There are only three reasons to visit France. I'll discuss shopping in another post, and I didn't see any reservoirs to drop poison into - so we're left with the third...the gorgeous food. I won't bore you with every bite...but here's some of the highlights...
Post's a bit long I realise...but read on to find out about the brothel.
Our first night, we managed to find the only restaurant in Mouvaux, which was gorgeous despite being stuck in the middle of nowhere. I was also fairly amused by the fact that the English menu they tried to replace our French menus with after they heard us chatting didn't have any of the set meals or special offers on it. Smooth.
Campanpaille - Mouvaux
Myself - Grapefruit, Steak, Apple tart
Julie-oh - Cheese & herbs, Faux-Filet...and the below
My dessert was ok...
..but Ju's expresso with chocolate, whiskey and cream was gorgeous
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The next day, once we'd actually found Lille proper, we stopped off in a small corner café for a quick lunch. Once I'd explained in French, to the waitress who I later found out spoke Spanish and English (but little French), about Julie's specialness (gluten allergies), we were ready to order. I picked the dish on the menu I could translate the least of, and she ordered a gorgeous salad. Without bread or croutons.
Some café - Lille
Myself - Tartin au...something. A kind of French bread base with gorgeous cheese, duck and pork over the top of it
Julie-oh - Beautiful looking salad with pate and apple. And no bread, eventually.
As I enjoyed my superb meal...
...Ju sat there taking photos of me and sending her salads back because they had bread on them...
...but it was totally worth the wait.
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That night, we found the most amazing restaurant in the whole city, and ended up completely abandoning our plans to have a night out on the town, favouring instead the choice of simply sitting back and relaxing in Tropic '97.
Tropic '97, not found in any guide book we could see, was a little place set off a side-street in the centre of Lille, and we could tell it was going to be good as we passed through the palm trees, through the Star-Trek style sliding glass doors and into what looked, at first glance, like a brothel. Seriously.
Purple and red chaises longues were scattered around the room, next to a grand piano and a well stocked bar. The chap who casually strolled out to meet us from behind the bar just shrugged and said 'sit anywhere' when we asked for a table and then proceeded to walk back behind the bar and dance for a bit. 'Sit' makes it sound a bit formal, doesn't it - I think a more appropriate verb would be 'lie', or 'lounge'.
The whole place was Caribbean-French, in terms of attitude, food and sheer élan and the food was to die for. I wouldn't often go to one country to taste the food of another, but this place is certainly recommended if you're ever within a few hundred miles.
Tropic '97 - Lille
Myself - Creole prawns, spiced chicken, aubergine, onion, dauphinoise potatoes...and many other things I couldn't identify that were simply exquisite. Followed by the thickest and nicest chocolate mousse I've ever tasted.
Julie-oh - Crab, with a steak of some fish we never did quite work out - along with all the various side bits too. Followed by a mix of ice-creams that were very Caribbean and possibly a bit alcoholic.
No pictures I'm afraid, we forgot the camera - but that's probably just as well given the drinks they were serving afterwards. When I asked for a g&t and a rum & coke I wasn't expecting triples...the barman just assumed. That's the kind of place it was.
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We finished up with lunch at a crêperie on the Sunday, followed by a 'picnic' of sorts on the ferry home, after our trip to the hypermarchet...but a bit more on that place later. It's quite depressing being back in Britain now, the food's not just the same.
Saturday, 22 March 2008
Eating in Lille
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