Cheddar melted down in beer and poured over toast spread with mustard and a slice of ham, then browned hard under the grill and buried under frites.
Where to eat it: 6 restaurants across 1 city.
The dish is Welsh in origin and English in name, and how it reached the Nord is not settled. One story puts Welsh soldiers at Baincthun during the 1544 siege of Boulogne, though no reliable source supports it. What is certain is that it took root along the Cote d'Opale and across Nord-Pas-de-Calais, where the French version is heavier and more orange than the British one. Lille has run a Welsh'Fest every November since 2023, which tells you how seriously the city takes it.
Common allergens: Gluten, Milk
Tip from the editors. Do not let the cheese boil after the yolk goes in or it will split into oil and curds.
L'Estaminet du Welsh on Rue de Gand in Lille runs a lunch menu at 12.90 euros and a plat du jour from 9.90, built around a dozen welsh variations.
Try: Welsh au maroilles
Tip: The plat du jour starts at 9.90 euros, which is the cheapest sit-down welsh in Vieux-Lille.
Au Georges V on Boulevard de la Liberté in Lille calls itself the temple of welsh, and runs a smoked version alongside potjevleesch and carbonade.
Signature: Welsh fumé, Potjevleesch
Order: The welsh fumé, made with a blend of classic and smoked cheddar.
Tip: A vegetarian welsh is on the card. The current owners took the place on in 2022.
La Ducasse has anchored the corner of Rue Solférino in Lille since 1979, an estaminet of welsh, carbonade flamande and andouillette casseroles.
Signature: Welsh, Carbonade flamande
Order: The welsh, cheddar melted flat under the grill.
Tip: The estaminet has kept the same regional card since 1979, cooked from fresh local produce.
Chez Ronny on Rue de Gand in Lille is a 1970s-dressed estaminet named for the northern artist Ronny Coutteure, cooking northern French and Belgian plates.
Signature: Welsh, Boulets à la liégeoise
Order: Boulets à la liégeoise, the Belgian meatballs in sirop de Liège.
Tip: Sunday is lunch only, and it runs on bookings. It is the newest estaminet on this stretch of Vieux-Lille.
The Place Rihour branch of Le Barbier qui Fume in Lille runs non-stop from 10:00 to midnight, and puts smoked ham and Galloway cheddar in its welsh.
Try: Welsh with smoked ham and Galloway cheddar
Tip: Non-stop service all day means you can eat here at 16:00 when nothing else is cooking.
Les Compagnons de la Grappe hides down a corridor off Rue Lepelletier in Lille, a courtyard terrace serving welsh, carbonade and grilled meat non-stop.
Signature: Welsh, Onglet frites
Order: Onglet frites, cooked over the grill.
Tip: The kitchen runs straight through the afternoon, which makes this the answer to a 16:00 arrival.
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