I decided to be adventurous and try the strawberry tomato gazpacho. It was very weird, as in it…read moredidn't work at all. The flavors were as incompatible as they sound €14. Than I had a rigatoni dish with nearly al dente pasta, pesto, cherry tomatoes and burrata. It was okay and filling but unremarkable. €19. With a small mineral water, which was really good, and bread, also good, I had a less than average dinner for €38. The service, I should mention, was excellent

This place is really quite quaint. Upon entering the Cafe you are greeted by the workers whom also…read moremanage the hostel that is behind. I had the pleasure of staying there 4 days, and I was really happy with my stay/ food. The toilet/ shower area is all new and kept clean daily, and the sleeping areas have more then enough room to put your large suitcases (if you're like me who backpacks with large suitcases). Each bed has a curtain that is dark enough that even with the room lights on you will NOT be disturbed if you decide to sleep in. If you are staying at the hostel, the cafe has some good deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I tried a few dishes at the Cafe and I was impressed with all of it. If you are traveling through France, I highly recommend that you stay at this place. ENJOY!

Outstanding fondue and raclette! Great treat if you are in Lille...a must visit…read more East walk (about 15 minutes) from the city center. Staff are exceedingly friendly and speak English. They were very accommodating to our three young children and helped us decipher the menu. We ordered cocktails (excellent), some great bordeaux wine (tasty), appetizers (all very good) and two kinds of fondue (more than enough food for the five of us). Everything we had was great. The place was packed (clearly very popular), the staff were helpful and professional, and the food was tasty (and fun). Worth a visit. Great 4-star restaurant. Strongly recommend!

When I first saw this place my initial assesment was "like a classic American restaurant - if it…read morewere French." It turns out I was pretty close; the plates are HUUGE and the food is pretty average. The produce is good for the simple salads - as is the, but those are *very* simple. For starters I had a "Croque Ancienne" (with salad) which was decent, but which I couldn't differentiate from an above average cheese toast and I couldn't determine what was "ancienne" about it - though that might be my own failing. My mother had a salad with a goat cheese and lardons which she seemed to like - the chevre itself was exceptional - but which was quite large for a starter. My entree (or main) was a Turkey filet in a Calvado cream sauce topped with camembert. The turkey was overcooked and dry; the sauce was *extremely* rich and the Calvado was lost in the sauce. My mothers main was also turkey (better) cooked in a (different) cream sauce - which was the same size as her starter and *also* came with a salad. My starter and entree *also* both came with salads, which didn't bother me as I had ordered them separately, but my mother had ordered hers as part of a *full menu*. Overall the food was decent, but the portions were over-large for the starters particularly and the food was quite rich. It was basically simple comfort food done with exceptional products. I should add that I tried two different blonde beers and they were both quite good.

My friend who lives in Lille brought me to this restaurant for lunch. It was amazing!…read more We had the carbonnade à la flamande, which is Flemish beef stew where beef and onions are simmered in Belgian ale until the meat is tender, the onions are sweet, and the ale has cooked down into a rich, dark gravy. It was very homey and full of flavor. The french fries/chips were also good and I believe homemade. Like many restaurants in France, we could sit outside for the full European experience. It was absolutely incredible and probably my favorite meal in France so far. I certainly recommend this restaurant in Lille.

Restaurant wise there is not a great deal of interest open on a Sunday night in Lille. Fortunately…read moreI had a couple of recommendations from a local pal on Twitter and so it was that we ended tramping across town to L'Gaiette. L'Gaiette is situated in the student area of town and there are plenty of bars in the street for a pre or post dinner drink although not many caught our eye. We had a cheeky pre dinner beer in the Sherwood which was fine, friendly and had a good selection of ale. We sat down for our meal in the pretty, traditional, comfy room just after 7.30pm having taken the precaution of reserving a table in advance. By 8pm the restaurant was full of youngish local folk who obviously appreciate the reasonably priced well cooked local dishes. Our waiter was friendly and helpful. We were mulling over the idea of the veal kidneys when he suggested that while this was a tasty dish it was possibly a little high risk if we had not tried it before - sound advice which was not unwelcome. Unable to make a decision we ordered the chicken with a local cheese sauce and the carbonnade flamande which we shared (strange combination I know). These dishes came with a large stainless steel bowl full of what I thought were exceptionally tasty home made frites although B was much less complimentary. Big portions of hearty food with big robust flavours would probably best sum up the cooking style at L'Gaiette - fine dining this is not but I liked it a lot and would recommend this place to anyone who wants an authentic taste of the region at a very reasonable price. Not much on offer on the wine list but you will get a decent bottle under 20€ and there are plenty of interesting beer to help wash down your feast from Flanders. Enjoy!!