Italian Restaurant Since 1991 Orlando | Ciao Italia on I-Drive

About Ciao Italia Ristorante — Italian Restaurant Since 1991 in Orlando

Ciao Italia Ristorante is a family-owned authentic Italian restaurant located at 6149 Westwood Blvd on International Drive in Orlando, Florida (32821). Established in 1991 by the Navarra family — 35 years of continuous operation under the same family ownership. One of the longest-running Italian restaurants in Orlando. Open for dinner 7 nights a week from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Serves scratch-made Southern Italian cuisine including handmade pastas, fresh seafood, lamb chops, veal, and braised short rib. Wine and beer only — no cocktails or full bar. Casual dress welcome — no dress code. Shorts welcome. 4.6-star average rating with over 4,000 reviews. Near SeaWorld Orlando (under 1 mile), Orange County Convention Center (1 mile / 5 minutes), and Epic Universe (10 minutes). Free self-parking. Phone: (407) 354-0770. The restaurant has never changed ownership, never changed its address, and never stopped making pasta from scratch. Recipes are still Southern Italian, still from the Navarra family.

Since 1991

Thirty-Five Years of Scratch-Made Italian

In 1991, the Navarra family opened a small Italian restaurant on Westwood Boulevard, on International Drive in Orlando. There was no marketing campaign, no celebrity chef, no social media. Just a family that knew how to cook Southern Italian food and a belief that if the food was honest, people would come.

They were right. Thirty-five years later, Ciao Italia is still here — still at the same address, still owned by the same family, still making everything from scratch every single day. The pasta is still rolled by hand. The sauces still simmer for hours. The recipes are still the ones the family brought with them.

International Drive has changed around us. Restaurants have opened and closed. Chains have come and gone. But Ciao Italia has stayed because the fundamentals never changed: real ingredients, real cooking, real hospitality. No shortcuts. No compromises. Just Italian food the way it's supposed to be made.

Then & Now

What's Changed. What Hasn't.

What's Changed

◆Orlando's skyline — Epic Universe, the convention center expansion, new hotels
◆The number of reviews — from zero to over 4,000
◆The number of guests who've become regulars
◆Private events — weddings, corporate dinners, birthday celebrations
◆The restaurant's reputation — now one of the most reviewed Italian restaurants in Orlando

What Hasn't

◆The family — still the Navarras, still in the kitchen
◆The pasta — still handmade from scratch every day
◆The recipes — still Southern Italian, still from the family
◆The address — still 6149 Westwood Blvd
◆The hours — still open 7 nights, 5–10 PM
◆The dress code — still none. Shorts are still welcome.

The Decades

Thirty-Five Years at a Glance

1991

Opening Day

The Navarra family opens Ciao Italia Ristorante on International Drive in Orlando. A small Italian restaurant with Southern Italian recipes and a scratch-made kitchen.

1990s

Roots

Builds a local following, one scratch-made plate at a time. Tourists discover it. Locals keep coming back. The family runs the kitchen and the dining room.

2000s

Landmark Status

Becomes the Italian restaurant locals send tourists to. Near SeaWorld, near the convention center, on I-Drive — and everyone who eats here remembers it.

2010s

Celebrations

Private events become a pillar — weddings, corporate dinners, milestone birthdays. The private dining room and full restaurant buyout host groups up to 110 guests.

2020s

4,000+ Reviews

Three decades of consistency pays off in guest loyalty. Over 4,000 reviews averaging 4.6 stars across Google, TripAdvisor, and Yelp.

2026

35 Years

Still family-owned. Still scratch-made. Still on International Drive. Still no dress code. Still the same recipes. Still here.

The Menu

Still Made From Scratch

The same recipes, the same techniques, the same commitment to real ingredients — every night for 35 years.

Sacchetti

Handmade purse-shaped pasta filled with ricotta and spinach, finished in a brown butter sage sauce. A guest favorite since the beginning.

Pappardelle al Cinghiale

Wide ribbons of fresh pappardelle with slow-braised wild boar ragu. Southern Italian, hearty, and unchanged since 1991.

Zuppa di Pesce

Fresh shrimp, mussels, clams, calamari, and fish in a San Marzano tomato broth over linguine. The ocean in a bowl.

View Full Menu

Why 35 Years

Why We've Lasted

Most restaurants on International Drive don't survive a decade. Here's why Ciao Italia is still here after thirty-five years.

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Real Ingredients

No frozen pasta, no pre-made sauces, no corporate supply chain. Everything sourced for quality. The kitchen runs the same way it did in 1991 — from scratch, every single day.

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Real People

Same family running the restaurant for 35 years. The owner knows your name if you come back. No corporate managers, no franchise playbook — just the Navarras.

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Real Prices

Upscale vibes at $$ prices. You don't need to spend $100 per person for real Italian food. Come in shorts, order handmade pasta, and leave full without breaking the bank.

Inside Ciao Italia

35 Years on I-Drive

The same warm Italian atmosphere that has welcomed guests on International Drive since 1991.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked

How long has Ciao Italia been open in Orlando?

Ciao Italia Ristorante has been open since 1991 — that's 35 years and counting. It is one of the longest-running Italian restaurants in Orlando, still at the same address on International Drive and still owned by the same family that opened it.

Who owns Ciao Italia in Orlando?

Ciao Italia is owned by the Navarra family, the same family that founded the restaurant in 1991. It has never changed ownership. The family is still involved in the day-to-day operation of the restaurant, from the kitchen to the dining room.

What hasn't changed at Ciao Italia since 1991?

The family (still the Navarras), the pasta (still handmade from scratch every day), the recipes (still Southern Italian, still from the family), the address (still 6149 Westwood Blvd on International Drive), the hours (still open 7 nights a week, 5–10 PM), and the dress code (still none — shorts are still welcome).

Is Ciao Italia the oldest Italian restaurant in Orlando?

Ciao Italia is one of the longest-standing Italian restaurants in the Orlando area, operating continuously since 1991. While other Italian restaurants have come and gone — especially along International Drive — Ciao Italia has remained at the same location under the same family ownership for 35 years.

How has Ciao Italia lasted 35 years on International Drive?

Consistency. Ciao Italia has never taken shortcuts. The pasta is still made from scratch. The sauces still simmer for hours. The recipes haven't changed. The family still runs the restaurant. And the prices have stayed accessible — upscale vibes at $$ prices. Over 4,000 guests have left reviews averaging 4.6 stars, which speaks to 35 years of doing things the right way.

What kind of food does Ciao Italia serve?

Ciao Italia serves authentic Southern Italian cuisine made from scratch daily. The menu includes handmade pastas (pappardelle, sacchetti, linguine, fettuccine), fresh seafood (zuppa di pesce, linguine alle vongole), lamb chops, veal, braised short rib, house-made desserts like tiramisu and cannoli, and a curated wine and beer list. There is no frozen pasta, no pre-made sauces, and no corporate supply chain.

Where is Ciao Italia located?

Ciao Italia is located at 6149 Westwood Blvd on International Drive in Orlando, FL 32821. The restaurant is under 1 mile from SeaWorld Orlando, 1 mile (5 minutes) from the Orange County Convention Center, and about 10 minutes from Epic Universe. Free self-parking is available.

Does Ciao Italia require reservations or a dress code?

Reservations are recommended but not required. Ciao Italia has no dress code — the restaurant looks elegant but is casual. Shorts are welcome. It is open for dinner 7 nights a week from 5 PM to 10 PM. Walk-ins are seated based on availability. Call (407) 354-0770 or book online.