12/01/08

thoughtful staff, like dining with family

by kardavis

easy to make reservations, be sure to specify where you want to be seated (near street, near fireplace, in the garden in back). greeted and seated promptly, offered to handle our coats. quaint decor, professional wait staff. my husband was wearing his Army dress blues (per my request) and the owner brought a champagne toast complementary as a token of thanks for his service to our country. (very thoughtful). the food was tasty, good portion size, and freshly prepared. this is genuine italian food! the menu shows the chef has diversity and intimate cuisine knowledge.

• Pros: prompt wait staff, cozy family atmosphere, diverse and descriptive menu
• Cons: parking is,...well, welcome to charleston.

10/31/08

Very disappointing food

by djhfromFolly

We were there just last night prior to going to the theater.

It must have been a very off night for the chef.

The spinach salad was just a blob of baby spinach saturated with dressing and

a little grated carrot mixed in.

The ravioli special must have sat under the heat light too long as it was rubbery

and hard on one side.

My order of roast pork with au gratin potato came out as roast pork with some

roasted quartered potatoes ....the waiter said it would take an additional 45 mins

for the augratin...

The dessert menu of 5 items ( 4 were ice cream of some sort) the tired tira misu

was the best thing we had......

$100.00 later with the cost of 3 glasses of wine......probably the worst experience

we have had in dining in the last year.

Oh! when we said we were disappointed in the food, the wait staff avoided us as

if we were lepers!

There are so many wonderful restaurants in Charleston, I am amazed that this

place has had any decent reviews.

03/13/08

Lovely night in Charleston!

by StudyBreak

For our last night in Charleston, my husband and I wanted something other than lowcountry cusine. Il Cortile was recommended by at least three locals, so we gave it a try. We had low expectations, but ended up with not just a great meal, but a fabulous last night in Charleston.

Unlike many of the other tourist driven establishments, we found Il Cortile Del Re to be a bit more authentic. We walked there from our hotel in the rain and were quickly seated in the back room (by the kitchen) at a cozy corner table for two by the fire place. it was romantic and mostly quiet (except from the loud diners at the table next to us). Many things on the menu looked good, but after days of overeating we stuck to just ordering pasta dishes- and they were amazing! I had the mushroom ravioli and my husband had the first pasta dish on the menu (shrimp, scallops, and mussles on spaghetti with a spicy tomato sauce). Both were great. Our waiter was helpful and attentive. We would definitely go back!

• Pros: ambience, convenience to hotels

02/16/08

A great place to go for dinner for two (or more)!

by BigMikeyB

True to their advertising, this little traditional Italian restaurant really does expose customers to above average creative, yet traditional, Italian food. No spaghetti and meatballs here .The atmosphere is very romantic, and very European. The service was very good for a busy Friday evening. Our server was not only very attentive and knew all about the items and wines on the menu, but knew which cheeses in the restaurant were homogenized and which were pasteurized. My only complaint about the restaurant itself was weak floor structure around our table that caused my chair and table to bounce every time someone walked through.

On to the food. . . we started with the cheese plate appetizer and a bottle of Chianti. The cheese plate was lacking in presentation and selection. It consisted of four single pieces of cheese (one of which tasted exactly like the smell of a dairy farm) with a dollop of creamy goat cheese all delivered on a plate with a paper doilie. However the "truffle cheese" was so good I asked our server for more information on it. For the main course my wife had the veal, medium rare, and I had the wild boar stew. The veal was absolutely delicious and the greens it was served with were perfectly prepared. The wild boar stew was a little bland and the boar tasted a little dry. It was a warm and hearty dish but I would not recommend it to anyone looking to try something exotic.

So here is the verdict:

Atmosphere: 4 1/2

Service: 4 1/2

Food: 3 1/2

Cost: $117: one appetizer, dinner for two, one bottle of wine ($42). Very fair.

For a grand total of 4 Stars for Il Cortile Del Re. A great place to go for dinner for two (or more)!

• Pros: Atmosphere, Service, Food
• Cons: Can be a little crowded and loud

01/05/08

Bad Attitude

by gourmand10

I was both surprised and disappointed to learn from other reviewers that the owner/hostess attitude was not acceptable. Like the others, my party of 2 had a early reservation (opening time)and upon arrival requested to be seated in the front room. The hostess was adamant in seating us in the back of the restaurant against a wall and near the kitchen. At the time, the restaurant had one other table in the front that was occupied. When asked why we could not dine in the front room, we were told quite rudely, it was for those with reservations - to which I responded, we have a reservation. Ah'h.......we did not request the front room and no way. It is either this table in the rear or you can leave. I found that non acceptable. Interestingly, we then dined at the Peninsular Grill (no reservation) and had a superb meal. I reside in California and will not recommend this place to anyone.

10/16/07

Excellent food; quirky management affected service

by charmc

The food and the wine selection are excellent. The setting is intimate and, for the most part, the service is very good. Management could be better, which might remove the few rough spots in the service. My wife and I ate here during the Spoleto Festival this year. On arrival, we had to wait to be greeted, as two people who appeared to be the hostess and floor manager were engaged in an obvious argument in the middle of the main dining area. Eventually the manager noticed us and ordered the hostess to greet us. The atmosphere was a bit chilly at that point. We noticed the empty tables in the beautiful courtyard and asked to be seated there. She informed us that those needed to be requested when making reservations. I asked why we weren't offered that choice when making the reservations, and she shrugged and said that people were expected to know what they wanted. The tables remained empty throughout the evening. Once we were seated, things got much better. In a nutshell, the food and table service were very, very good. The goat cheese salad was a delight; the duck and salmon entrees were cooked perfectly, with seasonings and sides that complemented them well. A bit pricey compared to some other top restaurants in the city, but still very good. Our waiter was attentive without being intrusive. The only other disappointment came when my wife asked for a glass of iced tea after dinner. "We don't serve iced tea here." was the response. Admittedly there is no law requiring serving of iced tea in a city noted for its Southern hospitality, but this was a surprise, as was the lack of any apology or explanation. I've read elsewhere that the owners are married and are the operators. Perhaps it was they who were fighting, making it a difficult night for the staff as well as customers. We'll give it another chance, hoping it was just a bad night. This has the potential to be one of the city's best restaurants, if run properly.

• Pros: Very good food, nice wine list, romantic setting, very good table service
• Cons: Management needs to improve to live up to the "pros" listed above

06/13/07

wonderful italian food

by dlkellogg

My friends and I were in Charleston to celebrate our birthdays, and started our celebration by eating at Il Cortile del Re. We don't say "wow" to a lot of restaurants (we are sort of food snobs) but we have nothing else to say about the food at this restaurant. Everything we had was superior. My friends had the special (Ahi Tuna) that evening and raved about it; I had porcini mushroom ravioli which were absolutely superb. We split an antipasto plate and a serving of lamb sausage for appetizers and had tiramisu for dessert. I cannot say enough good things about the food- there was nothing that was even average, and the wines to complement the food were wonderful as well. Our one quibble was with the service; our waiter did leave something to be desired. He was not as personable or professional as the rest of our experience would have led us to expect, and was really almost cold to our table. Nevertheless, I would happily make reservations here again and again, and would recommend it without reservation to anyone!

Editorial Review

by Contributor

Provincial-styled bistro serves traditional Italian cuisine as well as hard-to-find international cheeses and an extensive wine list.

08/02/06

Great People

by captgk

Every friday night for a year you could find my wife and I at table six. Yhe soups are to die for the meat is the best i've had in my 50 plus yeas my wife still claims that the osso buco is the best she has ever had. We ware fortuunate to eat part of the year in Palm Beach, Boston, and Charleston. Charleston has many good restaurants and more than their share of great ones.

07/14/06

A spectacular ristorante

by damonoir

I recently moved here from NY and found it nearly impossible to find ANY good italian food in the low country. Then I stumbled upon Il Cortile Del Re and was more than pleasantly surprised. It has the warm atmosphere of a small restaurant in Little Italy or of course Tuscanny itself in a dimly let setting. The menu is limited to just a dozen or so entrees but has something for everyone. And their sauces are bursting with flavor.

Whenever I have family or friends come to visit I ALWAYS take them there. I recommend it highly.

• Pros: Food, Owner, ambience