Things to do in Lille

The places Lille locals actually go: estaminets, patisseries, walks and nights out, tried and recommended by the people who live here.

  • 829recommended places
  • 191locals recommending

Lille has a Flemish heart and a northern welcome: brick and carved stone façades in Vieux-Lille, a Grand Place where everyone arranges to meet, busy markets and estaminets where you eat elbow to elbow. Between two terraces, locals slip off for some green around the Citadelle.

No sponsored rankings on this page: every place is recommended by Spoooters, locals who genuinely go there. The more a place is recommended, the higher it climbs.

Where to eat in Lille

Historic patisseries, estaminets, pizzerias, coffee shops and markets — the tables locals recommend most. 561 recommended places in Lille

MIAM

in Lille

50 addresses

qui mettent Lille en appétit

Estaminets, bières et grandes tablées : la convivialité a du goût.

The locals' albumMIAM in LilleEstaminets, bières et grandes tablées : la convivialité a du goût.50 spots · €2.99
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Where to go for a walk in Lille

Parks, gardens, canalsides and the lanes of Vieux-Lille, covered on foot by the people who know them by heart. 53 recommended places in Lille

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What to see in Lille

Museums, monuments and art venues: the city’s culture as its own residents see it. 93 recommended places in Lille

CULTE

in Lille

50 addresses

qui font la légende de Lille

Gaufres, Vieille Bourse et lieux qui réchauffent le cœur.

The locals' albumCULTE in LilleGaufres, Vieille Bourse et lieux qui réchauffent le cœur.50 spots · €2.99
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Where to go shopping in Lille

Big bookshops, concept stores, independent designers and vintage shops spotted by locals. 70 recommended places in Lille

LOCAL

in Lille

50 addresses

que les Lillois se refilent

De Wazemmes à Fives, les petites pépites à partager.

The locals' albumLOCAL in LilleDe Wazemmes à Fives, les petites pépites à partager.50 spots · €2.99
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Where to go out and hear music in Lille

The opera house, concert halls, music bars and clubs for a night out in Lille. 51 recommended places in Lille

FIESTA

in Lille

45 addresses

pour faire vibrer les soirées lilloises

Bistrots animés, apéros entre copains et soirées sans chichi.

The locals' albumFIESTA in LilleBistrots animés, apéros entre copains et soirées sans chichi.45 spots · €2.99
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Things to do in Lille

Food courts, board-game bars, escape games and comedy clubs to fill a day or an evening, tried by locals. 53 recommended places in Lille

ARTY

in Lille

50 addresses

qui font vibrer Lille

Du Palais des Beaux-Arts aux scènes qui font bouger la ville.

The locals' albumARTY in LilleDu Palais des Beaux-Arts aux scènes qui font bouger la ville.50 spots · €2.99
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Local tips

  1. 01

    Sunday morning means Wazemmes

    The Wazemmes market also runs on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, but Sunday is when it comes into its own, with more than 400 traders around the covered hall. Finish with a drink in one of the neighbourhood cafés.

    Source: Wikipedia — Marché de Wazemmes
  2. 02

    A waffle at Méert

    In Vieux-Lille, Méert has been serving its waffles filled with Madagascan vanilla since the 18th century. Even if you are not hungry, look in: the shopfront and interior are listed monuments.

    Source: Wikipedia — Méert
  3. 03

    Sit down in an estaminet

    Welsh rarebit, carbonade flamande, potjevleesch or maroilles tart: to taste the cooking of the North, nothing beats an estaminet — small restaurants with the feel of a Flemish bistro.

  4. 04

    Take your time at the Palais des Beaux-Arts

    It holds one of the richest collections in France after the Louvre. Do not miss the relief maps: giant models of towns fortified by Vauban.

    Source: Wikipedia — Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille
  5. 05

    Walk around the Citadelle

    The woods around the Citadelle are the city’s great green lung: running, cycling or an easy walk along the Deûle, with the Jardin Vauban and the zoo right beside it.

    Source: Wikipedia — Citadelle de Lille
  6. 06

    Drop by the Gare Saint-Sauveur

    This former goods station has been turned into a cultural venue for lille3000: exhibitions, cinema and a bar-restaurant in the old halls.

    Source: Wikipedia — Gare Saint-Sauveur
  7. 07

    The Braderie, early September

    On the weekend of the first Sunday in September, the whole city turns into a giant flea market, the largest in Europe. Tradition demands moules-frites, and restaurants proudly pile up their empty shells outside.

    Source: Wikipedia — Braderie de Lille

Did you know?

The Vieille Bourse was built under Spanish rule

Built between 1652 and 1653 by Julien Destrée, when Lille was still under Spanish sovereignty, the Vieille Bourse gathers 28 identical houses around an inner courtyard. That courtyard now hosts booksellers, florists and chess players.

Source: Wikipedia — Vieille Bourse de Lille

Charles de Gaulle was born on rue Princesse

The future general was born on 22 November 1890 at 9 rue Princesse, in Vieux-Lille, at his maternal grandparents’ house, as custom had it at the time. The house became a museum, open to the public since 1983.

Source: Wikipedia — Maison natale de Charles de Gaulle

The “queen of citadels” is still a barracks

Built by Vauban from 1668, the Citadelle was nicknamed “the queen of citadels” by Vauban himself. It has never stopped being military: it houses a NATO-certified headquarters today.

Source: Wikipedia — Citadelle de Lille

Méert waffles as far as the Élysée

Founded in 1761 on rue Esquermoise, Méert is a Vieux-Lille institution. Charles de Gaulle, a local son, had its waffles delivered to the Élysée on a regular basis.

Source: Wikipedia — Méert

Neighborhoods to know

Vieux-Lille
Cobbled lanes, Flemish façades, independent boutiques and historic patisseries: the most photogenic quarter in the city.
Grand Place and the centre
Around the Vieille Bourse and the opera house, the beating heart of Lille, with its shopping streets and the cinemas on rue de Béthune.
Wazemmes
A lively working-class quarter, set to the rhythm of its market, its covered hall and its cafés, and the Maison Folie cultural centre.
Vauban and the Citadelle
The green side of Lille: the Citadelle woods, the Jardin Vauban and the banks of the Deûle for weekend walks.
Euralille
The district of the two stations, between the shopping centre, the Tripostal and the Aéronef — handy for a stopover between trains.

Frequently asked questions about Lille

Where do locals like to eat?

According to Spoooters' recommendations, Maison Méert, Papà Raffaele and La Bellezza Lille come first in Lille.

What to do in Lille in a weekend

Start with the Grand Place and the courtyard of the Vieille Bourse, then get lost in Vieux-Lille with a waffle from Méert. Keep half a day for the Palais des Beaux-Arts, and on Sunday morning head to Wazemmes market before a walk around the Citadelle.

What to do in Lille when it rains

The Palais des Beaux-Arts, the natural history museum, Charles de Gaulle’s birthplace, the exhibitions at the Tripostal or the Gare Saint-Sauveur, and the Wazemmes covered hall all keep you dry.

Where to go out at night in Lille

Vieux-Lille for bars and estaminets, rue Solférino and around for livelier nights, and the Aéronef or the Zénith for gigs.

How does Spooot pick its places?

Every place is recommended by Spoooters, locals who actually go there. Nothing is sponsored: a place climbs the ranking as more locals recommend it.

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