Le Jardin Du Thv Bord De La Meuse

I've been coming to Jardin du thé for the past four years and really enjoy eating here with my partner. The terrace by the river is lovely, the food is well priced for Namur, and the service is always friendly and smiling. It's a must for me whenever I visit Namur. I like trying something different each time, though the tour de six is always a reliable way to start.

Our night at Jardin du The in August 2023 was extremely unpleasant. This place surely needs to be checked by the health department. It was dirty, as if the room hadn't been cleaned in ages and only the sheets had been changed. The pillows smelled inside, though the sheets didn't. Parts of the bed springs were broken, and the double mattress had dips in it when you sat down. There were lots of spiders under the bed and in the corners. The shower had lots of hair in it and was dirty, the toilet wasn't properly cleaned, and the towels were old, like second-hand ones. We arrived around 9:30 pm and were hurried into paying for the room. We were in a rush to get to Namur's historic center, so we only left our luggage inside. We didn't see the mess until after 11 pm, when we'd unpacked and nobody was around. If the family keeps the accommodation like this and also runs the restaurant, I don't even want to think about what people eat there or how it's prepared. I'm sorry, but this kind of accommodation shouldn't be on booking. Definitely not recommended.

I've been coming here for decades. The food is very good, the terrace is beautiful, and the staff are nice. I still enjoy the taste and will surely return, but the atmosphere isn't what I expect from a Chinese restaurant anymore. It feels too European in decoration and style, and if I wanted a Belgian restaurant atmosphere while eating, I wouldn't choose a Chinese one. I know things have been hard after Covid and staff are scarce, but it's sad to lose so many traditional features that give Asian restaurants their charm. A lot has changed in recent years. There are no more menus, just à la carte, and dishes come in individual portions on plates instead of shared dishes kept warm. The plates and bowls are plain white or grey, without the lovely traditional Chinese dragons. Salads are now like EU Caesar salad, with no soja sprouts and the delicious, lightly sweet creamy sauce I adore. There are no pork dishes on the menu anymore, and I wonder why. The background music is pop in English. Why not play the beautiful old and modern Chinese music and songs?

The menu was large, and our lunches came out very quickly, maybe too quickly. The canard laqué was good, but the spicy Thai beef wasn't spicy and the meat was overcooked. It was still edible, just not excellent. So, not great, but not bad either.