Machiavelli Cocktail

I recently tried Trattoria Machiavelli in the Upper West Side. This quaint renaissance inspired restaurant serves some outstanding cocktails and great Northern Italian Cuisine.

“It is an art-centric restaurant whose owner, Nathalie De La Fontaine, commissioned the work of talented artisans, woodworkers, ceramicists, sculptors and blacksmiths for the art and décor of the restaurant. This includes everything from hand-carved chairs and wrought-iron candelabras to marble-topped tables and a vibrant painted rendering of “The Battle of San Romano,” by Renaissance artist Paolo Uccello which covers the walls.” -Benvenuti PR. 

The restaurant is centrally located to the Museum of Natural History and Central Park making it a great place to grab a drink or delicious dinner when visiting those New York landmarks. Trattoria Machiavelli also offers brunch with on the fresh squeezed juice made to order along with live music and delectable Italian options.

I visited this gem over Labor Day Weekend, where I enjoyed the Machiavelli Cocktail topped with gold dust. This gorgeous cocktail is the perfect aperitif because it’s flavorful and smooth, not too sweet, and simply perfect. To pair alongside, I enjoyed a few appetizers which really got the dinner off to a great start. Our server Nick, was very friendly and made great recommendations, so we started off with the Polenta al Gorgonzola Dolce. This creamy polenta topped with gorgonzola is a must have, because it’s delicious and addicting! To keep things fresh and vibrant, I also ordered the Tuna Tartare special with cucumbers and avocado. This appetizer special was really refreshing on a hot day, but also is a nice and light share.

Up next was a pasta course. The Cacio e Mele con Stufato d’Agnello is stuffed ravioli with roasted Granny Smith apple, fresh ricotta and pecorino dressed with sage butter topped with lamb ragu. This course is again a perfect pasta course to share, because there is enough ravioli to go around, and the apples really add in some outstanding flavor to the ravioli. The savory lamb ragu goes beautifully with the ricotta, apple, and sage butter, overall making this one of the best ravioli dishes I have had! After pasta, I always like to enjoy a meat course. I really only ever order this way at authentic Italian restaurants, because… why not? After the delicious ravioli course, I was slightly full but made room for another cocktail and the Petto di Anatra con Fichi al Moscato, which is sautéed breast of duck with dried figs in Moscato sauce with roasted potato. This dish pairs well with a variety of their wines by the glass, including the lambrusco, however I thought the fizzy and fun Borgia cocktail was a fun match. The duck was perfectly cooked to medium rare, and the blend of savory breast meat paired with the dried figs, warm potatoes, and vegetables was a match made in heaven.

It was a gorgeous evening in NYC, and the Upper West Side was lively. The pianist was playing soft music and it was simply one of those New York nights you don’t want to ever end. This being said, after I slipped out of my delicious “food coma”, I knew I had to have a dessert or two. While enjoying the music, I also enjoyed the Bundino di Pane con Gelato. This is a Brioche bread pudding with bananas, chocolate, caramel, and walnuts, served warm with vanilla gelato. It’s a very filling dessert, but a must order if you enjoy bread pudding. Alongside this I also had to try a customer favorite, which was the Pyramide di Cioccolato. This is chocolate mousse on a chocolate sponge cake with crunchy gianduia chocolate and hazelnuts; simply another winner!

Overall dinner at Trattoria Machiavelli will surely please. I brought my best friend/sister, who is from Bologna, Italy with me (she happened to be visiting NYC at the time) who even gave this delectable dining spot her “Italian seal of approval”, and said that the dishes were very much like what she enjoys at home. I really enjoyed this restaurant, which is centrally located to some iconic locations, but also has the ambiance, decor, staff, and service that will make your experience there that much more special. Be sure to check out this Upper West Side hot spot for brunch, dinner, and drinks!