Sanaa vs Jiko

[BeachMouse1]

Jiko is one of our favorite restaurants on property but have read wonderful things about Sanaa. We have never experienced Sanaa and making our September plans Now. We know we can’t go wrong with Jiko but so many rave about Sanaa.
How different are they? Sanaa menu looks to be less expensive but we know Jiko is well worth the price of admission LOL
should we try Sanaa or stick with Jiko?

 

[Disbug]

Sanaa is delicious but is more like a family atmosphere which includes comfort food... butter chicken and curries with an amazing bread service which should not be missed! Jiko is a Signature Restaurant which is more high end "chef'y" or date-night-ish.... If that makes sense? I love them both for different reasons.

 

[Marrila]

Jiko is one of our favorite restaurants on property but have read wonderful things about Sanaa. We have never experienced Sanaa and making our September plans Now. We know we can’t go wrong with Jiko but so many rave about Sanaa.
How different are they? Sanaa menu looks to be less expensive but we know Jiko is well worth the price of admission LOL
should we try Sanaa or stick with Jiko?

You should try Sanaa. Be sure to order the bread service.
We love both Jiko and Sanaa for different reasons.

 

[HolRae]

Sanaa is great for lunch. If you want a nice dinner Jiko is amazing.

 

[BeachMouse1]

Sanaa can accommodate food allergies I’m sure correct?

 

[Marrila]

Sanaa can accommodate food allergies I’m sure correct?

They can.

 

[NickDubs34]

My family is long time Jiko lovers. It's been at or near the top of our list of places on property for many years. That said, we went in late June and had a disappointing overall experience. The service was slow and the food was meh. Got the filet like always and I found it to be well prepared but just not a very good piece of meat. Filets should be tender and it wasn't even as cooked at med-rare.

That said, we also did Sanaa and we all really enjoyed it. They're very different as mentioned above but Sanaa is pretty special in its own way, especially if you go before dark where you can see the animals while you eat. It's also a bit cheaper if that counts for anything.

 

[erinch]

We’ve eaten twice at Sanaa for dinner. Both times the checkin was rather hostile, with an almost sneer when asking to be near the window, and the service was rushed and perfunctory, with the server having way too many tables. Both times were in coming out of Covid, so that may have been an anomaly. But what we observed about the food is that we have several excellent Indian restaurants close by, which have more discs and spreads and better butter chicken and tandoori. Jiko is a must-do date night for us. Last year my filet came out overdone, and they whisked it away when I showed the server. I would absolutely give Sanaa another try, but Jiko is my happy spot.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Both are outstanding restaurants, but we think very different. If you have not tried Sanaa yet, we'd highly recommend it. So many good choices. People look at me funny when we talk about the breads and sauces - but it's an amazing experience. Sanaa certainly isn't going to be a replacement for Jiko, but it's an amazing alternative for dining at AKL. And if you can get a seat during the daylight, the view of the savannah is priceless. Jiko, Sanaa, Boma, and The Mara make up the best resort dining on WDW property - in our opinion, of course!!

 

[BlovesC]

We've been to Jiko once but Sanaa a dozen times so my vote is definitely to give it a try!

 

[gharter]

We enjoy both, but they are entirely different restaurants.
Jiko food is more upscale, African inspired.
Sanaa is more casual, family atmosphere and Indian inspired cuisine.
For us, the pick is Jiko as we can get very good Indian food near us, but no restaurant has food similar to Jiko.

 

[kiford]

Sanaa can accommodate food allergies I’m sure correct?

Absolutely. I have a slightly odd allergy and our server brought me out a modified version of the bread service to accommodate it. Although we really enjoyed our dinner there - and will definitely go back - we actually enjoyed the breakfast even more. It's a mix of counter service and table service (you order entrees in the bar, get some grab and go stuff there, pay there and then they bring the entrees to your table). You can pick your own table and if you get there at the right time, you can grab yourself a table by the window. We had a table by the window for dinner but it was dark out. During breakfast we got to watch the giraffes and birds come so close to the window. Loved it. The shakshuka (not currently on the menu sadly) was delicious though spicy. Jiko is also a definite favourite of ours too.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

You really can't go wrong with either one. The food, service, and atmosphere have been great for us with both of these. That being said, I'm usually more inclined to hit up Sanaa at lunch to ensure we've got enough daylight for the savanna views. Jiko is more of a place I like to settle in for the evening.

 

[drenalin'junkie]

Really two of our favorites even given we can get most of the menus locally relatively inexpensively.
BUT, the theming and animal experiences before or after meals put these two in a special category.
The bread service at Sanaa is memorable as is the presentation at Jiko.

 

[MamaMermaid]

Sanaa is the best restaurant on property!

 

[Victoriapeluso]

I have to be honest here, I had a TERRIBLE experience at Niko, so bad in fact I couldn't even eat my steak. I am a long time ALL EARS lover and watched the video where Molly CRIED when she had the steak after covid haha I can relate as I love food like that. The wine was great.... but everything I ate was... honestly, gross.
Sanaa however was fantastic! The bread service was great and being able to watch the animals was really cool!

Of Note: I am a HUGE foodie- both my husbands are or have been chefs at one point. We are very adventurous, and love high end places... my husbands former boss sung the praises of Jikos so believe me when I say we were SUPER let down.

 

[Marrila]

I have to be honest here, I had a TERRIBLE experience at Niko, so bad in fact I couldn't even eat my steak. I am a long time ALL EARS lover and watched the video where Molly CRIED when she had the steak after covid haha I can relate as I love food like that. The wine was great.... but everything I ate was... honestly, gross.
Sanaa however was fantastic! The bread service was great and being able to watch the animals was really cool!

Of Note: I am a HUGE foodie- both my husbands are or have been chefs at one point. We are very adventurous, and love high end places... my husbands former boss sung the praises of Jikos so believe me when I say we were SUPER let down.

I'm sorry your visit to Jiko wasn't enjoyable.
Did you tell your server your steak and whatever else was inedible?
We love both Jikos and Saana. If either was a big disappointment I wouldn't hesitate to mention why during my visit.

 

[Brob2132]

We’ve had excellent experiences at Jiko and love the AKL (if only there was an alternative transportation to the other parks). That being said, If you haven’t tried Sanaa, well worth it.

 

[gharter]

I have to be honest here, I had a TERRIBLE experience at Niko, so bad in fact I couldn't even eat my steak. I am a long time ALL EARS lover and watched the video where Molly CRIED when she had the steak after covid haha I can relate as I love food like that. The wine was great.... but everything I ate was... honestly, gross.
Sanaa however was fantastic! The bread service was great and being able to watch the animals was really cool!

Of Note: I am a HUGE foodie- both my husbands are or have been chefs at one point. We are very adventurous, and love high end places... my husbands former boss sung the praises of Jikos so believe me when I say we were SUPER let down.

Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience. That should NEVER happen at a signature restaurant. Did you let your server or manager know there was an issue? If so, I would hope they would have fixed the issue. If you didn't, then how can they fix it?
We have dined at Jiko for years and never had a bad meal. Hopefully, yours was a one off.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

Sanaa is more like tapas and for sharing,
it is amazing but really not a full meal, just a lunch!

jinko is dinner