Sanaa Reviews/Feedback

[Alessandra Gabriel]

Last night I made a dinner reservation for Sanaa for our last night of our vacation in May and Im so excited! We have never dined here before and I thought it would be a great time to try something new and check out the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Can anyone share their positve or negative experiences with this restaurant and what the best dishes are? Ive read a lot about the bread service which looks fabulous and will definitely be something we order.

 

[Felipe4]

I'm excited for it too! I have heard that if you're a party of 2 you won't be seated near a window as they only seat parties of 3 or more there, particularly with children. This has me somewhat bummed.

 

[MrsDuck]

Sanaa is a hidden gem for us - we LOVE it and for the record are not adventurous eaters...

 

[Lady Marie]

We were a party of two and did not get seated by a window, but from where we were we could see the animals. Bread service was AMAZING! And after devouring my first round of naan the CM told me you can order more naan a la carte to finish up all the sauces/dips. I don't know if I saw that on the menu but it was good to know! Also because we had so much bread, we just split an entree and were still stuffed at the end of the meal.

 

[Alessandra Gabriel]

We are a party of three so Im hoping we will get seated by a window, my DD(5) would love that! DH and I are prtty adventerous eaters but DD is not, Im sure we will be ordering her the pizza, but she does love hummus so maybe she will enjoy all the dipping sauces that come with the bread service. I had a hard time choosing between Sanaa and Boma, but in the end Sanaa won mainly because it seemed to be a more calming environment since it isnt a buffet. Being that this is the last day of our trip, Im sure we will all be in need of a relaxing dinner.

 

[minnie mum]

While a window table is a nice plus, there are adjacent tables that still have a view. Even if you are seated away from the windows ( as we are on our last visit) you can still spend as much time as you want before and after your meal at the viewing area right outside the restaurant entrance.

Our favourite thing to do besides the bread and dipping sauces (try all 9!) is to each order the slow cooked entree. Between the 2 of us we can get all 4 options and share a bit if each. For your DD, have a look at their Mickey Check entrees. They're quite good. Unfortunately I can't recommend any of the desserts because we've always been too full to order one.

 

[greentea]

We loved the bread service will all 9 dipping sauces (they arranged the dips from mild to spicy, too, so less adventurous eaters can stick to one side). I really liked the chana tikki appetizer. I don't eat meat, so I can't comment on those entrees at all except to say my husband likes the butter chicken and the seafood curry. We shared 2 desserts, we had kulfi (similar to ice cream) and ginger cake, and both were really good.

 

[roselark]

I'm excited for it too! I have heard that if you're a party of 2 you won't be seated near a window as they only seat parties of 3 or more there, particularly with children. This has me somewhat bummed.

Not necessarily true. I have been seated next to the window several times as a solo diner. I do typically have early lunch ressies as well, so that might have helped...

I agree with the others that the bread service is a MUST! I have never had a bad meal here or bad service. Sanaa is my favorite restaurant on property.

 

[prgal0715]

The bread service at Sanaa is outstanding; we did all of the dips/spreads and enjoyed them all. Entrees were disappointing. I ordered one of my favorite dishes - Tandoori chicken - and was served something most definitely was not Tandoori. Lol I ended up sending my meal back - which I really never do - and getting the lamb slider appetizer instead. I think this restaurant is a bit hit or miss, not a place I would go out of my way to return to.

 

[dgthree]

Another thumbs up for the bread service! Try all 12 dips, they're delicious.
Last time I had dinner there, I had the slow cooked entree with butter chicken and lamb curry. The butter chicken was good (not the best I've ever had), and the lamb curry was out of this world delicious.

 

[luvpooh]

Do you think a last minute dinner ADR is feasible? We'll be traveling with a toddler, so we may wind up booking a table some nights on the fly based on mood, nap schedule, etc.

 

[itchin2go]

We ate there in November and liked it a lot. We were not seated near a window, but there were very few active animals (think we saw 2), so no biggie.

I would say if you're going for the food - GO. You will not be disappointed. As others have said, the bread service with all dips/sauces was super tasty and fun. Entrees were good, but not as good as the bread service. We didn't love the dessert, but maybe we chose poorly.

If you're going for the animals, that's going to be hit and miss.

BTW- It is at the Animal Kingdom Villas - not the lodge. There are still animals to be seen there and I have heard there is a good viewing area as you enter the restaurant. We didn't notice, as we were in a hurry.

 

[ariane37]

We've eaten there twice for lunch and will be returning in Nov. Another YES on the bread service and ALL the dips. The 4 of us have enjoyed all the entrees we've tried which include all the slow cooked choices and a couple types of sandwiches which I can't really remember right now . Also enjoyed the desserts very much!
We're a party of 4 with 2 children and weren't seated by a window either time; however, we could see out the windows fine. We also arrived early and spent time outside looking at the animals. Since your reservation is for dinner keep in mind that once it gets dark, it's difficult to see the animals from inside the restaurant. Enjoy!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Our Ratings of Sanaa: (*rev 01/21/2015*)
. . . food price value: B
. . . food quality: B
. . . food quantity per serving: B
. . . food prep speed: B
. . . food selection: C
. . . seating quantity: C
. . . seating comfort: C
. . . eatery atmosphere: B
. . . eatery convenience: C
. . . staff friendliness: A
. . . staff attentiveness: A
. . . character interaction: B (views of animals on Savannah)

Our Recommendations:
. . . appys:... Indian Style Bread Service, Lamb Kefta
. . . entrée:.. Tandoori Lamb, Beef Short Ribs
. . . dessert:. Banana Kulfi Sundae (available seasonally) or Banana Cheesecake

NOTE1: Has good regional African food. Americanized, but definitely more adventurous than
other eateries. The menu is shorter than other table service eateries, the wine list average,
but the quality of the food and presentation are high. An added benefit is the viewing animals
on the Savannah during the meal (for daylight hours). There are eight window tables and six
more with good views. For lunch, try the Lamb Kefta open face sandwich; for dinner, try the
beef and lamb. Don't miss out on the Banana Kulfi Sundae. We like the bread appy/sampler,
as well as the salad sampler with three salads; either will feed two people. Be aware that items
labeled as "Durban" are highly spiced, best washed down with cold milk! It is out of the way,
but is worth the long drive. This is only one of the five sit down eateries we patronize at WDW.
In our opinion, Sanaa is better than Jiko or Boma. As a PS, they accommodate kids really well.

NOTE2: There has been a MAJOR menu change for lunch. The bread and sandwich offerings are
still there, but CONSIDERABLY toned-down for "heat". I had the Lamb Kefta (aka, Lamb Burger).
It was very tasty and nicely spiced, but no "heat". I asked, and yes, the menu items have
been altered. I asked for some PeliPeli sauce, which is a VERY, VERY hot Indian sauce. If
I put more than 1/32" ball on my fork, my lips and tongue would go numb! This was great, as
any Indian food that doesn't bring sweat droplets to your forehead is too mild. So, if you
enjoy something very spicy, ask for the PeliPeli on-the-side in a ramekin, but use sparingly.

NOTE3: Sanaa is a really good place to split/share meals. It not only helps cut the cost of
eating, but gives you a chance to sample the various offerings.

NOTE4: We prefer the lunch over the dinner.
. . . the fare is a little lighter
. . . the price is better
. . . the appys and salads are the same
. . . the lower number of people eating
. . . the ability to see animals on the Savannah

 

[ProTraderColin]

Sanaa is one of the best restaurants I've ever been to in my life. The flavors are on another level and the food is superb. They are very lucky to have Chef Trish in the back.

 

[Scottishbrit]

I have heard so many good things about this place. I didnt make reservations last spring when I went cause I didnt know when Our flight would get in. We tried ( we were staying at AKL ) getting in for a 7pm dinner ( 4 of us, 2 adults 2 kids ) but it was a 2 hour wait. Im going back this september and I made our reservation for our first day. I cant wait.

 

[SFMommy]

My mouth is watering reading all of these reviews! I think this is the restaurant that I am most excited to try next year!

 

[AnnaS]

We plan to try it for the first time in October. Can't wait. I try not to eat too much/if any bread but everyone is always raving about the bread service so.......Reviews for Sanna have been mostly positive so we are looking forward to it. Thanks everyone.

 

[mombrontrent]

We are eating here in a few weeks and I can't wait. I have drooled over the many times anticipating our meal there. As a vegan I usually go into a restaurant with very little if any choice, I just take what I can get. This place actually has lots of options for me. I am actually going to have a hard time deciding what to order because so many things look wonderful, that never happens. I love Indian food and I love animals, can't wait!

 

[jrandall]

I'm staying at AKL and kind of want to try this for the bread service. Honestly, though I am not thrilled with the menu. I'm not a fan of most Indian food so I'm not sure what I would get! But I feel like I need to try it since I'll be right there.