Best Italian Food in Orlando

Why Ciao Italia Is Orlando's Best-Kept Italian Secret

Orlando has hundreds of Italian restaurants, and most of them are exactly what you would expect: chain-operated, tourist-priced, and forgettable. If that is all you have experienced, you have not actually had great Italian food in Orlando. Ciao Italia Ristorante on Westwood Blvd is the kind of place that changes your expectations.

The restaurant has been family-owned and operated since 1991. That is more than 35 years of serving the same community, using the same family recipes, and maintaining a standard that most restaurants never reach in the first place. The recipes came from southern Italy, brought over by the family who still runs the kitchen today. Nothing is pre-made, nothing is shortcut, and nothing has changed because it did not need to.

A Menu That Covers Every Italian Craving

What sets Ciao Italia apart from other Italian restaurants in Orlando is the depth and quality of the menu. The pasta is handmade, the sauces simmer for hours, and every dish is prepared to order. The risotto pescatore, loaded with fresh shrimp, mussels, clams, and calamari, is one of the best seafood dishes in the city. The pappardelle al cinghiale, a Tuscan wild boar ragu over wide ribbon pasta, is the kind of dish you cannot find at any other restaurant in the area.

For meat lovers, the veal piccata with lemon and capers is a TripAdvisor-reviewed favorite. The Australian lamb chops are grilled to perfection. The chicken parmesan is hand-breaded and pan-fried, not pre-frozen and microwaved. And the house-made tiramisu is the kind of dessert that makes you swear off the boxed version forever.

The Real Thing, Not the Tourist Version

There is a big difference between Italian food for tourists and Italian food for people who actually know what good Italian food tastes like. Ciao Italia serves the latter. The portions are generous, the prices are fair, and the flavors are authentic. When you sit down at Ciao Italia, you are not getting a theme-park version of Italian dining. You are getting the real thing.

That is why the restaurant has more than 3,000 reviews across Google, OpenTable, and TripAdvisor. That is why locals who discovered it years ago are still regulars. And that is why visitors from out of town keep finding it and telling their friends. Word of mouth built this restaurant, and the food keeps that word going.

Conveniently Located Near Everything

Ciao Italia is at 6149 Westwood Blvd, Orlando FL 32821, just minutes from SeaWorld, Aquatica, and the Orange County Convention Center. There is free self-parking on-site, so you do not have to deal with valet fees or parking garages. The restaurant is open seven days a week from 5 PM to 10 PM, making it an easy choice for both weeknight dinners and weekend celebrations.

Whether you are a local looking for your new go-to Italian restaurant or a visitor who wants something better than the chains on International Drive, Ciao Italia is the best Italian food in Orlando. Thirty-five years of proving it, one plate at a time.

What to Order on Your First Visit

If you are coming to Ciao Italia for the first time, start with the calamari fritti. Move to the risotto pescatore or the pappardelle al cinghiale. Finish with the tiramisu. That combination will give you a complete picture of what the kitchen can do, and it will almost certainly guarantee a return visit. Ask your server about the wine list, which is curated to complement the menu perfectly.