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Jiko

Jiko - The Cooking Place

Ranked #32 of 93 Table Service Options at Walt Disney World
Located in Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House)

Last updated: June 27, 2025

At a Glance

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 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.

More…

Guest Rating
Above Average
91% (Based on 244 surveys)
Our Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Service
Friendliness
Price

Expensive

Food Type

African / Fusion

Location

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House)

Entrée Range

Dinner: Adult $11-62

Reservations

Accepted

Parking

Valet or self park in hotel lot

Hours
  • Dinner: Daily, 5:30-10 p.m.
Bar

Full bar

Wine List

All South African

Mobile Order

No

Dining Plan

2 TS credits

Discounts
  • WDW Passholder: 10%
Dress

Dressy casual

Frequently Asked Questions

What should you know?

What’s it like inside?

What are the specialties?

Any discounts?

What should you know?

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 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.

What’s it like inside?

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.

What are the 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.

Any discounts?

Jiko - The Cooking Place offers the following discounts:

  • WDW Passholder: 10%

What should you know?
What’s it like inside?
What are the specialties?
Any discounts?

Other Dining Options

You might enjoy the following alternatives to Jiko - The Cooking Place:

Grand Floridian

Victoria & Albert's

Disney Springs

Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant

Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo)

Boma - Flavors of Africa

Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo)

Boma - Flavors of Africa

Fort Wilderness

Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue
Additional Information on Jiko - The Cooking Place
Is Jiko Worth the Splurge? Dinner at The Cooking Place arrow

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