Souvenir shopping has certainly come a long way from the stand-art T-shirt, postcards, magnets, and key chains. Those on the hunt for out-of-the-ordinary souvenirs and gifts to take back home with them, follow these suggestions for some of the best souvenir finds all located in Lille.
Tourisme Office
Shop
The Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Lille is located in the stunning Rihour Palace, and it’s worth stopping by just to admire its beautiful architecture. Aside from great information on places to visit and a friendly welcome, there’s also a charming selection of souvenirs in their gift shop.
Souvenirs Lille
Shop
A quirky-little shop close to Grande Place carries the usual suspects such as mugs, t-shirt, and the like, but they also sell some fun and original displays of the legendary northern sense of humour.
Fine Arts Museum
Bookstore, Museum
The café and bookstore of the Palais de Beaux Arts just reopened in the spring of 2017 after a full renovation. A sensational space to take a break, browse reference books on the museum and its spectacular collection, and discover fun and high quality stationery, gifts, jewellery, and textiles. The perfect souvenir for art lovers.
Quinquinette
A treasure trove of souvenirs around a Ch’ti theme and the city of Lille at its center. It offers good-quality items and a wide range of choices from cooking utensils, beer mugs, and all manner of kitsch paraphernalia in nearby Croix.
L'Artisan Monastique
Shop
A wonderful surprise in an unexpected place. On the crypt level of the Notre Dame de la Treille, a serene-vaulted space houses an atypical shop that offers original gifts handcrafted by monastic-artisanal ateliers. Not limited to religious or spiritual gifts, they offer unique gourmet products hard to find anywhere else.
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This pastry shop and confectionery has been a local favourite for centuries. Makers of the famous gauffre fourrée, a thick-crispy wafer filled with vanilla cream, it was a favourite of General De Gaulle. This delicacy, as well as other delicious treats, can be enjoyed on site and is also available for gifting complete with beautiful packaging.
The modern and contemporary art museum is one of the favourite museums in Lille, an absolute must-visit. The bookshop-boutique is a great spot to pick up an original gift. In addition to beautiful art books and exhibition catalogs, the shop at the Lille Métropole Museum of Modern, Contemporary and Outsider Art carries a choice of contemporary art-inspired gifts, such as fashion accessories and home design objects, with a special focus on showcasing regional creators.
L'Estaminette
Old-fashioned candy like Babeluttes, a Flemish specialty made of soft caramel, and the beloved Bétises de Cambrai—apparently born from a mistake, hence the name (in French, bétise means silly goof saying something that makes no sense)—is forever popular as a gift. The classic is a peppermint candy with a white stripe, although they come in a variety of flavours nowadays.
La Comptesse du Barry
For the crême-de-la-crême of gourmet gifts, there’s few places as fabulous as the Comtesse du Barry. The shelves stock a ‘tour-de-France’ of foodie delights, including northern-region specialties.
This bookstore is a perfect spot to pick a gift for globetrotters and wanderlusters. It is packed with over 10,000 titles dedicated to the thirst for adventure including great-photo books and travel guides focused on Lille and the surrounding region.
