There are a lot of restaurants in Disney World, and we’ve eaten at them all, so when you’re asking us to pick a favorite, we’ll usually say, “Well, it depends.” Some restaurants are better for families, and some for special occasions, but there are a few restaurants we’ll always recommend because we just love them that much.

We’re heading to Jiko — The Cooking Place at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge to see if it continues to live up to our standards. Sit back, relax, and be ready to book a dining reservation, because Jiko might be continuing to impress us over and over again.

Atmosphere

Jiko is located at Animal Kingdom Lodge, which incorporates African culture, animals, and beautiful scenery. There were huge windows along the restaurant that looked out and brought in sunlight, and made the whole meal so relaxing.

There were booths, tables, and a room at the counter. The counter is actually “the cooking place,” which is what “jiko” translates to from Swahili.

Most tables are smaller for a more intimate setting. You can check out their huge wood-fired ovens, and if you look up, you can see a huge hidden Mickey, one of the biggest in Disney World.

There were beautiful birds along the ceiling that looked like they were flying through the restaurant, and you can also check out their huge selection of wines.

It’s a beautiful space to celebrate a special occasion or have a date night, and it’s our ideal place to escape the chaos of the parks.

Menu

This restaurant focuses on African cuisine and is one of Disney’s Signature Dining, which just means fine dining. It’s open from 5 PM to 9:30 PM for dinner and has a dress code where clothing should be “clean, neat, and in good condition. Please no swimwear.” You won’t have to get totally dressed up, but it might be good to slide on something a little nicer. You’ll also want to book an Advanced Dining Reservation, but some same-day reservations may be available.

They offer a few different appetizers…

…entress…

…enhancements or sides…

…and desserts.

They also have a lot of fun drinks, including their Loose Leaf Specialty Teas, which serve two…

…coffee, cocktails, and dessert wines.

They also offer a kids’ menu.

Enough about the menu, let’s eat!

Eats

Our meal started with Giraffe Bread and Butter, which came to the table, and what a fantastic way to begin this adventure.

The bread gets its name from the patterning on top, which is caused by a rice-flour coating that cracks when baked. The rice flavor comes through when you try it, which is quite different from what you’re likely used to. The bread is both dense and fluffy, with a great, airy texture, but it tears apart easily and holds onto the butter perfectly. There was a unique salt on top that balanced some of the butter’s tanginess, and the butter was creamy and saucy. The tanginess almost reminded us of sour cream, but not in an off-putting way. It was really enjoyable, and who doesn’t love free bread on the table?

One of our appetizers was the Diver Scallop with Pork Belly, priced at $19. This is a Seared Scallop, Sumac-roasted Pork Belly, Corn Cream, Mustard Caviar, and Fennel Crisp.

The first word that comes to mind is YUM! Seriously, this dish was so good. The pork belly and scallop melted so easily in your mouth and were so tender and incredible. The scallop had a perfect sear and wasn’t overly seafood-y, so if you’re on the fence of seafood, this can be a great way to try it, but also still have the pork belly there if you’re here for the meat.

The pork belly wasn’t overly salty and had a good amount of fat, which is classic for pork belly. There were crispy bits that reminded us of burnt ends, with their smoky, sweet flavors, and once you combine them with that perfect scallop, oh, it’s just so good.

The whole thing sits on a sweet corn fennel puree, which was silky smooth and similar to grits or polenta, and brought in some earthy tones. Paired with the mustard caviar, it was a much-needed pop of acid and brought in a different texture, too. It’s fairly small to share since you only get one chunk of pork belly and one scallop, so it might be good if you want it all to yourself.

We also tried the West African Koki Corn for $16, which features Mushrooms, Pickled Vegetables, Avocado-Tomatillo Puree, and a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.

If you’re expecting a bowl of corn or something like elote, you’ll be very surprised when it’s more like a tamale! There was a great corn taste as the base, similar to the tamale base, which was a little grainy and perfectly moist, but there wasn’t much flavor beyond corn. Don’t worry — that’s why the sauces are here. The corn is a plain base to dress up with flavorful sauces.

The roasted red pepper sauce was smoky, reminiscent of a red sauce on tamales, while the green sauce was bright and herbaceous. There was a light spice in the sauces, but nothing too overwhelming, and it didn’t linger. The pickled mushrooms and onions on top brought a punch of acid and were balanced nicely with the spice of the sauces and the earthiness of the corn. This appetizer is significantly easier to share because of its size!

For our entree, we went with the Short Rib Isitambu for $54, which is a Merlot-braised Beef Short Rib, Cracked Hominy, Sea Peas, and Fragrant Masala.

You can’t go wrong with short rib! You can tell that the short rib was slow cooked because it was so tender and shredded easily. The sauce on top was similar to a red wine reduction and reminded us of a high-end, sweet-and-savory barbecue sauce. It wasn’t too sweet and stayed on the savory side, but was such a great addition to the dish.

The isitambu is like a bean stew, which wasn’t our favorite thing on the plate, but let’s be real, you’re here for the short rib! It had a lot of great texture and was hearty, but it really just tasted like beans. There was also some squash and sea salt on top, which added a pop of saltiness and played into the sweet-and-savory vibe.

Finally, our fantastic meal was rounded off with the Potjie Pot for $17, featuring Chocolate Custard, Lemon-Olive Oil Cake, Whipped Caramel, Cocoa Nib Crunch, and Cherries.

Now THIS is the best way to end a nice dinner at Jiko. If you loved all the other parts of your meal, you’re really going to enjoy ending it with dessert. The lemon olive oil cake was bright and citrusy without being overly oily. It was more on the side of lemon cake versus olive oil cake, but it was fluffy and delicious. There were a bunch of other layers, like a thick, fluffy chocolate mousse that was so smooth on your spoon and brought a gorgeous milk chocolate flavor.

There was also a buttery caramel fluff, and if it came in a bottle, we would eat it by the spoonful. It was buttery but not too buttery, and was seriously perfect caramel. There, cocoa nibs along the bottom added a much-needed crunch and deeper chocolate flavor. All the layers were distinct and matched well together without being too soft and held up well on the spoon. The cherries brought in a bite of tartness, but there were very few cherries, so it wasn’t overwhelming.

Drinks

We started with the Prickly Pear Mule for $17.50, which is made with VUSA African Vodka, Belle de Brillet Pear Liqueur, Prickly Pear, Ginger Beer, and Lime.

If you love other mules, you’re going to love this. It was fun and bright, with a strong lime flavor, and the sharpness of the ginger beer to finish it off without being too powerful. Prickly pear tastes like a watermelon and strawberry combined, so it reminded us of a fruit punch flavor but with more lime, turning it into more of a lime-aid flavor. There was not a strong alcohol flavor, making it good for those just dabbling in drinks, and it was a gorgeous pink in the iconic copper mule mug. While there are more unique drinks on the menu, this is a nice twist on the classic Moscow Mule and a great drink to sip on throughout your drink.

Nosh or Not

Go ahead and book that reservation at Jiko if…

• You’re looking for a fancy dinner — Jiko is on the more expensive side of Disney World food, so we like to save it for special occasions. It’s perfect for an anniversary date night where you can order a lovely glass of wine, appetizers, entrees, and end with a delectable dessert!
• You’re staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge or want to visit — While we love this resort, there’s no doubt that it’s pretty out of the way for most guests. If you’re already staying there, perfect, and if you want to visit, you can take a bus, or you can park for free if you show them the dining reservations.
• You want a more unique dining experience — Jiko focuses on African cuisine, and that might be a bit out of your realm. The staff members are incredibly knowledgeable about the menu and explain all of the items so you can try new foods and understand what you’re eating.

You might want to skip if…

• You prefer familiar flavors — Hey, we get it! Sometimes you don’t want to explore new cuisines for every single meal, and sometimes it sounds good to sit back with a pizza, burgers, and French fries. Jiko’s menu is more on the unique side that picky eaters and kids might not be a fan of.
• You’re looking for a quick and affordable meal — A huge part of African cuisine is the idea of slow cooking, and this is not a dinner to be rushed. It’s a great meal to sit over and savor the flavors, but if you’re in a rush, you might want to check out eating at the bar or head to a different restaurant.
• You’re not already going to Animal Kingdom Lodge — This goes along the same line of, if you’re looking for a fast meal, Jiko likely isn’t conveniently located to make it fast. There are some resorts that are very easy to get to, but because of the animals, Animal Kingdom Lodge is very far away from just about everything, so unless you’re dying to see the resort or already staying there, you can likely find another fancy restaurant closer.

Overall

We’re basically blown away every time we go to Jiko in Animal Kingdom Lodge. They have fantastic dishes that are truly melt in your mouth, and you can taste the long hours of cooking and love incorporated into the dishes. They also have an incredible drink and wine menu, and paired with knowledgeable staff, it can be a great way to try something new but still have some familiarity. We love coming here for special occasions, and we find ourselves here time and time again.

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Have you ever eaten at Jiko? Tell us about your experience in the comments.