Updated: June 20, 2024

I’ve got a controversial take about Disney food, y’all: The best food in Disney World is NOT in EPCOT. 

If I were to make a list of all of my favorite restaurants and snacks, a bunch of the top ones would actually be from Disney’s Animal Kingdom! That includes my all-time favorite restaurant in the entire park. This spot is somewhat hidden, which makes it a wonderful oasis of peace and quiet. Plus the food there is AMAZING. I bet some of y’all already know which spot I’m talking about.

If you guessed Nomad Lounge, you’re my kinda Disney fan! I LOVE this little lounge, which is attached to the Tiffins restaurant on Discovery Island. Tiffins is a signature restaurant, so although it has incredible food as well, the prices there don’t make my wallet happy. Nomad Lounge, however, serves small plates and bites, and it’s much more budget-friendly!

Let me tell y’all about some of my favorite things about Nomad Lounge and see if I can convince you to visit on your next trip.

Immaculate Vibes

Like so many places in Animal Kingdom, Nomad Lounge has gorgeous vibes. The lounge is sort of tucked away, so it feels like it’s hidden from the rest of the theme park.

You can sit inside on comfy chairs or at the bar…

…or head outside to the covered patio (that’s my choice whenever it’s not too hot out!).

From the patio, you get these amazing views of Discovery River, and you might even see some characters passing by on floatillas!

The whole area is surrounded by lush greenery, and the sounds of nature and running water are so relaxing.

The atmosphere is enough to convince me to visit, but the FOOD is what keeps me coming back again and again.

INCREDIBLE Food and Drinks

Nomad Lounge offers a menu of small plates, and the options change occasionally, depending on the time of year and any special events that might be taking place. You’ll often find specialty menu items pop up for celebrations like Black History Month, Animal Kingdom’s anniversary, or Earth Day.

Some of my favorite eats are the Tiffins Bread Service, the Bangkok Chicken Wings, and the CHURROS. You’ll often hear people say that Disney World churros aren’t that good compared to Disneyland’s, but the one exception is the churros at Nomad Lounge!

I’ve also asked nicely and been allowed to order the Gobi Manchurian fried Cauliflower from the Tiffins menu — which is AMAZING — but I know that it’s not always available (doesn’t hurt to ask your server when you visit, though!).

Our team recently visited to try four of the newer menu items: the Pineapple-glazed Pork Belly…

…Korean Barbecue Mushroom Bao Buns…

…and Grilled Chicken Satay.

We LOVED them all!

Read our full review of these items here!

So really you can’t go wrong with the food at Nomad Lounge. The drinks are the same story! I don’t drink alcohol, and the mocktail menu here is one of the best in Disney World. Personally, I’m a big fan of the Hibiscus Henna and the Zingiber Fizzie.

However, I asked our team about their favorite cocktails and other alcoholic beverages at this spot, and I got a TON of recommendations to pass on. Some of the team’s favorites are the Boto-Rita, Snow Leopard Salvation, Tempting Tigress, Lamu Libation, and Night Monkey. (In fact, the person who recommended the Night Monkey said it’s their all-time favorite drink in Disney World!)

The team noted that all of the specialty cocktails here are well-balanced and super flavorful. None of them have flavors that overpower or dominate the drinks.

Another person said they think that Nomad Lounge has some of the best bartenders in Disney World because she frequently orders an extra dry Titos dirty martini there and they always make it exactly how she orders it.

With a super gorgeous location and atmosphere, Nomad Lounge could probably get away with mediocre food and drinks. But it does NOT skimp on the quality here — seriously, these are some of the BEST eats and drinks in all of Disney World.

How To Get In

Do I have you convinced that you need to try Nomad Lounge? Yes? OK, then there are a couple of things you need to know before you visit!

First, Nomad Lounge does NOT take reservations, so you’ll need to join the walk-up waitlist. I highly recommend doing that as soon as you can to make sure that the list doesn’t fill up before you get a chance to join.

Learn how to use Disney World’s walk-up waitlist feature here!

Also, note that Nomad Lounge usually opens later and closes earlier than the rest of Animal Kingdom. Currently, it looks like it’s opens at 10:30AM daily, but with varying closing times, make sure to double-check the hours on the My Disney Experience app when you visit.

I hope to see you there the next time I visit! Stay tuned to DFB for more updates on all the latest Disney news as well as tips to help you plan your upcoming vacation.

Check out another one of our favorite underrated places in Disney World here!

Have you been to Nomad Lounge? Let me know in the comments!