Stedmak Gardens is a restaurant and recreation centre in Karen, where you eat on a floating deck above the water. The kitchen serves African and Chinese dishes, and the dining area looks out over the animal park that shares the grounds. Gazelles, llamas, monkeys and crocodiles move through the enclosures; the snake park holds one of Nairobi's larger collections.

The indoor heated pool stays open after dark, lit for night swimming. Families come for the animal encounters and the chance to see species from beyond Kenya's borders. The park began as a bird sanctuary before expanding to mammals and reptiles, and the restaurant followed as a place to sit with the view.

Weddings and team-building events book the grounds, but day visitors arrive for the animals and the floating deck. The water reflects the lights after sunset, when the pool stays warm enough to swim.