Best Italian Food in Orlando

What Makes the Best Italian Food in Orlando?

Anyone can open an Italian restaurant. Boil some dried pasta, open a jar of marinara, sprinkle some cheese on top — done. That is how most Italian restaurants in Orlando operate, and that is why most of them taste the same. The best Italian food starts in the kitchen, hours before the first guest sits down. It starts with a chef rolling dough by hand at 2 PM. It starts with sauces that have been simmering since morning. It starts with ingredients that came from a farm, not a freezer.

At Vincenzo Cucina Italiana, that is exactly how we cook. Every day. No exceptions. Every dish on our menu is made from scratch and cooked to order. We are a family-owned Italian restaurant on International Drive, run by the Navarra family for over 33 years, and one of Orlando's favorite Italian restaurants since 2014.

Fresh Pasta Made by Hand, Every Day

Our pasta program is what separates us from every other Italian restaurant in Orlando. Every morning, our team makes fresh gnocchi, pappardelle, lasagna sheets, tortellini, and ravioli from scratch. No machines, no shortcuts. When you order our Lobster Ravioli or Short Rib Pappardelle, you are eating pasta that was shaped by hand that very day. The texture is silky, the flavor is clean, and the difference from boxed pasta is impossible to miss.

Dishes That Keep People Coming Back

• ✦ Fettuccine Alfredo $21 — rich, creamy, classic
• ✦ Lasagna $24 — layers of handmade pasta, slow-simmered meat sauce
• ✦ Chicken Marsala $27 — tender chicken, mushroom wine sauce
• ✦ Penne Verona $28 — our signature pasta dish
• ✦ Gnocchi $30 — potato pillows, made fresh every morning
• ✦ Veal Parmigiana $32 — breaded, baked, Italian comfort
• ✦ Short Rib Pappardelle $34 — braised short rib, wide handmade noodles
• ✦ Lobster Ravioli $44 — stuffed with real lobster, butter sauce
• ✦ NY Strip 14oz $65 — Black Angus, Creekstone Farms
• ✦ Bone-In Ribeye 20oz $80 — thick-cut, charred, unforgettable flavor

Black Angus Steaks and Fresh Seafood

The best Italian food goes beyond pasta. Our steaks come from Creekstone Farms — Black Angus beef that is thick-cut, perfectly marbled, and cooked exactly how you want it. The Filet Mignon, NY Strip, and 20oz Bone-In Ribeye are some of the best steaks on International Drive, period. For seafood lovers, we serve Chilean Sea Bass, Faroe Island Salmon, Grouper, Scallop Risotto, and Linguine Frutti di Mare with fresh mussels, clams, shrimp, and calamari.

A Family Kitchen, Not a Corporate One

The Navarra family has been cooking Italian food for over three decades. This is not a franchise. There is no corporate office, no recipe binder from headquarters, no frozen shipments from a warehouse in another state. Every recipe at Vincenzo was developed in this kitchen by this family. That personal touch shows up in every plate — and in the way our staff treats you when you walk through the door.

Happy Hour and Craft Cocktails

Great Italian food deserves great drinks. Our full bar features craft cocktails, a curated Italian wine list, and weekly specials that give you a reason to come back. Happy Hour runs Monday all night and Tuesday through Friday from 5 to 7 PM with deals on drinks and appetizers. Wine Down Wednesday is built for midweek wind-downs, and Tuesday is Martini Night with specially priced martinis all evening.

Frequently Asked Questions