Where to Get the Best Pizza in Orlando

When you’re looking for a meal that really hits the spot, it’s hard to go wrong with pizza. Perfect as a take-away or to dine in, it is a food that’s pretty much omnipresent, especially in America, where it has been estimated the country consumes about 350 slices per second.

It also makes sense that it works well on holiday. Long day at the theme parks? Grab a pizza. Out for dinner but don’t want anywhere fancy? Look for a pizza restaurant. Need to feed the family on a budget? Make it a pizza.

If this sounds like you, or your family, then the good news is that Orlando is tailor-made to fill that craving for oven-cooked cheesy goodness, as there are more than two HUNDRED pizza joints in the general area.

From the seemingly ubiquitous chains like Pizza Hut (with 28 Orlando locations), Dominos (23) and Papa John’s (13), to one-off outlets such as Tornatore’s Restaurant, Stone Fired Pizza and the new Camilo Pizzaria on International Drive, there is a seemingly endless choice.

Pizza in Walt Disney World

The tourist areas are particularly well catered for when it comes to pizza, and it stands to reason that the House of Mouse will be able to offer that distinctive taste of Italy (or Chicago, or New York) as well.

Walt Disney World actually offers one of the most authentic choices at its Epcot park in the shape of Via Napoli, the uber-smart restaurant tucked away at the back of the Italy pavilion, where the Neapolitan-style pizza is made from imported flour and is cooked in specially-built wood-burning ovens.

The fast-food version is served up at Pizzafari at the Animal Kingdom, as well as PizzeRizzo at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, while the Magic Kingdom’s Pinocchio Village Haus offers a series of flatbreads that work almost as well (although in all honesty we’d recommend the sandwiches at Columbia Harbour House ahead of anything at the Village Haus).

Outside the parks, the Trattoria al Forno at Disney’s Boardwalk has an excellent pizza section on its menu, as does the New York style of Il Mulino Italian trattoria at the Walt Disney World Swan resort.

At Disney Springs, Blaze Pizza is both consistently good and one of the best priced restaurants at this mega shopping and dining complex, but our top recommendation would have to go to the pizzas of Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, where the signature smoked salmon choice is truly dreamy.

Universal & SeaWorld

Orlando’s other big theme parks can also serve up plenty of pizza perfection, as they know they need to keep the visiting hordes happy.

Universal’s Islands of Adventure park offers each of Café 4, Pizza Predattoria and the Circus McGurkus Café Stupendous for a quick slice or two, while Louie’s Italian Restaurant does the same job at Universal Studios.

The CityWalk district of shops and restaurants boasts two good choices, with the authentic quick-serve Neapolitan style of Red Oven Pizza Bakery and the upscale full-service style of Vivo Italian Kitchen, with three succulent choices from their wood-burning stove.

SeaWorld used to have the popular Seaport Pizza café offering, but it has been closed for several years. However, those in need can still turn to the Expedition Café in the Antarctica area, which serves cheese and pepperoni pizza by the slice.

Winter Park

While this swanky northern suburb is best known for its fine dining restaurants and boutique shops, there is actually some excellent pizza on offer here.

Italian gastro-pub Prato is definitely the go-to spot for locals, as it specialises in pizza and pasta, and both are superb. There are six different pizzas to pick from, of which the Widowmaker – hazelnut Romesco sauce, cavolo nero leaves and fennel sausage topped with an egg – is a super-tasty choice.

Or head for Rome’s Flavors, where their feature bakery pizzas (all 10 of them) range from a simple Neapolitan to a succulent Villa Borghese – plum tomato, mozzarella, sausage, mushrooms and white truffle oil. Yum!

For the more humble, family style that has stood the test of time, Antonella’s Pizzeria is simply one of the best for consistency, friendly service and the all-important New York taste.

International Drive

It stands to reason that Orlando’s prime tourist corridor will be able to cater for all tastes, and that is certainly true for pizza lovers, with another wide variety, from the obvious outlets like Sbarro, Uno Pizzeria & Grill and the fun style of Mellow Mushroom to specialists such as Flipper’s Pizzeria and more.

In all, there are 34 places to indulge your pizza taste buds, including the upscale dining at Fiorenzo at the magnificent Hyatt Regency Hotel, where the pizza choice is both delicious and surprisingly affordable.

Maggianos, the distinctive Italian restaurant at the Pointe Orlando, is another standout, as not only does it produce excellent gnocchi, lasagna and other pasta favourites, but its appetiser flatbreads are as good as a meal themselves.

Italy and the USA don’t have a monopoly on the pizza experience, though, not by a long chalk. The newest variety on I-Drive is actually Brazilian, and it is totally scrumptious. Camelo Pizzaria hails from Sao Paulo and has just opened its first US outlet in the same Orlando Crossings Plaza as the Gods & Monsters comic-book store.

It dates back to 1957 in Brazil, and features a super-thin-crust dough, its own proprietary tomato sauce, and a range of rich toppings that include Brazilian sausage, shrimp, courgette, catupiry cheese (another Brazilian speciality) and arugula pesto. There are a mind-boggling 38 varieties to choose from, including five sweet dessert pizzas that are worth coming in for on their own (hint – try the strawberry and chocolate!).

Other Standouts

The true Italian touch can also be found in the smart neighbourhood of Lake Nona (just south of Orlando International Airport), where Piazza Italia has quickly become a local staple with its traditional specialities, that include no fewer than 20 pizza options.

Tornatore’s in the College Park district of downtown Orlando is another striking Italian restaurant that also serves up nine varieties of pizza pie, from Sicilian to Hawaiian, and earns high marks from local foodies.

Finally, if you’re in downtown Orlando and in the mood for a great pizza pie, New York style, put Brick & Fire in your GPS and head there pronto. This pizza and pasta parlour has been a fixture for nearly 15 years and they have even created their own brunch varieties which keep the locals coming back time after time.

And that’s just a snapshot of the pizza splendour in store throughout the extensive Orlando area. Just about everywhere can offer you a decent pie or slice these days. You just have to give it a try!

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