Leffe Ruby
I'm not a big beer fan but as we were so close to Belgium I obviously had to have one. This was really tasty, if a little girly.
Raclette
After walking around Lille for quite a while we came across a cheese restaurant. We were very wary about going somewhere too touristy and this seemed quite busy with locals. There were obviously the usual French cheesy subjects on the menu such as Croque Monsieur in its various forms but the inclusion of charcuterie swung this for me. It was lovely although a pretty large portion for one (perhaps it was meant for two) and it went cold quickly. Good job I'm a fast eater!
Elaborate Patisserie from Meert
Apparently this place is famous; I found loads of recommendations to go here before we crossed the Channel and yet when we asked someone where it was he seemed to have never heard of it. It may have been my awful French accent (although I spelt it out for him and he still didn't know it). After much fruitless wandering along the cobbles of Lille, we gave up and went to L'Office de Tourisme (that's Tourist Office for those of you that didn't do year 8 French). Oh they'd heard of it, it was very famous in Lille apparently... All that faff was worth the wait as the cakes here were absolutely divine. These weren't just tasty sweet treats but works of art in chocolate, sugar and cream. Good job I've given up on my quest for a beach body this summer!
I had the above choux/macarons combo while my co-diners had:
Caramel Choux Bun
Elaborate Chocolatey Thing
An afternoon nap at the hotel (Balladins Lille-small, clean, basic, cheap and right in the centre of it all) had been earned by this point and after a freshen up we went downstairs to the next door bar.
Beer Sampling at Le Trois Garçons
I'd read about this place as being a very good micro-brewery and it was by pure chance that our patisserie stuffed bodies could roll down the stairs to the bar. It actually seemed like a place more for eating than drinking as the only place to sit inside for just a drink was at the bar. The beers were nice enough but they were just too filling for me. Next time I'd be a bit more adventurous and go for the beer cocktails...
Dinner was on Rue de Gand which seemed to be the best road for selection of restaurants. We chose a restaurant which seemed to be dedicated to duck (my research on my return suggests it could be Domaine du Lintillac but I'm not entirely sure). My starter was:
Foie Gras Pate
A nice pate but the side salad was unnecessary.
Confit Duck with Fried Potatoes
...and more of the salad! Aside from the salad overload the duck was cooked very well and the potatoes were lovely and garlicky. We didn't have pud as we were still recovering from Meert!
The next day involved a trip to the market which involved the purchase of A LOT of cheese. The speciality in Lille is Maroilles (which I pronounced incredibly incorrectly when asking for it-French fail) and as well as a bit of the cheese, we also brought home a Maroiles quiche. Before we embarked on our Wazemmes Market trip we stopped off for breakfast at a boulangerie nearby and had:
Croissant and Cafe au Lait (that's milky coffee to you and me)
After a ridiculously long search for moules (a local speciality due to the proximity to Belgium) we ended up back on Rue de Gand and this time picked a random restaurant with a set lunch.
Assiette de Charcuterie
Great but enough with the salad!
Escalope de Poulet with a Maroilles Sauce
Another chance to sample the local cheese but yet more salad!!!!
Tarte Tatin
A slightly soggy version of the classic-thankfully salad free!
After another shop, this time for cheapo wine in the massive Carrefour, we made our way back to London via Calais (a much cheaper way to travel than Eurostar and more convenient if you have a penchant for du vin!). Obviously a tiring journey such as this required a rejuvenating platter of cheese and pate before bed. Phew!
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