GETAWAYS
72 HOURS IN
LILLE CULTURE AND INCREDIBLE CUISINE RIGHT ON KENT’ S DOORSTEP
CRAVING THE MAGIC OF A LONG WEEKEND AWAY, BUT MINDFUL OF THE SHORT-HAUL FLIGHT VS SUSTAINABILITY CONUNDRUM, THE SOLUTION WAS GLARINGLY OBVIOUS: LONDON ST. PANCRAS HIGHSPEED, THE UK’ S ONLY HIGH-SPEED RAILWAY LINKING KENT TO LONDON AND MAINLAND EUROPE IN A MATTER OF MINUTES. COULD WE SAVE TIME AND MONEY WITHOUT COMPROMISING ON COMFORT AND LUXURY WAS THE NEXT QUESTION, WHICH WAS QUICKLY ANSWERED WITH A RESOUNDING‘ YES’ ONCE WE’ D DECIDED ON OUR DESTINATION: LILLE, A VIBRANT CITY WITH A UNIQUE BLEND OF FRENCH AND FLEMISH INFLUENCES JUST AN 80-MINUTE HOP FROM THE CAPITAL. BY POLLY HUMPHRIS
City breaks by nature are busy, but it’ s the wonder of how much one can actually pack into an itinerary with ease that makes or breaks it and London St. Pancras International cannot be ignored as the start of this adventure. With over 50 stores and restaurants, it’ s a buzzing hive of art and culture all housed in a magnificent Victorian building that stands as an iconic piece of London’ s heritage. Starting as we meant to go on, we took our seats on the upper concourse at St. Pancras Bar & Brasserie by Searcys, glass of Champagne in hand, for a delicious and leisurely lunch before boarding the Eurostar just steps away.
Check-in was smooth and seamless, as was the journey into Lille, which delivered us promptly into the heart of this lively northern French city that’ s quickly building a reputation as one of the country’ s most creative and distinctive culinary hotspots. Following an intriguing wander through a cat’ s cradle of wonky merchants’ houses leading to the city’ s charming red-brick Old Town, our first port of call was the Hotel Clarance, an 18th-century townhouse that’ s as classic as they come. Packed with contemporary art and modernist furniture that contrasts with its striking period façade, each of its 19 rooms and suites are cosy and comfortable, decorated with bejewelled light fixtures, art-deco wall hangings, cute reading banquettes beneath large windows and a soft colour palette of cream and grey.
Walking but steps to our first foodie stop, the hotel’ s restaurant, La Table, is swish and stylish; our single private table awaited us at the bottom of a handsome spiral staircase that leads to a private library. Seasonal and hearty, the‘ Voyage’ menu focuses on garden-foraged herbs and meticulously sourced local produce ranging from grilled langoustine served with salsify from Dries to cappelletti stuffed with burnt onion cream, fermented citron and fava beans. All of it beautifully plated and balanced in flavour, this is arguably what secured the restaurant its Michelin star, of which there are four dotted across the walkable city.
Clocking up over 17,000 steps per day throughout our adventure, using a 48-hour City Pass to hop between art galleries, historical sites and gorgeous green spaces with ease, we opted for long, relaxed lunches for the rest of the weekend, leaving more time either side to explore. Next stop- Le Restaurant du Cerisier, which astonishingly offers a Michelin-starred‘ Privilège’ menu for just £ 50 per head. Here, acclaimed chef Mathieu Boutroy brings a modern twist to the great classics of French cuisine, adding his own personality, sharpness and sensitivity across an exquisite menu that leans into bitterness and acidity over sweet or fatty richness using the very best of handpicked produce. Executing each dish perfectly with a clear knack for finely crafted sauces and jus, the open kitchen allows each diner to watch the mastery at work while indulging in colourful, aromatic dishes such as zesty scallop in a seaweed sauce; creamy chicken with earthy morels and an oaked wine gel; and phenomenal signature dish- langoustine with beetroot, horseradish and dill.
Just around the corner from the ultracontemporary building in which Le Ceriser sits, we found our third and final restaurant choice: Les Petits Poissons, a cool, bright and breezy seafood eatery with a quirky seaside-style décor that’ s delightfully unstuffy. A roll your sleeves up and get stuck in restaurant, the seafood here is out of this world and, for shellfish fans like me, there was only one menu choice: The Big Boat. A heaving two-tier platter of the finest, flobart-fresh local seafood, it arrived loaded with whelks, shrimp, langoustine, crab, smoked salmon, mackerel pate, cubes of cured fish, 12 oysters and an entire lobster, and was simply sensational – especially when washed down with a cold, crisp bottle of Champagne that remarkably can be bought here for less than £ 25.
As is evident, we ate like royalty in Lille for a fraction of the price we could at home, which, when teamed with Eurostar tickets from £ 39 per person and two further nights of accommodation at the extremely convenient and affordable city centre Hilton hotel, felt even more special. Whatever you deem‘ everything’, I can guaranteed Lille has it – culture, heritage, shopping, nature, nightlife and of course unbeatable and imaginative gastronomy, all of which it’ s a pleasure to pack into a relatively short itinerary, so I’ d recommend the Hilton as a base. Extremely comfortable with spacious rooms, big views and even bigger beds, the hotel is seconds from the Eurostar station and local city links, so you can save some cash staying there to spend on the city’ s exquisite food and drink offerings.
Lille is a city of luxury at every turn that should not be overlooked. Largely undiscovered by many, yet reachable from Kent in a matter of hours, it’ s a warm and celebratory city of innovation and beautiful cultural landmarks that’ s bustling with stylish new brasseries, discerning Michelinstarred restaurants, artisanal bakeries and craft breweries that all bring a fresh perspective and an exciting energy to the well-loved traditions of the region. An idyllic destination for a laid-back weekend getaway that’ s remarkably easy to get to by train. What’ s not to love?
stpancrashighspeed. com en. hellolille. eu clarancehotel. com lecerisier. com lespetitspoissons. fish hilton. com
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