Best Italian Restaurant on International Drive

Real Italian Near International Drive

If you are searching for the best Italian restaurant near International Drive in Orlando, you have probably already scrolled past a dozen chains. Olive Garden. Carrabba's. Maggiano's. They exist on I-Drive because they cater to volume. Ciao Italia Ristorante exists on Westwood Boulevard because the Navarra family wanted to cook real Italian food for people who care about what they eat.

Since 1991, this family-owned restaurant has been making pasta by hand, sourcing fresh seafood, and preparing dishes from recipes they brought with them from southern Italy. The result is over 3,000 guest reviews, 9 awards, a Zagat rating, and a loyal following that includes locals, convention visitors, and tourists who discovered it by accident and never went back to the chains.

The Difference Is in the Kitchen

At a chain Italian restaurant, pasta comes from a box and sauce comes from a bag. At Ciao Italia, the pasta is rolled by hand every day. The Risotto alla Pescatora is built with fresh shrimp, mussels, clams, and calamari in a light tomato broth. The Pappardelle with Wild Boar simmers for hours. The Sacchetti pasta is filled and folded by hand. The tiramisu is made in-house, not ordered from a distributor.

That is the difference between an Italian restaurant and a restaurant that serves Italian-sounding food. One takes time and care. The other takes a microwave.

Just 2 minutes from I-Drive, A World Away

Ciao Italia is located at 6149 Westwood Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32821, about just 2 minutes from International Drive. The atmosphere is refined without being pretentious. The lighting is warm. The tables are set with real linens. Free self-parking is available, and the restaurant is open seven days a week from 5 PM to 10 PM.

Whether you are a tourist staying on I-Drive, a convention attendee looking for a real dinner, or a local who wants Italian food worth driving for, Ciao Italia is the answer. Call (407) 354-0770 for reservations.

About Dining Near I-Drive

International Drive is the heart of Orlando's tourist corridor. Stretching over 11 miles through the center of the city, I-Drive is home to theme parks, attractions, outlet malls, and hundreds of restaurants. Millions of visitors walk this strip every year looking for somewhere to eat after a long day.

The problem with dining on International Drive is that most of the restaurants are chains. The same menus you can find in any airport or shopping mall. The food is predictable, the service is rushed, and the experience is forgettable. Visitors deserve better than that.

Ciao Italia Ristorante sits just off International Drive on Westwood Boulevard, where the Navarra family has been cooking authentic Italian food since 1991. The pasta is handmade daily. The sauces are made from scratch. The bread is baked fresh every evening. It is a fundamentally different dining experience than anything on the main strip.

Whether you are staying at one of the I-Drive hotels, visiting SeaWorld or Aquatica, or spending the day at the outlets, Ciao Italia is 2 minutes from the action. Free parking, walk-ins welcome, and open every night from 5 to 10 PM.

How to Get to Ciao Italia from I-Drive

Getting to Ciao Italia from International Drive could not be simpler. The restaurant sits on Westwood Boulevard, one block off the main I-Drive corridor. Whether you are coming from the north end near ICON Park or the south end near the outlets, you are looking at a 2-minute drive. Free self-parking is available for all guests.

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