Where to brunch in Lille: morning spots worth the queue.
Where to brunch in Lille. The morning rooms worth the queue, and the kitchens still doing it right at noon.
Paddo Café on Rue du Cirque in Lille brought Antipodean brunch north, ricotta pancakes and avocado toast alongside properly pulled specialty coffee.
Order: Ricotta pancakes, from the all-day breakfast card.
Tip: No reservations at all. The kitchen stops at 16:00 even though the room stays open.
Tu Brilles on Rue Léon Gambetta in Lille runs brunch without a set formula, just large plates served five days a week between the centre and Wazemmes.
Order: Avocado toast, from the standing card.
Tip: There is no fixed brunch menu here, so order plates rather than asking for the formula.
La Canopée on Rue Solférino in Lille runs an all-you-can-eat brunch at 30 euros every Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 to 15:00, and a bar the rest of the week.
Order: Scrambled eggs and bacon from the hot table.
Tip: Brunch runs 11:00 to 15:00 at weekends only. The rest of the week this is an evening bar.
Emilie and the Cool Kids on Rue Jean Roisin in Lille sets a brunch formula of pancakes, a breakfast bagel, granola, a pastry and two drinks.
Order: The brunch formula with two pancakes and a breakfast bagel.
Tip: The formula includes a pressed orange juice or a lemonade, so do not order drinks separately.
La Clairière on Boulevard de la Liberté in Lille runs a Sunday vegan brunch of a hot drink, a cold drink, a savoury plate and a sweet plate.
Order: The sweet plate, which changes with the season.
Tip: Sunday 11:00 to 15:00 is the only brunch service, and the room is small enough that a phone booking helps.
Mamatte on Place Rihour in Lille runs an all-you-can-eat brunch on Sundays and public holidays, 10:30 to 15:00, out of its own bakery counter.
Order: Avocado toast, then whatever pastry is left.
Tip: Sunday and public holidays only for the brunch. The bakery counter runs daily from 07:00.
Bacio Divino on Rue Saint-André in Lille runs an all-you-can-eat Italian brunch every Sunday at 32 euros, in two sittings, with lasagne included.
Order: Traditional lasagne, from the hot side of the brunch.
Tip: Two seatings only, 11:00 and 13:00. Under-eights pay 15 euros.
Mama Shelter on Place Saint-Hubert in Lille runs a 42 euro Sunday brunch of viennoiserie, freshly pressed juices, warm bread and house-made jams.
Order: Freshly pressed juice and the viennoiserie basket.
Tip: Sunday 11:30 to 14:00 only, and it books out. Children under 12 pay half.
Banana Drama on Rue de l'Hôpital Militaire in Lille serves brunch every day of the week, including a cramique turned into a plate of pain perdu.
Order: Cramique façon pain perdu, the northern brioche version.
Tip: Its pastries come from Sweet Flamingo, the tea room on Rue Nicolas Leblanc.
We Are Ara on Rue Pierre Mauroy in Lille serves breakfast and brunch from 09:00 to midday, seven days a week, in the middle of the shopping streets.
Order: Pancakes, before the kitchen switches at midday.
Tip: Brunch stops at midday sharp. After that the card turns to lunch.
Sweet Flamingo on Rue Nicolas Leblanc in Lille runs a 26 euro brunch in fixed seatings on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays, across 42 covers.
Order: Pain perdu, from the sweet side of the table.
Tip: Seatings are at 11:00 and 14:00 only. Book, because the room seats 42.
Coffee Makers on Rue Pierre Mauroy in Lille runs a Saturday brunch above its own roastery, banana bread and pastries with house filter coffee.
Order: Banana bread with a filter coffee.
Tip: Reservations are taken by SMS or voicemail only, so text rather than calling.