Ristorante Machiavelli is an Italian restaurant on Seattle's Capitol Hill, in the U.S. state of Washington.[1][2] Housed in the historic Booker Building (1912), the business bills itself as "a Capitol Hill tradition since 1988"[3] and offers a menu with pizzas, pastas, and other traditional cuisine which has changed little in three decades. Often regarded as one of Seattle's best Italian restaurants and one of Capitol Hill's best dining options, Ristorante Machiavelli has garnered a positive reception and has been recognized for its gnocchi, veal, and lasagna, in particular.
Description
Ristorante Machiavelli is a Latin American-[4] and woman-owned[5]Italian restaurant at the intersection of Pine Street and Melrose Avenue on Seattle's Capitol Hill. Along with other businesses, the restaurant is housed in the Booker Building (also known as the Central Auto Top Building), a historic commercial building completed in 1912.[6][7]
Aimee Rizzo of The Infatuation described Ristorante Machiavelli as a "wonderfully small, dimly-lit space with friendly servers roaming around carrying metal tins of grated parmesan and wooden pepper grinders, ready to sprinkle and grind".[8]Noms Magazine has described the restaurant as a "cute corner neighborhood" establishment with a small bar and a dining room "with a cozy and lively vibe".[9]
Ristorante Machiavelli was established by Tom and Linda McElroy in 1988.[16] According to Leora Y. Bloom of The Seattle Times, "In 1988, its location on the edge of Capitol Hill, just across Interstate 5 from downtown, was seedy and cheap. The previous business was a dingy, windowless bar. The McElroys gutted the dining room, installed windows along the outer walls and pulled out a walk-in refrigerator that took up half the kitchen." Bloom said the couple "developed a menu of simple, well-seasoned Italian food, kept the place casual, and treated their staff like family, and ever since, every night (except Sunday) finds a happy, noisy crowd enjoying their favorite dishes and carafes of wine at small tables covered with red vinyl tablecloths".[17]
The couple brought on two longtime employees as business partners in 2007, before transferring ownership to them in 2013.[17][18] The current owners are Suzette Jarding and Javier Arevalo,[19][20] who began working at the restaurant in 1999 as a hostess and chef, respectively.[14][17][21] Ristorante Machiavelli's menu has changed little in three decades.[17][22] Historically, the restaurant has offered a discount for patrons who pay using cash.[23]
Ristorante Machiavelli experienced a staffing shortage in 2021, which forced at least one temporary closure in August.[24] In 2022, the Booker Building was sold to the private San Francisco-based company Prado Group.[6][25] A second location in Edmonds is planned to open in December 2023 after renovating the former Chanterelle restaurant in downtown.[26]
Reception
Magazines and newspapers
The restaurant's exterior, 2022
In 2019, Machiavelli was featured by Bon Appétit in a series of articles about old-school Italian restaurants in the U.S.[27] In 2009, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer said, "Machiavelli is the perfect balm for our troubled times, a cozy ristorante serving deeply satisfying fare at astonishingly low prices."[15] Leora Y. Bloom of The Seattle Times wrote in 2015: "The menu never changes, and if it did there'd probably be a revolution. The food is well-prepared, reasonably priced and consistent... If you love a dish, you will love it every time you order it, because they aren't reinventing it every time you come. Food trends come and go, but Machiavelli sticks to what it does best." Bloom also said, "Citywide press often recommends Machiavelli for a first date, and countless couples have followed that advice. There's just the right amount of ambient noise and light; the price is right; it isn't fancy; and service is quick and efficient, just in case things don't go well. Many of those couples come back to propose marriage, and over the years their kids join their tables."[17]
Seattle Metropolitan has said the veal "is a house specialty and a guilty pleasure" and the steak, "known among cognoscenti, is a triumph".[28]Seattle Magazine recommended the penne with roasted red pepper sauce in a 2013 overview of the best dishes at local Italian restaurants and said, "You'll sip the restaurant's cheap house red, you'll happily devour too much of the pasta and then you'll likely need to go home for a long winter's nap."[29] Chona Kasinger included Ristorante Machiavelli in Thrillist's 2014 list of Seattle's 11 "most underrated restaurants, according to experts". Kasinger quoted Bethany Jean Clement, a restaurant reviewer and arts editor for The Stranger, who said:
Machiavelli is a reliable friend. The lasagna with spinach noodles and chicken livers is the kind of thing you think about suddenly for no apparent reason -- then you must have it that night, or the next night, or some night very soon. It is especially satisfying in the winter when passersby look cold and miserable, while inside everyone is insulated with good company, beverages, and anticipation. Machiavelli isn't fancy, it's just always good.[30]
Clement's review of the restaurant said "Everything looks and tastes exactly like it should-anti-fancy, hugely portioned, rich, and eminently satisfying... Machiavelli's personable bartenders and swift, friendly servers are among the best in town-no pretension, just goodness, like the entire place."[31]The Stranger included the restaurant in a 2016 list of 50 "places in Seattle that you're taking for granted". The newspaper said, "Machiavelli is the most dependable and reassuring restaurant in Seattle—the service is always competent and confident, and the food always delicious and fast... The dining room is the sort of place where everyone feels at home, and, best of all, Machiavelli is affordable."[32]
In the Daily Hive's 2021 list of 15 "must-visit restaurants" on Capitol Hill, Alyssa Therrien wrote, "This spot serves wonderful Italian cuisine that'll even have your tastebuds exclaiming, 'Mamma Mia!'"[33]Noms Magazine's 2023 list of Seattle's twelve best Italian restaurants says Ristorante Machiavelli "has an enduring charm and timeless menu that many people love... With the best Italian food and splendid service, Ristorante Machiavelli is a true Italian treasure in Capitol Hill area."[9]
Restaurant guides and review websites
The restaurant's exterior, 2023
Surly Gourmand included Ristorante Machiavelli in Eater Seattle's 2012 overview of the city's best lasagna.[34] Julien Perry included the business in a 2013 list of Seattle's ten "most underrated" restaurants, as voted by readers,[35] and Jason Price included Ristorante Machiavelli in a 2015 guide to Seattle's "meanest" meatballs.[36] The website's 2022 overview of "where to get fantastic pasta" in the city said the penne with roasted red pepper, walnuts, and cream was "supremely satisfying".[13]
Aimee Rizzo included Ristorante Machiavelli in The Infatuation's 2022 list of Seattle's best Italian restaurants.[37] In her review, she wrote, "There are a bunch of Italian restaurants on Capitol Hill. There are also plenty of romantic spots on the hill, too. But you usually can't have both of these things and not end up spending a ton of money. That is, unless you go to Machiavelli." She also said, "You might have a slight wait for a table, but it usually is manageable and works really well for an impromptu pasta night."[8] Emma Banks and Bradley Foster included the business in Thrillist's 2022 list of Seattle's fourteen best Italian restaurants. The duo said Ristorante Machiavelli is "unfussy, always comfortable, never too expensive, and, thus, an all-around favorite for classic Italian food done right".[10]
Guide books and local news affiliates
In Seattle (1998), published by Lonely Planet, Bill and W. C. McRae said the "no-fuss" establishment "is a favorite for those who like full-flavored Italian cooking without having to endure all the trappings of a high-altitude restaurant".[38]Best Places Seattle (1999) says, "There seems to be an Italian restaurant on every corner in town, but few corners attract as many happy campers as Pine and Melrose."[39]Let's Go guide books have called Ristorante Machiavelli a "small" and "bustling"[40] establishment "with deep Seattle roots whose simplicity in decor and food proves it has nothing to prove". The guides also say the gnocchi "are widely considered the best in town".[41] Jeffrey Totey of Tacoma's KSTW included Ristorante Machiavelli in a 2017 overview of Seattle's best ravioli.[14] In 2018, Karina Mazhukhina of KOMO-TV said, "With classic Italian dishes lining the tables and an array of familiar patrons spanning 30 years, Ristorante Machiavelli stands as a remnant of old Seattle in a city that's towering with construction cranes."[42]
^Leson, Nancy (December 2, 2011). "A dozen old-time Italian favorites". The Seattle Times. pp. E5. This crowded Pike/Pine longtimer won't leave you wanting, though it will leave you waiting at the small crowded bar. 'Worth it!' say folks crazy for the modestly priced spaghetti and meatballs, killer carbonara and chicken-liver lasagna.
^Baker, M. Sharon (February 2, 1997). "Zagat serves up new survey of Seattle restaurants". Puget Sound Business Journal. Archived from the original on February 16, 2006. Retrieved June 30, 2023. Owners Tom and Linda McElroy, who also own Ristorante Machiavelli on Capitol Hill, opened the new spot with Tom Dillard.
^ abcdeBloom, Leora Y. (May 31, 2015). "If It Ain't Broke . . ". The Seattle Times.
^Kelly, Leslie (April 4, 2007). "Sake Nomi plans the local authority on rice wine, bar none". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. pp. D4. Speaking of taxes, my accountant gave me a tip about one of his favorite restaurants. He told me that Ristorante Machiavelli (1215 Pine St.) gives cash-paying diners a discount, essentially lopping off the tax. My favorite numbers cruncher is always raving about the huge portions of fine food at this tiny neighborhood place, and the small size of his tab. Pastas under $10, pizzas for $7.50, there's a veal saltimbocca for $14.95! (Or, $13.46 if you pay with greenbacks.)
