FrenchChef Laurence Cou退€€50 to €70Vieux-LilleMon-Thu 19:00-21:30; Fri 12:00-13:00 and 19:00-21:30; Sat-Sun 12:00-13:30 and 19:00-21:30Book 1 week ahead
Le Lion Bossu occupies a 1681 brick house off Place du Lion d'Or in Lille, where Laurence Coué cooks classical French menus under exposed beams.
Order: The Grand Gousier menu, the 70 euro long form of the kitchen.
Tip: The 50 euro menu is the sensible order. The Grand Gousier at 70 euros is the longer version of the same classical kitchen.
French€€€Vauban-EsquermesMon-Sat 12:00-13:30 and 19:00-21:00; closed SundayBook 1 week ahead
Restaurant Sébastopol faces the theatre of the same name in Lille, a bistro in the Michelin Guide running a short seasonal card and a tasting menu.
Order: Seared Boulogne scallops, in season.
Tip: The card is deliberately short. If you want the tasting menu, say so when you book.
SeafoodChef Laure de Kervenoaël€€€Lille-CentreTue-Sat 12:00-15:00 and 17:30-23:30; closed Sunday and MondayBook 1 week ahead
Krevette on Boulevard Jean-Baptiste Lebas in Lille is a seafood room under Florent Ladeyn's wing, cooking cuttlefish, scallops and sardines with natural wine.
Order: Seared cuttlefish from the evening plates.
Tip: Hot dishes stop earlier than the room does, so order the cooked plates before 21:45.
Japanese€€€€45 to €65Lille-CentreMon-Sat 12:00-14:00 and 19:00-22:30; closed SundayBook 1 week ahead
Aokamo is a neo-izakaya on Rue Pierre Mauroy in Lille, standing room at the bar downstairs and sit-down Japanese menus with a sake list upstairs.
Order: Agedashi dofu, silky fried tofu in hot broth.
Tip: Downstairs runs tachinomi style, standing at the counter, with plates from about 10 euros in the evening.
Modern FrenchChef Guillaume Barengo€€€€€105Vieux-LilleMon 12:15-13:15 and 19:15-20:30; Thu 19:15-20:30; Fri 12:15-13:15 and 19:15-20:30; Sat-Sun 12:15-13:00 and 19:15-20:30Book 3 weeks ahead
Le Restaurant du Cerisier holds a Michelin star on Avenue du Peuple Belge in Lille, where Guillaume Barengo runs one set menu from an open kitchen.
Order: Whatever the single set menu is running that week.
Tip: There is no a la carte here. The vegetarian version of the Amarelle menu runs at the same 105 euro price, so say so when you book.
Modern FrenchChef Gérald Guille€€€€€90 to €110Vieux-LilleTue 19:30-21:15; Wed-Sat 12:15-13:00 and 19:30-21:15Book 3 weeks ahead
Pureté is Gérald Guille's Michelin-starred room on Rue de la Monnaie in Lille, a narrow dining room built around tasting menus and an open pass.
Order: The five-course menu, the shortest way into this kitchen.
Tip: The 55 euro weekday lunch is the cheapest seat in a starred Lille dining room, and it runs Wednesday to Friday only.