Best Restaurant Near the Convention Center in Orlando

A Real Restaurant Near the Convention Center

If you are in Orlando for a convention, you already know the options around the Orange County Convention Center. Hotel restaurants. Chain restaurants. Overpriced buffets. After a long day on the trade show floor, none of that sounds appealing. What you want is a real meal at a place that takes food seriously.

Ciao Italia Ristorante is about ten minutes from the Convention Center on Westwood Boulevard. It has been there since 1991. It is family-owned, it serves authentic Italian food made from scratch, and it has over 3,000 guest reviews from people who found it the same way you are finding it now. The best restaurant near the Convention Center in Orlando is not in a hotel lobby. It is on a quiet street where a family has been cooking Italian food for over 35 years.

Why Convention Visitors Keep Coming Back

Many of Ciao Italia's regulars are repeat convention visitors. They discovered the restaurant during one trip and now make it a tradition every time they are in town. The reason is simple. After a day surrounded by thousands of people, fluorescent lighting, and conference food, walking into a warm, dimly lit Italian restaurant with handmade pasta and attentive service feels like a reward.

The atmosphere is refined without being fussy. The wine list is thoughtful. The portions are generous. And unlike the restaurants along International Drive, Ciao Italia does not feel like it was designed for tourists. It feels like a neighborhood restaurant that happens to be close to one of the busiest convention centers in the country.

The Menu

The kitchen at Ciao Italia works from family recipes brought over from southern Italy. The Risotto alla Pescatora features fresh seafood in a light tomato broth. The Pappardelle with Wild Boar is slow-simmered and rich. The Vitello Piccata comes with capers and artichokes. The Salmone alla Griglia is simple and perfectly executed. And the tiramisu is made in-house, not ordered from a supplier.

For convention groups looking to share a meal, the menu offers enough variety to satisfy everyone at the table. Seafood, pasta, veal, chicken, and vegetarian options are all available, and the kitchen can accommodate dietary requests with advance notice.

Practical Details for Convention Visitors

Ciao Italia is located at 6149 Westwood Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32821. It is a short drive from the OCCC, and free self-parking is available. After paying for convention parking all day, free parking at dinner is a small but welcome detail.

The restaurant is open seven days a week from 5 PM to 10 PM. Reservations are strongly recommended during major convention weeks and can be made by calling (407) 354-0770 or through OpenTable.