Kid Friendly Restaurants Near Me in Orlando

You Are Searching on Your Phone. The Kids Are Done.

We know exactly how you got here. You are standing somewhere in Orlando — maybe in a hotel lobby, maybe in a parking lot after a day at the parks, maybe sitting in the car while your kids argue in the backseat. You typed "kid friendly restaurants near me" because dinner needs to happen and it needs to happen soon.

If you are anywhere near International Drive, SeaWorld, the Convention Center, or the hotel corridor in the 32821 area, Ciao Italia Ristorante is probably closer than you think. It is on International Drive and Westwood Boulevard, at 6149 Westwood Blvd. Three minutes from SeaWorld. Four minutes from Aquatica. Five minutes from the Orange County Convention Center.

Here is what you need to know right now: the kids menu is $13, it includes gelato, there are highchairs, the parking is free (a real lot, not a garage), and if you call (407) 354-0770 they can have a table ready by the time you get there.

What the Kids Menu Actually Looks Like

Most "kid friendly" restaurants in Orlando give you a laminated card with chicken fingers and fries. That is fine. But at Ciao Italia, the kids menu is real food made the same way the adults' food is made — from scratch, in the kitchen, that day.

For $13, kids 10 and under choose from:

• Spaghetti marinara
• Spaghetti and meatball
• Penne alla vodka
• Cheese ravioli
• Chicken fingers
• Fettuccine alfredo
• Steak bites

Every kids meal includes gelato for dessert. Not a scoop of ice cream from a tub. Gelato. Your kids will not complain. And if they want an extra meatball or a side of sausage, those are $4 each.

No Wait If You Call Ahead

The worst part of finding a restaurant when kids are hungry is the wait. You finally find somewhere, you park, you walk in, and they tell you it is a 45-minute wait. With tired kids, that is not a wait. That is a crisis.

Ciao Italia takes reservations by phone at (407) 354-0770 and through OpenTable. Call from the car. By the time you park (free, in the lot right out front) and walk inside, your table is ready. Walk-ins are welcome too, but when you are searching "near me" with hungry children, calling ahead is the move.

Free Parking with No Garage

This matters more than most restaurant listings acknowledge. When you have a stroller, a diaper bag, a toddler who will not walk, and a seven-year-old who runs, the last thing you need is a parking garage with an elevator and a three-block walk. Ciao Italia has a free self-parking lot right in front of the building. You park, you walk ten steps, you are inside. No valet fee. No meters. No stress.

Why "Near Me" Searches in Orlando Lead You to Chains

When you search "kid friendly restaurants near me" in Orlando, Google shows you what paid the most to be there. That means chains. Lots of chains. The same restaurants you could eat at in any city in America. They show up first because they have marketing budgets, not because they have the best food for your family.

Ciao Italia has been on International Drive since 1991. It does not have a national advertising budget. What it has is 4,000+ reviews from families who found it, ate there, and told other people about it. The Navarra family — Josie and Antonio, who came from southern Italy to Boston to Orlando — built this restaurant by making food that is worth coming back for.

The pasta is handmade daily. The sauces are made from scratch. The bread is baked in the restaurant. This is the kind of food chain restaurants cannot make because their entire model depends on shipping frozen products to 500 locations. Ciao Italia is one restaurant, run by one family, and everything comes out of one kitchen.

The Adults Eat Well Too

A kid friendly restaurant does not mean the adults have to settle. While your kids work through their spaghetti and gelato, you are eating Pappardelle al Cinghiale (wild boar ragu with porcini mushrooms), or Vitello Piccata, or Salmone Toscano. The wine list is Italian and thoughtfully selected. The Zagat rating is not an accident — this is serious food served in a casual, welcoming atmosphere. Both things can be true at the same time.

How Close Is Ciao Italia to You Right Now?

If you are near SeaWorld Orlando, you are 3 minutes away. If you are near Aquatica, you are 4 minutes away. If you are at the Orange County Convention Center, you are 5 minutes away. If you are on International Drive, you are already on the right road — Ciao Italia is on International Drive and Westwood Boulevard.

If you are coming from a hotel on I-Drive, you are likely within a 5-minute drive. The restaurant is across from the DoubleTree by Hilton, which is a useful landmark. Free self-parking means you do not have to worry about where to put the car once you get here.

SeaWorld, Aquatica, and Discovery Cove ticket holders receive 10% off their meal. Just show your ticket or wristband when you sit down.

Private Dining for Family Groups

If you are searching "kid friendly restaurants near me" for a larger group — a family reunion, a birthday party, a multi-family dinner — Ciao Italia has a private dining room that seats up to 60 guests. Full restaurant buyouts accommodate up to 110. Custom menus are available, and the staff has been coordinating family events for over 35 years. Call (407) 354-0770 to discuss arrangements.