The essential culinary specialties of Lille

1. Maroilles tart

This Lille culinary specialty perfectly embodies the art of enhancing local products. Taste one of the most famous French cheeses in a melting tart. Two schools exist: maroilles-apple duos (yes yes, the fruit) or maroilles-potato. This preparation reveals all the richness of the Nord department, where Maroilles aging benefits from ancestral know-how.

We recognize in the maroilles tart, a typical dish to face the winter cold! The creamy texture of the cheese pairs perfectly with the crispy pastry, creating a delicious contrast in the mouth. Order it as a starter or main course, it's up to you to choose your challenge!

2. Chicons au gratin (endive gratin)

"Chicon" is the nickname given to endives in northern France and Belgium. This vast territory is actually the first endive-producing region in the world! Chicons are commonly eaten raw in salad or braised, but the Ch'tis like to prepare them in gratin.

This specialty is prepared with care: the endives are first braised with onions and shallots, then wrapped in a slice of ham, before being covered with a generous béchamel sauce enriched with Gruyère. Oven cooking reveals all the aromas of this traditional dish. A very generous starter that can also constitute a main course. Beware... It's very hot!

3. Welsh

The hearty welsh is the absolute must-have of the region. This Welsh specialty revisited by French Flanders deserves its reputation. Perhaps too hearty for some, in any case, it's better not to count calories when reaching the bottom of the dish.

Under a thick layer of opaque melted cheddar hides a sort of croque-monsieur soaked in beer and covered with ham. The grilled bread brings the necessary crunch to this generous dish. Everything is gratinated in the oven and served in a steaming deep plate. The original version is even more substantial, as it comes with a fried egg. This culinary creation is now an integral part of the menu of all estaminets in the Lille metropolis.

4. Flemish carbonnade

This typical dish from Northern estaminets is a northern version of beef bourguignon. Flemish carbonnade consists of beef simmered slowly in a sauce with brown beer, brown sugar, gingerbread and mustard.

This stew reveals all the finesse of Flemish cuisine, where each ingredient plays its part in this symphony of flavors. Quality ground meat, melting onions and spices harmonize in this revisited pot-au-feu. A real delight that keeps you going during the long winter days of the North! All accompanied by a glass of red wine and some French fries whose frying is based on beef fat which brings an unmatched taste and crispy side.

5. Moules marinières with fries

Take advantage of the proximity to the English Channel and the North Sea to stock up on fish and seafood. Mussels in particular, wonderfully cooked by local chefs. Marinière cooking is prepared with white wine, parsley, onions and celery stalks.

This Lille culinary specialty benefits from the freshness of shellfish caught in the cold northern waters. The mixture of marine flavors with aromatic herbs creates an explosion of tastes that delights the palate. A simple but flavorful mussel and fries preparation, whose divine smell can be spotted from afar. The moules marinières will be served hot, with homemade fries, whose perfect cooking only the people of Lille master. Visit the great braderie of Lille to see the mounds of mussel shells in the streets!

6. Potjevleesch

Proudly pronounce "Po-tche-vetch" or simply "potch" for the less linguistically inclined. This funny dish has been making everyone happy, particularly meat lovers, since the Middle Ages. This terrine of Dutch origin reveals the culinary history of Flanders.

Concocted with 4 different white meats: rabbit, veal, poultry and pork. The pieces then simmer slowly in wine or beer, flavored with fresh herbs and spices. The jelly that coats the meats brings this very particular texture to this specialty. If its appearance doesn't make you overflow with enthusiasm, the explosion of flavors that follows, accompanied by delicious homemade fries and a good slice of bread will take care of it.

7. Sugar tart

The "tarte au chuc'" as it's called in Ch'ti consists mainly of... sugar, of course! However, it's more of a brioche than a tart. This traditional sweetness reveals the sweet tooth of the inhabitants of the North.

A brioche filled with fresh cream, butter, vergeoise (this sugar so characteristic of the region) and eggs. The soft texture of the dough contrasts with the crunchiness of the caramelized surface. Good to know, in the North, "chucs" also designate "candies" – let's not be mistaken. This treat perfectly accompanies coffee or makes an ideal snack for children as well as adults.

8. Cramique

The Lille snack par excellence! Cramique is a beautiful-sized brioche that is the pride of Northern bakers. During preparation, the baker incorporates chocolate chips or pearl sugar pearls, or even both for the most indulgent, into the brioche dough.

This small brioche is traditionally enjoyed warm, spread with butter and vergeoise. Quality flour and fresh milk give this specialty its very particular texture. Then, we share this bread (or not) while walking in the streets or to accompany a hot chocolate on rainy days. The bakeries in downtown Lille compete in ingenuity to produce the most delicious cramiques.

9. Merveilleux

With such a name, this delicate chocolate meringue is the worst kept secret of the North. This specialty consists of two meringues that are melting inside, stuck together by a generous layer of chocolate whipped cream, then covered with chocolate shavings.

The art of this pastry lies in the perfect balance between the lightness of the meringue and the creaminess of the cream. Some merveilleux are topped with a cherry on top, others come in vanilla or coffee flavors. The size can also double depending on the pastry shops. This sweet creation represents the Northern pastry excellence and constitutes the ideal dessert to finish a meal beautifully.

10. Vergeoise waffles

There's no denying it, the North gives a whole other dimension to waffles. Certainly in collusion with the famous recipe of our Belgian neighbors. This so characteristic rectangular shape and these large squares make the Flemish waffle a unique specialty.

You'll find them almost on every street corner, including the majority of restaurants to properly close the meal. To make your waffle northern through and through, sprinkle it with vergeoise. This sugar, derived from local sugar beet, brings this very particular flavor to Lille desserts. Hauts-de-France is the first sugar beet producer in France. The dough enriched with butter and traditional cooking give these waffles their soft texture and authentic taste.

11. The drink: beer, queen of Lille tables

Drink-wise, northern France immediately evokes beer. Blonde, brown, white or amber, Northern beers are characterized by their character and pronounced taste. This brewing tradition, inherited from Flanders, is an integral part of the Lille way of life.

Genever, this eau-de-vie flavored with juniper berries, also accompanies traditional meals. This alcohol-based drink reveals the Dutch influences on local gastronomy. What better beverage to accompany a good Flemish carbonnade, or a container of fricadelle-fries? The artisanal breweries of the metropolis offer original creations that marry tradition and innovation.