In 2009, chef Santos MacDonal and his wife, Carole, opened Il Cortile Ristorante, a fine dining Italian restaurant in downtown Paso Robles. Il Cortile — the name is Italian for “The Courtyard” — features from-scratch dishes such as housemade pastas, braised osso bucco and grilled seafood.
Santos MacDonal began his career in the highly acclaimed Italian Restaurant, “Giorgio” in Malibu California, mentored by Chef Giorgio Baldi. He has since worked at many great restaurants in Los Angeles including Via Veneto, Locanda del Lago, Koi, La Sosta and more. He worked his way to Executive Chef at Bridge Restaurant and L’Angolo Cafe in Los Angeles.
Santos’ philosophy is to use the freshest ingredients, locally sourced whenever available to create interesting and delicious dishes. He is constantly challenging himself to create new and tasty dishes that reflect what is available at any given time.
At Il Cortile Ristorante, Santos’ pastas and sauces are homemade and his dishes are created in such a way that the pasta becomes “involved” with the sauce, not just as an accompaniment, which creates a terrific dish. His seafood and meat dishes are expertly prepared as he oversees every dish that leaves the kitchen.
Santos opened a second concept in Paso Robles called La Cosecha Bar and Restaurant where he has the opportunity to express some of his Latin roots. The offering is Latin and Spanish fare, creative mixology and a casual, fun ambiance. Once again, he draws from the vast local resources and pulls in specialty items to enhance each countries unique flavors.
Carole MacDonal has enjoyed an exciting career as a Producer and a published Writer in Hollywood with credits in both television and film, including “the Amazing Race”, “the Biggest Loser” and independent films. But her passion for food and wine led her, along with her husband, Executive Chef Santos MacDonal to Paso Robles, California where they opened Il Cortile Ristorante, one of Paso Robles most popular restaurants.
Her experience in running productions was an easy fit when it came to running the business side of the restaurant and her vast knowledge of fine dining led her to the front of the house at Il Cortile.
Carole opened a second concept with Santos, in Paso Robles called La Cosecha Bar and Restaurant in 2013. The offering is Latin and Spanish fare, creative mixology and a casual, fun ambiance. Her days are busy as she runs both businesses and splits her time in the front of house in both restaurants.
With a passion for wine as well, Carole became a Sommelier and expanded her knowledge of wines. She designed the wine list to complement the menus Santos has created. Carole looks for exquisite wines from both the Paso Robles area along with the finest selections from Italy, Spain and a touch of France.
Regular Dining Hours:
Wednesday - Thursday 5-10pm
Friday - Sunday 5-11pm
Closed Monday and Tuesday
Clicking the button below will take you to OpenTable to process your takeout order. Il Cortile is offering takeout Wednesday through Sunday.
When you order takeout with Il Cortile, you have the option to opt in to the Feed Paso campaign that will provide free meals to local homeless families and those in need. To contribute to the Feed Paso program, you simply add to your bill $20 to feed a family of two, or $30 to feed a family of four. Thank you for your generosity.
Reservations are available at Il Cortile online for parties of up to 6 guests, and all availability is listed. For parties of 6 -10 people please call the restaurant at (805) 226-0300. We are currently only booking reservations two months in advance. The largest party we can accommodate is 10 people (no exceptions), and please note that we are unable to combine reservations to create larger parties.
We look forward to hosting you!
