L'Arrière Pays is a french restaurant in Vieux Lille, Lille.
Editorially verified August 3, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Tartine en boîte, Regional cheese boards
Must order: The tartine en boîte, cured ham under melted camembert with walnuts and raisins.
Tip: Two tartines run 10.90 euros and three run 12.90, which is about the cheapest sit-down lunch on this stretch of Vieux-Lille.
Address: 47 Rue Basse, 59000 Lille
La Piazzetta opened on Rue de la Barre in Lille as a fresh-pasta counter and Italian grocery, run by a chef who came from Big Mamma's La Bellezza.
Signature: Fresh lasagne, Ravioli
Order: Whatever ravioli is rolled that morning.
Tip: Lunch only, five days a week. There are very few seats, so come early or take the pasta away.
Estaminet La Vieille France on Rue de Gand in Lille seats 65 and cooks the northern canon, carbonade, blanquette de veau, potjevleesch and pot au feu.
Signature: Carbonade flamande, Poulet au maroilles
Order: Carbonade flamande, cooked long in brown beer.
Tip: Closed Tuesday and Wednesday at lunch. Sixty-five covers fill up, so a weekend evening needs booking.
Au Vieux de la Vieille spills onto the cobbles of Rue des Vieux Murs in Lille, the terrace estaminet locals send visitors to for carbonade and welsh.
Signature: Gratin de la Vieille, Carbonade flamande
Order: Gratin de la Vieille, a pancake baked with endive, ham and maroilles.
Tip: The courtyard terrace fills first on a warm evening. Plat du jour runs at 9.90 or 14.90 euros.
Chez la Vieille on Rue de Gand in Lille is the maroilles house of the strip, a cluttered estaminet where the cheese turns up in almost every course.
Signature: Croquettes au maroilles, Poulet au maroilles
Order: Maroilles croquettes first, then the chicken in maroilles sauce.
Tip: Same family runs four estaminets in Lille. This is the one to pick if maroilles is the point of the meal.
L'Estaminet du Welsh on Rue de Gand in Lille builds its whole card around welsh, a dozen versions of cheddar melted in beer over bread and frites.
Signature: Welsh au maroilles, Potjevleesch
Order: The welsh au maroilles, if you want the northern version rather than the cheddar one.
Tip: Closed Wednesday and Thursday at lunch. A vegetarian welsh is on the card.
Péniche Archimède is a moored barge on the Deûle by the Esplanade in Lille, serving generous bistro plates with the water on both sides of the room.
Signature: Plat du jour, Bistro plates
Order: Whatever the day's plate is, eaten on deck.
Tip: Sunday opens at 10:45, earlier than anywhere else on this list.
La Piazzetta opened on Rue de la Barre in Lille as a fresh-pasta counter and Italian grocery, run by a chef who came from Big Mamma's La Bellezza.
Signature: Fresh lasagne, Ravioli
Order: Whatever ravioli is rolled that morning.
Tip: Lunch only, five days a week. There are very few seats, so come early or take the pasta away.
Estaminet La Vieille France on Rue de Gand in Lille seats 65 and cooks the northern canon, carbonade, blanquette de veau, potjevleesch and pot au feu.
Signature: Carbonade flamande, Poulet au maroilles
Order: Carbonade flamande, cooked long in brown beer.
Tip: Closed Tuesday and Wednesday at lunch. Sixty-five covers fill up, so a weekend evening needs booking.
Au Vieux de la Vieille spills onto the cobbles of Rue des Vieux Murs in Lille, the terrace estaminet locals send visitors to for carbonade and welsh.
Signature: Gratin de la Vieille, Carbonade flamande
Order: Gratin de la Vieille, a pancake baked with endive, ham and maroilles.
Tip: The courtyard terrace fills first on a warm evening. Plat du jour runs at 9.90 or 14.90 euros.
Chez la Vieille on Rue de Gand in Lille is the maroilles house of the strip, a cluttered estaminet where the cheese turns up in almost every course.
Signature: Croquettes au maroilles, Poulet au maroilles
Order: Maroilles croquettes first, then the chicken in maroilles sauce.
Tip: Same family runs four estaminets in Lille. This is the one to pick if maroilles is the point of the meal.
L'Estaminet du Welsh on Rue de Gand in Lille builds its whole card around welsh, a dozen versions of cheddar melted in beer over bread and frites.
Signature: Welsh au maroilles, Potjevleesch
Order: The welsh au maroilles, if you want the northern version rather than the cheddar one.
Tip: Closed Wednesday and Thursday at lunch. A vegetarian welsh is on the card.
