Sanaa - Lake Buena Vista

Not many vegan options, but they are courteous and have a great tea menu.

Lots of tasty options and great scenery with free roaming animals outside your window. Only thing it's missing is a good vegan Naan or Roti bread.

Sanaa is located in the Animal Kingdom Villas near the Disney Animal Kingdom Resort. It has been our favorite place to eat and a nice relief from the mediocre food we have found inside the parks. They only offer a few vegetarian items. For an appetizer we had the Indian-Style Bread Service. It included three breads. We chose Naan, Garlic-Ginger Naan, and Onion Kulcha. We also had all nine sauces which were Red Chile Sambal, Cucumber Raita, Coriander Chutney, Mango Chutney, Coconut Chutney, Garlic Pickle, Spicy Jalapeño-Lime Pickle, Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus, and Tamarind Chutney. This was an appetizer and only cost $11. It could have been an entire meal for 2! They were all outstanding except the two that were just too hot for us. Our favorites were the Coriander Chutney and the Tamarind Chutney. For the meal we ordered two Vegetarian Samplers and shared them among our family. The dishes included Stewed Lentils, Paneer Tikka and Vindaloo style vegetables. Each sampler came with Basmati Rice or Five Grain Pilaf and cost $15. Everything was amazing. The atmosphere is outstanding. While dining zebras, giraffes and others may walk past the window. When we have dined there in the evening you can go on the deck after dinner and watch the animals by firelight. There are always guides located outside to tell you more about the animals. One of our friends dining with us had a allergy to onions and they went out of their way to check the ingredients on every item she was interested in. The chef came to the table and had a lengthy discussion with her. The chef even made her a separate mango chutney without onions. Updated from previous review on Monday August 26, 2013

I was totally impressed by Sanaa's vegan selection. They have a separate menu, albeit with only a few entree choices (rice with choice of 2 curries) and waiters are aware of the vegan diet and are very helpful when suggesting items. They had several dessert choices (including tofutti, bamboo rice pudding with tropical fruit), which always impresses me. Ambiance was great views of roaming antelope, zebra, giraffe, etc while dining. Apparently, their animals are born into captivity and obtained from other zoos and sanctuaries or at least that's what I was told when asked. Overall, great meal and highly recommended for vegans visiting Disney World. Updated from previous review on Tuesday April 30, 2013

Prior to going to Sanaa, I was somewhat concerned about eating at a place at the Animal Kingdom considering my stance on animals and zoos. After dining at Sanaa, I was relieved to see how Disney World presented the animals in an African habitat and satisfied by the food we ate. Upon entering Sanaa, I was greeted by friendly staff and after I told them I was vegan, they sat us and told me that the chef would come and talk to us. Chef Angela was funny, polite and determined to make sure that our dining experience was memorable. She suggested appetizer and entree choices which were divine to say the least. I also really liked that the restaurant has individual menus for vegetarians and vegans. Although there are animals outside of Sanaa, I'm sure you could ask to be seated away from them if you wanted to. My husband said it best when he said that Sanaa isn't a zoo, when you eat there, you feel like a guest in the animal's home.