I visited Tiffins for an early dinner on a Sunday evening in
early December 2018. Tiffins is open for lunch and dinner daily from 11:30 am
until 8:00 pm. You can reserve a table using the Disney app or
website. The word “tiffin” refers to a set of stackable metal containers used
to hold lunch, particularly in countries in the Far East.
Tiffins is located in the Discovery Island section of the
Animal Kingdom, between the Tree of Life and Pandora. The Tiffins space
contains three distinct dining rooms, along with an attractive rondavel Nomad
Lounge bar area with a narrow wrap-around outdoor deck. I was seated in the
Safari Room (with its baobab tree sculpture and telephone wire tangles [which
struck a chord with me, having seen such electric wires on my travels]), but I
peeked into the Trek Gallery (the most intimate dining room, with its Tibetan
prayer flag sculpture) and the Grand Gallery (the largest and “main” dining
space, decorated with a wall of giant butterflies, lanterns [inspired by the
Rivers of Light show] and Balinese wood pole carvings/sculptures [re-purposed
from the old Camp Minnie-Mickey area of the park]). All rooms are decorated
with photographs, art, and artifacts from the Imagineers’ journeys to foreign
lands during the building of the park (they reminded me of really fancy framed
vision boards). African, Indian, and South American music add authenticity to the
restaurant. Even the menus are clad in soft, leather-bound books.
Tiffins was one of the few restaurants on Disney property
that offered paper straws, so I enjoyed a refreshing iced tea (with complimentary
refills) while I perused the menu. My server delivered the restaurant’s
signature bread service, but I was underwhelmed after reading positive reviews.
(The thinly sliced pomegranate focaccia and olive oil/balsamic vinegar/molasses
dipping sauce just didn’t strike the correct chord with my palate.) Originally
I was booked to participate in the Rivers of Light Dining package at Tiffins
(three courses and a non-alcoholic beverage for $67), but I stood in line at
guest services the day prior to swap out the package for a la carte dining. I
ordered the Brussel sprouts as an appetizer (this dish is listed in the
“Enhancements” section, so presumably you cannot order it without ordering an
entree), followed by the lamb shank (served with black-eyed peas and piquillo peppers) as my main
dish. Regrettably, I was too full to consider dessert. When my server delivered
my bill, he also surprised me with a tiny Joe Rohde print as a take-home
souvenir.
I enjoyed my dinner at Tiffins; the food and service were good, but I
particularly enjoyed the various rooms that reminded me of my international adventures.
