Le Chat qui Fume is a french regional restaurant in Saint Michel, Lille.
Editorially verified August 3, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Gratin de pommes de terre au maroilles, Welsh complet
Must order: The full welsh, made in house rather than assembled.
Tip: Book by phone. The kitchen does not take reservations by email.
Address: 3 Rue Henri Kolb, 59000 Lille
Bierbuik is Florent Ladeyn's brewpub on Rue Royale in Lille, wood-fired Flemish street food downstairs and the Bloemeke estaminet menu upstairs.
Signature: Frites sauce maroilles, Flamiche
Order: Frites with maroilles sauce, from the ground-floor brewpub counter.
Tip: The upstairs Bloemeke runs a three-course estaminet menu at 30 euros. Beers use Mont des Cats hops.
Chez Raoul on Rue de Gand in Lille is named for the singer Raoul de Godewarsvelde, an estaminet of chicken in maroilles, fricadelle and charcuterie boards.
Signature: Gratin de chicons, Welsh au maroilles
Order: Gratin de chicons, endives baked in ham and béchamel.
Tip: Closed Monday and Wednesday lunch. Saturday runs a long afternoon service then reopens late.
Au Soyeux on Rue de Gand in Lille runs 44 covers of ch'ti cooking, potjevleesch and carbonade with maroilles croquettes and roasted bone marrow.
Signature: Potjevleesch, Croquettes au maroilles
Order: Potjevleesch, the jellied terrine of four white meats.
Tip: Only 24 seats indoors plus a 20-seat terrace, so book for a weekend evening.
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.
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.
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.
