Machiavelli Ristorante Italiano — Restaurant in Sydney

My partner took me here for Valentine's Day - we both very excited to experience the famous Italian food and service that everyone has been raving about. We arrived on time for our reservation and were taken to our table which was at the back of the restaurant in a nice quiet area.

We were offered sparkling water by the waiter who seated us, we said "yes please" and the waiter disappeared to get it and pretty much never came back. We sat there at our table along with about three other couples for just over half an hour without so much as being looked at by a staff member. Finally we flagged the waiter's attention when he was finished serving another couple. He returned to take our order for drinks and food.

My partner ordered a glass of wine, I ordered a Whisky/Amaretto Sour from the cocktail menu. The waiter questioned my drink choice and asked "do you think you really want that big thick cocktail with your dinner?", I told him yes that was what I wanted, I always drink whisky sours. He shrugged his shoulders and walked off with our order. He then returned five minutes later and in a very rude and abrasive tone said "we're busy, I can't do your drink. You can have a nice rosé or white wine instead if you want". I declined the offer and said I'd just have water instead considering that neither of those drinks was anything like what I had ordered.

By the this point almost an hour had passed since we arrived and we were so hungry and thirsty (still had not got our water) we decided to leave as the whole experience we were so looking forward to had been soured by this one individuals terrible attitude and poor service.

I don't see the point in handing out cocktail menus to diners if your not going to allow anyone to order them. We spoke the owner on the way out, he offered us a free meal next time (not really the point of why we complained) but he took my partner's name and number - we never heard from anyone at the restaurant.

We ended up going to Barangaroo house to Bea Restaraunt - the staff here were lovely and we were lucky that they were kind enough to find us a table and save our...

A Trattoria in Decline

Ambiance & Vibe: The restaurant captures the essence of a classic trattoria, with a nostalgic decor that speaks of tradition and deep-rooted cultural pride. However, this is where the charm ends.

Service & Staff: The waiters are no-nonsense and operate with an old-school approach, but their rushed demeanor detracts from any attempt at hospitality. The front-of-house manager, clearly too comfortable in his role, floated around filling water glasses without engaging with a single patron. His lack of engagement and sheer rudeness were jarring and unacceptable.

Food Quality: The pasta dishes were decidedly average. The pappardelle was soggy, and the spinach and ricotta ravioli tasted no better than supermarket fare. It's evident that the chef has not tasted their own food in some time, as the dishes were uninspired and lacked the care one expects from a reputable establishment. The only thing that saved the pasta were the sauces, which were bursting with richness. The zucchini flowers were delightful & elegant whereas the flash-fried calamari entree was rubbery and overcooked.

Service Experience: Service was inconsistent and far from attentive. The staff seemed to be merely going through the motions, contributing to an overall sense of laziness and complacency.

Overall Impression: While the restaurant's ambiance hints at tradition, the overall experience is one of tiredness and neglect. The culmination of our visit was the rude manner in which the bill was presented, with the EFTPOS machine practically thrown on the table, devoid of any inquiry about our dining experience. The arrogance of this establishment is palpable and off-putting.

Conclusion: This restaurant is a relic resting on its laurels. It desperately needs a refresh. The front-of-house management needs a complete overhaul, and the kitchen could benefit from a stark reminder of the standards expected in inner-city dining. Tradition is valuable, but not at the expense of quality and genuine...

Machiavelli’s reputation precedes it: a subterranean Italian restaurant favoured by power brokers from both sides of politics. You can’t escape which ones, as their photos line the walls. So when an invitation from the Sydney Office of the Italian Trade Agency and the Italian Cultural Institute of Sydney arrived, I was keen to put it through its paces. The dinner was curated by Viola Buitoni (author of Italy by Ingredient) who has spent the last 15 years as a cooking instructor in San Francisco’s Bay Area. Viola looks for Italian ingredients wherever she is, and mentioned finding excellent ingredients here in Australia.

The meal’s centrepiece ingredient was Provolone Valpadana PDO from Northern Italy, a cow milk cheese that can be stretched by hand or by machine. It’s then shaped and immersed in a saline solution set into a final shape before hanging and ageing. Provolone dolce is a pliable, milky and clean tasting cheese usually used for cooking. Provolone Piccante has a more robust, spicy quality and some holes in it. And finally, Provolone Stagionato has a greasier, more bitter longer finish, for “eating and contemplating life”, Viola explained.

In the hands of Head Chef Domenico Stefanelli, who has been working at Machiavelli since 2014 working his way up from sous chef, the cheese was best utilised as a fondue underlying agnolotti with beef ragu ($46). Veal rolls Saltimbocca (literally “shove into your mouth”) showcased his skills with tender veal rolled with prosciutto and the aforementioned cheese under a classic jus. In a menu with influences that jumped from the south to the north, we enjoyed zucchini flowers stuffed what Sicilian caponata, figs with prosciutto, Gorgonzola and sage, and a beef carpaccio with kale, horseradish mayonnaise and pecorino that was first created in Venice. The panna cotta we ate to finish was among the best...