Food destinations within easy reach of Lille, worth the early start.
Food destinations within easy reach of Lille. worth the train, the rental car or the early start.
Famous for: Genièvre distilled since 1817 at the Claeyssens distillery
Wambrechies holds one of the last French genièvre distilleries, working a near-unchanged process on the Deûle since an oil mill was converted in 1817.
Famous for: Hilltop estaminets serving potjevleesch and carbonade
Cassel sits on the highest of the Flanders hills, and the estaminets on its cobbled square serve potjevleesch cold with frites and beer-cooked carbonade.
Famous for: Carbonade flamande and welsh in walled-town estaminets
Bergues keeps its ramparts and its estaminets, where carbonade flamande is simmered in beer and pain d'épices and welsh arrives with homemade frites.
Famous for: Andouillette d'Arras, plus coeurs d'Arras and chicon confit
Arras built its food identity on the andouillette, a tripe sausage made here since the Middle Ages and sold from a shop on Rue du Marché-au-Filé.
Famous for: Regional brewers and farm producers at the Arkéos museum park
Douai puts its brewers and its farmers together at the Arkéos museum park, where the Houblonnades weekend runs tastings and a producers' market.
Famous for: Potjevleesch, waterzooi and the fish stalls on Place du Minck
Dunkerque claims potjevleesch as its own, and its Place du Minck stalls sell the morning's catch straight off the boats alongside waterzooi and flamiche.