11 Top Patisseries And Cake Shops In Lille

Lille is known for its sweet tooth, and locals are proud of it. This friendly city is made even more welcoming by its long tradition of excellent patisseries and indulgent cakes and bakes. Read on for our round-up of the best places to visit to get your fix. In the words of Oscar Wilde, ‘the only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it’.

1. Méert

Patisserie, Restaurant, French

A true Lilloise institution founded in 1761, Méert is the home of the famous gaufre fourée, a thin and airy waffle filled with a subtle hint of vanilla cream. Heavenly. It is said to have been a favourite treat of illustrious Lille native General Charles de Gaulle.

2. Patrick Hermand

The house of Hermand started over 50 years ago in the Avesnois, about an hour south-east of Lille, and is all now all grown up with pride of place in Vieux-Lille, plus three other addresses including one in the chic seaside resort of Le Touquet. In 2015, Patrick Hermand won the gold medal for the best artisan in Lille.

1 bis Rue Bartholomé Masurel, 59000 Lille, France +33 03 20 13 84 16

3. Patisserie Peigné

Patisserie, French, Pastries

Nathalie and Gilles Peigné became local celebrities when they participated in a TV contest show to discover France’s best pattisier. Patisserie Peigné has a loyal following who swears by the couple’s original confections. No challenge is too small or too daunting – anything from an individual mojito-raspberry mini-cake to a huge pièce montée for 100 guests.

5. Boulangerie Brier

Bakery, French, Pastries

This charming bakery and pastry shop in Old Lille is irresistible. The alluring shop window displays a mouthwatering variety of cakes and pastries, covering the spectrum of regional specialities as well as innovative flavour combinations. The mint-chocolate crumble is one to write home about.

6. Aux Merveilleux de Fred

There is quite often a queue outside this pastry shop, but it moves briskly and is definitely worth the wait to enjoy, among other wonders, one of their emblematic Merveilleux – a melt-in-the-mouth meringue frosted with whipped chocolate cream and dusted with dark chocolate shavings. They are made in sizes for sharing or individual, and in a variety of flavours.
67 Rue de la Monnaie, 59800 Lille, France +33 03 20 51 99 59

Aux Merveilleux de Fred © Paolo Trabattoni / Flickr

7. Le Bel Air

Patisserie, Pastries, French

The patisserie Le Bel Air has a loyal following earned over 25 years of high-quality baking and friendly service. Chocolates, macarons, meringues and waffles, as well as almost every type of bread, are some of their specialities. They promote local and seasonal fresh products.

8. Patisserie Devulder

Patisserie, Pastry Shop, Pastries

The story starts in 1953 when the first generation set up their pastry shop in the centre of Lille. The son took over in 1977, taking their know-how to a new level, and is now followed by the grandson and granddaughter, at the helm since 2006 and going from strength to strength. Their individual cakes are picture-perfect.

L’Aziza

For something off the beaten path, head to this specialist of oriental pastries in Lille. If you are unfamiliar with these traditional treats, or find it hard to make a choice among so many tempting delicacies on offer, the friendly staff will be more than happy to guide you, or simply prepare a sampler of their bestsellers. in our opinion, the almond paste cones are delicious.
32 Place Nouvelle Aventure, 59000 Lille, France +33 03 20 55 58 54

9. Boulangerie Mathieu

This pastry shop brings elements of faraway places to creative baking as owner Mathieu trained in Strasbourg, Chinon, Tours, Marseille, Angers, Nice, Lithuania and Poland, before settling in Lille. Le Boulangerie Mathieu takes pride in the careful selection of its ingredients using organic produce, AOC butter, quality chocolate and seasonal fruits.

82 Rue du Molinel, 59000 Lille, France +33 03 20 55 66 57

10. Éclairs Émois

A comparatively new entrant to the pastry offering in Lille, Éclairs Émois is entirely dedicated to éclairs was quick to build a fabulous reputation. Sweet or savoury, their contemporary creations look almost too pretty to eat. But they don’t just look good, they are also absolutely delicious and offer creative flavour combinations such as cassis and violet, salted caramel popcorn and chicory buttercream and brown sugar crackle.

75 Rue de la Monnaie, 59800 Lille, France, +33 3 20 74 83 10

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