Disney’s Nomad Lounge – A Review!

Today, we are reviewing my favorite lounge experience in Walt Disney World – Nomad Lounge!

Located in Animal Kingdom, Nomad Lounge is housed in the same building as the park’s signature dining restaurant, Tiffins.  The elegant theming and style of cuisine at Tiffins is very much present at Nomad Lounge, but in a more casual environment.

Nomad Lounge is known for its relaxing atmosphere, specialty cocktails, and sharable plates inspired by international cuisine.  Much like the adjacent Tiffins, the theming of Nomad Lounge celebrates the experience of travel.  Guests are encouraged to bring their sense of adventure and satisfy their wanderlust! 

I’ve been wanting to visit Nomad Lounge for years, and we finally got the chance on our most recent trip!

Securing a Table

As with most Disney lounges, Nomad Lounge does not take reservations.  Instead, you will need to join the virtual waitlist on the My Disney Experience app. 

To do so, open the app and type Nomad Lounge in the search bar, then head to their page.  You will see an estimated wait time along with the option to “Join Walk-Up List.”

You do need to be in the vicinity of the lounge to join the list, so plan accordingly.  We first tried joining while riding Kilimanjaro, but we were too far away.  While wandering Pandora, however, we had success!

Once we were called on the app, we headed to the entrance.  We did have to wait around outside the restaurant longer than I would have liked before a table was ready for us.  But, (as you’ll see in this review) it was sooo worth the wait.

Nomad Lounge Atmosphere

We were given the option to dine inside the restaurant or outside on the patio.  Because we were with our kids and it was a nice day, we decided to sit outside.

The patio offered several lounge areas with comfy couches as well as small tables along the balcony overlooking Discovery River.  It was simply beautiful!  The lush vegetation and quiet atmosphere made us forget we were in the middle of a busy theme park.

For the purposes of this review, I also had to scope out the inside of the lounge.  Earth tones create a warm and welcoming environment, while more comfy couches and armchairs offer plenty of spaces to get cozy.  There are also a few high-top tables perfect for accommodating larger groups.

What first caught my eye, however, were the colorful hanging banners spread throughout the space.  Each banner poses a question related to travel and is accompanied by answers from the Disney Imagineers who traveled the world doing research for the creation of Animal Kingdom.  This is such a cool concept that fits perfectly with the theming of Nomad Lounge.

Guests can also contribute to the discussion of travel by writing down their own answers on a decorative tag.  Cast Members will then hang your responses on the “tag chandelier” suspended above the bar. 

Nomad Lounge Menu

As I mentioned before, Nomad Lounge is best known for its signature cocktails and sharable plates.  My main priority was to sample as many dishes as possible.  Having a teenage daughter with an adventurous palate helped us accomplish this!

For the most up-to-date menu at Nomad Lounge, head to their page at Disneyworld.com!

It’s also important to note, in addition to the menu available online, there is also a list of specials on each table.  That means even more food options to sample!

Specialty Cocktails

My husband and I started our journey through Nomad Lounge’s menu by ordering cocktails.

I tried the Annapurna Zing made with Bombay Sapphire Gin, passion fruit puree, lime juice, mint, simple syrup, and ginger beer.  

The drink was a great balance of sweet and tart, and very refreshing.  It’s served with a glowing lotus flower that I may have been a little too excited to take home.  I love it so much – I put it in all my beverages!

My husband ordered the Tempting Tigress made with Russell’s Reserve 10yr Bourbon, St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, tamarind syrup, and lime juice. 

As a whiskey fan, I appreciated this drink.  The unique flavors of allspice and tamarind made it interesting, but the bourbon was still the star.

We also shared the Spice Trader Classic made with Hayman’s Old Tom Gin, Dolin Vermouth Blanc, lemon juice, and strawberries topped with soda water.

 I felt the flavors of this drink were fairly muted and watered down due to the soda water. I was also expecting strawberries in the cocktail, so this was somewhat of a letdown.  But I could let this one slide because the real reason we were here was the food!

In addition to their extensive cocktail list, Nomad Lounge also offers a large selection of beer, wine, and nonalcoholic beverages.  Many varietals are imported from Asia, Africa, and South America which really emphasizes the theming of travel, adventure, and trying new things!  These regions also inspire many of the flavors and ingredients of the signature cocktail list.

Kids’ Create-Your-Own Entrées

As is the case with most lounges on Disney property, Nomad Lounge is family friendly.  There is even a great kids’ menu with lots of options for little ones to choose from!

Since we were dining with a hungry seven and two-year-old, we ordered them an entrée right off the bat.

At Nomad Lounge, there are several create-your-own entrée options including grilled shrimp, chicken, and steak.  These are served with a choice of two sides and a beverage.  We kept it simple and got our kiddos some mac-and-cheese and fruit.

I have a weakness for pasta, so of course I had to steal a taste.  Nomad Lounge earned this momma’s stamp of approval!

Small Plates

Much like the cocktail list, the food menu at Nomad Lounge draws inspiration from locations across the world such as Africa, Asia, and South America. 

We ordered a mix of signature menu items as well as limited time offerings on the specials menu.

Tiffins Bread Service

First up was the Tiffins Bread Service.  As I mentioned before, Tiffins is the signature dining location right next door to Nomad Lounge.  I was excited to get a taste of the upscale restaurant without needing a reservation! 

The bread service comes with Thai Milk Bread, Indian Pappadam, and Bazilian Pão de Queijo breads.  If that last offering sounds familiar, that’s because it’s the insanely popular (and delicious) Brazilian cheese bread from EPCOT Food and Wine Festival!  The breads are accompanied by Coconut Curry Sauce, Guava Sauce, and Ginger Pear Chutney. 

We really enjoyed this dish.  The breads were unique and delicious, and it was a lot of fun to mix and match the dipping sauces.  The Coconut Curry was our favorite.

Although this bread service was very good, it doesn’t come close to the amazing bread service over at Sanaa.  If you are looking for a truly awesome bread service, be sure to snag a Sanaa reservation!

Bangkok Crispy Chicken Wings

These wings are fried and tossed in a nuoc cham caramel sauce, and then garnished with peanuts and cilantro.  The chicken was juicy, and the skin was indeed crispy which I really appreciated. 

The sauce on the wings is a type of Vietnamese fish sauce.  It was a nice balance of sweet and salty with a hint of spice.  But be careful with those peppers the wings are garnished with.  I popped one in my mouth thinking it was a bell pepper and it was HOT!

Overall, the wings were very good, but not overly remarkable. 

Cuban Frita Sliders

The Cuban Frita Sliders are made with beef and pork patties nestled on a bed of shoestring potatoes and a sour orange mojo sauce.  Mojo yuca fries are served on the side with spiced ketchup.

We liked this dish, and it was great to share with our little ones too.  The burger patty was flavorful and juicy, and the shoestring potatoes added a salty crunch to the bite.  The yuca fries reminded me of the Adobo Yuca Fries from EPCOT Food and Wine Festival – another favorite dish of the fest!

Smoked Pork Ribs

The ribs at Nomad Lounge are served with a sweet soy glaze and apple-jicama slaw.  These were executed wonderfully!  The meat fell off the bone and was tender and juicy, but also had the perfect crispy char to the outside. 

My teenager said it was the best thing she ate all day! 

Honey-Chili Glazed Pork Belly

This Pork Belly was served with a chorizo-goat cheese biscuit, soft-poached egg, and tasso gravy.  I’m not a huge fan of pork belly, but I had heard good things about this dish and wanted to give it a try.

This dish was – WOW!!  The savory gravy, silky egg yolk, tender pork belly and soft biscuit combined to create the perfect bite.  I found it difficult to share this one, and I couldn’t stop stealing bread from our bread service to dip in this delicious symphony of flavors. 

This dish truly was the star of our experience at Nomad Lounge.  Not only that, but my husband and I agreed it was the best thing we ate our entire trip.

Now, for the bad news.  Mere weeks after we left Disney, Nomad Lounge changed their pork belly.  Noooooo!  Now, the menu features a Pineapple-Glazed Pork Belly with guajillo chili sauce, chicharrónes, and spice pickled vegetable slaw.  While this dish sounds promising, I am so sad the dish we loved is no longer available.  Hopefully it will make a return!

Churros

We concluded our visit to Nomad Lounge with an order of Churros accompanied by vanilla crema and strawberry-guava sauce.  These churros far surpassed the kind you will find at churro carts all over the parks.  They were awesome!  Crisp on the outside, and warm and fluffy on the inside – our kids gobbled these up in no time. 

Final Thoughts

During every Disney trip, we always have that one *standout* dining experience.  And for us, Nomad Lounge topped them all.  I couldn’t stop smiling during our visit.  The atmosphere was beautiful and relaxing (you can’t beat those comfy couches!), and the food and beverages were excellent. 

I can’t wait until our travels bring us back to Nomad Lounge so we can sample new and favorite menu items, and simply bask in this quiet oasis.

I hope you enjoyed our review of Nomad Lounge.  This place is a hidden gem, and I highly recommend checking it out during your next Disney vacation!

Do you plan to pay a visit to Nomad Lounge on your next Walt Disney World vacation?  If you’ve already been, what did you think of the experience?  Let us know in the comments!

Looking for other Disney Dining Reviews?  Check out our Hollywood and Vine Character Dining Review and our Oga’s Cantina Review!

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