Tucked away on Rue des Bouchers in the heart of Vieux-Lille, this beloved estaminet has been serving up hearty, unpretentious Flemish comfort food since its very first days as a tiny neighbourhood favourite. Born from chef Clément Richevaux's childhood memories of his grandmother's cooking, the restaurant has grown from a single cosy room into three distinct spaces, each with its own character, while keeping the warm, convivial spirit that made it Lille's most talked-about address for traditional Northern fare.

Expect generous plates of regional classics done properly: slow-simmered carbonnade, a reimagined welsh, double-cooked chips fried in beef fat, and charcuterie boards loaded with rillettes, horse sausage and jellied pork terrine. The maroilles cheese croque-monsieur is something of a house obsession, and dishes throughout the menu lean on beer, local cheeses and honest, no-frills technique that lets Northern French cooking speak for itself.

With three rooms ranging from the original founding dining room to a converted old printworks and a vaulted brick cellar hidden beneath the street, the atmosphere shifts from lively and buzzing to intimate and almost secret depending on where you're seated. Open non-stop seven days a week from late morning to late evening, it's a place best booked ahead online, though a handful of tables are always kept back for those who prefer to simply turn up and see what happens.