One of our favorite parks when it comes to food in Disney World is actually Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We know most people think of EPCOT when they think of great food in Disney World (and we don’t disagree!), but there are several underrated spots over in the wildest park.

Whether you’re looking for cheeseburger bao buns, giant pretzels, or amazing bread and dips, Animal Kingdom has got you covered. We’re heading to one of those underrated restaurants today to check out the incredible theming and high-end food. So is this spot worth the high price tag that comes with it? Let’s find out.

Did “incredible theming and high-end food” tip you off to where we’re going? If you guessed Tiffins, you’re right! This sit-down restaurant is covered in gorgeous art from around the globe, and it serves unique (and usually delicious) dishes.

The last few times we’ve visited Tiffins, we’ve been largely impressed with the food and drinks here. But sometimes the flavors don’t quite live up to the high prices on the menu. We’re back to check out more of the food and bring you an updated review of this restaurant so that you know if you should add it to your itinerary for your next Disney World trip.

Atmosphere

The name “Tiffins” comes from an Indian English word meaning a light lunchtime meal. It also can mean the containers that were traditionally used to carry that meal. If you look on top of the restaurant’s sign outside, you’ll see the inspiration for its name — tiffin containers! 

We checked in with the hosts outside the restaurant and then received a text when it was time to come inside. You will need reservations to dine here since it’s a table service restaurant in the park.

If you don’t have a reservation, you can head to the attached Nomad Lounge instead. This lounge serves some of the same food that can be found at Tiffins (including the amazing bread service), and it has a walk-up waitlist. (Pro tip: Get the churros at Nomad Lounge. Just trust us.)

Inside Tiffins, there are three “galleries” or dining rooms. The Asia-themed room is called the Trek Gallery, the Africa-themed room is the Safari Gallery, and the room covered in animal art is the Grand Gallery.

Take some time to look around at the art on the walls. The art was inspired by the drawings and field notes of Imagineers as they researched and designed the Animal Kingdom park.

There are little cards by most of the pieces that tell you more about the artwork and its origins. The artwork in the Grand Gallery depicts animals that can all be found somewhere in Animal Kingdom.

This restaurant is designed with the theme of exploration in mind, and our server encouraged us to get up and explore the galleries during our meal.

We love the overall vibe of Tiffins. It is a signature dining location, so it’s up there on the fancy scale. But the theme of the restaurant also makes it a more relaxed and fun experience than some other fancy restaurants in Disney World.

As far as seating goes, you’ll find standard tables and chairs here as well as booths.

Our only complaint about the atmosphere is that it’s a little bit dark inside. The low lighting is likely to put a spotlight (literally) on all the art in the dining rooms.

Now let’s get to the really important stuff: the food!

Eats

Tiffins serves dishes inspired by flavors from around the world. It’s a mix of African, Asian, and Latin cuisine.

Menu

We received a QR code menu.

You can also request a paper menu if you’d prefer that.

The options at Tiffins begin with appetizers, such as the famous Tiffins Signature Bread Service.

The main course includes entrées like Butter Chicken, Shrimp & Grits, and Whole-fried Sustainable Fish.

You can also choose from the enhancements and desserts menus. We didn’t order an enhancement this time, but in the past, we’ve really enjoyed the Gobi Manchurian. (Note that both the Gobi Manchurian and Lobster Mac & Cheese are often available at Nomad Lounge as well. Ask your server if they’re available during your visit.)

Kids can choose from the appetizers menu and then create their own meal by selecting an entrée…

…and two sides. The kids’ meals include some less exotic options (like tacos and grilled chicken) in case your little ones aren’t super adventurous eaters.

As far as drinks go, there are a LOT of options for coffee and loose-leaf teas…

…as well as non-alcoholic mocktails…

…specialty cocktails…

…hot coffee cocktails…

…a few beers…

…and a selection of wines by the glass.

The wines — like the flavors of food here — are from around the globe. You’ll find wine options from places in Africa, South America, and more.

Drinks

We started off with the Jenn’s Tattoo cocktail for $13.

This drink is made with Ketel One Vodka, Watermelon, Hibiscus, and Lime Juice. It’s garnished with a slice of lime and a purple flower.

We thought the watermelon and hibiscus were the most prevalent flavors here, and there was really just a hint of lime.

The drink was sweet and very refreshing, but the alcohol flavor wasn’t very strong. If you like sweet, fruity drinks, we think you’ll really enjoy this one! But if you prefer beer or strong cocktails, you may want to try a different option.

Food

For our appetizers, we chose the Honey-Chili Glazed Pork Belly for $15 and the Tiffins Signature Bread Service for $12. If you don’t order the bread service, your server will bring you a small piece of bread with a pomegranate dipping sauce. But since we got the service, we didn’t get that bread.

The pork belly is served with Chorizo and Midnight Moon Cheese Biscuit, along with a Quail Egg and Tasso Gravy. There are 3 large pieces of pork belly in this appetizer, so it would be plenty to share with a few people.

We thought the pork was excellent. It was nice and tender and full of flavor.

The sauce was very salty, but it went well with the pork. The biscuit was tasty as well. It was very dense, and we had a bit of a hard time cutting into it. The mild cheese flavor was good, but we might have preferred a stronger or sharper cheese flavor.

We didn’t love the quail egg on the side. It was served cold, which didn’t seem to go with the rest of this dish. And it basically just tasted like a normal egg to us.

The bread service — as usual — was excellent.

The bread is a crispy naan (like a tortilla chip)…

…a pita bread (with an earthy taste)…

…and a traditional bread that tasted like rye or pumpernickel to us.

The sauces are Red Pepper Hummus, Spicy Coriander Yogurt, and Ginger-Pear Chutney. Our favorite was probably the Spicy Coriander Yogurt (the creamy green-ish one). It tasted very fresh, and we thought it went well with the traditional bread.

The red pepper hummus was almost like a creamy salsa, and the ginger pear chutney was very sweet. We didn’t really feel like the chutney paired well with the savory bread, so that one was our least favorite.

In general, we think most people would enjoy at least parts of these dishes. The pork belly was divine, and the coriander dip with the bread service was very delicious. You probably need to be a little bit adventurous with your taste to enjoy them, but the flavors are really nice!

For our entrée, we chose the Tamarind Braised Short Rib for $48. This is a Short Rib with Parsnip-Potato Purée, Cauliflower, Cipollini Onion, and Medjool Date Vinaigrette.

This short rib was PACKED with flavor! It was also super tender and rich. The sauce paired with it was a little bit sweet, and it went very well with the savory meat and potatoes.

The veggies that came with the meat were just okay. We would have liked a little bit more seasoning on them to make them more exciting. There wasn’t really anything special about them, but it was nice to have the fresh vegetables paired with the heavier meat.

The parsnip-potato purée was one of the highlights of this dish for us. It was delicious, and we thought it complimented the meat very well. We would’ve enjoyed more of it since there was just a little bit on the plate.

The portion wasn’t huge, so we’re not sure that it really lives up to the $48 price tag. But it was definitely a filling dish, and we enjoyed it a lot.

For dessert, we tried the 50th Celebration Chocolate Gateaux for $15. It’s made with Almond Praline, White Chocolate Cremeux, Ganache, and Chocolate-Amarula Sauce. (This dessert does contain an alcohol product.)

The gateaux sent a lot of different chocolate flavors at us from all different angles. The cake itself was a very rich chocolate flavor (although ours was a little bit dry), and it was surrounded by more chocolate mousse.

The little chocolate pearls were nice because they added a bit of a crunch to the soft dessert.

There were crumbs served around the cake, which had a cayenne pepper dusting on them. If you’re a fan of spicy chocolate, we think you’ll enjoy these! If that’s not your favorite thing, it’s not too difficult to avoid the spicy crumbles.

The praline and white chocolate cream were delicious as well. The praline had a rich, nutty taste, which complemented the chocolate and added more depth of flavor to this dish. In general, this is a dessert for someone who loves — and we mean LOVES — chocolate. There are some other flavors involved, but the dominant ingredient is definitely rich chocolate.

At the end of our meal, we were given a souvenir card with a sketch by Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde on it.

Joe Rohde was a huge contributor to the design of Tiffins and Animal Kingdom in general.

Nosh or Not

Travel the world at Tiffins if:

• You’re looking for a sit-down meal in Animal Kingdom to take a longer break in the air conditioning. As a signature meal, this will probably take at least an hour. You can enjoy the ambiance and some delicious food while you rest your feet from a day in the park.
• You want to learn more about Animal Kingdom in general, including the Imagineers who brought it to life and the inspiration behind its creation. The artwork and story behind this restaurant are unmatched.
• You’re an adventurous eater who doesn’t want another order of burgers and fries. Tiffins has some more basic dishes, but you can also find very unusual flavors here that you won’t see anywhere else in Disney World!

Hike over to a different location if:

• You’re ballin’ on a budget. Tiffins is not a cheap meal. Entrées range in price from $30 to $65, and that’s not including drinks, appetizers, or dessert. There are plenty of other delicious meals in Animal Kingdom, like the combination bowls at Satu’li Canteen. Or you can visit Nomad Lounge to get the taste of Tiffins without the prices.
• You or your party are not adventurous eaters. If you really just want a good ol’ fashioned burger or some chicken tenders, you won’t find that here. Head to Restaurantosaurus or Flame Tree Barbecue to find more familiar dishes.
• You need a quick snack before rushing over to Flight of Passage for the third time today. Tiffins is a longer dining experience, so be prepared to spend some time here. Quick snacks can be found at Pongu Pongu (check out the lumpia or giant pretzels there) or Kusafiri (which also has more unique flavors than your average theme park food).

Overall

In general, we always enjoy our time at Tiffins. The food is very high quality, and the atmosphere is one of our favorites in all of Disney World. The service when we came was excellent as well. Our server was very attentive and helped us out with some recommendations.

The food is fairly unique, although it wasn’t too far removed from familiar flavors. So if you want to be more adventurous without being scared of your food, we think this is a great option. There are some less-unique options for little kids, which we know can be important to younger palates.

However, if you have a very limited taste, it might be tricky for you to find something here. In addition, the meal was fairly expensive (as most signature dining experiences are). If you’re not willing to spend $60+ per adult, you may want to consider a different restaurant in this park.

If you are going to dine here, we recommend allowing a good amount of time for the meal. The atmosphere is amazing, and you’ll want to take it all in while you eat. We loved our experience, and we’ll always take the chance to learn more about Animal Kingdom from the incredible displays.

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Have you eaten at Tiffins before? Let us know what you think about it in the comments.

The post REVIEW: Tiffins in Disney’s Animal Kingdom — Way Too Pricey or Worth Every Penny? first appeared on the disney food blog.