Sanaa: the Best Disney Food You’re Not Eating
Like the Costanza household, my family accumulated old issues of TV Guide. I remember my jubilation one day while perusing the collectible when I saw Sports Night named as the Guide’s “Best Show You’re Not Watching.” Being a sports fan who came of age during the heyday of the Olbermann and Patrick-helmed “Big Show” and loving its early-era Sorkinisms, I was a huge fan of Sports Night. Surely, this would save my struggling favorite show!
Alas, I have no delusions about what this post will do for Sanaa, the best least-popular restaurant at Walt Disney World. While I doubt it’s in danger of “cancellation,” I do find its perpetually quarter-full seating area troubling. Plus, last week we covered one of the worst restaurants at Walt Disney World, so why not spread the good word about one of our favorite restaurants at Walt Disney World–one many of you probably have never even considered dining at?
We’ve reviewed Sanaa before, but it’s been a while and most of the photos stopped working in our old review, so I figured it might be best to just start from scratch here rather than just updating the old review. For those unfamiliar with it, Sanaa is a table service restaurant in Kidani Village at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Its menu is one of the more adventurous at Walt Disney World, with African and Indian inspiration but also enough crowd-pleasing options to make it approachable.
In terms of basics, Sanaa participates in the Disney Dining Plan as a 1-credit table service restaurant, and also accepts the Tables in Wonderland card for 20% off. Sanaa’s menu has a lot of range, meaning it can be bot cheap out of pocket or a good values for using Table Service Disney Dining Plan credits depending upon what you order.
Thematically, Sanaa is basically an extension of Kidani Village. The style and fact that you have views into the savanna might be remarkable elsewhere, but here it feels like a cozy environment that could just as easily be a larger version of one of the quiet nooks upstairs hidden off of the lobby…except with food.
If you’ve stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge or Kidani Village before, you know what I mean. If you haven’t, this thematic work should not be downplayed. The entire resort is exquisite, and Sanaa is the natural extension of this. Any excuse, particularly a delicious meal, to slow down and relish the design work Imagineering has done with Kidani Village should be taken.
Kidani Village is a great environment as a whole, with Sanaa in particular having an airy ambiance that is perfectly befitting of the menu. In other words, the Sanaa experience is off to a great start the moment you enter the hotel, and by extension, the restaurant. With that said, let’s turn to the menu…
The Indian Bread Service is a must-order, and is one of the highlights of a meal at Sanaa. Going big with the larger version with all nine accompaniments is a no-brainer.
This gives you a chance to sample all of the different sauces, jams, and hummus to see which you favor. It makes for a great “conversation piece” appetizer, and is a window into the flavors and spices used in Indian cuisine. Think of this as edu-eatutainment…or something like that. (But seriously, order this.)
For another starter, we ordered the Lamb Kefta Skewers with Tunisian Couscous Salad and Peppadew-Goat Cheese.
These were likewise fantastic. The lamb was perfectly seasoned and with a subtle gaminess. I love lamb like this, but your mileage may vary.
For entrees, we had the Tandoori Chicken and Potjie. The Tandoori Chicken is served open-faced on naan bread with roasted chicken, rocket, pickled onion, tomato, and sambal mayonnaise.
The chicken here was impossibly tender, the naan was pillowy-soft, the vegetables were fresh, and the mayo had a mild twist that was addictively good. I’d consider this a fairly approachable and excellent option for those who don’t want anything too adventurous. It’s also a solid value out of pocket.
Potjie translates to “small pot food” and is one of the best options on Sanaa’s menu. From the menu: “Choose one from the Journey – Goan Seafood Curry, Butter Chicken, Braised Beef, or Spicy Durban Shrimp. Choose one from the Harvest – Aloo Masala, Chickpea Wit, Lentil Dhal, Paneer Tikka, or Cilantro-Coconut Vegetables served with scented Basmati Rice.”
We were joined for the meal by our friend Nick, who you may recall from some of our earlier trip reports. For those of you newer readers who only hate-read the blog, you can blame him for its existence. He was one of my college roommates who invited us down during his College Program. That rekindled our love for Walt Disney World, and led to this whole mess.
Anyway, Nick ordered the Sustainable Fish. I believe this was grouper, but I’m not totally sure. In any case, he enjoyed it. The fish was nicely plated and the portion seemed fair.
We were pretty stuffed by dessert time, but felt compelled to order the Kheer and Spice Trade Candy Bar. The former was fine taste-wise, but way too small.
The latter was one of the most decadent and inventive candy bars we’ve ever tried, but also the most expensive. Presentation aside, it’s actually much more than a candy bar, and is the kind of dessert that’s shareable despite its size because it’s fairly rich. The pistachio crumb offered nice texture, too.
We’d order the Spice Trade Candy Bar again if we were using Disney Dining Plan credits, but if paying out of pocket, we’d be inclined to skip dessert. The Mara does have Zebra Domes in its cooler, after all…
If you’re looking for ‘safer’ options, Sanaa has you covered there with the Kenya Coffee BBQ Sandwich. Along with the Sanaa Burger, it’s one of the approachable, crowd-pleasing options on the lunch menu. (For dinner, there’s New York Strip Steak, Lamb Shank, and Duck.)
Ultimately, Sanaa is a restaurant we recommend wholeheartedly to all Walt Disney World fans. The trek out to Animal Kingdom Lodge is worth the effort to see the resort’s beautiful design and unique style, and the lunch menu presents one of the best value propositions at Walt Disney World. It’s easy to make excuses not to visit or revisit Sanaa–and we’re definitely guilty of this–but with each meal, we’re reminded why this is restaurant that belongs in our regular rotation.
Want more dining recommendations? Check out our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. For info on whether the DDP is right for you, read our Ultimate Guide to the Disney Dining Plan. For comprehensive vacation advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts…
What do you think of Sanaa? For those of you who are eating here, is it deserving of its ‘best restaurant you’re not eating at’ status? Where does it rank in terms of dining at Walt Disney World for you? Have any favorite dishes at Sanaa? Any questions? Hearing your feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!
Just ate there for lunch and it was wonderful! We are not spicy eaters, so the waiter steered us to less spicy food. We had the bread service, tandoori shrimp, braised beef and one amazing burger.
Yes and amen.
Sports Night was Sorkin at his pre-West Wing finest. I cried when they took it off Netflix!
And likewise, Sanaa is the best restaurant nobody eats at. I think that you’re correct that it’ll never close– the location at a resort and ability to eat in view of the animals will save it– but I do worry they’ll find a need to “reimagine” it to put butts in seats. Sad, really. There are plenty of places to get “American Fare” (aka boring fried food) on Disney property. I’d hate to see a true standout like Sanaa ruined to suit the masses. It’s a truly amazing dining experience.
Thankfully, I was able to introduce Sarah to Sports Night before it was removed from Netflix. She was apprehensive at first given the subject matter, but ended up loving it.
It surprised me that they didn’t overhaul the menu at Sanaa after its first couple years of struggling. There must be someone in management fighting for its integrity.
This one was already at the top of my “must eat there” list for my upcoming trip. Great review! I’m even more excited to try it out now.
Hi Tom! Your orginial review is actually what inspired me to book a reservation for Sanaa on our upcoming trip! Can’t wait to try the Indian bread service!
I’m confused at how empty you say it is – I tried to get a reservation for Saturday 28th April at 6PM and could only get 8PM. I’m looking forward to it, but it should be pretty full then!
I can’t speak to dinner as we have not done that any time recently. At lunch, even with the restaurant offering a 40% Cast Member discount, Sanaa has never been more than half full when we’ve dined there.
At the suggestion of Tom, and every other disney blogger who knows what they’re doing ha, we finally made it to Sanaa a few weeks ago. We left that dinner reservation having booked a stay at Kidani Village through DVC rental so that we could go back to the lounge for bread service and the candy bar. It was that good y’all. We had the full bread service, a potjie, a charcuterie board, ordered extra bread for our dipping sauces, and a candy bar. Highly recommend the charcuterie board, especially for the price, because you can put the meat on your different breads and mix it up with the sauces.
Hmmm, the last couple times I went to Sanaa it seemed pretty hoppin.’ Certainly much busier than, say, Spice Road Table! But then of course it’s all relative – Be Our Guests Sanaa is not (thank God).
Sanaa is a must do for us as well, even if we are not visiting parks. (Business trips, etc.) We love the soothing, well-done atmosphere, great servers, and lovely cast members. It seems to attract a quieter crowd, since it is off the beaten path. We love roaming the grounds outside the building as well. Food is a bit different and tends to be spicy, which doesn’t appeal as much to children or the unadventurous. It’s a lovely break from the heat and noisy crowds.
Has Sanaa ever been busy? I don’t believe it has, and wouldn’t worry about it ever closing. But yeah, even spreading the word loud and clear won’t spoil this hidden gem. It’s like Trails End – they’re just too out of the way to ever worry much about crowds ruining mostly serene dining. We can thank Magical Express for that – anyone riding busses isn’t getting anywhere close to these two unless they are staying at each restaurant’s respective resort (areas).
Or Uber, Lyft each way – but you know what I mean. These are largely rental car / resort guest only domains.
Around the time it first opened, I remember it being pretty empty. It’s been busier in recent years, but still far from popular.
I. Love. Sanaa. It’s a must do for us every visit. (I’ll be a little mad if the Bricker Bounce (TM) makes it hard to get reservations, tbh.)
Fun fact for anyone dealing with allergies: a friend who cannot eat dairy has great luck here. Many of the options are already dairy free, and for everything else (including the naan) they accommodated her beautifully.
Haha, I wouldn’t overestimate the popularity of this blog! Plus, getting there is such a hassle that most people (even those reading this) won’t go even if they’re intrigued.
We’re going to DW in 3 days (yay!) and haven’t ever been to AKL, but planned on going on one of our non-park days, probably around lunchtime. If we only have time for one meal, would you recommend Sanaa, Jiko or Boma? It’ll be me, my husband and our teenage daughter.
Happily, which ever we don’t choose, we’ll be able to visit in January. It’s our 25th wedding anniversary and we’ve already booked a DVC rental at AKL. 🙂
Thanks!
It depends what you are looking for. Sanaa has some very good Indian food with a view of animals that is very cool at lunch. Jiko is a nice, upscale place for really good African inspired food – one of the best steaks on property. Boma is probably the best buffet in WDW with a variety of options, but it is still a buffet so not as good as the other two IMO.
If you want a nice splurge/celebration meal: Jiko
If you want to leave stuffed: Boma
If you want the best balance of quality/value: Sanaa
Honestly, these are 3 of the best restaurants in Walt Disney World, and I have a hard time choosing among them. If you have multiple nights at the resort, I’d make an effort to try them all (maybe Boma for breakfast if you don’t want to return midday or earlier in the evening?).
I hate to sound like a creeper but I’ve read a lot of your older trip reports and Nick came up a lot (lol)! Thanks for the review of Saana, I can’t wait to try it.
Sanaa is absolutely a favorite for me at Disney. It is the only restaurant I must visit every single trip. When I meet my friend there, we will just order bread service and a bowl of tomato soup. Divine – and cheap!
Its our favorite restaurant in all of WDW, and that is saying something!
I’m so excited to try Sanaa during my upcoming trip. I have heard so many wonderful things about it. I’m going for lunch on my Animal Kingdom day. I know it will take a chunk out of my afternoon, but I’m considering it my “break.” Tour like mad in the morning, break for Sanaa, return in the evening. I have a feeling it will be worth it. The shame of it is, I also wanted to try Tiffins and Yak & Yeti. Why does Animal Kingdom have to have all the interesting stuff? 🙂 I guess this means I’ll have to go back.
So happy to see this post!! Sanaa is amazing, and I am continually flabbergasted every time I mention it to CM friends who respond with, “Sanaa? Never heard of it!” (Never you mind that they get 40% off of meals.) I also love to suggest going there for a drink at the bar in the evening, especially if you are staying at Kidani. Since they are frequently bordering on empty, it’s an outstanding bar with incredible service. The bartenders are so hospitable (and I’ve never had a bad pour here, either).
To me, Sanaa is the, hands down, best restaurant in all of WDW. My wife and I love all three AKL restaurants, but Sanaa is out of this world. I guess it also helps that they serve one of our favorite cuisines.
And, in general, the AKL restaurants and Tusker House offer a much appreciated departure from the rest of the mostly-American type food at WDW.
I absolutely love Sanaa. You didn’t even mention the animals roaming the savannah right outside the windows! Plus it’s a good out-of-pocket value when paying with a Disney Visa Card since you get 10% off.
Thanks for the review! Do you know if this bread service is offered anywhere in Animal Kingdom? I thought I had read that you could get it possibly at Nomad Lounge, but cannot find confirmation.
You can get Tiffins’ bread service at Nomad, which is similar but only comes with three accompaniments without the option for nine.
And, surprisingly, Tiffin’s bread service isn’t as good as Sanaa’s!
Sanaa for life! I live in Nebraska but have still managed to take three coworkers there on three different work trips to Orlando. I always tend to fall on the sword when Orlando trips come up 🙂