Il Cortile Ristorante - Paso Robles, California

Marcus O.

My wife and I traveled to Paso Robles to celebrate Valentine’s Day and her birthday. The food, service, and ambiance were outstanding. We loved the grilled octopus appetizer. You could tell that the pasta from each of our main dishes was homemade. The tiramisu was so light and flavorful. We were so glad that we chose to celebrate Valentine’s Day at this restaurant. It exceeded our expectations.

Tim H.

It's a must. Simply put. Il Cortile is fantastic. Our server, Emily, was engaging and put up with my bad jokes. She was attentive and accommodating. The Osso Bucco is the food star. Probably the best I've ever had. It is all I order from here (while stealing bites of others plates of course). The owner is a very sweet woman and touches every table. The support staff was courteous and our drinks from the bar were impeccable. Reservation highly recommended.

Michael M.

Always superlative food and service. Truly the best restaurant in town. Not inexpensive, but a much better value proposition than the other recommended Michelin starred or mentioned restaurants in Paso Robles. Weekend reservations are difficult. Make them a few weeks ahead of time!

K L.

Pasta pappardelle with wild boar was delicious. Ribeye+filet steaks and seafood were properly prepared and at the right temp as ordered. Service/waiter was on point, attentive, efficient, and great. Dining room is cozy and the atmosphere + ambiance makes for a special nice adult evening out. Whiskey old fashioned cocktail was well prepared by the bartender. Highly recommend the Grilled Octopus appetizer.

Elissa M.

We make an annual visit to Il Cortile for a special dinner and, while we've never been disappointed, this year was the most amazing! Of the amazing dishes and service I want to call out
- Ivan, our server was so helpful and described each dish so well to help us decide
- scallop appetizer was devine, cooked so perfectly and tender, served with delicious small sauces of variating flavor profiles
- pesto truffle gnocchi was the most pillow-like and light gnocchi I've ever had, the flavor was out of this world
- sea bass and branzino each had a flavorful and crispy side, fish was tender and cooked perfectly
- osso bucco sets a new standard for that dish

Only drawback is if you are seated in the patio it's rather chilly and not as comfortable an area. This was the first year we got to sit inside and it was so much better. Try to get reservations for the dining room!

Thank you Ivan and Il Cortile for yet another memorable meal!

Kelly H.

The food was amazing here, so much flavor!!! A very busy restaurant which is always a good sign. We sat at the bar (because we didn't have a reservation) and the Bartender was wonderful in her conversation, recommendations on food and drink, spot on. We had a lovely evening and could be happier!!
Thank you!!!

Noemi

Great Italian restaurant! The atmosphere was lovely, we sat outside and it was perfect to dine al fresco. The food was really delicious! The pastas were to die for! The two fish dishes we tried were perfectly cooked. The salad was delicious, the octopus and scallop dishes were amazing. Not pictured was the pana cotta that was the perfect way to end the meal. Would totally come back!

Jerry F.

This restaurant in Paso Robles, California, is my wife’s favorite. I decided to see for myself if it lived up to the hype, and the wine, menu, and ambiance exceeded my expectations. From the beginning, I could tell this place was reserved for special events with mood lighting, elegant table settings, and light romantic music to create the perfect atmosphere for a special date or business dinner. I was eager to start because I’d only eaten 400 calories all day in anticipation of a luxurious dinner at my 7 PM dinner reservation. Knowing I’d need to walk off all those delicious calories, I parked a mile from the downtown city park area. My culinary journey began with the superb bottle of red wine called Casanova De Neri, Brunello Di Montalcino, from a famous wine estate in central Italy. I sought the 2017 vintage, but the 2019 proved excellent with this Italian meal. The seven magnificent vineyards of Casanova di Neri in Montalcino, Italy, provide the exceptional grapes for their award-winning wines. After opening the red bottle of wine to air out, I enjoyed it with my Italian bread, olive oil, and balsamic vinaigrette. I skipped the appetizer, ordering the Herb Parmesan Risotto main course, which tasted like a delightful blend of arborio rice, butter, onion, white wine, chicken broth, and Parmesan cheese. My second main course was the Lobster Tagliolini. The taste was reminiscent of delicate angel hair pasta, fresh green vegetables, a rich mushroom sauce, and succulent lobster chunks. To end the night in a “blissful food coma”, I indulged in four-cannoli Italian dessert. I thanked the owner (Carole MacDonald) and her staff for a fantastic Italian meal and evening, then enjoyed a post-dinner walk through the Paso city park to admire the holiday Christmas lights. We plan to return to this restaurant many times. Grazie and Bravo Team!