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.

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.

This is a great local restaurant. My husband and I have been several times and have loved it every time.

You will have to ask a local how to find it. It is down a little courtyard. Make advance reservations and you won't be disappointed.

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!

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)!