Péniche Archimède is a french bistro restaurant in Bois Blancs, Lille.
Editorially verified August 3, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Plat du jour, Bistro plates
Must order: Whatever the day's plate is, eaten on deck.
Tip: Sunday opens at 10:45, earlier than anywhere else on this list.
Address: Façade de l'Esplanade, 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.
La Petite Table has run on Rue de la Monnaie in Lille since 2003, a small estaminet doing carbonade, welsh and potjevleesch properly by hand.
Signature: Carbonade flamande, Potjevleesch
Order: Potjevleesch with the house frites.
Tip: Finish with the spéculoos mousse rather than the café gourmand.
