Jiko or Sanaa

[Disneyfanatic108]

Having a hard time time trying to figure out if we would like to do Sanaa for lunch or Jiko For dinner. Reviews of both would help. Thank you

 

[travelbuffnj]

Sanaa is really, really hard to beat. They view of the animals is priceless and the food is unique and flavorful. Jiko seems very pricey to me and we are used to eating at high end places. I'm sure you can't go wrong either way!

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

We have done both (lunch and dinner at Sanaa, dinner at Jiko)...I think it really depends on the makeup of your party and what sort of atmosphere you are going for. Sanaa is more casual and the food is not as "fancy" as Jiko, which I'm sure you can tell from the menus. The bread service is fantastic, as is pretty much everything else we've had there (the butter chicken is great, as is the open faced tandoori chicken sandwich on the lunch menu). And of course you have the views of the animals on the savanna. We've taken our three boys to Sanaa twice now, and will be returning to celebrate my middle son's 12th birthday this fall at his request--this is his favorite restaurant at WDW! Jiko is, IMO, more upscale and reserved. My husband and I had our 15th wedding anniversary dinner there last November. We loved it, but I would not take our boys there as I felt the menu was not as approachable and the atmosphere didn't feel as kid-friendly to me. The food was fantastic (I had the tomato salad and the grilled filet with asparagus and spoon bread, hubby had the boar appetizer and the short ribs). Both restaurants have good wine lists, and we found the service at both to be outstanding. Hope that helps!

 

[SunnieRN]

Both!! Lol. Seriously though, Sanaa is a wonderful family/group restaurant! Jiko has wonderful food but if you have children, I think they would prefer Sanaa.

 

[Richard M Nixon]

I have only eaten at Jiko but the food was amazing and actually the second best dining I've had at WDW (behind V&A's). Also, it's a four diamond restaurant, so it's definitely known for its quality.

 

[OhThePain]

Is both an option? Where are you staying? How long are you going for?

If you are staying at AKL, I would make it a point to eat at both (and don't forget Boma, too). We just returned from an AKL stay and had a great Sanaa lunch, Jiko dinner (part of the Wanyama) and Boma dinner and breakfasts.

if I had to pick dinner at Jiko or Sanaa for lunch, it would be a tough choice, but I'd probably choose Jiko for a nice dinner. Sanaa is everything you read and more, but taking time out of your late morning/early afternoon, especially if using Disney transportation, would not be the best usage of time, if time is a concern, IMO. You can still explore the AKL grounds and see animals on the savannahs at night, but you can't guarantee getting a window seat or animals being close to your window if you get one at Sanaa.

 

[cmph]

Both would be my answer too, ha! Lots of love for both on this thread! If I had to pick, I would go with Sanaa too. We ate at Jiko for dinner on a Monday, Sanaa for lunch the following day, and immediately changed our Thursday ADR for dinner to Sanaa. We are definitely foodies, and we enjoyed our food at Jiko quite a lot, but we just liked Sanaa more - the food and the atmosphere. If you have children, I would say that you absolutely should do Sanaa, for atmosphere reasons alone. Jiko will seem so boring compared to Sanaa. An alternative would be to have drinks/apps in the Cape Town lounge (which serves Jiko food) then dinner in Sanaa; or dinner at Sanaa followed by drinks/desserts in Cape Town. My Jiko dinner was actually just from the apps b/c they sounded more interesting to me, and they do have a fabulous wine list. Our 6pm-ish Sanaa reservation still had great animal viewing by the window, btw. They were feeding the animals then, just as they had been at lunchtime.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We've eaten at both a couple times and I really like them both, but if I had to choose it would be Sanaa at lunch. The food is fantastic and it is so fun to see the animals from the restaurant.

 

[Interrobang]

We usually do both every trip. Both are among the best food on Disney property. I will say that Jiko isn't for everyone. My parents (who are generally adventurous eaters) didn't like it at all.

 

[mckennarose]

We ate at Sanaa for the first time last Wednesday for lunch and will definitely go there again! It was one of the best meals we had on Disney property and the view of the animals right outside our window was wonderful. The bread service was amazing and if you do Sanaa, spring for all the condiments instead of just 3. We always plan a non-park break day and used that day to visit Sanaa.

We've not done Jiko yet, so I can't add any input.

 

[eeyoresmom]

We've done both. I would definitely pick Saana for lunch for all the reasons mentioned. We were seated in a side room at Jiko for dinner that was closed off from the rest of the restaurant. No view, near a kitchen door. It really ruined the experience for us and I wouldn't risk being sat there again.

 

[BeerMe]

Jiko is one of the best places to eat at WDW. Period.

 

[Disneyfanatic108]

We will be going for 7 days two adults and only going to epcot for 1 day. It sounds like I will be sticking with Sanaa for lunch. Thanks for all the reviews.

 

[BuzzLikebeer]

Jiko is more mellow & upscale. That's not to say you couldn't take the whole family and have a great meal. My wife and I ate there recently (while the kids were hanging out with their grandparents) and the food was superb. Also a good beer selection and a comprehensive wine list.