Restaurant Review
Skotnes brings the art of eating well to Cape Town's Norval Foundation
The contemporary bistro fare at this art museum's in-house restaurant is both sustaining and creative, writes Kit Heathcock
While the attention of the art world was focused on the fanfare of the Zeitz MOCAA opening, a smaller but equally exciting initiative was quietly preparing to bring cutting-edge contemporary art to the Southern Suburbs.
The Norval Foundation occupies a narrow strip of land between wetlands and road next to the Steenberg estate and from the start was designed to be family- and community-friendly.
Hosting three beautifully curated exhibitions at a time, the galleries are small enough to be absorbed and explored over a leisurely hour, after which you spill out into the sculpture garden that flows around the wetlands, kids running around the network of paths and exploring the climbable sculptures in the playground area.
Viewing art works up an appetite and The Norval Foundation comes up trumps here. The Skotnes Restaurant & Bar, named after the legendary South African artist, has a colourful menu put together from a broad South African palette, contemporary bistro fare that is both sustaining and creative.
Chef Phil de Villiers plays with intrinsically South African flavours keeping things simple and beautifully presented. We couldn’t resist the braaied watermelon, a sweet savoury summer starter, balanced with pickled melon rind, feta, olives, onion and salad leaves.
The starter of calamari on mieliepap — moreish sweetcorn pap serving as a foundation for crispy tentacles, tender calamari, radish and mildly spicy chakalaka — was also a winner.
The lunch menu includes affordable one-dish meals such as their delectable sounding jaffels and salads, a good selection of kids’ meals, plus there’s a gelato counter for after lunch treats.
Exploring the à la carte mains, we enjoyed a deconstructed and reinvented bobotie, succulent chunks of lamb shoulder served with curried mayo, luscious butternut fritters, apricot mebos chutney and a side of coconut rice; and a generous wedge of yellowtail served with mussels, artichoke hearts, seaweed, and a fresh salad with hummus.
After the sizable portions, dessert was pure over-indulgence, but worth it. The braaied rhubarb plate included a cinnamon sugar magwenya/vetkoek filled with rhubarb puree, plus rhubarb frozen yoghurt, sago and geranium-cured strawberries. The totally rich and decadent malt mousse with dark chocolate supreme and candied sorghum popcorn is OTT heaven, one to share.
GOOD TO KNOW
• Under-18s get free entrance to the museum.
• On Mondays it’s free for all the family, just a small parking fee.
• Picnic baskets include museum entry in the price.