Ciao Italia Ristorante
Nearby Hotel Dining

Dinner Near Element Orlando International Drive

A real Italian meal after a long day exploring Orlando

35+
Years
3,000+
Reviews
9
Awards
7
Days a Week

When the Kitchenette Just Is Not Cutting It

Extended-stay hotels like the Element Orlando International Drive are great for trips that last more than a couple of nights. The in-room kitchen is useful. But by day three or four, the last thing you want is another meal you cooked yourself in a hotel. When that moment hits, Ciao Italia Ristorante is exactly where you want to be.

We are a short drive from the Element on International Drive, and we have been serving Orlando since 1991. The Navarra family runs the kitchen and the dining room, and the food is made from scratch every single evening. Handmade pasta, fresh seafood, slow-braised meats, and sauces that have been perfected over three decades.

Authentic Italian on the I-Drive Corridor

International Drive is packed with restaurants, but most of them are national chains turning out the same menu you can get anywhere in the country. Ciao Italia is something you cannot replicate. The recipes are the Navarra family's own. The pasta is handmade in-house. The veal, lamb, chicken, and seafood dishes are prepared to order with fresh ingredients every night.

With more than 3,000 reviews and 9 awards including a Zagat rating, Ciao Italia has a reputation that the chains simply cannot match. This is the restaurant that locals recommend when visitors ask where to find real Italian food in Orlando.

Italian cuisine at Ciao Italia Italian cuisine at Ciao Italia

What Our Guests Say

★★★★★

“Best Italian food we found in Orlando. Handmade pasta that melts in your mouth.”

Google
★★★★★

“After a week on I-Drive, this place was the highlight of our trip. Real Italian cooking.”

TripAdvisor
★★★★★

“Family-owned and you can tell. The service and food are both outstanding.”

OpenTable

Easy to Get To, Easy on the Wallet

From the Element Orlando, the drive to Ciao Italia takes just a few minutes. Parking is free when you get here. No valet surcharges, no garage fees. The prices are fair for the quality. You are getting a meal that rivals what you would find at restaurants charging twice as much, without the pretension.

Open Every Night for Dinner

Ciao Italia is open 7 days a week from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM, including holidays. Whether you are in town for a week-long conference or an extended family vacation, we are here every night you need us. Reservations are recommended. Call (407) 354-0770.

Italian cuisine at Ciao Italia Italian cuisine at Ciao Italia
🍴

Cuisine

Authentic Italian. Handmade pastas, fresh seafood, veal, lamb, and chicken.

🕑

Hours

Open 7 days a week, 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Including all holidays.

🚗

Parking

Free self-parking for all guests. No valet fees, no garage charges.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far is Ciao Italia from Element Orlando International Drive?

Ciao Italia is just a few minutes by car from Element Orlando International Drive. We are at 6149 Westwood Blvd, Orlando, FL 32821, right off the I-Drive corridor.

Can I walk from Element Orlando to Ciao Italia?

It is a short drive rather than a walk. The drive takes just a few minutes and free parking is included when you arrive.

Is Ciao Italia good for extended-stay guests who want a real meal?

Absolutely. Many extended-stay guests at nearby hotels come to Ciao Italia when they want a proper sit-down dinner. After days of kitchenette cooking, a handmade Italian meal is exactly what you need.

What are Ciao Italia's hours and do I need a reservation?

Open 7 days a week, 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM, including holidays. Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends. Call (407) 354-0770.

When the Kitchenette Just Is Not Cutting It

A real Italian meal after a long day exploring Orlando

Reserve a Table View Menu ☎ Call (407) 354-0770
Handmade Italian food at Vincenzo Cucina Italiana
Handmade Italian

Real Italian Food Near Element Orlando I-Drive, Made Fresh Nightly

At Vincenzo Cucina Italiana, dinner is not an afterthought. It is the reason people come back. Our kitchen is built around real Italian cooking, fresh ingredients, and dishes prepared with care every night.

Guests come for the handmade pasta, homemade potato gnocchi, tender chicken parmigiana, fresh seafood, and slow-braised veal ossobuco that feels like true Italian comfort food. Steak lovers can enjoy USDA Black Angus Prime steaks, while families can relax knowing there is a kids menu that makes dinner easy for everyone.

And no meal is complete without dessert. Our homemade tiramisu has been voted a guest favorite and remains one of the dishes people remember long after the night is over.

This is not chain restaurant Italian. This is fresh pasta, rich sauces, prime steaks, seafood, cocktails, wine, and homemade desserts served the way Italian food should be: warm, generous, and full of flavor.

From Our Kitchen

Handmade Pasta & Italian Classics

Every dish is made from scratch, every night. This is what dinner at Vincenzo looks like.

Linguine clams at Vincenzo
Linguine & Clams
Middle Neck Clams, Garlic, Parsley, White Wine
Gnocchi burrata at Vincenzo
Homemade Gnocchi
Potato Gnocchi, Pomodoro, Burrata & Basil Oil
Locally Owned

Family-Owned Italian Near Element Orlando I-Drive Since 2014

Vincenzo is locally owned and operated by the Navarra Group, a family with over 33 years of hospitality experience. Since opening on International Drive in 2014, Vincenzo has welcomed locals, visitors, families, convention guests, and travelers from all over the world.

That family history is felt in the way guests are treated. No attitude. No dress code. No pressure. Just great food, warm service, and a restaurant that makes people feel comfortable the moment they walk in.

Whether you are celebrating a birthday, enjoying a date night, bringing the kids after the parks, hosting a business dinner, or simply looking for a real Italian meal in Orlando, Vincenzo feels personal. It feels like a restaurant with history, pride, and people behind it.

That is what makes Vincenzo different. It is not a chain. It is not a compromise. It is a family-owned Italian restaurant in the heart of Orlando's most visited area.

Family-owned Italian dining at Vincenzo
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Hands down the best Italian spot in Orlando. The service was impeccable, the food was absolutely incredible. The lobster ravioli was out of this world.

Jennifer, Orlando • OpenTable

USDA Prime Steaks

Black Angus from Creekstone Farms

Hand-cut, cooked to order, served with truffle butter and fresh sides every evening.

Filet mignon at Vincenzo
Filet Mignon
Prime Black Angus, Truffle Butter, Broccolini
NY Strip at Vincenzo
NY Strip 14oz
Garlic Herb Butter, Asparagus, Truffle Fries
Vincenzo at ICON Park International Drive
On International Drive

Easy Dinner from Element Orlando I-Drive to International Drive

Located at ICON Park on International Drive, near Universal, Epic Universe, SeaWorld, the Orange County Convention Center, major hotels, and Orlando's top attractions, Vincenzo is one of the easiest dinner choices in the city.

After a long park day, a convention, a family outing, or a night exploring International Drive, guests can sit down, relax, and enjoy a real meal without leaving the area. Complimentary valet parking makes the evening simple from the moment you arrive.

Vincenzo is casual enough for vacation clothes, shorts, and families, but polished enough for date nights, business dinners, private events, and celebrations. The atmosphere is warm, upbeat, and welcoming: the kind of place where tourists feel comfortable and locals still recommend it.

In a city full of chains and crowded tourist restaurants, Vincenzo gives guests something better: authentic Italian food, real hospitality, and a comfortable restaurant experience right in the heart of I-Drive.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

We came after the parks and it was the perfect way to end the day. The gnocchi was unreal and the valet made everything so easy.

Mike & Sarah, New Jersey • Google

Guest Favorites

The Dishes People Come Back For

Chicken parmigiana with spaghetti. Fettuccine alfredo with jumbo shrimp. Made fresh, every night.

Chicken parmigiana at Vincenzo
Chicken Parmigiana
Breaded Chicken, Marinara, Mozzarella, Spaghetti
Fettuccine shrimp alfredo at Vincenzo
Fettuccine Alfredo
Cream, Butter, Romano Cheese, Jumbo Shrimp
Full Bar & Happy Hour

Happy Hour, Cocktails & Private Dining Near Element Orlando I-Drive

Vincenzo is more than dinner. It is a place to meet for drinks, celebrate, gather, and enjoy the night.

The full bar features handcrafted cocktails, Italian wines, California wines, classic Negronis, Aperol Spritzes, Espresso Martinis, martinis, wine, beer, and more. Happy Hour is available Monday all night and Tuesday through Friday from 5 to 7 PM, with $4 draft beers, $7 wines by the glass, $10 cocktails, and select small bites. On Wednesdays, Wine Down Wednesday brings half-off wines by the glass all night.

For private events, Vincenzo offers the Amalfi Room for 15 to 50 guests, semi-private dining, private luncheons, and full restaurant buyouts. From rehearsal dinners and birthdays to corporate events, conferences, family celebrations, and group dinners, Vincenzo has hosted over 1,500 events with custom Italian menus, AV options, complimentary valet, and experienced event support.

Whether you are stopping in for happy hour, bringing the family for dinner, planning a private celebration, or looking for the best Italian restaurant near the Convention Center and Orlando attractions, Vincenzo makes every visit feel easy, memorable, and worth choosing.

Vincenzo full bar craft cocktails
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

This place is a hidden gem on I-Drive. Not a chain, not overpriced tourist food. Real Italian with real heart. The tiramisu alone is worth the trip.

David, Atlanta • TripAdvisor

Italian Classics

Made the Way It Should Be

Homemade lasagna. Meatballs with San Marzano sauce. The Italian food you remember, done right.

Lasagna at Vincenzo
Lasagna
Beef Bolognese, Mozzarella, Ricotta, Bechamel
Meatballs polenta at Vincenzo
Meatballs Polenta
Homemade Meatballs, San Marzano Sauce, Ricotta
Vincenzo dining room busy evening
For Everyone

Why Element Orlando I-Drive Guests Choose Vincenzo for Dinner

Whether you are a local looking for a trusted Italian restaurant, a family coming in after a day at the parks, a convention guest planning a business dinner, or a visitor searching for something better than another chain, Vincenzo makes dinner easy.

No dress code. No fuss. Kids are welcome. Vacation clothes are welcome. Business dinners are welcome. Date nights, birthdays, happy hour, private events, and last-minute dinners all fit here.

That is why Vincenzo works for Orlando: it gives guests the comfort of a family-owned Italian restaurant with the convenience of being right in the heart of International Drive.

Hours
Open 7 days
5 to 10 PM
Happy Hour
Mon all night
Tue to Fri 5 to 7 PM
Parking
Complimentary valet
Every evening
Kids Menu
Ages 10 & under
3 with beverage
Location
8255 International Dr
Orlando, FL 32819
Cuisine
Casual Italian
Handmade pasta
Dietary
Gluten-free & vegetarian
options available
Reservations
OpenTable or call
(407) 745-4030
Ready to dine? Reserve a Table Call (407) 745-4030