What a Week for Capitol Hill Restaurant Closings
It's the end of an era at Machiavelli.
Today, the owners of Italian restaurant Machiavelli posted the dreaded note on Instagram. The note takes many forms (the actual notes app, janky Word screen shots), but the message is sadly the same: Like so many others that came before, the beloved Italian restaurant will close after nearly 36 years. It's a gut punch for fans of chicken parm and bread service that doesn't cost extra.
The news comes on the heels of a similar announcement just a mile away. Coastal Kitchen, a 31-year landmark on 15th will serve its final oysters on February 21.
That’s nearly three-quarters of a century (or 17 presidential terms) of combined longevity. Both restaurants are souvenirs of decidedly different moments in Seattle (and Capitol Hill) dining. I will forever remember Coastal Kitchen’s baskets of oysters, its brunches, and those special menus that trotted around the globe. But most of all I’ll remember the language lessons that played in the bathroom. At its prime, this place was the casual neighborhood seafood spot that every Seattle neighborhood deserves.
Farewell, voices in the restrooms.
The owners of Coastal Kitchen obliquely cited “the evolving landscape of the hospitality industry,” but elaborated to Eater Seattle that break-ins, rising costs, and neighborhood development also played a role.
Machiavelli’s red sauce Italian menu and busy bar were perennial favorites. It's a rare spot that appealed to everyone from college kids to fine dining chefs. The restaurant opened in 1988, and honestly, the prices on the linguini carbonara and lasagna bolognese still felt closer to that era than to this one. Current owner Suzette Jarding’s announcement called this “one of the most difficult decisions of my life.” She cited, amongst other reasons, challenges in “our wonderful, but ever-changing neighborhood.” Staffing was also tough; Jarding spoke with my colleague, Allison Williams about this in 2021.
Seattle Met contributing photographer Kyle Johnson pouring one out for Machiavelli.
Image: Courtesy Kyle Johnson
It's not news that these are very tough times to run a restaurant in Seattle. And longtimers like Machiavelli and Coastal Kitchen don't usually get the benefit of buzz that more recent arrivals often enjoy...at least for a while.
Machiavelli's owners recently opened a new location in Edmonds that does brunch and lunch. The original, sadly, has already shut its doors, but will return February 15 for one final service, from 3–10pm. And if you thought this place was crowded on a regular night, buckle up.
