You Already Spent Enough at Disney Today
Disney Springs has restaurants. A lot of them. They are beautifully themed, expertly marketed, and priced like you are eating inside a theme park, because functionally, you are. A plate of pasta at a Disney Springs Italian restaurant can run $30 to $45 before you add a glass of wine. Meanwhile, 10 minutes away, the Navarra family is serving handmade pasta, fresh seafood, and Zagat-rated Italian food that has been perfected over 35 years, and the check will not make you flinch.
Ciao Italia Ristorante has been on Westwood Blvd since 1991. Over 3,000 reviews, 9 awards, and a reputation that was built long before Disney Springs existed in its current form. Locals know this place. Repeat visitors know this place. The only people who do not know about Ciao Italia are the ones who never left Disney property.
Better Food, Bigger Portions, Lower Prices
This is not a debate about ambiance or theming. Disney Springs wins that category by design. But if you care about the food on your plate, Ciao Italia is the better dinner. The pastas are handmade daily, not boiled from a bag. The sauces are built from scratch every morning. The veal, the lamb chops, the seafood risotto, the chicken parmigiana, all of it is prepared with the kind of care that comes from a family who has staked their name on every dish for over three decades.
The portions at Ciao Italia are generous. You will not leave hungry, and you will not leave wondering why you paid $50 for something you could have gotten at a chain. The wine list is curated for the food, not priced for a captive audience.
Kids Eat Well Too
Traveling with children? The kids menu at Ciao Italia is $13 and includes gelato for dessert, available for ages 10 and under. Compare that to what a kids meal costs at Disney Springs and the savings add up fast, especially for families with multiple children.
