I'm a fashion stylist who's into all things fashion and beauty. I'm also into art, theatre, gamings ...
I'm a fashion stylist who's into all things fashion and beauty. I'm also into art, theatre, gamings consoles... lots really! Always willing to offer an opinion!
Member since:08.03.2005
Reviews:11
I lived in Lille for 1 year. I went there as part of my degree. And I must say that I fell in love with the city after just one day.
I lived in the Old part of Lille (Vieux Lille) which is about 2 mins walk from the town centre. It has so much charm! the cobbled streets boast a large variety of boutiques, some of which are privately owned and some of which are widely known brand names such as Hermes, and Louis Vuitton. these can be found in rue de la Grande Chaussée, and rue Chats Bossus.
For some bigger shops you can head off to EuroLille (a very large shopping centre in between the 2 main train stations) it consists of mainly chain stores, and has a huge supermarket called Carrefour. Carrefour has a brilliant seafood section filled with fresh produce, there's also a fantastic 'ready to eat' area where you can usually sample lots of Lille's specialities!
There is also THE most amazing chocolate shop in Vieux Lille, in Rue Esquermoise. You can also enjoy tea and cakes there, but be warned the queues are long!
Make sure you find time to check out the many creperies! if you
choose a chocolate crepe, they will most likely use nutella as the spread! DELICIOUS! the belgium waffles (gaufres) are fab too! but a bit sickly sometimes...
There are also some great restaurants in Vieux Lille, such as L’Huîtrière (specialises in oysters and seafood) but my fav is La Compostelle in rue St-Etienne. They have agreat set meal priced at about £30 a head. This may sound a lot to you, but in the UK a meal of this standard would be about £60 per head! The menu changes regularly, and the food never fails to keep me happy! there are 4 different floors to eat on, each with a different atmosphere. My favs are the top floor (had my 21st birthday meal there! it's quite homely and a little bit kitsch... blue and yellow decor with matching tablecloths!) the basement is a good place for a meal for two... romantic and intimate. The ground floor is lovely in the summer. built in an elaborate high ceilinged conservatory, there are beautiful candles leading up the stairway, and modern yet classic decor.
For a more budgeted meal (but keeping all the french cuisine and standards) you should visit Aux Moules on rue de Bethune (town centre) It's famous for it's mussels, as well as offering a very good steak! also you should try the dessert le Petit Quiquin (3 small slices of different puddings, so you can try a bit of everything!) The prices are good and range from about £10 per head. Kebabs in Lille are good too if you don't fancy sitting down to dinner! you get a huge choice of sauces to go with your kebab, and it's served in a naan style pitta bread (so it's nice and thick)
As for nightlife, I used to work in a bar in Old Lille called Cafe Oz, it's in Place Louise-de-Bettignies and it's an Aussie bar. It's actually filled with french people, and the atmosphere is usually amazing! look out for the staff dancing on the bar and offering vodka and citron to passing customers! (for free!) The music's good too as they usually have a DJ in on the weekends.
Check out Rue Royale for late night clubs and bars (most bars are open until 2am or 3am, and the clubsa stay open til 5am most weekends.)
There are a lot of hotels in Lille and the quality and price really varies. For a real budget you can stay at Hotel de France on rue de Bethune. It's very basic, but the views are gorgeous. You get your own bathroom, which is good for a budget in France (it's normally communal) prices start from about £13 pp for a more upmarket hotel there's Hôtel de la Treille, which is in place louise-de-bettignies in vieux lille. Prices start from 69 euros.
Getting around is really easy. The metro runs through all of Lille and out to the suburbs (great if you want to go to Roubaix to see the Museum of Art and Industrie... a must see for any fashion addicts... original collections on display from John Galliano and Comme Des Garcons) There are also regular buses, make sure you buy your ticket before you board though! a 'carnet' of 10 tickets is best if you're planning on using public transport. these can be bought at any metro station.
There are a couple of good sized markets on a sunday in Lille. The smallest I know is situated in old Lille in the Esquermoise area, this is perfect if you don't want to take the journey out to Wazemmes for the regular market there. Wazemmes is massive!!! I still get lost when I go there! you can find nearly anything, and the road which leads from Lille centre to the market place usually has all it's shops open until the early afternoon (rue Leon Gambetta)
Culture is great! there are loads of museums. I highly recommend Musuem Beaux Arts (place rihour) filled with original pieces, some paintings are over 20 feet in width! There's also the natural history museum, perfect for the children! (just off rue solferino) The Notre Dame de la treille cathedral is beautiful and def worth a visit (this is in Vieux Lille just off rue de las monnaie) the hospice comtesse is also a lovely building to check out, and this is just opposite the notre dame de la treille. The courtyard is lovely to relax in when the summer comes round.
You should also find time to visit the citadelle. there's a zoo and some gorgeous park areas. There's also a huge funfair situaed there all through the summer!
There's the 'soho' red light district of Lille which can be a bit seedy, but interesting enough (it's situated in the Gare Lille Flandres area) don't go there alone though, it can be a bit scary!
Getting to Lille is easy! for those on a budget there's 9hr coach which costs about £40 for an open return (meaning you can go for up to 6 months!) and then there's Eurostar which can take you direct from London in less than 2 hrs!!! (1hr 40 to be precise!) prices vary, and sometimes if you book in advance you can get tickets for about £50 rtn!
This place is one of my favourite cities. The people are so friendly, and there's so much to do! Try visiting Lille, and you won't be disappointed!
Oh, and don't forget the Braderie in sept! a huge festival held on the first weekend of sept. It specializes in antiques and there are many bargains for all!
Sounds great for a relaxed shopping trip. I don't think I will be visiting the red light district either alone or with friends in the future Lol. Fionaxx
mouette 22.03.2005 17:58
Somewhere I haven't been, but will, especially as it is so easy to get to. Nick
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
Mar 16th, 2005
very helpful by (100%):
