On my second day in Valencia, my colleague said, "I know how much you love pizza -- I think I just…read morefound the best pizza in the world." Quite an aggressive comment. But the next day, while walking around, we stumbled across a spot called Il Cortile. With a big ol' sign. And what does the sign say? "The best pizza in the world." I guess he wasn't lying. We walked in -- the place looked legit. First thing I noticed? Forks and knives already set on the table. Fork and knife for pizza? Uh-oh... felt a little suspicious. But let's see. Menus hit the table, service was ready. The host seemed a little cold at first -- kind of dry. A few minutes in, we realized: that's just his vibe. Not rude. Just dry, sarcastic, deadpan hilarious. He was actually super helpful, and we had a great time with him once we got to chatting. What some people might read as unfriendly? Nah. Dude had jokes -- you just had to catch them. Now let's talk food. We started with the Trio Hummus appetizer. one classic, one with Cumin, and a third one with a pesto sauce on top-- and every single one was delicious. They brought out this soft, fresh bread that paired with it perfectly. So far so good. Lex got three recommendations from the deadpan comedian.The first had anchovies -- hard no for him. The second had prosciutto and mushrooms-- still not his thing. The third? That was the one: the Ficanesca. That pizza? Goat cheese. Spicy salami. Smoked honey glaze. Pure Fire!!!!! It was crispy, sweet, creamy, spicy -- all in one. Jerry ordered a pizza topped with mortadella -- looked good, but I'm not big on mortadella, so I didn't go for it. I had the Margherita D.O.C., made with San Marzano tomatoes, Basil and Buffalo Mozzarella. It was clean, fresh, traditional -- definitely good. Not the best I've ever had, but it held its ground. Crust was beautifully done. So good I saved it and finished off the rest of the hummus. Final word? Five stars. It's not the best pizza in the world, but Il Cortile is easily one of the best pizza spots I've been to in Valencia-- period. Next time I'm there-- you already know, I'm going back.

Everything about this restaurant is absolutely wonderful!…read more The exterior has unique golden fairy lighting that makes it very easy to find as well as giving the building it's own special charm. The interior is very wonderfully decorated with Italian designs and is perfect for a romantic, classy date, a family dinner or simply a social gathering. The waitstaff are extremely friendly and pleasant to be around. They've greeted my family with honest smiles every time we arrive. Even though most of them speak Spanish, I have never had difficulties with ordering here due to the patience and kindness of the waitstaff along with the versatile menu options. They offer multiple menus in different languages, including Spanish and English. The menu describes each Italian-titled dish perfectly in the desired language. Although the food seems a bit pricey, it is absolutely worth the extra few euros. I don't think I've ever had such good Italian food until I arrived at this restaurant. The menu offers salads, starters, wines, pizza, and many pasta dishes. The pasta section has pasta on the left and sauces on the right, allowing for any possible pasta and sauce combination that your heart could desire. The bread of the house (pan de la casa) is absolutely marvelous, especially coupled with their secret, restaurant-made aceite oil. They offer 6 pieces of bread (two topped with onions, two with tomatoes and two with green olives) along with a separate tray of green olives. The pasta dishes are absolutely delicious and ridiculously filling (I tend to eat half at the restaurant and then get the other half boxed for leftovers. It even comes with their own cute brand name bag!) The pizza, on the other hand, while sinfully tasty, is quite thin. I would always recommend ordering a second one if you are feeling a tad hungry or plan on feeding more than one person with it. Overall, the extremely patient and friendly waitstaff coupled with the delicious food and charming radiance of the building has made this restaurant my favorite place to eat at in all of Valencia. 5/5, would recommend to anyone.