Diu-Le Jardin d'Hoka Garden Restaurant

indiamike

Diu in Southern Gujrat is known for it's cheap booze but unfortunately the food here is very average. Even in the highest priced restaurants the food is nothing great.

One of the best places though to eat in Diu for tourists is not in the guide books and is only found out about through word of mouth or the occasional flyer that is handed out.

This is a regular western restaurant with a Belgium twist serving breakfast and lunch open everyday during the season (8:30-3:30).

The name of it is Le Jardin d'Hoka Garden Restaurant located in Diu Town. They serve large portions of food, have fresh coffee, fresh bread, homemade jam, fresh pasta, grilled tuna, smoked kingfish, crepes, and more.

To get the restaurant (since I don't have a scanner to add the map) go to the Hotel Samrat (near the Veg Market) and follow the road going to Jay Shankar's Place, the restaurant is one block away from the Samrat. On the street you will see a childrens park called Nehru Park on the right, go down the street on the left and walk down about five minutes and you will come to it. The only sign for the restaurant is on the gate.

The food is excellant and it is a great change from the average drab food in Diu.

If you are coming to Diu write down the name of this restaurant and the way to get there, you won't be dissapointed.

Mike

steven_ber

i second it, a great place for breakfast/coffee.

also, anyone going to diu will find the pelican bar and diu tourist cottages hotel next to jalandhar beach has closed.

indiamike

Also the Aarti restaurant which Lonely Planet continually lists for pizza has been closed for the last two years. So cross that off of your guidebook lists.

MIke

indiamike

Le Jardin d'Hoka Garden Restaurant has closed down for the season.

I will try to update this if/when they reopen.

Mike

Alan D

seem to come and go very quickly and also the standard of food at the long term ones seems to change but I suppose it's the same everywhere. It's all down to the chef, waiters and management.

How about the open-air place in the centre of town by the fishing quay not far from the Tourist Office. Forget its name but that was a good place for curried prawns straight from the boats and a cold KF in the evenings. Good breakfasts too. Is it still doing business?

Sorry I missed "Le Jardin d'Hoka" when I've been there. Sounds like a good place. Must have walked past it without seeing the sign several times on the way to Jay Shankars.

indiamike

I think your talking about the Night Heron restaurant right on the waterfront. They are still open, however they have lost their liquor license a little while ago and won't even allow outside beer to be brought in. The food is still edible though...

I will send an email off to Lehka, one of the owners of "Le Jardin d'Hoka" and find out if they will be opening next season or not.

Mike

indiamike

If anyone is passing through Diu this season can they check in on jardin d'Hoka to see if they are open this year or not.

I have not heard from Lekha if they were opening up again this year.

Below is a map of where it is/was.

Attached Thumbnails

 

indiawise

Hi all,
le jardin d'hoka is not going to be open for a couple of seasons now. i should know since it was kind of my place and Benoit the belgian 'touch-giver' was a friend who ran his restaurant here. I used to run a small restaurant called ' the coconut palm' at the same place but shut it down as i got busy setting up my hotel at nagoa beach called 'The Resort Hoka'. The coconut palm was a happening place too in its own way and we did pretty good business...this was in the years 95..96, when western tourism seemed to have boomed in Diu. Unfortunately for Benoit the last few years have been pretty low on the tourism front and so he's deceided to take a break and is back in belgium. I miss those poached eggs with spinach and lots more!!

OK indiamike also there was this white frisbee with indiamike.com scrawled on it that i that lekha lent me. And i've seen you quite a few times at the deepee internet or tying to get a newspaper from the tree news vendor. and yes i did do some soft selling on your site earlier..but alls fair in love and war and peddling your wares!!!

So need news on Diu..ask india wise

indiamike

ahh...Indiawise....I thought I knew who you where from the moment you signed on. Lekha has told me that you wanted to meet me but my terrible shyness got in the way.


Glad to see my Indiamike.com frisbee is still around somewhere, that was my big advertising budget, scrawl a website name on the back of a frisbee and hope people see it. I am waiting for all my notes in a bottle to start floating up on the shores soon.


Cheers
Mike

qualo

hello, i'm new here- glad your talking about diu, its hardly mentioned on LP TT.
i'm flying to delhi in 11 days and was thinking of going to diu 1st.
is it it possible to do the trip in one go from delhi or better to stop off somewhere along the way? it sounds like the perfect escape from chaotic delhi but all sounds very far away.

indiamike

Personally I cannot do the trip in one go. It's just way to far. From Delhi I usually go to Udaipur and stay a day or two and work my way over from there. Although that is not the route I would suggest. Since it is a hellish journey.

From Delhi you can go to Ahmedabad and catch a bus or train to Diu or nearby. Personally Ahmedabad is a little to chaotic for me, but either way it's a long trip and I would suggest to break it up for a night.

Mike

indiawise

The direct private buses for diu from ahmedabad leave from an area called PALDI, around 9.00 pm. The trains for veraval leave in the evening also.

SO if you are coming from Udaipur then aim to reach ahmedabad in the evening...unless u would like to do some ahmedabad look-around. Ahemedabad is quite a busy and dusty etc etc no fun place unless you have s'thing specific in mind.

Things to do at ahmedabad. EAT..at CG road restaurant called 'Tomatoes' and other god restaurants.
Go bowling or movie watching at 'Fun republic' multi-plex.
For a good Gujarati THALI try GOPI restaurant , which is close to the gandhigram railway station from where u get a train to veraval.

And then the usual site-seeing that the tourist office will inform you about.