer service friendly. And lecturing my boyfriend didn't accomplish anything except him feeling confused and attacked when he was also processing the emotion of feeling worried about me. In addition, the sauce was too hot for even a spicy-food eater, which made in inedible, and had nothing to do with ingredients being listed or not. I think the main concern here isn't the food, but the service and the approach. I have been to hundreds of restaurants where my order gets screwed up or something is made incorrectly--it happens--but HOW it is handled is of paramount importance. In fact, my favorite restaurant (which I have Yelped about twice before) has had this happen and they were polite and gracious, which is something that I felt was missing here.
(1)Alexis X.
This place has character! The first time I dined at Machiavelli's it was snowing outside and we sat by the window and I felt like I was in a Charles Dicken's novel. Parking and the waiting is a bit of an inconvenience, but it's not a deal breaker. The food and the service is not fussy or showy, it's good old italian comfort food, served by friendly efficient staff. Love the olive bread and meat/antipasti starter. I had a special with scallops, penne and a light tomato cream sauce. It was delicious! My friend and I have gone to Machiavelli's to celebrate our birthdays these past few years, and we've always left full and happy!
(3)Michelle B.
Must stay awake to write review. Must not disturb happy full belly while writing review. Must perch laptop in position where I can reach keys so I can lay on couch to write review. Can you tell I've had pasta? Oh, but not just any pasta. Pasta from Machiavelli Ristorante. I cannot believe I have lived up the street from this place for over a year and I just tried it for the first time. Think of all the deliriously happy food comas I've missed out on! Oh, the humanity! It's not like I haven't tried to eat at Machiavelli's before, I have, many times. Each time the wait is over an hour, and sometimes even two hours! Generally I go to dinner because I'm hungry so waiting two hours didn't seem like a good idea. * I was wrong. * Next time I will pack a light snack, head to Machiavelli's and wait however long they tell me so I can fill my belly with reasonably priced, non-fussy, tasty Italian food. We started off with the Tuna Carpaccio which was flavorful and light and sprinkled with a healthy dose of capers. We moved on to our salads and both the Caesar and the House Salad were crisp and perfectly dressed. But, here is where the real fun begins - out comes the pasta! The Gnocchi was served in a chunky flavorful sauce, the Spicy Penne was seasoned perfection on a plate, and the Cheese Tortellini with Cheese Sauce would have been delicious even if our waitress hadn't spooned out even more cheesy goodness when she offered me some fresh parmesan. Good thing this is the type of place that has red checkered vinyl table clothes, because we ate with gusto! If you are looking for a reasonably priced filling meal, and don't have anywhere to be for a while, I would certainly suggest heading up to Machiavelli.
(5)Jacob C.
Really great food and nice atmosphere/location.
(4)James M.
Hands down my favorite italian spot in Seattle. I loved the pasta and the atmosphere was terrific. Great cheap date spot. Bring your own bottle of wine, corkage is around $12 and the dinner itself is reasonably priced with an outstanding view. I love this place!! My new favorite date spot
(5)elle b.
Hill hipsters meet mom-and-pop types for red-checkered-tablecloth unfancy Italian here. Portions aren't huge, but you'll do just fine if you nibble on the olive bread and split a yummy tuna carpaccio or fresh mozzerella app before digging into your pasta. I highly recommend the linguine with garlicky red clam sauce, the gnocchi, and the carbonara. I'm not a fan of their uber-cheesy lasagna, but to each his own. Pastas are a wallet-friendly $8-11 and wines are reasonably priced. And if you pay in cash you'll get 10% off your bill!
(5)David K.
I went last Friday with my gf. Because of its location, I expected the parking situation to be somewhat of a concern, and that turned out to be true (spent like 10 mins looking for a spot). I'll take transit there next time. Second, the place is kinda small, so the wait times at peak hours might be a while. The wait time stated for us was around 30 minutes at 6:30pm, though it really took about 45 minutes. That being said, once we were seated (mighty close to other tables), the menus were brought out, and our orders were quickly taken. The bread and oil was pretty good. I don't know how they did it, with the vinegar just at the bottom and the olive oil all on top, but it was quite tasty, as was the bread, which had olives inside (I guess something they are known for). I had the 'special' of the day, which was various shellfish over linguine while my gf had like a poultry dish with some sort of lemon marinade. Both I thought were fairly good; the portions weren't too big (and the prices were well proportioned to the portion themselves), but just enough to make the both us pretty full (but not stuffed). I think we spent about $40 after tip. Since we had some of the more pricer dishes, I can easily see being able to eat here for under $35 with tip. I'll have to give this place another go when I am in the area.
(4)b r.
love this place. the tuna carpaccio is DELICIOUS and great with their olive loaf. i've tried a few dishes, the linguine with clans, carbonara, etc. haven't had a bad dish yet.
(4)Chris P.
I LOVE this place. Great food great atmosphere and well worth the wait. They are very smart to give up a little of the small dining space they have to create a front bar to wait in. You're going to put in about 45 minutes waiting but it goes by fast. Pay with cash and you'll save a percentage of your total bill. (Not to mention you make the awesome power lesbian who is serving you's life easier by not having to split the bill) Even the free bread and basalmic to start off the meal are great!
(5)Tyler R.
I've been 3 times and each time I've walked away thinking "that was ok". Every dish I've had was straightforward italian. Nothing was bad and I've enjoyed the house wine but I really can't figure out why this place has a huge line every single day. Maybe your food just tastes better after you've had to smell their kitchen for over an hour while you wait?
(3)Lindsey S.
I frequent a lot of the bars around Machiavelli so I'd seen it many times and as cute and charming as it looks, I never gave it a whirl. I'm pretty impatient (especially when I'm hungry) so the fact that it was always crawling with people was a turn off. Then my boyfriend wanted to go for his birthday, so we braved the 45 minute wait and got a drink in the cozy bar. The bar area is tight, but where isn't it in Seattle? The 45 min was more like 25 and we had a table. Food was amazing! Our server was so helpful and friendly and when the bill came, I was shocked. Seriously floored by how cheap it was. Bottom line: Don't be intimidated by the wait, everything on the menu is awesome, and the prices are such a deal! Don't pass this place up!
(4)Jeremy H.
We enjoyed this stop in with some family. It has a bar-ish feel be not in a bad way, just not a typical pristine Italian feel. More simple with a neighborhood feel and very good food. We live in north Seattle so we'd hit it up more if we were closer.
(5)Angie C.
I no longer live in Seattle but still crave this place. I used to go to Machiavelli at least twice a month. I would get the tortellini with meat sauce quite frequently. They make a fantastic gnocchi too. I LOVE the bread with the olive oil/vinegar dipping mix they give you with the bread. The Copa and Garlic Pizza is phenomenal. Wow. The restaurant is very small and very good, which makes it VERY crowded. You can wait in the bar area for a seat, but the wait can be very long. It's also hard to find a place to stand in the bar area because it is so packed. But, it is SO worth packing yourself in, grabbing a glass (or two) of chianti and waiting it out in good company. I look forward to returning to this place some day.
(5)Raza M.
I just loved this place. It was kind of a farewell for a friend moving away, so gathered to have a good old meet-up. It took us a while (about tens minutes) to be seated, but then again, we were still waiting for more friends to join us. I loved the fact that even though the place was full, we can still talk to each other without shouting. Once we were seated we were immediately served bread. Let me tell you this, that day we were a diverse bunch, a French guy from city near Swiss border, a Pakistani who had lived in Paris for a good few years, an Egyptian guy and a guy from Hong Kong, who have lived in Montreal and me, the traveler. And we all had one opinion, the bread was amazing. For main course I had prawn linguine, my friends order veal, and it was just perfect. I ordered a Cheesecake as desert, which was yummy. What's strange is the prices were very reasonable, somewhat on the cheaper side, I would say. We sat there for about another 30 minutes after dinner, which didn't seem to bother the servers. An excellent experience.
(4)Bill C.
This is our favorite Italian place in Seattle. Great food, not very expensive and great people. The only issue is it's small and popular, can be a wait sometimes. Try the Carbonara or the Chicken Milanese. Both are amazing. We try other Italian places around town, usually we end up spending twice as much and are not as happy.
(5)Joshua G.
what if chef boyardee was your neighbor and he invited you over for dinner once a week? sorry. that made no sense. this place serves pasta and sauce. does that make it italian? i don't know but it reminds me of that one scene in lady & the tramp. you know what i'm talking about? this place could improve only if the cook and the hostess supplied musical accompaniment to aid in digestion.
(4)Adam B.
I've had a lot of linguini with clams and this one is way better than most but not outstanding. The prices here are very reasonable and so I would give this place 4.5 stars due to the taste and the low price. Atmosphere is great for an inexpensive Italian restaurant.
(4)Stephanie F.
Best Italian in Seattle for the best price. My bf and I always get a carafe of house wine and two plates of Garlic and Herb Fettuccine. The wine's $15, the plates are about $8.50 each. We've tried other menu items, but we always return to this one because it's simple and absolutely deliciously, always well-prepared. We've definitely had to walk away a couple times when it was too busy; however, now we know to come early or expect a 45 min to an hour wait (!!!). When we have time and we are not absolutely starving, it's worth it. We've never had a bad experience. Service is just what we need, everything prompt and non-obtrusive. If you have not been, go. Arrive early or expect a wait on weekends or holidays.
(5)Jerusha J.
Ok. I'm going to have to stick my foot in my mouth. Seattle does have great Italian for a reasonable price. The Gnocchi was tender and fluffy, the fettuccine tasted almost hand made, and the daily special was a bite of heaven. After eating tons of great Italian in North Beach, I realized Seattle just didn't compare. Now, I will happily eat my words and follow them up with some more great food. Oh, and If that isn't good enough, the portions are just the right amount of food.
(5)april d.
Yeah! I finally got to eat at Machiavelli after years and years of walking past and a few feeble attempts to get a seat. I went there after work with a friend (before 6pm) and to my utter amazement, we got a prime window seat facing Pine. Time to celebrate. I ordered the chicken Parmesan and my friend had tortellini and both were pretty good, hearty and flavorful comfort food, and the portions good, not huge, not tiny. We split the taramitsu with the mousse filling and real whipped cream and it was super yum. The wait staff is really nice and the restaurant itself just nice and snug which is what I like. As we left we waded through the familiar crowd waiting at the door for a seat so clearly we just missed the rush. Machiavelli is an institution and just getting in for dinner a triumph, the food was good and hearty enough to keep us warm on a cold night.
(4)Jill Fay R.
We were initially trying to get to Canlis wednesday for our anniversary...after finding out 30 minutes before our reservation my husband needed to wear a dress shirt (was in polo) and wear a jacket (didn't bring any with us on this trip), somebody recommended we try Machiavelli down the street from where we were. When we initially walked in we were a bit thrown off because you walk in to the bar....we were pleasantly surprised as it's a great small neighborhood restaurant! It wasn't the best food we've ever eaten, but for neighborhood restaurants it's a great one. I had the tuna carpaccio and the special of the night (raviolis) - delicious! The staff were a bit cold-shoulderish, but it could just be because they were rushed with trying to get people in and out. Overall, it was nice and we will most likely go back.
(4)Julie B.
Hands down, my favorite restaurant in Seattle. Amazing food with very reasonable prices and the service is always terrific. I've eaten here dozens of times and look forward to dozens more.
(5)Jasmine R.
Machiavelli is a smaller Italian restaurant with fewer tables, which right off the bat indicates you will get good quality versus mass produced Italian dishes. They don't take reservations, so be prepared to wait with a patient appetite. For a Friday night at 7:30pm, party of two, the wait was an hour and the hostess's estimate was about on time. The small bar with a seating area in the entrance was a popular waiting spot. While a friend and I sat and waited for our table, I overheard the hostess also keeping to the line of an hour long wait, but offering other suggestions to those who could not bear to wait 60 minutes to eat-- it seems that Machiavelli has an established relationship with local restaurants, so the hostesses kindly offer an encouraging suggestion, rather than just subtly shooing people away (i.e.- you know how sometimes if you're looking for something and it's not available, and you ask a salesperson if they have anymore in the back and they say "Sorry, whatever is out there is only what's available," when really they're just lazy or don't want to bother helping? That's not the case with this place-- they want to help you and local businesses out :) The dining experience: - Dining room area is smaller in scale, so conversation noise level can be a bit loud, but overall a charming ambiance with dim lighting. - Menu: everything on the menu looked appetizing, with some classical Italian dishes and some Italian specialties I've never heard of. - Bread: rustic artisan bread served with dipping oil. Seemed pretty standard. - Appetizer: I shared the large Antipasto salad... the dressing was balsamic vinaigrette (I think), garbanzo beans, red beets, kalamata and green olives, salami slices (I think, again).. such a great combination- party in my mouth! - What I ordered: I wanted to try something basic and see how it was served up, so I tried the Fettucine Carbonara and my friend ordered Veal Milanese (breaded veal with lemony butter taste). Fettucine Carbonara delivered the goods with creamy parmasean sauce, eggs, chewy-with-a-slight-crunch bacon, garlic, and omg it was delightful. I had leftovers and when I heated it up, the noodles had absorbed the flavorful sauce and leftovers didn't seem like leftovers anymore. The Veal Milanese tasted almost deep fried, but with tender juicy veal inside, and an aftertaste of lemon butter. The Veal Milanese also came with an accompaniment, and my friend had ordered red sauced pasta. - Dessert: skipped out on dessert which is unusual for me, but I was too full. They had two offerings: Tiramisu and Pumpkin Cheesecake. Overall, a great Italian restaurant in Capitol Hill that obviously knows what they're doing. They use good quality ingredients and it's apparent in what they're whipping up. No wonder this place had an hour long wait and the dining room was packed!
(4)Tessa S.
Not worth the wait. I've had a lot of Italian food, and it just wasn't very good here. Our service was fine and the bread was good, but anyone could have easily made the food at home. Just entirely lackluster. If you want great Italian try Spinasse. At Machiavelli's the menu is extremely sparse. Pretty much all they have is pizza and pasta. So I assumed the pasta would be incredible and homemade. Definitely did not taste like it.
(2)Ninihada C.
Excellent!!!! We love this restaurant and go often- I didn't think it could get any better than the few choice dishes I love- but it did. They offered a special that was penne, scallops, in a crushed tomato cream sauce- the BEST pasta I've ever had in my life. Wish they put this on the permanent menu.
(5)Angela G.
This is the kind of place we love as Seattlites... It's not the absolute best Italian, it's just great food at a great price with a great vibe. That's why I give Machiavelli's five stars.
(5)Tom W.
nothing I can say will do justice to this place. Amazing the best Italian I have ever had EVER. it deserves a ten out of five. Great bar, try the ravioli, so good I got seconds to take home. and its cheap they could get away with charging five dollars more for everything and it would still be well worth it. you may have trouble with big groups because its small but otherwise second to none.
(5)Kimberly K.
sitting a table next to an open window with a breeze on a hot summer day is just about priceless. add some darn good i-talian food. the pasta is just right, and the house wine the perfect match to the flavorful pasta and chicken i had. actually, my friends and i all shared our meals, so i would recommend all three dishes we had...though honestly, i can't remember what the names were. chicken, pasta, and another type of chicken with rosemary. so i'm not up on my italian food names. shoot me. well, don't, cuz i would be sad i couldn't eat here again. i loved the atmosphere of this place. the waitress was really attentive, but not overly "i'm stalking you to get a good tip" attentive. over all, i was full, happy, and singing that's amore in no time. highly recommended.
(4)Noah M.
So I recently moved from The Bay Area and have been looking for good eats all over town. An old family friend from SF told me I had to try to find Machiavelli because their dear old friends were the owners. So one day I was walking around and stumbled upon it. I hopped in and said hi and it looked exactly like what an old family-run Italian restaurant should look like (and smell like). Since then I have been twice and it is an all around outstanding place - beginning with the service, the ambiance, the bar for a drink while you wait to be seated, the tables are well sized (although once a man's long hair kept on landing on my shoulders-so I leaned in a bit), and the food is great (including the desert). From the veal Milanese to the tortellini fromagge and their special bread salad - everything tastes fresh and delicious - simple but flavorful -signs of a great Italian ristorante. I am and will continue to be a regular. Special shot out to Suzette and the short-blonde haired woman with tattoos - you two make the place even better!
(5)John S.
I've always been a huge fan. It's just a great place to enjoy some really good Italian food and wine with friends. It's totally unpretentious, nothing to the place other than what you see. Prices are very reasonable, the bar is a comfortable place to hang out if there is a wait and the service has always been great.
(4)Gina J.
Worst eggplant parmesan I've ever had. Most of the pieces were tough and uncooked and it was all buried in a cheesy saucy mess. I had to dig through the sauce soup to find an edible piece. I left very hungry and disappointed, because this place has a huge wait (we got there at 6:45 and were seated at 9, because apparently if they call your name and you're not within earshot they move you to the bottom of the list). Terrible service - when I asked for a basket of bread or something to nibble on while we were waiting, the hostess told me I had to be seated at the bar. After 45 minutes of waiting for a seat at the bar, when one finally did open up, she then told me that they couldn't serve us, because if they served us they'd have to serve everyone. I suggest the owner evaluate the hostess' customer service skills (or lack thereof) and begin providing snacks to the would-be patrons who wait in the lobby for hours upon hours on end. On a positive note, after a few hours of waiting, the bread that we were provided was excellent. Or, quite possibly, I was delirious from being so starving. In the end, the food is not worth the wait. Try Osteria La Spiega right up the street - excellent food and plenty of tables.
(1)Sarah S.
first off, i love the policy that the whole group needs to be present to be seated. the atmosphere is cozy and inviting. the staff is not pretentious. the food is delicious and the portions are sized appropriately. i hate italian places that try to just overfill your plate hoping you won't notice the inferior quality. here you get the perfect amount of delicious food. the gnocchi were tender and fresh...scrumptious. this is my go-to italian place in the neighborhood
(4)Jonah B.
Machiavelli serves good, traditional Italian food at a reasonable price. The service is attentive and friendly. You'll almost always wait half an hour, but you can do so in the little bar in front (on weekends even the bar is packed). A great place to get a drink if you want a buzz around you. It feels like a neighborhood spot.
(5)Kate A.
The tuna carpaccio and pre dinner cocktail were both good so I was pretty surprised when my $15.95 entree of prawns with spinach turned out to be 6 lonely prawns in a large plate of spaghetti sauce. The side dish of spinach was pretty boring, soggy and unseasoned too. Lame.
(2)Grace E.
Yum! Very tasty!! worth waiting but definitely plan ahead for the wait. Gives discount if you use cash.
(5)David M.
They always treat me good here. The food is always good here. I bring anyone out of state here. I like the atmosphere...it's local and warm. It's a neigborhood joint for the hill...great prices...I don't even look at the menu...I trust them...I always get the special...and a carafe of their house red.
(4)Zander L.
Holy smoked salmon this place was good. Two nights ago, had the special: Fettucine with smoked salmon and snap peas... words can't describe. I saw the portion, thought i needed to stop by Dick's afterwards to buy me some cheeseburgers mang, but I was wrong. This place had ambiance, bread and balsamic vinaigrette, and the most amazing pasta dishes. Sure enough, it was more than filling than I had imagined. Ok, so I don't know the first thing about Italian food, but I know good food, and this place had it. Seriously though, who gives discounts when paying with cash? No one! Good food, good deals, good ambiance, good times. I can't wait to come back.
(5)Rebekah D.
I have been a patron of Machiavelli's for a very long time and I believe it is one of the best Italian joints in Seattle. Most of the friendly ladies and gents who work here have been working here for a long time so whenever I walk in it sometimes feels like one of those "Cheers" moments where everybody knows your name but thankfully there's no Cliff Clavin to tell you bad jokes or Carla type waitresses to hit you over the head with your own beer bottle. The cozy setting, the family feeling and reasonable prices are what makes this place my destination for dinner more than a few times a month.
(5)Dikla T.
Amazing! We wanted to find a place to take our friend from out of town on our way to Theatre Schmeater, so we thought we'd try this place (it's only a few blocks away from the theatre.) We were blown away. The food, the wait staff, the prices (especially on wine) were fantastic. Highly recommend (as if you could really resist it) the tiramisu. Delicious. Multo benne!
(5)Farah F.
Such a cute place, I've heard that there's usually a line but luckily for us there wasn't one last Saturday around 6pm. Came here because a member of the group was raving about the food, so we decided to give it a try. it's a bit spendy, but I think it's proportionate to the amount and quality of the meal you're getting. I got the veal picatta, which came with a side of speghetti with marinara sauce. The picatta was well seasoned and cooked, they could've eased a little on the lemon for the lemon butter sauce, because the sourness was a bit overwhelming, but the veal itself was perfectly breaded and cooked. I really loved the spaghetti and the sauce, that was perfect accompaniment to the meal even though it left me stuffed. With the meal, we ordered the Sangiovese, the menu says the wine is a 2005 but we got a bottle that says 2007, which irked a companion a little bit. However, I found myself liking the wine a lot, so try it out if you've never had it since the price was actually reasonable ($22 for the bottle, we shared among 5 ppl). For dessert we got the tiramisu, which has a different consistency than other tiramisus I've had so it was a bit weird. It was like eating really yummy sponge that has almost reached the end of its life. All in all, I liked the experience enough to want to come back, but I might skip dessert the next time.
(4)Ass Man Z.
Pretty cute place. Really good food and a nice little bar. Be prepared to wait on weekend nights.
(4)Damon D.
One of the best Italian spots on Capitol Hill, although hard to get into at times. The venue is not very large and neither are the portions. It's a great place to partake of an appetizer and possibly a desert to get you nice and satisfied. The good news is that the food is great so you won't mind taking in the extra courses. This is, for the most part, a no-frills Italian meal done very well. If that's what you're after, by all means dive in, it's great!
(4)Daman B.
One of my favorites....nothing better than showing up and having a drink or three at the cozy bar, then getting a window seat, and enjoying fine Italian fare. My favorite is the Veal Milanese, my wife loves the Tortellini. Great food, great atmosphere, and not very expensive either.
(5)Ben E.
Before posting I thought I'd read some other reviews. I can imagine the places that some of these reviewers eat for comparison. They all either have "Factory," "Garden," or "Fusion" in the name or description. Machiavelli is presented as a small Italian restaurant, and it is. Yes, small. The comments about ten tables is about accurate. I think it's more like ten four-tops and four two-tops, but depended on the party size this will morph around. I was taken here by a friend I hadn't seen in over ten years. We expected the wait so had a couple drinks from the friendly bartender and enjoyed the Capitol Hill indoor scenery. After 30 min our table was ready and so were we. Yes, the dining room is noisy, but that's fine - If I wanted quiet I'd go down to The Brooklyn. We ordered an antipasto platter and a bottle of the house Sangiovese (earlier reviewer - bitter Sanviovese? You must have backwashed some cheap gin into it). The wine and generous antipasto were fantastico! For entrees, he had chicken picatta and I, the chicken liver lasagna (house special). I liked it, very light for being organ meat, and freshly made. Good cheesiness, creaminess and texture. When I looked up my friend's chicken was gone, so I believe he enjoyed too. To finish we shared a tiramisu cake that was absolutely wonderful. The other choice is a cheesecake, which, to quote my friend Rocky: "will make you slap your grandma." Guess I'll have to go again to try that. Recommended for younger (under 50) people who don't mind a consistent wait and noise to get good honest food at an excellent value. Not recommended for those looking for a James Beard winner and an area to discuss billion dollar mergers.
(4)Michelle C.
Machiavelli Ristorante is my favoritie Italian restaurant in Seattle. It is a small, quaint place and it seems to always be busy. Because of how small it is there can be quite a long wait at times but it really is worth the wait. But there is a cute, cozy little bar you can wait in, if you can find a place to stand. They have a fairly simple menu but it is full of flavor. The portion size is perfect. I rarely am able to eat a salad and then manage to eat an entire plate of pasta elsewhere, but here I eat it all and stil have room for dessert. My favorite dish is their gnocchi with tomato sauce. By far the best gnocchi I've ever had. Everything is reasonably priced. My friends and I managed to get out of there with a bill of about $130 for six of us and we had three bottles of wine! And I can't say enough about the service. The staff is extremely attentive which I find a rarity in Seattle. They all seem genuinely happy to be there. If only we were all so lucky!
(5)Mandalore F.
This place is top notch! I mean wow! I have been here four times since I have found out about it two months ago. My girlfriend and I always enjoy this place. I try something different each time I come and am never disappointed. Awesome service as well. Everyone here seem to really enjoy working here and with food like they've got, I can definitely see why. Give it a try. I bet you will feel the same.
(5)Jenna l.
Ah Machiavelli- a man of the Italian Renaissance. Renaissance in french= re-birth, much like the re-birth this area is about to undergo thanks to greedy condo developers. But this lovely restaurant is of course not to blame for this, expect for the fact that it does draw the middle-aged/yuppie crowd up to mix with the young capital hill hipsters, which makes for an interesting sight. I like to go here for a well priced meal that feels like you are at a cozy well-kept secret hang out. I'd recommend the roasted red pepper cream sauce pasta (official name has escaped me), and an amiable caesar salad. I thought the spinach raviolis would be filled with spinach, but it's just in the pasta dough. Plan when you are going depending on your mood. If you get annoyed at waiting, you're going to have a pretty lousy meal. Go early for the happy hour, get the meat and cheese plate, and sit down with a copy of "The Prince".
(4)hiro m.
carbonara was great (sans bacon). caraffe of wine was a steal at $16.
(4)Kal A.
awesome! veal saltimbocca was amazing. great atmosphere. good happy hour specials while waiting for a table.
(5)Joseph J.
Definitely worth the wait. We decided on this neighborhood Italian restaurant after much agonizing over where to go for dinner one Saturday night. Yelp reviews helped us decide on this place. We got there around six, put our name in and, finding that the wait was about 45 min. and noticing that there were no seats in the bar (and not wanting to stand) went to a nearby bar to have a drink and wait. We returned about 30 min. later and spent the rest of the time waiting in the bar (which had space by now). Not long after we were seated at a table right next to an open window, which was nice since cool air was blowing in. The bread and dipping sauce was nice, as was the caesar salad and finally the lasagna. Wife got the Linguine with clams and marinara sauce. They were very good. All of that (including a half carafe of house red) only cost us $34! (before tip). So I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who is not in a hurry and wants to eat good Italian food (good service, too by the way).
(4)MM R.
TURNING her table was tonight's objective. That is a bummer for a group of girlfriend's trying to catch up. Bottom line - don't think you're going to be comfortable to "linger" at this establishment. Food is fantastic and, yes, the service was good. However, her abrupt nature towards our group from the point we delayed ordering until we were virtually "kicked" out of our table at 8:30 was a royal bummer. If you're heading to a show (Paramount is a quick walk away), go for it. If you're wanting to linger over coffee and good friends, prepare to be ousted and have an after-plan.
(3)kd d.
simply the best authentic italian pasta place in seattle...it's cheap, simple and crowded, but that's all part of the charm.
(5)megan d.
machiavelli is sure stand by and crowd pleasure but not the best Italian EVER. people have always raved about machiavelli. The portions are large and the food is very good. i would come prepared to share! for around $20 a person you could call this a very romantic cheap date place. I my self just really like the happy hour.
(4)Brenna F.
Good pasta, reasonable prices, and cosy seating. Go here with friends, but not with a first date. If you want the Italian/first date experience, go to Vite E Bella or the italian place near 34th and Fremont.
(3)Sarah F.
I totally miss this place...we still talk about it, even after moving away from Seattle nearly 3 years ago! They have the best steak I've ever had. I mean it! Definitely the best in Seattle. Very reasonably priced, too - I think $28 for the steak and sides? The pasta is amazing here, the marinara sauce is devine. We always had great service! You would have to wait about 1 hour on weekends, but it was well worth the wait, everytime. I lived 4 blocks from this place on Summit Ave, so I frequented it often. For just basic pasta dishes, it's like $10 a plate. So inexpensive for such unreal food. I am going here immediately the next time I touch ground at Sea-Tac!
(5)M R.
yelpers were right...reasonable $ for what you get ...my fav was the garlic & evoo fettucine pasta...yes, lotsa garlic so beware if you're on a match date. the bread & evoo + service rocked too. too bad i can't be on the wall of fame there (framed fotos of frequent diners). i heart ristorante machiavelli.
(4)Jamie N.
Our most favorite restaurant in Seattle and our go-to place for a delicious meal with a fun atmosphere. Highly recommend the carbonara, chicken milanese and chicken al forno. The owners have been active every night since we've been going (~10 years) from cooking to making the excellent cheesecake to serving and bartending. Bring cash and get a 5% discount!
(5)Regina W.
We went here on our last night in Seattle. The locals told us this was the place for amazing Italian food. We went at around 6pm on a Sat. to put our name down on the waiting list (there's always a long wait so I highly recommend putting your name down early). There's a lot to do in the area while you wait for a table (bars/shops etc). We probably had to wait 45 minutes before we were seated. I love how they have half carafes of wine. Try the house red wine, it wasn't too strong and went great with our food. The complimentary bread and olive oil was delicious too. We ordered the veal picatta with spaghetti and eggplant parmesan. The veal was perfection!. It was cooked perfectly and served with capers in a juicy lemon sauce. The spaghetti was also good and cooked in a light meat sauce. I had a bite of the parmesan and it was tasty too. Their marinara sauce has a lot of flavor. I think we spent around $55 for 2 people and we also had wine so prices were good-average. Overall, the food and service was great and even though we had to wait, it was worth it. The atmosphere makes you feel like you're at home too!
(4)Sin-Yaw W.
Cute little Italian at Capitol Hill. Cozy, friendly, good foods, but nothing really stand out. We arrived at 5:15pm, Monday, and got seated within 10 minutes to a half-empty room of a capacity of roughly 50. The waiting staff were busy. Breads were from Columbia city and were very good, but refills cost $2.50. We ordered lasagna, veal, and gnocchi. They are all pretty basic, without fancy garnishes or sides. Veal is a bit on the acid side. Lasagna was baked in a dish, good balance of sauce, cheese, meat, and starch. Gnocchi was the best dish. The tiramisu was weird. Very soaked lady fingers, heavy and intense chocolate, a big heap of whip cream on top. It is nearly the worse tiramisu I've ever had.
(2)Chuck C.
Out 'O Towner....first time here...Thanks Yelp! Couldn't make up my mind from the incredible menu and just went with a side salad and a basic spaghetti and meatballs. The sauce was amazing. The meatballs were delectable and even the bread was amazing. Great ambiance and vibe. Wish I lived in Seattle...but I will be back.
(5)David W.
Amazing. Simply put amazing. You can't go wrong with the food, the wine, or the atmosphere.
(5)Veronica O.
Came here for a late dinner on Monday night, they sat us with no problem, and we had the best time. We sat in the bar, our bartender was Micheal, he was just lovely. Made us a couple amazing margaritas, one scratch, one with an egg white - both delicious! We had a salad and their tapenade - both very flavorful. HANDS DOWN the winner of the night was the Carbonara! Micheal our bartender recommended it and he did not steer us wrong. Delicious! Flavors were so savory, we ate it all! I also got the Bolognese pasta, I asked for a side of marinara with it, and once again Michael recommended getting the meatballs with the meat sauce instead of the marinara and it was just wonderful. I left this place with the biggest smile and with gratitude. Service was outstanding, manager was very sweet, food was the best Italian food I've had in awhile, ambiance and drinks couldn't be beat! This place is definitely a must for any occasion!
(5)Bob J.
There are white linen Italian restaurants in Seattle that don't come close to the food quality offered here. The ambience is well worn casual. The service is friendly and speedy. Their Lasagna Bolognese is the best I've ever had. My wife loves their eggplant parmigiana. Arrive early (before 5:30p) and park across the street ($12.)
(5)Benjamin L.
Since I moved to Seattle, I often found myself walking by this place, and every time it was simply bursting at the seams with people who looked like honest- to-G-d locals. We finally made it here last night (our last date night before getting married), and had one of our best meals since we have been in Seattle (and that is high praise, indeed). Yes, the bar is small, but much like parking in a big city, the area is a dynamic, and given enough time and patience and (unlike parking) enough alcohol, you will find your spot. Food is wonderful, I recommend the veal. Columbia City Bread never hurts either
(5)Felisa D.
We need half stars. Seriously. Because this place is more 4.5 than just a 4. But it's not quite a perfect 5. Let me explain. The place was super packed and the waiting/bar area was full to the brim. We were told there would be an hour and a half wait... which would typically make me just go somewhere but I was determined to check this place out! Less than an hour later, we checked up on the wait and were promptly seated. We were started off with some delicious crusty, rustic olive bread with a balsamic vinaigrette dipping sauce. Delicious! My friend ordered the Linguini alla Vongole and I ordered the Chicken Liver Lasagna. This isn't "authentic" Italian fare. I think it's worth pointing that out. But it is what most Americans have in mind when they crave for comforting-but-not-over-the-top-cheesed-out-ÂAmerican-diner Italian food. It's delicious pasta dishes carefully crafted to have a great balance of comforting flavors. Case in point is my chicken liver lasagna. Liver used to freak me out as a young'n but I've recently developed a love for the flavor of it that made me get over the texture. Their dish does not have the grittiness that put off most people with liver but it has that yummy hearty flavor of liver. Everything's reasonably priced (cheap actually) and the servings might be "too small" for some but what that really means is they're not your standard OVERSIZED American dishes. The servings are still very filling! One of the better places (if not the best) I've been to for Italian food in Seattle. I'd definitely come back.
(4)Abbey S.
If I'm allowed to choose my last meal on earth: it will be from Machiavelli's. This place just feels like home. I've eaten here at least two times a month for the last five years and the food is the most consistent I've had in Seattle. One of the happier moments of my life was the first time the waitress didn't need to ask for my order, she just knew it. I can't tell you about the breadth of Machiavelli's menu, as I've only ever ordered one item: the carbonara. It is creamy, without being heavy, spicy, without being overwhelming and has a generous amount of meat. Its my perfect pasta dish and there's usually enough of it left over for me to reheat it the next day for lunch. You get huge portions for the price -- if they decided to raise the cost of my favorite dish by $5, I'd still be getting a good deal. Machiavelli's is a first come, first serve restaurant and it could be filled from open to close with regulars. If you come during peak hours, expect to wait 15-45 minutes in their small bar. If you come in a group larger than two, expect to wait, no matter when you come. Is it worth the wait? Absolutely. The staff here treats you like you're at home, they are warm, friendly, attentive and once you've been in more than once, a little sassy, just like family. If you're a regular, they'll know your order without you telling them and note what you do and don't like. My boyfriend and I regularly get the anti-pasto platter to start (a heaping plate of meats, fresh mozzarella, olives, pickled veggies and tapenades) -- neither of us are a fan of eggplant, so that tapenade always remained untouched. One evening, one of the regular waitresses, who was not serving us that evening, walked by our table and said "you know, you can ask for no eggplant, we'll give you more of anything else you prefer, since you never touch it." We would never have been so picky, but this place aims to please and takes note when you are happy and when you aren't. And in the hundreds of times I've visited Machiavelli's, I've never left unhappy.
(5)Jessica M.
The food is fantastic, the only reason this place gets 4 stars is because its almost always impossible to get into it in a timely manner, the place is just too small to accomodate how popular it is, and it would be nice to see them expand or move to a larger location. Anyway, the food is fantastic, the atmosphere and customer service is great.
(4)C M.
My eggplant parm was too salty and cold. Spinach ravioli was undercooked. Server didn't provide water refills or even ask how it was. Restaurant was too loud, bartender was throwing bottles in garbage.
(1)Sterling C.
The reason this place gets four stars is that it's an incredible value and has a very cozy atmosphere. We had a few dishes, but what I remember was having great Fettucini Carbonara while sharing a carafe of house wine. White and red checked table cloths. I do remember asking myself, "Why don't they have veal marsala?".
(4)Christine Y.
Pasta. And Sauce. That's it. And how come the roasted red pepper pesto didn't have any pesto taste? I was a little disappointed seeing as how my friend had been raving about it for months. Go for the bread. I think it's the olive one that Macrina Bakery bakes.
(3)Erin M.
God I love this restaurant. When I found out I was going to Seattle for work I instantly thought of how great my meal was going to be at Machiavelli. And great it was. The lasagna was just as good as I remember it being 10 years ago. They open at 5pm so I arrived at 5:05 thinking I'd have the place all to myself. Omg! There was already a line out the door. Are you kidding me? This used to be my secret. Well secret no more!! I was seated quickly and I watched as within 15 minutes there became a line around the corner. Well you can stare at me all you want while you wait 40 minutes for a table, I am savoring every bite! Now that I have lived in Chicago for nearly a decade, a few things struck me as very odd. 1) The hostess who greets you and seats you is Asian????? 2) The waiters are all nice college kids?? 3) The music was island/ Hawaiian music?? This would so not fly in my kind of town!! Besides the lack of authenticity in the front of the house, the back of the house, really delivers!!!
(5)Ben M.
Long wait for dinner so we hit the bar, happy hour bites and a carafe of the house burgundy made for a great time with friends. The dinners are supposed to be wonderful so we'll have to come back sometime.
(4)Chloe W.
Reasonably priced, simple yet delicious menu. By far the best thing we've had here is the spinach ravioli. Cleaned the plate with our bread the sauce was so good! I dream of that creamy tomato sauce every night now. Get there early since they don't take reservations. Put your name on the list, go grab a drink there or at any of the other bars near by if there's a wait. Overall good experience.
(5)Deanna J.
I arrived at Ristorante Machiavelli approximately at 7pm and was told the wait time was around 40 minutes for 4 people. Thankfully quite a few parties left, and we got seated early around 7:15pm. (Note: you need your entire party with you to be seated.) When we first sat down, we got a basket of bread and some water. The bread was very good. It had olives in it, while the inside of the bread was soft and the crust was crunchy but not too hard. The dip for the bread was a bit unusual. It was some sort of balsamic oil and was ok. (Note: the first bread basket is free, and anymore after that you have to pay for). For my appetizer I had the minestrone soup. It was good but I wasn't impressed. The carrots and celery were al dente; not hard, and not mushy. The overall taste of the soup was generic and nothing special. My entree was the Chicken Liver Lasagne which was much more impressive. The lasagne itself was made from spinach giving it a slight green color, but I couldn't really taste the spinach from it. I definitely tasted the mushrooms and the chicken liver for sure. The chicken liver definitely had a presence in the dish, wasn't overpowering and was cooked well. Overall the lasagne was delicious and cooked excellently. The cheese gave it a creamy flavor that just held all the ingredients together. I would definitely return and order this dish again or maybe try something new. Service was good. All the waiters/waitresses were polite and attentive to our water cups. And the ambience was definitely romantic with the dimmed lights, small restaurant setting, ubiquitous wine and a good street view.
(4)Melissa N.
A really nice romantic spot. Make sure you go a little early, because it gets SUPER crowded and we had to wait almost an hour for our party of 3. It's not a far walk to pacific place so that's where we spent our "waiting" time. Really affordable dishes (~$10), nothing that amazing stood out though. The service was really nice, but it was just super crowded. Note! If you want more bread, it costs extra! That was something we weren't aware of... we were just starving from waiting so we wanted more bread. It was just alright, but if you're in the mood for some decent pasta that isn't too pricy, this is the spot to try.
(3)naomi d.
Good but a little pricey, considering how small the portion sizes are. I would give a higher rating if the meal came with a salad and grated Parmesan instead of the powdered.
(3)Erika W.
YES!!!!! If you are in search of no-nonsense, quality, AFFORDABLE Italian food, look no further! This simple, cozy 'lil gem serves up perfect pasta dishes for $10 and larger, more complex entree's between $14-16.50. I had the veal saltimbocca which arrived on a long plate in the form of four delectable medallions on a bed of crack-cocaine sauce. It took all of my willpower not to literally lick the plate clean. Other pluses - service is fast and friendly, some of the cooks are downright attractive, aaaaand, with any luck you'll be seated next to a window, which provides an ever interesting view of Pine Street happenings. Some not so good things - the house wine. GROSS. It's $3.50 for a reason. Enough said. (They have some perfectly acceptable wine options for only $6.25/glass). Reservations aren't accepted and this place is popular. You do the math.
(4)Barry F.
Quoted wait time: 30-45min. Actual 1:15. Werd Ristorante Machiavelli does a solid job. * Friendly Staff * Long waits for a table * Good food * Nice selection of beer.
(4)Ryan T.
Limited menu, decent quality, great price. Wanted to try their lasagna, but we were in a hurry and it takes 25+ minutes to prepare.
(3)Abby S.
This restaurant was outstanding! We happened upon this charming place looking for dinner late at night. The place was packed and we had to wait but they servers felts to bad they treated us like royalty when we were eventually seated. The drinks were incredible, the food was outstanding and the service was absolutely perfect! They were also excellent at accommodating for gluten free and shellfish allergy (checking repeatedly with me and the kitchen to make sure they didn't cross contaminate in any way). If you are looking some of the best italian food you will ever eat and an overall enjoyable and relaxing dinner outing in Seattle, this is the place to be! Thank you to the hardworking waiting staff, bartender and cooks at this wonderful restaurant!
(5)Wade G.
The overall experience was disappointing. The food was decent to reasonably good. The experience was disappointing because it was very rushed from start to finish, which wasn't very long. We walked in and got on the list for a table. It was busy, even early on a Monday night. Good sign, right? The hostess called out for "Will" a few times, he didn't respond, and then called us and we were seated promptly. The service from then on was very brisk and not friendly. Not rude, but not friendly. We were given some locally made bread with olives in it, and some house made balsamic vinaigrette, and both were quite good. This turned out to be the highlight, unfortunately. The caesar was not bad but not especially good. My tortellini with marinara were again okay, but nothing special. I make better red sauce in 5 minutes at home. My girlfriend's raviolis were pretty good, but the cream sauce was bland and close to tasteless. We had the bill on the table in about 20 minutes. GF ordered some decaf just so we could linger for a few. When she asked for a desert menu a staff person named two items so fast we had trouble understanding him and shuffled along. I understand that restaurants need to turnover the table and seat some more customers. But this was way too rushed, and it ruined the experience. I don't know that that is typical here, but I won't go back to find out. And the food was decent but certainly nothing special, and nothing I couldn't easily recreate, if not top, at home.
(2)Jason F.
Italian Comfort food? This place seems like an affordable place to get your italian needs taken care of. The food is quite good, the service is very quick and the ambiance is meh, just okay. Be prepared to wait for a bit in the little bar, but there are worse things than standing around drinking wine, right? Once you get seated, it goes pretty quickly and you'll feel that it was worth the wait. This is not fancy food, pushing the outer boundaries of culinary delight, it is more of the standard comfort foods. Gurrate! As Anthony the Tiger used to say.
(4)Clover A.
I like it here so much that I am willing to wait. I hate waiting, perhaps you already knew that about me, perhaps not. Patience is not a virtue I claim as one of mine. Still, I will do it. I peruse the menu, perched on the high bar stools, sipping wine or a cocktail, chatting with who I came in with and some new friends I'm likely to meet in the close quarters of the bar on any given night between 5-10. I usually pretend to listen to the specials and mull over the menu, but regardless of what I initially decide to order, when the waitstaff comes to my table, I blurt out 'Pasta Carbonara!' it's so good, I can't help it. The prices are so reasonable, the space intimate (crowded) but still romantic enough for a date, it's a definite 'yes, please' for me, but I still am going to TRY and order something else.
(4)Vicie M.
Ok if you like canned tomato sauce!! Gnocchi was ok, tortellini tasted like chef boy r d...terribly dissappointed as this place was cute and quaint...
(1)Celeste T.
I had the ravioli, while my daughter had the linguine with clams, and my husband had the lamb. All of these were quite nice - the portions were not too large or too small, each of the individual sauces were amazing, and the pasta itself was tender yet had a good bite. The only thing that was weird was that you can't have refills on iced tea; one glass of tea is $3 and a carafe (two glasses) is $6. That's a bit of a disappointment, as I'm surprised any tea that is typically served in a non-tea-specialtist cafe would be that expensive, or protected. My kid also had the tiramisu, which is a chocolatey twist on the standard, and she loved it. She ate almost all of it - a huge portion!
(4)Lilly T.
Came here hoping to find an authentic italian restaurant but was disappointed. Arrived at 6pm on a Wednesday night and there was no wait which was nice. We ordered the caesar salad for our appetizer, I got the carbonara & he ordered the tortellini with prosciutto & peas in cream sauce. Both pasta dishes were fine. The pasta didn't have that nice chewy texture. The carbonara was made with bacon and not pancetta which was a let down. The cream sauce with prosciutto for the tortellini cost about $1.50 extra but there was barely any meat in the dish. Just tiny, tiny bits of prosciutto. We wouldn't mind paying more to get more meat. Service was tentative and our food arrived fast. Overall, this place was OK. Probably will not be back. This place is way overhyped and far from authentic....
(2)Stephanie T.
What can I say that hasn't already been said. I've always had great service from friendly staff. LOVE the Columbia City bread. The food is reasonably priced for fair portions. The bartenders really are mixologists. Love this spot. Go for the Ravioli stay for the cheap carafes of house wine!
(4)