Enjoy a stroll through their sculpture garden, take in some art in their gallery and enjoy a meal at the stylish Skotnes Restaurant.
Where is it?
4 Steenberg Road, Tokai, Cape Town
Why go there?
You can enjoy a walk through the sculpture garden, take in some art in their gallery and enjoy a tasty meal either on the terrace overlooking the gardens or indoors at their stylish restaurant. It makes for a great day out for anyone who enjoys works of art and a good food.
How much am I going to pay?
General admission R180, pensioners pay R160 and students R100. There are also annual membership options starting at R120. Free entrance on the first Thursday of every month and they have a daily free tour at 15h00. Meals at the restaurant average at around R150.
When is it open?
Monday to Sundays from 10h00 to 18h00.
Closed on Tuesdays.
Is it pet-friendly?
No
Contact details
Telephone 087 654 5900, www.norvalfoundation.org, or follow them on Facebook.
A visit to the Norval Foundation has been on my list of things to do forever! So during lockdown when we were allowed out to visit restaurants, my friend and I popped in. At the time they were offering free entrance to the sculpture garden so it was the perfect opportunity for a long overdue visit!
It is certainly very impressive to say the least! You enter through the plush and stylish restaurant and then out through the terrace and into the gardens. On our way we passed the gallery (there were no exhibitions at the time due to lockdown) and then spent well over an hour taking in the garden and the sculptures. It was tranquil experience and of course it was good to be out in some fresh air! My favourite sculptures were Joyride by Norman Catherine and Ophelia by Nandipha Mntambo, and we had a lot of fun with the mirror sculpture!
The sculpture garden features three-dimensional and installation-based artworks by artists from South Africa and Africa on a unique site, bisected by a protected Cape Lowland Freshwater Wetland and surrounded by the natural beauty of the Western Cape. The garden features flora that are indigenous to the area, re-enlivened by Keith Kirsten International.
After our amble through the sculpture garden we went for lunch at The Skotnes Restaurant, choosing to sit on the terrace overlooking the gardens as it was a sunny winter’s day. My friend really enjoyed her Arrabiata pasta and the beef burger was delicious – made with a real homemade patty and the chips were probably the best I have ever had (crispy on the outside and soft on the inside)!
Here’s an idea of what was on the board that day:
- Soup of the day – R85
- Braaibroodtjie with tomato, gouda cheese, black garlic and smoked peach chutney – R45
- Beef Burger with gouda cheese, coal mayonnaise and smokey monkeygland sauce, served with chips – R140
- Chickpea and Red Pepper Burger with kimchi, charred spring onion and mayo, served with chips – R125
- Skotnes Lamb Bobotie with butternut fritters, mebos chutney and aromatic rice – R225
- Grilled Calamari and Crispy Tentacles with Lowerland Familiemeel, sweetcorn queso fresco and chakalaka – R225 (R115 as a starter)
- Baked Cheesecake with granadilla coulis – R70
- Crème Brulee with blackberry parfait and honeycomb – R80
If you fancy an earlier start to your day, they also serve a breakfast, including a full breakfast, eggs on toast and fruit with yoghurt and granola.
During the summer months they provide picnic baskets that you can enjoy in the garden, from R295 per person and R95 for a kid’s basket. The price includes admission to Norval Foundation’s museum and gallery spaces. Expect to find your basket brimming with fresh, local and seasonal produce, along with a range of desserts made by their in-house pastry chef. The family-friendly picnic hampers must be ordered ahead of time and you can do this by emailing them on bookings@theskotnes.com.
All in all, we really enjoyed our little sojourn to the Norval Foundation and look forward to returning soon to see the gallery and hopefully attend a concert or two!
Did you know?
The Norval Foundation recognised its duty to the western leopard toad, an indigenous species that has come under threat from rapid urbanisation. The survival of the endangered western leopard toad has been safeguarded through the construction of concrete culverts underneath the Steenberg road to allow the toads safe access to the Norval Foundation wetland for mating. Now isn’t that cool!
Published August 2020 | Own cost