Machiavelli
“Machiavelli's is the perfect spot to eat Italian in the UWS on nice spring or summer night.”
“Very nice ambiance, and live pianists giving nice background music that doesn't overpower your meal.”
“For desert, we had the Bongo Bongo which had amazing hot chocolate drizzled around the plate.”
Machiavelli
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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This is a nice Italian restaurant on the upper west side in NYC. I went there during a business trip with colleagues. The server was nice but kept asking the men for their orders first, which was not appreciated by some at the table. The wine selection was quite good, and the cab I ordered was perfect. The bread basket was also excellent. My main entree was a seafood risotto, which was very good. For dessert I had the creme brûlée was to die for.
I wouldn't say the food or the ambience was fabulous but overall a very nice dining experience. I'd probably go again and try some other entrees.
I really enjoyed my trip to Machiavelli. The service was really excellent. I was very impressed with our server.
We had a prosciutto and burrata appetizer, which was very nice. I also had a spinach salad, which was a little overdressed. My friend had seafood pasta, which she really enjoyed. Another friend had a pizza, which looked pretty good… I didn't try it because I had eaten so much burrata cheese already, but she really liked it. Our other friend had mussels, which she enjoyed.
The one issue for me is that the outside tables are so ingrained with dirt. I know it's hard to keep things clean when they are on Columbus Ave, but it was rather off-putting. Also, the restroom situation is limited even for a Manhattan restaurant.
Machievelli gets one star because the place looks so cool. And the fig. And maybe I'll get to use the word 'Machiavellian'…
But, as a restaurant that serves people willing to exchange money for food, not so much. The food is best described as "meh", while the service hasn't yet registered on the "meh" scale. I think this is the first 1 star review I've done.
Stopped here on the way to a show, with plenty of time for dinner and drinks.
From the time we walked in to the time we left it was like being in a foreign country where we spoke different languages and didn't share the human experience of dining out.
After being seated outside at the best table we were left alone. No, really. To the point we wondered if this was in fact a restaurant, or a movie set, in a studio that looked very much like a restaurant. It was early, maybe 6:30 and there weren't more than 2 other tables. A busboy filled our water and a waiter took our drink order to the bar ten feet away, a club soda and glass of wine. It's 6:45 and the club soda and wine arrive. We let our waiter know we had a show, while there was still plenty of time. Our waiter was actually very personable despite a language barrier. And though we may have waited on him more than he on us, he was friendly.
While waiting for the waiter to take our food order I looked to Yelp for any recommendations or 'must haves'.. The reviews were surprisingly disappointing. But we stayed, and at 7 they were ready to take our order. Now concerned about time, we decided on the cheese plate, probably the safest bet and quickest to prepare. The waiter explained they had 15 to choose from and to pick 3, 4 or 5. They actually had 7 and I picked 4. It was served with a date, some preserves and an amazingly delicious fig. The cheese was fine. The bread was not bread. It was like zeppole at the county fair without the powdered sugar or carnies. I liked it, but not with cheese (but I'll eat cardboard when I'm this hungry)… so maybe…we asked if we could have some bread and they brought what they had, herbed focaccia which is best described as 'awful'.
Long story short, I begged for the check, paid $42 for some cheese, a glass of wine and a club soda (and a delicious fig) and left hungry..was there was still time to stop and grab dinner before the show?
**brunch review**
We just came here for brunch on Christmas Day. (They were one of the few places open!) We even sat outside!
We got a nutella crepe and their crepe of the day, which had ham, goat cheese, and spinach. Both came with a small fruit salad, and the savory crepe also had a side salad. Both were tasty and a very substantial portion.
The coffee, which came in their own presses, was kind of blah, but the bread basket and olive oil were nice.
I love the aesthetic inside – airy but also regal – and the Mediterranean nod, such as the white-blue tiled tables outside. The napkins were all standard paper towels, like from the dispenser, which was kind of weird given the otherwise upscale look.
Solid choice for brunch after competing in a 5K race with a celebratory drink.
Good food, nice service, tasty cocktails, piano player, outside seating on a warm sunny Spring morning. Cozy spot that you can spend hours at.
Of course I had to go with a cocktail called a Bloody Hell. Basically, a bloody mary made with tequila. Nice and strong and spicy. The way I like it!
To eat I had the Fritatta Casereccia – open face Italian omelet with smoked mozzarella, pesto and oven-dried tomatoes. Came with some fruit and salad on the plate. Nice.
A bit pricey overall but worth it for a relaxing meal. Not bad at all.
Oh, and it beats the heck out of waiting for a table at Good Enough To Eat across the street. Let's face it, on a sunny warm Spring day New Yorkers love to come out of hibernation and attack the popular brunch spots. Why wait on line 45 – 60 minutes for some pancakes when you can grab a spot here quickly, have a cocktail, and be entertained?
We got a great outside table immediately while we waved at those suckers stuck on line across the way. Then raised a drink at them in their honor about a half hour later as their line hardly moved.
Yes, we are evil. Life is good.
Worst. Service. Ever. This is home to the most incompetent nincompoops of the dining industry in the whole of New York City, and possibly the universe. The waiters never come to the table, the bussers are clueless, and the kitchen prepares dishes with the wrong timing. Oh, and it's impossible to get a drink. It's as if they don't want your money. If you for whatever reason are willing to overlook all this, then also be aware that the food is absolutely mediocre: I can do way better for a charcuterie and cheese plate at my local grocery store, and the pasta was limp and soggy. An insult to Italian cuisine and hospitality.
Came here for Sunday brunch and we quite enjoyed it!
EXTERIOR:
Outdoor seating, red throws given to keep you warm when seated out there on a low-60s° day like last Sunday. Nice touch.
INTERIOR:
.Nice & airy, spacious,
.Communal table in the back,
.Piano (Some pianists cringe at the sight of a vase on it,
though. Flower arrangement = pretty!
Water on a piano = a no-no.),
.Murals on the walls,
.Nice decor,
.Con/Tip on a 60º day: a bit cold because they left the front door open.
GOOD SERVICE, GOOD FOOD:
_ FRITTATA SALSICCIA ($13.95)
Goat cheese (put on the side as requested),
with mixed green salad & fresh fruits.
= Dining mate enjoyed it! I had a tasty bite and concur!
_ POACHED EGGS (Uovo Fiorentina, $14.95)
over spinach & polenta cakes,
with mixed green salad & fresh fruits.
= Yum! Would get it again.
_ PANNA COTTA ($9.95)
= Tastes like a mix of yogurt & flan, yum.
Would return! In fact, planning on it.
We loved Machiavelli!! We went in there on a sweet summer evening with my husband and mother in law and really had a great experience. The place itself is quite beautiful, the walls are gorgeously painted and there is a piano player- yeah!
– bread basket: focaccia and some sort of hummus: delicious!
– salmon and veggies: perfect. Even though it said veggies, it came with mashed potatoes. Mashed potato isn't a vegetable.
– duck with fig sauce: amazing!
– pasta and veal sauce: fantastic!
Overall great dining experience. Would love to return!