An Independent Italian Restaurant on International Drive
For guests looking for an independent Italian restaurant alternative to Olive Garden in Orlando, Vincenzo Cucina Italiana is a family-owned kitchen that has been cooking from scratch since 2014. There is no corporate menu and no central distribution warehouse. Every dish is made by the same family that opened the doors, and every pasta is handmade fresh daily in the kitchen at 8025 International Drive.
If you enjoy Italian food and want to try an independently owned restaurant on International Drive, Vincenzo offers something different. Gnocchi is rolled by hand. Pappardelle is cut and shaped each morning. Sauces simmer from whole ingredients. USDA Prime steaks are hand-cut. The kitchen operates on family recipes, not a corporate playbook.
Vincenzo is open 7 days a week, 5 to 10 PM, with complimentary valet parking every evening and over 4,000 guest reviews.
Handmade Pasta, Every Day
The pasta at Vincenzo is made fresh every day inside the restaurant kitchen. Potato gnocchi, lobster ravioli, pappardelle with braised short rib, rigatoni bolognese, lasagna, and tortellini are all made from scratch each morning. The texture and flavor of fresh pasta is something that keeps guests coming back. For guests who love Italian food at Olive Garden and want to explore an independent kitchen making pasta by hand daily, Vincenzo offers that experience on International Drive.
USDA Prime Steaks on an Italian Menu
USDA Prime is the top grade of beef in the country, representing the highest level of marbling and quality. Vincenzo serves Prime filet mignon, bone-in ribeye, and New York strip alongside the Italian menu. The steaks are hand-cut and cooked to order. A full bar with craft cocktails, Italian wines, and Prosecco complements both the pasta and steak sides of the menu.
What an Independent Kitchen Offers
- ✦ Every pasta handmade fresh daily in the restaurant kitchen
- ✦ USDA Prime steaks, hand-cut and cooked to order
- ✦ Sauces made from scratch with whole ingredients
- ✦ Family-owned and operated since 2014
- ✦ Full bar with craft cocktails, Italian wines, and Prosecco
- ✦ Fresh seafood including Chilean Sea Bass and Atlantic salmon
- ✦ Complimentary valet parking every evening
- ✦ Private dining in the Amalfi Room for groups and celebrations
Happy Hour and Cocktail Program
One thing an independent restaurant can offer that a chain typically cannot is a full craft cocktail program. Happy hour at Vincenzo runs Monday all night and Tuesday through Friday from 5 to 7 PM. Martini Tuesday features martini specials. Wine Down Wednesday offers wines by the glass at a special price. The bar pours Negroni, Espresso Martini, Aperol Spritz, Old Fashioned, and a curated Italian wine list by the glass and bottle.
Menu Highlights
- ✦ New York Strip — USDA Prime, hand-cut, cooked to order
- ✦ Pappardelle — Handmade daily, braised short rib ragu
- ✦ Branzino — Mediterranean sea bass, fresh daily
- ✦ Burrata — Creamy Italian cheese, prosciutto, arugula
- ✦ Lobster Ravioli — Handmade, butter sage sauce
- ✦ Osso Buco — Slow-braised veal shank, gremolata
- ✦ Tiramisu — House-made, espresso-soaked ladyfingers
- ✦ Espresso Martini — Fresh-pulled espresso, craft cocktail