Restaurants Near Universal Studios Orlando

You Deserve Better Than CityWalk Prices

After a full day at Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, or the new Epic Universe, you are exhausted and starving. CityWalk has restaurants, sure. But they are packed, overpriced, and most of them are the same chains you can eat at back home. You did not come to Orlando to pay theme park prices for chain restaurant food.

Ciao Italia Ristorante is about 15 minutes south of Universal on Westwood Blvd. The Navarra family has been making handmade Italian food here since 1991. Real pasta, real sauces, real Italian cooking. Over 4,000 reviews from guests who discovered that the best dinner near Universal is not actually at Universal. And parking is free.

The Italian Dinner Your Family Has Been Waiting For

Picture this. You spent the day riding roller coasters and walking through Hogwarts. The kids are tired. You are tired. Everyone is hungry. Instead of fighting for a table at a noisy CityWalk restaurant, you drive 15 minutes to a warm, quiet dining room where a family-owned Italian restaurant has been welcoming guests for over 35 years.

The kids order from the $13 menu and get gelato for dessert. You finally get to enjoy a glass of Italian wine with Veal Piccata or Pappardelle with Wild Boar. Your partner tries the Risotto Pescatore. The pace is relaxed. The food is handmade. And you just saved money compared to what you would have spent at CityWalk. That is Ciao Italia.

Easy Drive, Free Parking, Open Every Night

Ciao Italia is on International Drive at 6149 Westwood Blvd, Orlando, FL 32821. From Universal Studios, you head south on I-Drive or take I-4 and you are there in about 15 minutes. The restaurant sits near SeaWorld and the Convention Center area, so if you are staying anywhere on the south end of I-Drive, it is even closer.

Open every night from 5 PM to 10 PM. Free self-parking right in front of the restaurant. No parking fees, no garages, no shuttle buses. Just pull up and walk in. If you want to celebrate something special from your trip, private dining is available for up to 60 guests. Call (407) 354-0770 to book.

About Dining Near Universal Studios Orlando

Universal Orlando Resort includes Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and the CityWalk entertainment district. Visitors spend entire days immersed in rides, shows, and attractions. When the parks close, the search for dinner begins, and CityWalk can only absorb so much of the crowd.

The hotel restaurants near Universal serve their purpose, but they rarely deliver a memorable dining experience. And the further you get from the resort, the more the options blend into the International Drive chain restaurant landscape.

Ciao Italia Ristorante is worth the 12-minute drive south. Located on Westwood Boulevard near I-Drive, the restaurant has been family-owned since 1991. The Navarra family makes fresh pasta every morning, simmers sauces all day, and bakes bread in-house. The menu covers classic Italian dishes from antipasti through dessert.

After a high-energy day at Universal, the quiet dining room at Ciao Italia is a welcome contrast. Zagat-rated, 9 awards, 4,000+ reviews, and a kids menu that includes gelato for $13. It is the kind of restaurant people come back to year after year.

Getting to Ciao Italia from Universal Orlando

From Universal Orlando, the drive to Ciao Italia takes about 12 minutes. Head south on International Drive for approximately 7 miles and turn onto Westwood Boulevard near the SeaWorld area. Free self-parking is available at 6149 Westwood Blvd. Rideshare from Universal typically runs $12 to $18 depending on traffic.

More Questions About Dining Near Universal Studios Orlando

How to Get to Ciao Italia from Universal Studios Orlando

The drive from Universal Studios Orlando to Ciao Italia takes about 15 minutes. Head toward International Drive and continue to Westwood Boulevard. Ciao Italia is on International Drive at 6149 Westwood Blvd, Orlando, FL 32821, with free parking right in front. Open nightly 5 to 10 PM.