i couldn't be happier with my gorgeous ink! michael was so gracious and easy to work with. he listened so well to my ideas and drew a radiantly perfect tattoo for me. the line work was so beautiful i could have been happy with just that :) this took two sessions, maybe five hours total. i can't recommend this studio enough! michael and his apprentice shila are so extremely talented-- definitely visit eastlake tattoo for your tattoo needs in seattle! also this is a very beautifully decorated + clean + private studio with its own parking lot. read more

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Best little tattoo shop in town! Michael is awesome! Low key, comfy vibes, good music, and awesome artists! Michael's eye for detail is incredible! read more

Michael has done my full left arm sleeve and I let him have creative control on almost all of it (besides my first visit which was a cover up that he executed more perfect than I was hoping for!), and it has easily become my favorite part about myself! The detailing is flawless and the way his mind works to connect pieces and make it cohesive is beautiful! I get asked about my tattoos a ton and I always tell them who it is and recommend him and his shop. He's incredibly kind and communicative and works with you on what you want; I haven't had a better tattoo experience anywhere else and he's who I always go to now. The picture is part of the (unfinished as of now until I make an appointment) sleeve to show how incredible his work is! Everything you can see in the photo was done by him! :) read more

Eastlake Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Crisp lines, chill atmosphere, and amazing artist, overall worth every penny and second. Michael was very attentive and easy to work with from concept to execution. He was willing to hear out my request and work with me on realistic expectations for the piece I wanted (unlike some other shops I had visited that wanted me to increase the size of the tattoo from an inner forearm piece to a whole thigh or back for it to be more 'doable'). Literally was willing to make it all work when other's said it couldn't be done, which should attest to his skills and willingness to work with his customers. I strongly recommend setting aside a whole day and to be open minded when discussing the piece you want as his inputs are thoughtful and considerate. Email and phone are nice, but it's always better to visit the store in person. Supporting staff is great too and made for some fun conversations during the process. Good luck and for sure, no ragrets from me. read more

Eastlake Tattoo - Excuse the redness, but photo was taken immediately after session. - Tattoo Near Me - Seattle, Washington

UNPROFESSIONAL, DISRESPECTFUL, & ARROGANT. Please read this through... I initially had the consult with Michael (Tascar was present). I wanted a phrase tattooed in script from top to bottom of my spine. He took my deposit and set a date several weeks out. A couple of days later i got impatient and called to see if maybe Tascar could do it earlier. They were both ok with that and date set 2 weeks out. Two days later i did email a different phrase because i liked 2 equally,but changed my mind. I apologized to Tascar but it was well before the date and he so no problem. I sent several pics of the placement i wanted and examples of script that i like. The day of the appt i called in to confirm and showed up on time. Tascar and i viewed a few script styles and then, out of the blue, he says he has issues with this tattoo. First, he doesn't like the phrase. Thinks it is "tired". And doesn't like the placement either, wants to it in several lines horizontal on my back. Basically nothing like i wanted. Apparently he felt it was beneath him and "wouldnt put his name" to it. I was Godsmacked. He goes on to say he will do a different one in a different location and with his choice of script (That he won't let me preview). Then Michael yelled at me that THEY are the Professionals and i can just go to Everett to get my lousy tattoo. Apparently Everett artists have low standards. Never once in the 2 weeks before the appt did Tascar say a word about any problem. They waisted my time and deeply hurt my feelings with their arrogance, and had no intention of fulfilling the agreement. These two do not deserve to be in business. I hope this helps you decide where to go for a tattoo. DO NOT GO HERE!! read more

I've been getting tattooed by Michael Albanese for three years now, and he's never failed to exceed my expectations. His natural talent and dedication to art are apparent in everything he creates, and his well-developed style and good taste make each of his tattoos something to be treasured. I am always amazed by his ability to turn my half baked ideas into something more than I could have imagined. Michael is proficient in all tattoo styles and can cover up a crappy tattoo like a mofo. Plus, he's definitely the most attractive tattooer in the city, which makes those painful sessions easier to endure. The shop is clean and has a warm and comfortable atmosphere, with vintage furniture and incredible art (mostly originals by Michael himself) on all of the walls. I highly recommend stopping by Eastlake Tattoo to meet Michael and discuss your next tattoo. read more

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Michael did a great job on my tattoo. I came in with a vague idea of what I wanted and he helped me shape what I actually wanted, then came up with a really great piece of custom artwork I get to keep with me forever! If you're looking for tattoos that look like serious art, you should go to Michael. He's got a wide variety of styles and has a very unusual and beautiful style of dotwork shading. read more

Eastlake Tattoo - My underbust piece with fresh shading, June 2015 - Tattoo Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Michael was amazing!! He was very responsive and communicative when I asked him questions about scheduling, pricing, and my tattoo idea. He was very efficient yet the quality of work was exceptional. The finger tattoo turned out perfectly! read more

Michael is incredibly chill and skilled. He is also quite open minded, which I appreciated for my particular piece. His shop has good parking and isn't horribly difficult to find, very clean, with nice art and some fun decorations. He's very professional and entirely stayed out of the horribly inappropriate conversation me and my friend were having. :) For me, he worked on a space themed sleeve that had been half finished by various other artists and muddled together in some sort of noncohesive hodgepodge of Ican'teventellifthisisawesomeoramuddledmess. He had his own ideas of how to tie it together and looked up some awesome nebulas to get more unique ideas for coloring (my line work was already finished). He chose my favorite nebula and based his colors off that, which turned out GORGEOUS. He also incorporated and matched some colors from what was already there, tying it together and making it a more cohesive and flowing piece. He did 2 hours of work but didn't even charge me the full price of $150/hr which, I don't say this often, would have been fully worth it. The work was delicately done much like a painting, and healed insanely quickly with no scabbing or keloids. I have one more session with him to finish my sleeve, and then will be returning for more pieces in the future as well as recommending anyone who is looking to his shop directly. If you want color, portraits, geometric patterns, or anything unique/ abstract, I really highly suggest giving Michael's portfolio a looksee. read more

Great work! Great Guy! Michael is pretty freaking rad! Walking into this shop You immediately feel calm and relaxed. Michael is not just giving Tattoos, he's providing a therapy for your soul. And you get a beautiful piece of art to always remember the experience. You should just forget about going anyplace else for a Tattoo. No Bullshit. No Drama. No Problems. Also he has really good drinking water. read more

I called a few minutes ago to talk with a manager for a quote per hour on a outline design, the manager has done work for me in the past. The guy who answered the phone was rude and told me to stop calling, that they are not interested in buying anything. I didnt get a chance to even ask my questions. I have had work done there in the past and i will never return again. He was a f**king ass, and I suggest you don't go there either read more

Got my first tattoo here!! Michael was super nice and patient-- I was only getting a really simple outline of a waxing moon crescent on my back and made him resize it twice lol. The lines came out super clean and straight!! read more

Awesome experience! I've had a few pieces done by Michael and he never seizes to amaze me with his ability to take an idea and make it into a work of art. I love when an artist not only listens to your wants but makes suggestions to ensure the end result is something they themselves would be proud to rock. I CONSTANTLY get compliments on the natural flow and attention to detail & time and time again I am proud to give a referral. If you are looking for a place you can trust and want to build a long term RELATIONSHIP and EXPERIENCE with an artist this is the place!! All around great shop vibe. read more

These guys rocked my tattoo experience! They were so relaxed and friendly. They helped create a design that worked with my current tattoos and even stayed late to finish it up. I will be going back! Great giys, great tattoos! read more

One of Seattle's best kept secrets. Michael is always accommodating me and my ideas and helps incorporate what I have envisioned in my head to designing and image to paper/skin. I have never needed to bring in an example of what I need done because Michael gets it. He knows what will look good and what will hold up over time. I am glad to have found an artist as dedicated to making me look good as I am. Thanks for everything you do man. You're an asset to our community and I hope you remain in Eastlake for a long time. Get your work done here, you won't walk away disappointed. read more

Michael did a great job. He came highly recommended. Incredibly patient with this newbie. Great work, great guy. Helped me shape my idea into something I love. read more

Seems pretty unprofessional. I have left them voicemail and e-mailed them about a tattoo inquiry and they keep ignoring me. If you want to build your clientele, I would suggest responding to valuable potential prospects. I will not be pursing this tattoo shop any longer. There are much better shops out there that actually care about their clients!!!!!!! read more

I had my first ink done here a few weeks ago. I had an idea of what I wanted going in -- Michael snapped a few photos of the RC plane that was to be the subject a few weeks ahead when I first came in to schedule. Day of we decided on one of the angles to design from and he drew it up in about an hour. He was super professional the entire time and made sure I was comfortable. And now I have a stunningly beautiful piece of art to carry with me. Couldn't be happier with the end result or the process. read more

I will be making this my regular place to go for tattoos from now on! Michael and Tascar are both amazing artists and very nice and chill to be around. I've been to a lot of places and this place really stood out with the quality of work and overall experience. I love my tattoo and am excited to go back and add to it! read more

I couldn't possibly be happier with my experience here. The owner Michael went above and beyond to make sure I'd be pleased with my tat. It looks so realistic I've had people ask me if it's real or some type of decal. I get tons of compliments on it, too and I've already recommended this shop to a few friends. If you're looking to get inked, this is the only place to go to. read more

Out of the few tattoo parlors that I've visited, I liked this one the most. Most shops like to play rock or screamo music, and personally, that isn't what I like to listen to while I am in pain, but Michael plays like, old-school hip hop music that's really chill. It's a small shop but it's really clean and not overwhelming at all. I decided to email him last week about getting a small tattoo because my friend recently got tattooed by him and said he did a great job and that she had a good experience, and me being lazy about scouting other places, I decided to just go ahead with it. He replied the next day and was able to fit me in within a few days, which I really appreciated. I was really nervous about getting it done but he talked me down and didn't stress me out too much. I have a low-ish pain tolerance, and in my head, I wanted to tell him NOT to tell me when he was almost done so that I wouldn't spend the rest of the time anticipating the end but I didn't want to talk during the ordeal hahaha, and he ended up doing just that, so I really appreciated it. He's pretty light-handed so the pain wasn't too bad. I hardly felt the tattoo after 20 minutes of getting it lol, which might also be because it's pretty small. I had the Chinese character for my last name in calligraphy style done on the back of my neck and he did a great job on it! He kept checking with me to make sure it was positioned right and that he wasn't doing it upside down or backwards, hahaha. Highly recommend. read more