Sanaa or Boma?

[VWL Mom]

We will be staying at AKV for the first time in November. We've never tried either restaurant and I'm going back and forth on which to choose. I booked Sanaa mostly for the Tandoori Lamb but now I'm not sure. DS17 is also very picky and I see I can get him a plain steak there. Which would you choose and why?

[SBETigg]

I love them both. It's a tough choice, but you can't go wrong either way. Sanaa wins on atmosphere. The decor is exotic and there's a view of the animals from the window tables. Boma feels cavernous and cafeteria-like to me.

If you love buffets, though, and having lots of choices instead of ordering off a menu, Boma wins. There's so much to try! I'm not even a fan of buffets, but I love Boma. There is also a table of standard American fare (chicken strips, mac n cheese) for the less adventurous.

It really comes down to what you think you might prefer. The food at both places is very good and slightly but not overly exotic, with choices at both for those who might not go for the bold new flavors.

[Kairi_7378]

I agree with Sherri- you can't go wrong with either. We had a wonderful meal at Sanaa on our last trip, and we will be there for DS3's birthday this year.

[Tri Minnie]

I agree with the above posters that both are delicious. We have had delightful meals at both. The Chai cream at Saana is one of my favorite desserts.

However, if I had to pick one, I would pick Boma. We just had a wonderful dinner there last week, and you can sample a little bit of everything. I don't eat much meat and have never gone hungry here. I love the soups and the desserts. The salmon we had recently was also great. As someone else noted, there are also less adventurous options.

Really, I don't think you can go wrong. Enjoy!

[LandFan]

We love them both too! I really like the decor of Sanaa and it's view out the windows. The food is great at both. If you want a more Indian-influenced food sit-down style, go to Sanaa. If you want a ton of choices and more African influenced foods offered buffet-station style, go to BOMA.

You really can't go wrong at either place but I think that if you are new to trying ethnic foods, BOMA might be a better fit as there are more options to try and plenty for picky eaters too.

[Jared]

Both are great options, and you can't make a bad decision here. But if I had to choose, I'd go with Sanaa. I generally prefer traditional table service to buffets. The soups at Boma are extraordinary, though, and are almost worth the price of the meal alone.

[DisneyFr33k]

To be fair, I haven't eaten as Sanaa. We love Boma!

[PlutoPlanet]

We love Boma and eat there every year. We can't find the selection of foods anywhere else.

We tried Sanaa once a couple of years ago and have not gone back. To us, it was like an Indian restaurant, but not completely. We have Indian restaurants back home, but nothing else is like Boma.

[PlutoPlanet]

The soups at Boma are extraordinary, though, and are almost worth the price of the meal alone.

Jared, I agree with you on that! I can fill up on the soups!

[ThanxForNoticin]

These are both outstanding restaurants - 2 of our favorites. We would probably lean just a bit toward Boma, especially if you have a picky eater. At Boma you can try small amounts of food and see what you like. But Sanaa is also really good. We love the bread and spread offerings.

Something to keep in mind - one of the big draws for Sanaa is the view out the window to see the animals. If you're going in November, you can only take advantage of the view if you are dining before dark!

Enjoy your meal....

[RocknBev]

Thanks for the post. I have ADR's for Boma but was second guessing myself. I've eaten at Boma's and I don't remember it being great but I was fighting with DH so enough said.
Looking forward to going there and enjoying the selection!

[darthmacho]

I had this dilemma when planning our August trip. I know we love Boma, and have been wanting to go back there since our 2003 trip. The menu for Sanaa looks awesome though, so it was hard to choose. We ultimately decided to go with Boma.

[LandFan]

We couldn't decide ourselves and therefore we are doing both, lol!!

[VWL Mom]

Thanks everyone for your input. I ended up booking Sanaa and Jiko for our stay at AKV. DH just didn't want to do buffet. Two firsts for us!