Italian Restaurant 2 Minutes from International Drive

You Do Not Have to Eat on I-Drive to Eat Well Near I-Drive

International Drive is Orlando's main tourist corridor. It is packed with attractions, outlet malls, and restaurants that all compete for tourist dollars. Most of those restaurants are chains. The Italian options tend to be the familiar national brands with familiar corporate menus. They are fine if you just need calories, but they are not what anyone would call memorable.

Five 2 minutes from I-Drive, on Westwood Boulevard, there is a restaurant that has been serving real Italian food since before most of those chains arrived. Ciao Italia Ristorante opened in 1991, and for over 35 years it has quietly built a reputation as one of the best Italian restaurants in this part of Orlando. Over 3,000 reviews confirm what regulars already know: this is the real thing.

What Makes It Worth the Five-Minute Drive

The difference between Ciao Italia and the average I-Drive Italian restaurant comes down to how the food is made. At Ciao Italia, pasta is handmade. Sauces are cooked from scratch, not poured from a bag. The seafood is fresh, not frozen. The veal is prepared in traditional Italian styles by a kitchen that has been perfecting these dishes for decades. That is not something you can replicate with a franchise manual.

The atmosphere matters too. International Drive is loud, bright, and chaotic. Ciao Italia is warm, intimate, and relaxed. You can actually have a conversation at your table. The staff pays attention without hovering. And when the meal is over, you walk out to a free parking lot instead of waiting twenty minutes for a valet.

Directions from International Drive

From I-Drive, take Sand Lake Road west. Turn left (south) onto Westwood Boulevard. Ciao Italia is on your right at 6149 Westwood Blvd. The total drive is about 5 minutes, even in tourist-season traffic. If you are coming from the Convention Center area, the drive is even shorter.

Ideal for Convention Visitors and Tourists

If you are in town for a convention at the Orange County Convention Center, Ciao Italia is one of the closest off-property Italian restaurants. It is also perfect for tourists staying at any of the I-Drive hotels who want a break from the tourist dining scene. Open every night from 5 PM to 10 PM, with reservations available by phone at (407) 354-0770 or online.

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

Ciao Italia is located at 6149 Westwood Boulevard, just off International Drive. From anywhere on I-Drive, head south toward SeaWorld and turn onto Westwood Blvd. The restaurant is on your right with free parking in front. The drive takes about 2 minutes from most I-Drive hotels and attractions.

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