IL Cortile

Some of the best Italian food in NYC! Atmosphere was incredible, staff were fantastic, and most importantly the food knocked it out of the park. We even met the owner, heard some stories about the wall they brought over from Rome and even an Easter egg about the Sopranos!

A fine dining experience. The rear, enclosed atrium, appears to have been a small backyard in the past, which has been beautifully modified into its current form. In addition, the restaurant is actually larger than it's original footprint as it has what appears to be two, side by side retail spaces in the front and another third space which looks out the adjacent street. The rear atrium area ties all the spaces together wonderfully. The combination of these spaces creates a dynamic eating experience, as one can select which area to dine in. The pictured, little neck clams were not on the menu, however the manager was kind enough to accommodate us. Unlike other restaurants within Little Italy, coffee here is refillable and I found some unique items in the menu, like a pie made from sausages, artichokes and mozzarella cheese (appetizer section).

My friend and I visited this place to celebrate her birthday, as we both love Italian food. We were impressed by the excellent service and delicious food, and we especially appreciated how the staff sang a birthday song for my friend. Francisco V., our server, was amazing. He answered all our questions, provided great recommendations, and made our experience more enjoyable. I’ll be recommending this place to others!

This was a nice little Italian restaurant with a great floral garden area in the back inside. Outdoor dining also available. Food was delicious for everyone and the service was friendly. I had the Gambine Fantasia (stuffed shrimp) which had terrific flavour — would definitely recommend that dish

This place is so cute during the holidays. The food is also good but expect it to be on the pricier side with small portions. Everything was delicious though except for the pesto burrata spaghetti-they missed the mark on this and then overcharged us by mistake. Be aware there’s a $35 cake cutting fee. No regrets though, coming during the holidays was such a fun and memorable experience because they have live carolers and really nice decorations. Call ahead if you have a big party; there’s no booking fee.

I had a great time at IL Cortile. The penne alla vodka was delicious and my boyfriend was very pleased with his dish as well (don't recall the name). Sangria was delicious! Service was fantastic and the restaurant itself was very cozy. My one and only critique is that the butter was super cold when it was brought out with the bread. My big back couldn't wait for it to thaw so I ripped my bread. 😔

I came here for a work dinner, and WOWZA the decor was on point! Having a meal in a little Italy is always a treat, but especially during Christmas time! I honestly have no complaints whatsoever. The service was great, and the staff was very attentive to our table (we had a group of about 12), and the food was delish. Nona herself would be so proud! I tried a few of the appetizers, but my favorite was the Burrata (unsurprisingly, it was amazing and some of the best I've had). I had built my own pasta dish and ordered the cappellini with vodka sauce and chicken. It was definitely an interesting choice, as capellini is not the go-to for vodka sauce because it does not hold the sauce as well as something like penne, but I experimented and I wasn't disappointed! The drinks, food, and especially atmosphere all hit for me. I want to come back here for a date night!

We had our wedding at Il Cortile in October 2024 and everything was PERFECT! The ambiance is gorgeous. Almost 80 guests fit in the garden room which is illuminated with white lights and a glass ceiling. The food was delicious and perfectly cooked. Audio for the DJ and music was great. Service was professional. Signature cocktails and drinks were refreshing and special. Thank you Manny for all your guidance. Thank you to the pastry chef for an amazingly cake. Most of all, thank you, Mr Salvatore Esposito for taking the time to make every detail perfect. We could not have had a better wedding party. Our family and friends are still raving about the venue, food and service. You made our special day perfect in so many ways.

I came here for a work dinner, and WOWZA the decor was on point! Having a meal in a little Italy is always a treat, but especially during Christmas time! I honestly have no complaints whatsoever. The service was great, and the staff was very attentive to our table (we had a group of about 12), and the food was delish. Nona herself would be so proud! I tried a few of the appetizers, but my favorite was the Burrata (unsurprisingly, it was amazing and some of the best I've had). I had built my own pasta dish and ordered the cappellini with vodka sauce and chicken. It was definitely an interesting choice, as capellini is not the go-to for vodka sauce because it does not hold the sauce as well as something like penne, but I experimented and I wasn't disappointed! The drinks, food, and especially atmosphere all hit for me. I want to come back here for a date night!

A friend recommended this little gem. Located in Little Italy. The food is amazing! The service was outstanding I loved city in the patio area! We started with the pumpkin gnocchi. I highly recommend it! Everything we had was amazing! Definitely going back!

This place is so mid. I was pleasantly surprised at how big the restaurant was though. It was very cute in the back with the twinkly lights and skylight. I got the Fettuccine di Parma. It was a generous portion but not that good. The bread basket had a variety of bread though and was huge!

Had dinner here with a party of four at the end of Nov. Outside and inside are fully decked out in Christmas decor which was lovely to see. Service and food are decent. Portion is quite big for the pasta I got (chicken parmigiana), but quality and taste are alright. Also got calamari for appetizers which was pretty good. Light on the batter and wish it had more seasoning. The fried mozzarella was also decent.

the food here was super yummy and I'm really happy with my pasta decision. The indoor is super cute and decorated for Christmas. The prices aren't bad either. Our waiter was a little rude to be honest, he seemed very put out to be helping us, but it's fine. The food was great and the wait lines were short to be sat and for the food to come out.

I had the pleasure of attending a party at this charming Italian restaurant, and the experience was exceptional! The food was outstanding with a drink selection that perfectly complemented our meal. The service was impeccable, and the ambiance was warm and inviting. The highlights of the evening were undoubtedly the Chicken Francese and the Rigatoni with vodka sauce, both of which were expertly prepared. The dessert, however, was an absolute showstopper! I highly recommend this restaurant for anyone seeking a memorable dining experience.

Really excellent Italian food with a great atmosphere and it was beautifully decorated for Christmas! Highly recommend if you're looking for good quality Italian, great service, and a great atmosphere!

We had a very nice Dinner experience Great food and excellent service Christmas Decor was fun

I've been wanting to try this Italian restaurant for awhile. The interior decor was elegant and beautiful with colorful flower displays, lovely looking statues, and indoor garden room area, complete with exposed brick, plenty of greenery and florals. The space also had some festive touches for the holidays. We were served a complimentary bread basket consisting of bread sticks, bread with sesame seeds, along with regular bread. The bread was soft and fluffy, and quite good with the addition of some butter. For my meal, I ordered the Pork Chop, which was grilled and served in garlic with olive oil sauce. I requested it to be served with a side of roasted potatoes. That pork chop was cooked absolutely perfectly and was a wonderful shade of brown. The meat was tender, delightfully juicy, slightly charred, and well seasoned. The potatoes were also tasty and flavorful. Dessert was spumoni gelato covered in chocolate and I also got to try the homemade Italian cheesecake. I preferred the Spumoni, which was layered pistachio, cherry, and chocolate ice cream covered in a chocolate shell. The ice cream was velvety smooth, sweet, and the chocolate surrounding it was rich and paired well with the ice cream. The Italian cheesecake was just okay. I wasn't a huge fan of the ricotta and texture, however I did enjoy the crust, which I found to be so yummy and addicting! Service was very good. Our waiter was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. Everything came out in a timely manner and we were well taken care throughout our meal here. We were still finishing up our meal when it was closing time and everyone was so patient with us. I would like to return in order to try the Veal with prosciutto or Ragu Del Macellaio

Food is spot on authentic Italian food. Service is fast and the place is beautiful. I love the Garden Room. I love the place so much we decided to get married there!

Loved the ambiance of this place. Was pleased that they could accommodate additions to our party during the holiday season. The food was good, classic Italian and the wine paired perfectly.

This place is amazing! The restaurant not only had really good food but the environment and service surpassed my expectations. I got the fried baby calamari and creamy vodka penne. The calamari was perfectly crispy and not chewy at all. The penne was flavorful and I added red pepper flakes on mine since I like it spicy! Our waiters were so kind and made sure my friends and I were taken care of. I can't wait to come back!

Stumbled across this place in little Italy,NYC. Sat in the enclosed garden area which was beautiful ! Had a feel of being in a restaurant in Italy. Server very attentive and knowledgeable. Espresso martini was mid- a little too sweet I couldn't finish it. Eggplant rollatini was decent. Nothing over the top exciting about the taste of the food but overall enjoyable experience.

Great atmosphere for the holidays. The decorations are perfect. The food is amazingly delicious. Drinks are good too. The service was rather slow and our waiter was argumentative when asked questions about the menu. There was a band that came through that I could have done without. When they played you couldn't hear a thing. Overall it was a good meal but could have been better.

A nice atmosphere and wouldn't expect anything less than that from Little Italy. After that hit La Bella Ferrara Pasticceria across the street for a "double dipped" chocolate cannoli and espresso. Recipes from 93+ years ago by Sorrento !! Wow what a life that now someone can say globally via an App. What a place!

More like a 4.5. Food was good and portions were big.I ordered the chicken parm. It was tasty but the pasta isn't made in house. My friend ordered the fish special which was very tasty and cooked to perfection. The waiters were very attentive, a bit too much! We had different waiters ask if everything was ok like every 5 mins. Overall it's a cute spot, workers are very attentive and the food is good FYI they charge about $3 for paying with a credit card.

Came here during restaurant week on a weekday. Place was pretty packed (indoor and outdoor seating). Loved the aura of this place and the staff was really nice. Had the standard drinks and an array of apps. Calamari was a hit as was the stuff calms. I got the mozzarella/tomato salad which was ok. My main was salmon with risotto which was a huge portion. Seasoned well. Dessert I got the Italian cheesecake and it was huge. Couldn't finish it all. After dinner we walked around Little Italy and it was gorgeous with all the lights and the atmosphere.

It has been a long time since i came back. Was a staple for me when i worked in NYC. However the food was fantastic as per usual. Linguine n clams done right. The place had been solid for the 30 plus years i have gone. Little Italys jewel. This is 30 plus years of love for IL CORTILE

The food was good! The service was thrash, and on top of that they put a 25% "gratuity" tip! Would I recommend this place? Of course not

I went to a dinner for a diabetes product a while back. One of the representatives from the company told me that his family owns this restaurant and he occasionally helps out. He gave me his contact and said if you ever go there, let me know. I finally tried it recently. I brought my brother-in-law (BIL) and his boyfriend (BIL's BF) here to celebrate their graduation from graduate school. A was there as well. I made a reservation and told the guy that we were trying it. He asked me to send me what name I used for the reservation but he found it as I had made it on OpenTable or Resy. He marked it with his Initials I think. When A and I got there as we were early, we couldn't find the host/hostess. We kind of stood there awkwardly waiting for someone to help us out. Eventually the hostess came and sat us in the back part of the restaurant, where it kind of feels like the outside but it's not. It's an open space area with a lot of light and it's a really beautiful area. As an aside, the decoration is gorgeous and the ambience is that of any Italian restaurant in Little Italy - busy, but the staff are still attentive. Back to the food, when my BIL and his BF arrived, they gave us bread and ordered glasses of wine. Food wise, A got the chicken parm, BIL's BF got the chicken fillet, BIL got the penne vodka (which is what we predicted he would get), and I got the pasta with their special made sauce that is only done on weekends. I didn't realize my BIL's BF didn't like mushrooms so he pushed all the mushrooms to the side and ate the chicken. I picked at his mushrooms here and there because I like mushrooms a lot. But my dish was amazing. It went well with whatever wine I had gotten and the sauce was amazing: it has meatballs, spare ribs, sausage, and braciola in it. It's difficult to tell in the picture because only the meatball shows but the other meats are buried under the sauce. I didn't think I would finish but I surprisingly did. I think we all finished our dish for the most part and we were all so stuffed. When the waiter came around to ask if we wanted dessert, we said no thanks. However, one of the perks of knowing the owner is that they ignore you when you say no dessert. They brought us a dessert sampler that included cannoli, red velvet cake, and two cheesecakes. They were heavenly. I didn't eat the cannoli because I'm not a cannoli fan but the cheesecakes and red velvet cakes were so good. Even though we were all full, we managed to eat dessert. To summarize: great food, good service, lovely interior and atmosphere. And they also do live music although it's like a musician here and there that plays a violin and goes to every table randomly and then later an accordion player that goes randomly to different tables. A bit strange but I guess it's part of the ambience. Give this place a shot if you can - but make a reservation!

Went for dinner with family and friends, pasta was cooked to perfection, one of the only places I know that cooks the pasta to order. I hate pre cooked pasta! Also hate when pasta is cooked in same water all day, my pet peeve. We also had Mussels in a white wine sauce with jalapeño for a bit of a extra kick, Sooo good we ordered a second plate. The pizza was also quite the surprise, it was Delicious!!! Salads were basic, but fresh. All in all, I had no complaints. For me this is major, I always have complaints.

La comida muy buena, el servicio excelente, pero hay halgo que deben tener cuidado es que las sodas no es free refills. Solo por eso no le doy 5 estrellas

The staff was very nice and helpful. Fast service. Food was amazing, Sicilian rice ball were to die for. salmon and veal parmigiana was delicious, the peach martini and strawberry marg were so good

If you have anything at Il Cortile, have the cannolis! So good! The Linguine Cicale with garlic oil and Steak Rigatoni Speciale were great entrees! Huge chunks of seafood in the seafood linguine! The calamari app also was a good choice with huge pieces. The house Montepulciano and Cab were good reds. This place is definitely a touristy family restaurant. If you're not looking for a romantic dinner, then this is your spot. The atmosphere is cute and service was decent.

This place is beautiful and decorated very nicely. We came in with a big group and took long intervals of time to order, and our waiter was very accommodating to an almost impressive degree. Food was amazing, I still dream about that farfalle and fried mozz highly recommend!

This place was recommended by someone from NY while I was traveling. I made reservations for a birthday dinner. Tables seemed like it could be loud when busy, but it was not. Fresh bread was good. We tried the fried mozzarella, which was nothing like we'd ever had before. One special was pumpkin gnocchi with mascarpone sauce. It was served in a pumpkin. This was delicious. We also chose ravioli, which was good. Had to get dessert, and chose lava cake and cheesecake. We were happy with our choices. Other meals that passed us looked wonderful and smelled amazing.

We were in New York from Chicago the first week of January and we went to Cortile for dinner. The food was great and me being gluten free they made up a dish for me of pasta and it was awesome. The staff is friendly and professional and the ambience was very nice. We highly recommend a visit and you won't be disappointed.

Little Italy has shrunk over the years but Il Cortile is a landmark. Warmly greeted when we arrived with our party of 12. A beautiful space with mature waitstaff who are attentive without swarming. Lovely table service, substantial wine list and a menu with something for everyone. Our group had many of the entree choices and left clean plates. My fettuccine d'Parma was amazing and ample portion, perfectly cooked pasta, impeccable sauce. We'll be back!

Meh - not a big deal if a place - food not great - no sense of urgency with the servers - had a waiter switch tables mid - dinner I get it that this place had gotten its notoriety from the cast of the sopranos eating here - but that's all this place is - just for show They were more concerned about getting ready for a big party that night than taking care of 1 person for dinner And on top of that lousy penne alla vodka with a dry chicken cutlet was $38. This is the worst meal I've ever had

not worth the price . this supposed to be in little italy. I had way better italian food in Houston so disappointed. The noodles was very hard . the shrimp alfredo was nasty and they charge 11 dollars extra for 3 shrimp. so disappointing my girls did not like it at all

Just wanted to give a big shout out to IL Cortile. I threw a birthday party there in the upstairs cocktail lounge and Manny and the staff went above and beyond. The food, as usual, was awesome and the service was excellent. They even helped me decorate the space!!! Highly recommended for dinner and/or an event. Well Done IL Cortile!!!

My family and I had an amazing dining experience here. The food was incredibly delicious and the ambiance was top tier. The service was also exceptional. I wholeheartedly recommend this place!

We stumbled upon Il Cortile while in search of Italian cuisine on a Wednesday night. Despite being located in "Little Italy," the restaurant wasn't bustling, and we were promptly seated. Opting for the garden area, we enjoyed its charming ambiance, reminiscent of a traditional Italian eatery. Our waiter, a friendly veteran, provided attentive service, ensuring our water glasses were consistently filled. While the overall dining experience was satisfactory, the food didn't necessarily blow us away. It wasn't the most extraordinary, but it satisfied our cravings, leaving our party of four content and full. The wait for our food was short, and the pasta was perfectly cooked. Dessert was a highlight. Despite its reputation as a potential tourist trap, the atmosphere was pleasant, exuding a mom-and-pop charm that added to its appeal. Although prices were slightly on the higher side, they weren't the most exorbitant in New York. Il Cortile seems like a decent spot for a satisfying Italian meal, especially on a quiet weeknight.

We went here for dinner the other night. We had the Asiago stuffed mushrooms, I had the tortellini soup and the Fettuccine Di Parma, some tiramisu and a cappuccino and it was all so delicious. The service was great, and the restaurant was very pretty.

The waiters were very attentive and catered to our needs. The interior is also amazing and if you get a chance to sit towards the back, I would highly recommend. In terms of the food, it was very mediocre. My party and I ordered several different pasta dishes and some were served under cooked and others just we're not that good. The appetizers were also okay. We came here after we saw a video on TikTok and though we'd give it a try but I think it may have been overhyped.

Recently my parents came to visit. Naturally, being the good Yelp Elite I am, I wanted to take them to some of the best New York City has to offer, and in particular somewhere with Italian-American food. Il Cortile came recommended by my friend (who has excellent taste), so I went ahead and made a reservation for 7pm on Friday. Upon arrival (about 15 minutes early), we were greeted and seated. Unfortunately, once we were seated, we were greeted by the dreaded QR code menu rather than an actual paper menu. While this isn't something that bothers me, it was very difficult for my parents to read the menu on the phone. Later in the evening, I noticed that paper menus were in fact available, but not presented to us (we did not realize it was an option). Frankly, I was ready to condemn this place right here: while QR codes made sense during Covid, there's simply no reason to use them for menus any longer, and certainly not at a restaurant with an ambience any nicer than McDonalds. While using QR codes may save money for the restaurant owner, so does removing toilet paper from the bathroom (which is a bad idea). Even worse is that the linked menu was a PDF that used a "fancy" font, and not optimized for mobile, making an already difficult to read menu even harder on my parents, particularly my father. While we were trying to figure out the menu, the tension was raised just a bit by the roving accordion player who seemed to want us to tip him to play (I'd rather tip him not to). We did not appreciate it, but any accordion fans will likely enjoy this touch of ambience. Once we were able to figure out what the restaurant served, we made our orders and relaxed: the hard part was over. Our bottle of wine came out and was acceptable, and then it was time for food. First, we had ordered the antipasto platter. It was pretty much what you would expect from an antipasto platter, with a collection of meats and cheeses and various accoutrement. Nothing special, but it started the meal off on the right foot. We skipped salad, but it looks like the Caesar is made table side (at least at other tables), which is always a good sign. Our mains came out after a little while (not overly long of a wait, but not too soon either). I ordered the linguine cicale, which is basically a seafood pasta similar to dishes I've had in the past and a favorite of mine. The seafood was cooked well, with the always-tricky octopus coming in not over cooked, always an accomplishment. The sauce was also quite pleasant. My mother ordered the cheese ravioli, and quite enjoyed it, with the sauce again serving as a highlight (it was remarkably fresh tasting). Finally, my father had the Chicken Scarpariello. The dish was very generously portioned, and my father seemed to enjoy, with his primary complaint being that the dish was far too much for him to eat in one sitting (overall a good thing). It didn't seem particularly appealing to me but that is simply preference. Finally, we had the bomba for dessert. The gelato was exceptionally good, and even my father (who was stuffed from his main course, see above) enjoyed it very much. Shortly after we received the bill, which came out to a couple hundred dollars. Overall, the value for money was solid, but there are certainly ways they could have improved the experience (particularly the menu issue above). I wouldn't say that this is my new "go-to" for visitors, but you could certainly do worse, and it doesn't seem to be as much of a tourist trap as some other Little Italy Italian restaurants. I won't rush back, but I will not avoid this restaurant in the future.

Third time visit to this old school Little Italy establishment. I really enjoy how beautiful this place is and it is all decorated for Christmas. Today I had the chicken parmigiana which was very good. We shared the Caprese Salad first which was also good. Good wine selections and pretty good service.

Great food for some classic Italian dishes. The white sauce was great and the espresso martini is a MUST!!

We loved the food. The service was amazing and the ambiance as well!!! Will definitely be visiting soon. Summer time will definitely be sitting out in their courtyard.

Our first miss with a restaurant that uses Resy! That's been for us a a sign of quality. No longer. The Caesar was mid - not awful but boring and way over priced. The linguine clams was the worst my spouse has ever had. The Pollo Francese was a soppy, rubbery mess, accompanied by over steamed and garlicky kale. The chicken parm was soupy and tough. Service was bad but not their fault since it was San Genaro and they were slammed. Ambience was fine and I don't mind gross Italian American food but I do mind paying a lot for it. They also added a 20% tip for a party of three and then asked for a tip on top of that - skeezy.

Just had a delicious branzino dish when out for dinner with a glass of Prosecco. Large flavorful portion. Service was spot on. There on a Wednesday night so not terribly busy.

I came across this cute spot on Yelp! I came here yesterday for Valentine's Day dinner and this place did not disappoint. This was my first time dining at an Italian restaurant in Little Italy. Our server gave us some great recommendations for food. Some dishes were not pictured but we started with the schiacciata di salsicce e carciofi and mussels fra diavolo. The schiaccata di salsicce was a pie consisted of sausage, artichoke and mozzarella. This dish was definitely underrated. From the first glance, it didn't look appealing but I was surprised that it was so good. We got the mussels fra diavolo with red sauce which was recommended by our server. I definitely recommend these two dishes. For the main course we ordered the rigatoni speciale and the creamy penne vodka w/ shrimp. At this point we were stuffed from the bread, appetizers and drink. For dessert we had the tiramisu and the cannoli. I usually don't prefer cannolis but they were delicious . The decor and the ambiance was amazing. There was a cute table set up with 3 bears for the Valentine's Day theme. Although I wasn't seated in the garden room, I saw a quick glimpse. The garden room looked super scenic. I'd definitely recommend to reserve a spot in the garden room for a date. Hmmm as for the service, I'd say that the service was just okay. From the busser to the server the service was alright. We had to ask multiple times for the check and our last round of drinks never came out. I understand that the service may have been mediocre since it was busy due to Valentine's Day. Nonetheless, the food was great! Would I come back? For sure

Came here today for the restaurant week lunch special with a friend. The patio is really cute to sit so I was excited about that. I wasn't sure if it was outdoors, but it's Indoors extension of the restaurant with a sunroof. Started off with the bread. I tried the one with the tomatoes on top. It was good, very thick, but good. We ordered the calamari and Cesar salad to start which were both really good. The Calamari was lightly fried and the Marinara sauce was good. I ordered the pork chop and my friend ordered the vodka penne w chicken. The sauce wasn't really vodka. It was def more marinara. It was just a regular pasta dish with chicken and sauce. I liked my pork, but wasn't what I expected. I knew it would be a breaded piece of pork but I didn't know it was a pounded flat piece that was served the way it was served. If I knew I would have just ordered chicken Parm. The dish def needed a vegetable or some pasta, sauce, or something on the side. My friend got a dessert in a cup which was delicious. I don't remember the name but her dessert was really good, some kind of moose, My cheesecake I wasn't a fan of. It was dry, not creamy at all. Had a lemon taste..I didn't finish that. Overall the service was good, but We were both slightly disappointed in main course.

We had a wonderful meal and even better service. We all had different dishes and they were all wonderful! The wine we shared was so good and the desserts!! I had the stuffed gnocchi!

Wait : we did rsvp Place: a bit loud , and a bit crowded, it's good for group and won't plan to go there alone Food: we ordered lobster ravioli, chicken parm some appetizers . They all come with big portions and really delicious. Chicken is very tender, juicy and delicious. Pasta is well cooked. We also ordered a side dish for spinach and I love it. Service : very informative, super nice and attentive. Drink: espresso martinis is ok, not very special Price : worth the price Overall: would love to come back

Came here with 7:15 reservations with a total party of 5, but didn't get seated until 7:40. We were led to the back and ordered drinks while we waited. When we were seated, we ordered the fried calamari which was pretty good and the mozzarella. I opted for the Ragu del Macellaio and it was okay. I wished the dish came with more sauce since the cavatelli was so dense. The inside was really well decorated and the place was decently filled with people. Overall, I'd come back considering the size of the restaurant is very well accommodated to fit large parties.

We really enjoyed our dinner here while visiting from out of state. Our server was warm and friendly (and told us how to ride the subway back to our hotel), our margaritas stiff, and the crab linguini special was out of this world. The decor is really fun and the patio is charming.

Disappointing. I'd heard for years that Il Cortile stood out as the only place in Little Italy that wasn't a tourist trop turning out forgettable and overpriced red table cloth Italian fare. But my experience showed that it wasn't far off from that. The bread basket was an embarrassment: stale bread sticks and flabby slices of focaccia. Then I ordered mussels fra diavolo, which is a classic dish involving Calabrian chilis. I even asked the waiter how it was prepared and he nodded about the chilis. What arrived was a plate of mussels in a wine garlic sauce. Uninspired and not at all fra diavolo. There wasn't a Calabrian chili in the same zip code of my plate. Then came the pollo rotini which is a stuffed chicken dish. It was dry and overcooked and the stuffing was Thanksgiving-like, not something on any plate you'd find in italy. It was swimming in a Marsala sauce that was not properly reduced so all you tasted was cheap booze and flabby mushrooms. And the cost of this monstrosity of a chicken dish was $38. What? Supremely disappointing. I would have given Il Cortile one star but for the fact that the waiter kindly took the mussels off my hefty bill. Not going back

Been coming here at least once a month for over a year. Food never disappoints, specials are always worth considering. Now featuring pizzas!