Jiko - The Cooking Place

Location

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House)

Entrée Range

Dinner: Adult $37-48

Summary

Tucked away in a quiet corner of Animal Kingdom Lodge, Jiko is one of the true hidden gems of fine dining in Walt Disney World. Superb service in a nonfussy atmosphere can be tough to pull off, but Jiko does that and more, welcoming guests into the cooking place for a meal packed with truly unique flavors. Families will enjoy the dining room’s perpetual sunset, while solo diners or small parties may want to take advantage of the cooking place’s seating for both dinner and a show.

Jiko has remained good for a long time, even through the pandemic and chef and staff changes. The experience of this reader from Columbia, Missouri, is typical:

Jiko was fabulous! My husband and I went on a date and ended up sitting next to a nice family who had two younger kids with them. They were a bit loud, but we didn’t mind. Near the end of our meal, the server brought us two complimentary martinis at the manager’s request because of the “noisy” table nearby. That was good service even though we weren’t inconvenienced. In fact, we shared our martinis with them and had a great conversation!

Jiko is listed on the OpenTable website and app. Reservations are often available on OpenTable even when they're not on the Disney site. In addition, there's no cancellation fee with OpenTable reservations.

Setting and Atmosphere

Bathed in a perpetual sunset, with metal birds soaring around, the main dining room is warm and inviting, accented by the central Jiko (“cooking place” in Swahili), where chefs prepare many of the appetizers featured on the restaurant’s seasonally rotating menu in view of a few lucky diners. As you enter, stop to gaze at the wine room. The bottles on display represent just a sample of the massive wine selection—the largest collection of South African wines available in any North American restaurant.

House Specialties

Guests flock to Jiko for several dishes, among them the grilled wild-boar tenderloin appetizer, African spice–infused flatbreads, sustainable Vulcan-spiced fish, and oak-grilled filet mignon with South African red wine sauce and bobotie mac and cheese. The seasonally updated malva (mallow) pudding dessert highlights traditional African flavors on the sweet spectrum.

Other Recommendations

Botswanan-style beef short ribs and Moroccan lamb tagine bring on the spices, while luscious seasonal soups like the curried cauliflower bisque start any meal off on the right foot. For those in search of vegan and vegetarian options, Jiko stands out as one of the few Disney Signature restaurants to offer dedicated options that are both satisfying and flavorful. A large selection of specialty teas and Kenyan press-pot coffee complement the excellent dessert selections.

Related Articles on Jiko:
Solo Dining Review: Jiko

Recent Blog Posts

• Jiko – The Cooking Place: A Reopening Review

Menus

• Dinner

Details

Requires Credit Card to Reserve: Yes
Requires Pre-payment in Full: No

Discounts

Photos