Local foodie guide to Lille 🧀✨
Local foodie guide to Lille 🧀✨
Caity Zagar
Available for hire
After living in Lille for 2 years, it’s easy to say that Northern French food is like no else! I have been eating well in Lille and here are some of my top recs!
I will be updating this guide whenever I visit a new worthy restaurant so be sure to save it for the updates!
Lille Lingo: An "Estaminet" is a traditional Northern France restaurant that offers authentic northern dishes! They tend to be very homey and cozy as the foods they offer are the definition of comfort food!
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✨ I never like to 'over-crowd' my guides with recommendations since that never makes it easier for travelers to decide where to actually go - so rest assured, these are my FAVE restaurants in Lille and I revisited each of them multiple times ✨
If you want to try Northern food:
Estaminet du Chemin Vert
@czphoneshome
This estaminet is as authentic as it gets! It is right on the border of Belgium and France and it feels like you are stepping into the warm home of a grandmother. It is super welcoming and cozy and the perfect spot to enjoy the comfort food of the north! 🏠
Note: You most definitely need a car to access this restaurant since its a bit far out of the city centre.
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Estaminet Les Ptiots
@czphoneshome
This estaminet is located right in the centre of old town Lille so it's very accessible!
I recommend trying the sample platter where you can try 4 different local dishes in mini sizes! The best way to try all of the northern specialties! 🤤
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Estaminet Au Vieux De La Vieille
@czphoneshome
This is the most popular Estaminet in Lille, so it is often the most busy. You can find all of the Northern specialties here right in the center of the historic part of the city!
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Chez Raoul Estaminet
@czphoneshome
Mussels are another classic northern French dish and this place has great seafood!
When ordering your mussels you can choose between mariniéres, creme or maroille (a special northern cheese) sauce. If you want to be more traditional, go for the mariniéres but if you want to try 2 local dishes mixed together, go for the maroilles! 🐠
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If you want everything cheese:
Le Broc du Vieux Lille
@czphoneshome
Every classic cheese dish can be found in this restaurant. Whether you're in the mood for a cheese board, fondue, tartiflette or raclette, if it has cheese on it, you'll find it here! 🧀
I've been to the place several times now and I LOVE it!
Tip: if you're feeling ambitious for the prefixed menu that comes with an entree, plat and dessert keep in mind you should REALLY be hungry. I went for it during my first visit and I was bursting when I left. Everything was amazing but it was A LOT of food!
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If you want to try a friterie:
La Frite a Dorer
@czphoneshome
Visiting a friterie is a MUST when in the north of France! They are small fast-food restaurants (so small, that most typical ones don't even have seating options) where the main thing to order is fries! 🍟
Fun Fact: This particular friterie has been rated the BEST one in France!
Tip: There are TONNES of sauces to choose from, so when ordering, remember to be adventurous or ask for recommendations!
Note: Most traditional friteries only accept CASH!
Note #2: This is another place that would be difficult to access without a car. If you don't have access to a car, I still HIGHLY recommend trying a friterie!
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Belgium is another great destination to try fries - and this is the PERFECT day trip from Lille (another place I revisited multiple times)👇🏻
If you want food AND fun:
Hall U Need
@czphoneshome
If you enjoy arcade games, then this is the place for you!
Hall U Need has a tonne of different ways to have fun before or after your meal. They have bowling, VR gaming, axe throwing, arcade games and a car racing station! I've been here several times and it's a really fun place to spend an afternoon! 🕹️
Note: this is also a family-friendly place! There is a trampoline and playground section inside and most games are child friendly as well!
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La Luck
@czphoneshome
If board games are more your style, then I would suggest visiting La Luck. It's a board game restaurant where board game experts visit your table and recommend specific games for you based on your interests. They then sit and play the first rounds of the game with you to ensure you understand how it works. It's a really unique experience! ♟️
Note: There is a 5 euro fee per person if you want to play the board games!
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BARREL
@czphoneshome
I have tried to eat here on 2 separate occasions and both they times they were PACKED! Just goes to show you how popular this place is!
Its pretty straightforward really! Its essentially a restaurant (with really cool decor by the way!) and you can also reserve 1 hour time slots to play darts or shuffle board.
It doesn't sound super exciting but like I said, its always BOOKED! When I finally get to check it out, I will let you know what all the fuss is about! 🎯
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Place des Oliviers Bondues
@czphoneshome
This is another restaurant where you can also reserve 1 hour time slots to play games! But here, there is only one type of game you can play and its THE CLASSIC french summer sport - Pétanque!
Pétanque is very similar to bocce ball but every single summer you will see tonnes of people flocked to these pitches! Its super popular! It starts with tossing a small ball onto a flat, dirt pitch and the players (in teams) have to toss their balls (or boules) with their feet flat on the floor to reach as close as possible to the smaller ball. You receive a point if after the round your ball is closest to the small ball -it gets very competitive! The first team to achieve 13 points wins!
Pro Tip: When you arrive, your server will let you know the time slots available for the pétanque pitches. Most people tend to eat first and play after dinner. BUT - I personally recommend playing while having drinks and munching on appetizers! They have a little table beside each pitch so it was honestly the perfect set up for us! 🍹
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Popcup Café Céramique
@czphoneshome
NOTE: You need to reserve a spot to visit this cafe since they organize their day in different sessions! They are open Wednesdays and Saturdays!
If you're interested in a creative afternoon out - stop by Popcup!
It is a cute cafe where you can spend a few hours painting one of their selections of ceramics. After you’ve chosen your item, you can go ahead and paint! They have many tools to help you make cool details and decorations. They also have some books to help get your creative juices flowing!
As you’re working, the staff will come around and offer you a drink or a snack from their cafe. And feel free to ask the staff for advice or help with your technique or idea, they are very approachable and helpful! 🎨
IMPORTANT: The ceramics will take a week or more to be finished in the kiln (remember to keep this in mind if you’re just visiting!), so you will need to come back and pick up your piece!
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If you’re in the mood for crêpes:
La Saint Georges
@czphoneshome
This is a really cool restaurant where all they serve are crêpes inspired by different Georges (for example, George Clooney has his own crêpe and the same with George Michael).
Tip: their sweet crêpes are just as tasty as their savoury ones, so don't fill up too much!! 🥞
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If you’re craving a burger:
Be Burger Lille
@czphoneshome
This is one of our go-to restaurants whenever we have visitors! The burgers are absolutely incredible and I have never had a bad meal here!
Tip: the maroilles burger is *chefs kiss* 🍔
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If you want some local sweets:
Pâtisserie Méert
@czphoneshome
Meert is a very classy patisserie that has been around since 1761. It is VERY well-known in the north of France. It is a really beautiful building, inside and out, and there's even a full restaurant inside. For me, I prefer to visit their store and grab a few sweets for the go!
Fun Fact: Charles de Gaulle is from Lille and loved the waffles so much he would have them sent to him when he was President! 🧇
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Aux Merveilleux de Fred
@czphoneshome
Another local sweet shop is Aux Merveilleux de Fred! What they're famous for is the 'Merveilleux'. They actually originate from the north of France! 🇫🇷
The 'Merveilleux' is a type of meringue, which were popular during the 1700s as being a very classy dessert. Fast forward to the 1980s, a local pastry chef from Lille decided to perfect the recipe and the shop Merveilleux de Fred was born. They have become FAMOUS and have shops around the world now.
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One of the BEST things about living in France is the decadent, delicious desserts - and Lille happens to be FULL of the best sweets 👇🏻
If you’re a meat-lover:
Le Barbier qui fume Vieux Lille
@czphoneshome
Their specialty is smoked meat, you name it, they've smoked it! It's all really good if you're in a carnivore mood! 🦁
There are 2 locations in Lille, one by the train station and one in Lille centre! If you're interested in visiting, check out the map which location works best for you!
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La Taverne du Petit Wasquehal
@czphoneshome
Located a bit out of Lille centre in Wasquehal, this restaurant's specialty is 'la jambette' (pork leg). The meat just falls right off the bone and congrats if you can finish the whole thing! 😋
This is another restaurant with a cabin-ish, cozy ambiance and it was a really nice visit!
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If you really don’t know what you want to eat:
Grand Scène
@czphoneshome
Food courts aren't really a thing in France. But Grand Scène is the next best thing (in my opinion, it's even better than a food court!).
What's great about Grand Scène is that they have 10 small food booths that are actual restaurants instead of fast food. So the quality and selection are amazing! 👩🏼🍳
There are 2 floors of goodness to try and explore! It's a great place to grab a quick lunch because you just walk in and grab a table (like a food court) and the food is usually quick!
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La Friche Gourmande
@czphoneshome
This is another food-court style place, however, it's more similar to the food-truck style. It is in a former industrial area and has the coolest atmosphere and seating (we chose the private igloos!).
Tip: You can order pint-sized cocktails at the bar! 🍸
This is another place that you might have difficulty accessing without a car but its honestly really cool and unique!
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If you’ve got a hankering for pizza:
Papà Raffaele
@czphoneshome
This place is always PACKED! It has amazing oven baked pizza with some really authentic ingredients! Be prepared to feel full!! 🍕
Important note: they don’t take reservations so you might have to wait!
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If you want to try authentic African Food:
Les Tontons Afro
@czphoneshome
The owners of this restaurant are from Cameroon and wanted to create an authentic restaurant of foods from their home. The vibe and decor of this place is so amazing and colourful! The staff were incredibly friendly and honestly the food was spectacular!!!
The menu is a bit limited but I always say that when there is less choice that usually means that whatever they are making, they are making it WELL!
Fun Fact: the owners and creators won the French equivalent of Dragon's Den which gave them investors for their project! They plan to start a chain of their restaurants but their hometown in Lille is the first!
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If you want MORE foodie options (specifically sweets) I have put together a guide to all of my favourite bakeries, patisseries and other sweet shops around Lille! 👇🏼
Enjoy and thanks for visiting!
Want help planning your trip to Lille?
I consider France to be my area of expertise. I've lived here for 2 years and have traveled around many times to many regions! I would love to help you with your trip planning - let's make the most out of your trip!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Caity Zagar
Available for hire
I’m a seasoned traveler with experience in over 30 countries around the world, who’s been lucky enough to have lived in both France & the UK. Now I love helping travelers make the most of their trips and explore more underrated corners of France & the UK!
My goal is to not overwhelm you with options— in my guides & itineraries, I provide suggestions that are truly worth it, based on personal experience or in-depth research.
Whether you’re planning a dream trip to France, the UK, or beyond, I hope I can help you plan your next adventure! ✨
My expertise?
🇫🇷 On top of living in Lille, France for 2 years, my French fiancee has helped me develop a passion for this country beyond a typical tourist. Over the past 8 years, I’ve explored France from north to south: I’ve visited Paris 9 times, road-tripped through Normandy twice, & fell in love with Alsace. I’ve spent time castle-hopping in the Loire Valley, beach-hopping in Corsica, & explored Provence & the French Riviera multiple times. Bordeaux has become a second home, with over 10 visits to the region.
🇬🇧 I lived in London, UK for 2 years, mostly during the pandemic, when I really got to know the city in depth - since we couldn't go anywhere else! Beyond London, I’ve road-tripped through Scotland twice, explored gems like York and Liverpool, road-tripped through Cornwall & enjoyed countless day trips, from charming villages to coastal towns.
Why trust me?
🌍 Lived & traveled: I’ve called both France and the UK home, giving me insider knowledge and plenty of travel experience!
✈️ 20+ European countries: My travel experience spans the continent, so I know how to navigate Europe and want to help others do the same.
🧳 Organized, detailed & thoughtful: My itineraries focus on making the most of your time & budget, blending structure with room for spontaneity.
🥐 Foodie at heart: Food is also a huge part of my travels, & I make it a point to seek out the best local dishes & restaurants wherever I go.
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