Best Seafood Near International Drive

Italian Seafood Done Right, Minutes from I-Drive

Most seafood near International Drive comes from a freezer. The fish arrives pre-portioned, the shrimp are peeled by a machine in a warehouse somewhere, and the calamari shows up breaded in a bag. That is the reality of restaurant row dining. But just a few minutes off I-Drive, tucked away on Westwood Blvd, Ciao Italia Ristorante has been serving real Italian seafood since 1991.

The signature dish is the Risotto Pescatore, a saffron-kissed risotto loaded with shrimp, mussels, clams, calamari, and fresh fish. It is the kind of dish that takes 25 minutes to prepare because the risotto is cooked to order, stirred by hand, and finished with the seafood right before it reaches your table. There is no shortcut, and you can taste the difference.

Beyond the Risotto: A Full Seafood Menu

The Risotto Pescatore gets the most attention, and it deserves it. But the seafood menu at Ciao Italia goes well beyond one dish. The linguine alle vongole is a classic preparation with fresh clams, garlic, white wine, and a touch of chili flake over perfectly cooked linguine. The shrimp scampi is butter-rich and loaded with jumbo shrimp. The lobster ravioli, handmade in the kitchen daily, is filled with sweet lobster meat and finished in a delicate cream sauce.

Fresh grouper appears on the menu as a nightly feature, pan-seared and served with seasonal vegetables. The lobster bisque is smooth, rich, and made from scratch each day. For guests who want to start with something lighter, the calamari is tender and crispy, nothing like the rubbery rings you get at most places near the tourist corridor.

A Better Option Than the I-Drive Chains

International Drive has no shortage of chain restaurants with seafood on the menu. But there is a difference between a restaurant that serves seafood and a restaurant that specializes in it. At Ciao Italia, the Navarra family has built their reputation on fresh ingredients and traditional Italian technique. The seafood is not an afterthought added to a broad menu. It is central to what the kitchen does every night.

The restaurant is located at 6149 Westwood Blvd, just minutes from I-Drive, the Convention Center, SeaWorld, and Aquatica. Free self-parking, open seven nights a week from 5 to 10 PM, and no resort pricing. Just honest Italian seafood from a family that has been doing this for more than 35 years.