International Drive Is Not Built for Romance
If you are staying on International Drive and looking for a romantic dinner, the options on the strip itself are mostly chain restaurants designed for volume. Bright lights, loud music, crowded tables, and a menu that reads the same as every other location in the country. That is not the setting for a romantic evening. The noise alone makes it difficult to have a real conversation, and the atmosphere feels more like a cafeteria than a candlelit Italian dinner.
Ciao Italia Ristorante is just minutes from International Drive, tucked away on Westwood Blvd in a setting that feels like a different world. The dining room is warm and intimate, with soft lighting and the kind of quiet atmosphere that lets you actually talk to the person across from you. The Navarra family has been running this restaurant since 1991, and it has been voted Most Romantic Restaurant for good reason. It is the kind of place where you walk in and immediately feel like the evening is going to be special.
The Perfect Romantic Dinner Menu
A romantic dinner is about more than atmosphere. The food has to match. At Ciao Italia, the menu reads like a love letter to traditional Italian cooking. Start with the burrata, creamy and fresh, or the lobster bisque, rich and warming. For the main course, the risotto pescatore is the signature dish: a generous portion of seafood risotto that takes real technique to prepare properly. The veal piccata is another excellent choice, with a bright lemon caper sauce that balances perfectly against the tender veal.
The wine list features a curated selection of Italian and domestic wines, and your server can recommend the perfect bottle to complement your meal. Finish with tiramisu or panna cotta, and you have an evening that feels like a vacation from the tourist corridor, even if you are only a few minutes away from it.
