16 bars in Lille, editor-picked for bars open late. Bars serving past 23:00. All bars in Lille.

Joker Cocktails & Bar ★ 4.4

Vieux-Lille · 29 Place Louise de Bettignies, 59800 Lille

Hours: Tue-Thu 18:00-00:00; Fri 18:00-01:00; Sat 17:00-02:00

Joker on Place Louise de Bettignies in Lille rewrites its cocktail list every week around house-made juices, syrups, purees and its own infusions.

Tip: The card changes weekly, so ask what came in rather than ordering from memory.

La Capsule ★ 4.4

Vieux-Lille · 25 Rue des Trois Mollettes, 59800 Lille

Hours: Mon-Wed 17:30-01:00; Thu-Fri 17:30-02:00; Sat 16:00-01:00; Sun 17:00-00:00

La Capsule on Rue des Trois Mollettes in Lille sells no mainstream lager at all, running 28 taps and a bottle list of lambics and sours instead.

Tip: The operator counts more than 300 different beers across a year, so the taps change constantly.

Genever ★ 4.3

Vieux-Lille · 106 Rue Saint-André, 59800 Lille

Hours: Tue-Wed 18:00-01:00; Thu-Sat 18:00-02:00; closed Sunday and Monday

Genever on Rue Saint-André in Lille builds its bar around the northern grain spirit of the same name, poured neat and stirred into spiced cocktails.

Tip: This is the easiest place in Lille to drink genievre without ordering a bottle in an estaminet.

Shelby Secret Bar ★ 4.3

Lille-Centre · 15 Rue Sainte-Anne, 59000 Lille

Hours: Wed 18:00-01:00; Thu-Sat 18:00-02:00; Sun 18:00-01:00; closed Monday and Tuesday

Shelby Secret Bar on Rue Sainte-Anne in Lille is a prohibition-styled room entered through a vintage telephone, with a long list of built signatures.

Tip: The signature cocktails, Le Finn and Le Lizzy among them, run at 14 euros and change with the seasons.

La Luck ★ 4.2

Vieux-Lille · 1 bis Rue Princesse, 59800 Lille

Hours: Mon-Wed 18:00-23:00; Thu-Fri 18:00-00:00; Sat 11:00-00:00; Sun 10:00-23:00

La Luck on Rue Princesse in Lille pours creative cocktails and natural wine, and now brews its own beer on the premises alongside a bistro card.

Tip: Weekend opening starts in the morning, which makes it one of the few Vieux-Lille bars that does brunch.

Le Bistrot de St-So ★ 4.2

Saint-Sauveur · 17 Boulevard Jean-Baptiste Lebas, 59000 Lille

Hours: Wed 12:00-00:00; Thu 12:00-01:00; Fri-Sat 12:00-02:00; Sun 12:00-21:00; closed Monday and Tuesday

Le Bistrot de St-So sits inside the old Gare Saint-Sauveur in Lille, a bar with a stage running free concerts and DJ sets from Wednesday to Saturday.

Tip: Programming gives priority to local artists and entry is free, so turn up rather than book.

The View ★ 4.1

Lille-Centre · 3 Rue Pierre Mauroy, 59000 Lille

Hours: Tue-Wed 18:00-00:00; Thu-Sat 18:00-01:00; Sun 18:00-23:00

The View is the top-floor hotel bar on Rue Pierre Mauroy in Lille, looking straight over the Opera and the roofs of the centre with a creative card.

Tip: The bar runs mixology workshops for guests. Book those separately from a table.

Lokarria ★ 4.1

Wazemmes · 42 Rue des Postes, 59000 Lille

Hours: Sun-Wed 17:00-01:00; Thu-Sat 17:00-02:00

Lokarria on Rue des Postes in Lille is a Wazemmes cafe-concert with live music, open mics and jam sessions, and an inclusive queer-friendly room.

Tip: Check the programme before you go. The room changes character completely on a gig night.

Mesa ★ 4.1

Bois-Blancs · 612 Rue de la Chaude Rivière, 59800 Lille

Hours: Tue-Thu 17:00-00:00; Fri-Sat 17:00-02:00; closed Monday

Mesa sits on the ninth floor of the ShAke building on Rue de la Chaude Rivière in Lille, a 360 degree terrace bar about forty metres above the city.

Tip: It is the highest rooftop in Lille. Book a terrace table on a clear evening or you will stand.

Bartown ★ 4.0

Vieux-Lille · 10 Rue Saint-Sébastien, 59800 Lille

Hours: Tue-Thu 18:00-00:00; Fri-Sat 18:00-02:00

Bartown on Rue Saint-Sébastien in Lille serves gourmet tapas boards beside house cocktails named for city landmarks, Eglise Caipi and Tour Mojito among them.

Tip: The room is small and fills after 21:00 at weekends. Go early for a seat at the bar.

Artchives ★ 4.0

Vauban-Esquermes · 74 Rue Jacquemars Giélée, 59800 Lille

Hours: Tue-Wed 17:00-00:00; Thu-Sat 17:00-02:00

Artchives on Rue Jacquemars Gielee in Lille runs a bar, an art gallery and a kitchen in one building, with paintings and sculpture across several floors.

Tip: The hanging changes, so the drinks list and the walls both move. Ask what is up before you order.

Le Noao ★ 4.0

Vieux-Lille · 30 Rue de Weppes, 59800 Lille

Hours: Mon 17:00-23:00; Tue-Wed 17:00-00:00; Thu-Fri 17:00-02:00; Sat 15:00-02:00; closed Sunday

Le Noao on Rue de Weppes in Lille pours classics and revisions, Old Fashioned through Basil Smash, with tapas and a vaulted cellar bar underneath.

Tip: The basement room hosts themed nights and can be booked out, so check what is on downstairs.

La Planque ★ 4.0

Vieux-Lille · 42 bis Rue des Trois Mollettes, 59800 Lille

Hours: Mon-Thu 18:00-00:00; Fri 18:00-01:00; Sat 18:00-02:00; closed Sunday

La Planque hides down a staircase off Rue des Trois Mollettes in Lille, a vintage-dressed cellar where cocktails and half-litre beers both cost 5 euros.

Tip: There is no sign worth looking for. Find the staircase, then keep going down.

Little Havana ★ 3.9

Vieux-Lille · 2 Place Maurice Schumann, 59800 Lille

Hours: Mon-Wed 18:00-00:00; Thu 18:00-01:00; Fri-Sat 18:00-02:00; Sun 18:00-00:00

Little Havana on Place Maurice Schumann in Lille is the city's mojito room, a Cuban-themed bar running the drink through a long list of fruit variations.

Tip: It traded as Le Draque before this. Order a flavoured mojito rather than the classic.

Amor Amor ★ 3.9

Vieux-Lille · 27 Rue Royale, 59800 Lille

Hours: Tue-Wed 17:00-01:00; Thu-Sat 17:00-02:00; closed Sunday and Monday

Amor Amor occupies a former private mansion on Rue Royale in Lille, a hundred-capacity cocktail room with DJs, live performers and a tapas card.

Tip: It works as a bar early and a dancing room late. Come before 22:00 if you want to talk.

Le Quai des Bananes ★ 3.8

Vieux-Lille · 84 Rue Royale, 59800 Lille

Hours: Mon-Wed 17:00-00:00; Thu 17:00-00:30; Fri-Sat 16:30-02:00; Sun 16:30-00:00

Le Quai des Bananes on Rue Royale in Lille is jungle-dressed and loud, pouring large-format tropical drinks with its own kitchen counter attached.

Tip: The alcohol-free list runs past forty mocktails, which is rare at this scale in Lille.