LILLE - Any recommended restaurants?

[3missys]

Blis oh bliss DH & I are off for a 2 night break to Lille in 2 weeks WITHOUT our 2 DD's, lots of R&R to be had!

We are going there by Eurostar and staying at The Charlton Hotel which is right in the city and very near the eurostar station.....

Has anyone been to Lille and recommend any nice restaurants for us to eat in that are in the city centre so we do not have to walk far, catch taxi's etc?

TIA.

Go to Paul at the place du theatre for a grande cafe au lait and gateaux I am not big into fish but apparantly Aux Moules is the place to go for moules et frites.

Thanks, will take a note of those. I am not a big fish fan either but very much into coffee and cake!

L'Assiette du Marche is our favourite. Superb modern French cuisine based on local ingredients (but France-wide recipes) and the best affordable wine list I have ever seen. Very nice staff too.
It is in the rue de la Monnaie, so fairly central to the Old Town.
Don't forget to go for tea and cakes at Patisserie Meert as well
If you don't like fish, steer clear of L'Ecume des Jours!

Thanks Marina for that - have noted them down! Can't wait! What sort of shops are there?

Well, as of September there is a gorgeous new Galeries Lafayette department store just off the Grand'Place; there is also a Printemps to the west of the Old Town; the Old Town itself is full of small boutiques including some branches of chains: Alain Manoukian, Sonia Rykiel, Aigle...and for the dds, Catimini and Petit Bateau.
For perfume there is a Marionnaud on the Grand'Place, and there is a fantastic six storey stationer/bookseller called Au Furet du Nord opposite. You can get excellent Stabilo felt tips and pencils very cheaply there, also there is a whole floor devoted to books for children.
PLUS - in the Euralille Centre right by your hotel there is a big Carrefour for edible treats, and lots of other high street type fashion stores. It's an awful design tbh with hideous lighting etc but plenty of opportunities to browse.
Can you tell I just love Lille
Don't rely on being able to do much shopping on Sundays though Euralille and probably most other shops are closed.

What great information. Must print that off and take it with us. Whenever we go for short breaks (My absoulte favourite is Venice! although haven't been in a while) we don't bother with the guide books because we prefer to explore the city for ourselves and enjoy finding nice places to eat and shop but thought I would ask on here as I really have no idea what Lille has to offer but wanted to go as we have never travvelled on the Eurostar before.

Have you been to lille often then?

Thanks again Marina.

here:

www.huitriere.fr/Restaurant/La-carte.html

fantastic, if pricey and a bit formal (ideal for a child free romantic dinner), but think you'd have to book (you can email from the site from memory)

• have just realised this is a sister restaurant to the one recommended by marina - you can see that on this site as well.

Looks lovely but will have to brush up on my french to work through the site! thanks for the link legalalien I know some >

I managed it just - 20 years since I studied French!

Can't find the dictionary at the mo so will have another peek at the site later! Thanks again.

I was going to recommend L'Ecume des Jours but only if you like fish

Thanks anyway though wheelybug.

its quite small so you'll find the best ones easily. i think its betterif you go and see for yourself. there is a chinese restaurant by the station which is the worst place ever.