Famous for their pizza, the restaurant also offers a number of other dishes, and when evening rolls round a good selection of cocktails, spirits, beers and wine are available.

Though on first glance the venue may seem shabby, once inside the decor of warm colours creates the perfect relaxing and cozy atmosphere - and when the lights dim and the live music start, the atmosphere is heightened as guests dance and sing along. With particular focus on discovering Lille’s unexplored and up-and-coming talent, amateur artists are often on stage, and it’s great to see locals and tourists alike, encouraging their performances. Prime spots go quickly, so be sure to arrive early to get yourself a good view!

So order some food, grab a drink, take a seat and enjoy the show at the Moonlight Café  in Lille.

If you’re planning a trip to Lille, why not take a look at our Eurostar deals.

Photo: “Kosta Boda Eclipse Wine Glasses” by “Dinner Series” 

Just a stone’s throw away from Theatre Sebastopol, Le Sebastopol is a Michelin star restaurant offering up the creations of its proud head chef and owner, Jean-Luc Germond.

For Jean-Luc, his cooking and cuisine is about expressing his passion for excellence and creativity, and the chef has also submitted recipes to many books as well as speaking at multiple food conferences.

With foods sourced across various French regions, the menu is renewed 8 times a year, allowing the dishes to constantly evolve, bringing customers of Le Sebastopol the very best and newest creations.

The restaurant also boasts a unique and stylish décor, with shades of grey and raspberry used to create a welcoming, comfortable atmosphere. As well as the main dining area, Le Sebastopol offers 3 private dining rooms; two for small groups up to four and ten people, and one larger area for  20 guests – perfect for those of you exploring France in larger groups.

The separate bar is a great place to enjoy a drink before, after or during your meal, and with a choice of over 500 wines selected from vineyards across France, there is no doubt you will find the perfect accompanying drink to your meal. So why not make a stop at Le Sebastopol the next time you explore Lille, with such fantastic reviews it’s likely your taste buds will thank you.

Why plan a visit yourself and make up your own mind by exploring the extensive menu his restaurant has to offer. To make a reservation for Le Sebastopol, or to find our more take a look at their website.

To plan your trip European adventure, take a look at the latest Eurostar deals.

Photo: “Wine Not..” by “derekGavey” 

With over 800 wines to choose from, cocktails, champagne and a vast selection of spirits, you’ll truly be spoiled for choice. Luckily, the highlight for many is Philip’s three-course tasting menu; allowing you to battle against indecisiveness as you have a taster of three of the best dishes from the menu. So if trendy dining in a great atmosphere is what you’re after, make sure you give Philip Restaurant a visit – it’s sure to be an unforgettable evening.

Visit the Philip Restaurant website for more information

Photo: “On the Rocks’ by Sean Rogers1

Lille is an ancient city nestled near to the Belgium border, because of this, lots of the regions’ food and drink is inspired by their close neighbours’ traditions. One of the most noteworthy of these traditions is the practice of small-scale beer brewing.

Before WW1 there were many hundreds of these breweries, this figure was reduced drastically by the devastation caused by the war and in hard times afterwards. Luckily numerous breweries still remain and many of the best places to enjoy one (or more) of these fantastic a beers are around the Place de la Gare.

Top pubs such as Au Palais de la Bière can have up to 100 beers on tap at any time. Don’t expect to get a pint though, most of the beers come in their own branded glass in all manners of shapes and sizes, as if another reason to try and make it through the beer list was needed!

As lots of the beer is brewed in small scale there are often seasonal variations or special additions such as dark Christmas beers – which we hear are well worth a try.

Check out the latest Eurostar deals on our site and look forward to discovering a vast array of bars in Lille – ranging from converted cinemas to traditional British style pubs.

Photo: ‘Les 3 Brasseurs beer‘ by James Cridland

Just enter the relevant Eurostar voucher codes below while booking your tickets on eurostar.com and start exploring today!

Photo ‘Paris‘ by Zoetnet

Paris comes alive in the summer with music festivals, street markets and more. Check out our recent post about the best events and places to see this summer in Paris. Use the following voucher codes on eurostar.com to take advantage of the Eurostar discount!

London to Paris in Standard: AUGUSTSD10%PAR

London to Paris in Standard Premier: AUGUSTSP20%PAR

Photo: ‘Opera de Lille‘ by shortcircuit601

Belgium is a beautiful country with much art and culture to offer, but it is beer that the country is famous for. Brussels is no exception, with plenty of fantastic pubs and bars including one that boasts the world’s longest beer list. Perfect for sitting outside on a warm summers night. Use the following voucher codes on eurostar.com to take advantage of the Eurostar discount!

London to Brussels in Standard: AUGUSTSD10%BRU

London to Brussels Standard Premier: AUGUSTSP20%BRU

Photo: ‘Belles constructions‘ by besopha

Lille is a city of rich culture and many museums, but it’s also a city of great food. See our post about the must try local specialties and make sure you try the Meert’s famous waffles. Use the following voucher codes on eurostar.com to take advantage of the Eurostar discount!

London to Lille in Standard: AUGUSTSD10%LIL

London to Lille in Standard Premier: AUGUSTSP20%LIL

For more Eurostar deals and information on cheap Eurostar tickets, visit eurostar.com or come say hi on the Eurostar Facebook Page or Twitter Profile.

Terms & Conditions

1. By booking a ticket under this promotion, the applicant will be deemed to have read and understood these terms and conditions and agreed to be bound by them.
2. To qualify for this promotion, applicants must be aged 16 years or over at the time of purchasing their Eurostar train tickets.
3. Bookings may only be made on www.eurostar.com using the promotion code provided. Bookings may not be made by telephone.
4. Booking online is possible from 00:01 UK time on the first day of booking on 11^th August until 23.59 UK time on the final day of booking on 30th August 2011, with the exception of any times that maintenance may need to take place.
5. The promotion allows the applicant to obtain a 10% discount off Standard non-flexible and a 20% discount off Standard Premier non-flexible published fares, for either a single or return on the direct Eurostar service only originating from London St Pancras International to Paris Gare du Nord, Brussels Midi and Lille Europe.
6. The promotion code permits the applicant to obtain the discount on one booking with a maximum of 9 passengers. It is not permitted to publicize it in any way. Bookings must be made between 11^th and 30th August 2011 inclusive. Applicants must travel between 11^th and 31^st August inclusive. All tickets are subject to availability.
7. Tickets will need to be printed at home using the www.eurostar.com ‘Print-at-home’ facility or collected from a Eurostar terminal prior to departure.
8. Payment for tickets under this promotion may only be made by Switch or Delta debit card, or by American Express, Mastercard, Diners Club International, or Visa debit and credit cards. A fee of £4 is payable on all purchases made by credit card. Payment by cash or cheque will not be accepted.
9. This promotion cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion. Previous bookings made prior to this promotion and for use during the period of this promotion cannot be exchanged or refunded for any ticket acquired under this promotion. This promotion cannot be combined with other travel classes or hotel and/or car hire. Applicants are free to book hotels and car-hire separately but this will not form part of this promotion and no refunds of any difference in price will be given.
10. Applicants must comply with all relevant security, customs and immigration requirements, including the appropriate passport and visa requirements. Eurostar International Limited will not be responsible for any passenger’s failure to comply. Applicants and their travelling companions are strongly advised to take out adequate travel insurance.
11. All travel must originate from London St Pancras International.
12. Eurostar International Limited Conditions of Carriage apply to travel on Eurostar trains. Copies are available from Eurostar sales points or at www.eurostar.com.
13. Eurostar International Limited shall not be responsible for any indirect, special or consequential damages or losses suffered by the applicant or any third parties.
14. Applicants and their travelling companions must check in at least thirty (30) minutes before departure and may not be allowed to board the train if they do not do so. Eurostar International Limited will not be liable for passengers failing to make the departure time indicated on their tickets.
15. Eurostar International Limited shall not be liable for any costs, claims, damages or loss occasioned by any failure, however caused, to fulfil the terms of this promotion.
16. Eurostar International Limited shall not be liable for any failure to fulfil this promotion where such failure is caused by any supervening circumstances amounting to force majeure. Such circumstances shall include, but shall not be limited to severe weather conditions, fire, flood, earthquake, riots, industrial dispute, acts of God, supervening legislation or events which, without the fault of either party, render performance impossible or incapable of satisfactory execution.
17. Eurostar International Limited reserves the right to stop this promotion at any time or to refuse to honour any application or to recover the full fare for any booking if it considers there has been an abuse of this promotion or
18. The decision of Eurostar International Limited in all matters under its respective control is final and binding.
19. Eurostar International Limited is not responsible for any disappointment caused to the applicants by www.eurostar.com being unavailable.
20. All tickets offered under this promotion are non-exchangeable (i.e. no cash or other alternative will be offered instead of the tickets) and non-refundable and once booked tickets may not be transferred to third parties. In the event of cancellation by applicants, for whatever reason, no refund or alternative tickets will be given. Once the bookings have been confirmed, reservations may not be changed.
21. These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by English Law and the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts shall apply.
22. The Promoter – Eurostar International Limited. Times House, Bravingtons Walk, London, N1 9AW.

Every year the Main Square Festival in Arras, Northern France, serves up an incredible lineup of international artists and 2011 is no exception. This year you can rock out to the sounds of Linkin Park, Coldplay, Arcade Fire, Kaiser Chiefs, Kasabian and many more!

We’ve teamed with Main Square festival to offer 1 lucky reader a pair of tickets to this year’s festival, which takes place from Friday 1st July to Sunday 3rd. The prize includes travel to nearby Lille by Eurostar, entry to the festival and a camping pass for the festival’s campsite, which opens on 30^th June.

Lille is located just 1h20 minutes from St Pancras International, Eurostar’s station in London, and with one easy connection you can be in Arras in less than 2 hours!

To enter for this prize, and get the chance to see some incredible bands for free, just answer this question in the comments below to enter:

On the Eurostar to Lille you bump into one of the Main Square Festival line up. What would you say to them and why?

Answer this question in the comments below this blog post and you could win tickets to the festival, including camping passes and return Eurostar travel. Plus, get an extra chance to win by entering our re-tweet competition on @EurostarUK here: http://bit.ly/mTnIE6

Please see our competition terms & conditions before entering.

Competition Tweet:

Win a pair of #Eurostar tickets & 3 day passes to Main Square Festival in Lille! Just follow @EurostarUK & RT! http://bit.ly/k6qlmN

Lille in spring is a brilliant city – because although the weather is warm enough to happily walk around in shirt sleeves, but it’s not hot enough that you feel guilty about spending part of the day indoors.

Which is just as well, as this year’s Lille 3000 includes an incredible exhibition. Lille 3000 was launched to follow on from the city being the European Capital of Culture in 2004, to assure the residents of Lille that impressive cultural events weren’t only for one year, and boy have they fulfilled that promise, with an entire programme of activities.

One of the locations for the events is the old railway station at St Sauveur which will play host to a combination of concerts, theatre, performance and much more in an exhibition dubbed Paranoia. New technology is being used which will allow those attending to enter into dialogue with machines, 3D videos, robots and video games – even for those less interested in technology, it sounds pretty cool. Gare St Sauveur is also a lovely location of itself, with the terrace a lovely place to hang out, enjoy the weather, and sip on a refreshing drink.

The aim of the exhibition is to offer an imaginative insight into a futuristic society where our actions are perpetually questioned by those around us, as well as the machines we use. So in short, it’s both mentally challenging as well as great fun.

The best bit of this exhibition is that you can enjoy all of it for free. It’s open every Wednesday to Sunday from now until mid-August. With this added freebee available in addition to all the other highlights of Lille, there’s no escaping that this summer seems a great time to visit Lille.

To explore Lille for yourself this summer visit Eurostar.com and book fares from as little as £69rtn!

Photo: ‘Lille 3000‘ by Clark Hodissay

Lille is a vibrant city with a dynamic edge and nowhere is that more noticeable than in its food – it covers the full gamut from tasty sandwiches, through tipsy cravings to some of the best restaurants in all of France.

Lyons is the French city most renowned for good food, but you get something subtly different in Lille – you go there for the little things – the truffles, the perfectly made espresso, and above all else, the absolutely exquisite pastries. Yes, the pastries: one of the great pleasures of visiting France is that almost every French town has a brilliant boulangerie where you can buy great pastries at reasonable prices.

But there’s a difference between good pastries and great pastries – any resident of Lille will tell you that and they definitely know. Meert is not just the best patisserie in Lille; it’s probably the best patisserie in France. It’s not without reason that it’s survived well over 200 years and the main drive is the nationally famous waffles on sale at Meert. Called a Gaufre in French, the waffles are hand-made and filled with a sweet vanilla cream.

But what makes it so distinctively ‘Meert’ is the seal from the antique waffle makers which brand the pastry. It’s this trademark which has brought the waffles such fame throughout France, to the extent where people will travel hundreds of miles just to get a fresh one. Anyway, I’ll quit waffling on and allow you to rush off for the first train to Lille…

You can find more information on travelling to Lille from St Pancras International on our site

Photo: ‘La fameuse gaufre Meert‘ by fred_v

Christmas presents don’t buy themselves – but buying them can be made much more enjoyable with a trip to one of the famous Christmas markets of Europe.

In Bruges the Christmas market is something of an institution – Bruges is renowned as a fairytale town and drinking mulled wine and admiring the swans – while at the same time browsing some of the local goods – is a great experience. With tasty Belgian chocolates for sale – as well as other items which are less stereotypically Belgian – Bruges is a great destination for Christmas shopping. Travel to Bruges with Eurostar via Brussels in 3h 30.

If you prefer somewhere a little closer to home, northern France is home to a series of excellent Christmas markets and the best can be found in Lille. The Christmas market is held in the Place Rihour and is very busy with over 50 stalls. The Ferris wheel and fresh crepes are renowned, as is the usual friendliness of the Father Christmas at the market. A particularly amazing event happens on the last Saturday before Christmas – this year the 18th of December when Father Christmas can be seen abseiling down from the Belfry. Travel direct to Lille with Eurostar in 1h 20.

The city of Cologne boasts not just one, but seven Cologne Christmas markets. And if there’s one thing the Germans do better than anybody else, it’s great Christmas food. A particular speciality is Stollen, a bread filled with marzipan and dried fruit which is absolutely delicious. As Cologne has several Christmas markets dotted around the city, with plenty of food stalls dotted around the city, it’s only fair you sample one from each before deciding which one to take home. Travel to Cologne (Koln) with Eurostar via Brussels in 4h 11.

Bonnes courses de Noël!

Find more information on trains to Bruges, Lille and Cologne, as well as all our other Eurostar short breaks on our site!

Photo: IMG_9196 by Colin Grey

For the culture lovers of you visiting Lille, you’re sure to be impressed by one of their finest galleries, Espace Point Barre. Located on Rue de la Barre, in Lille’s city centre, the gallery boasts 100m² of sculpture-filled space on the ground floor of a beautiful 16th Century house.

The gallery is open from Wednesday to Saturday between 2pm and 7pm and displays a permanent range of 10 sculptures by artists such as Xavier Dambrine, Philippe Dewaleyene and Armelle Normand.

Our personal favourite exhibiting artist at Espace Point Barre is Xavier Dambrine. He was born in 1964 and lives and works in Paris. He exhibits his works around the world and creates sculptures of people from various materials but mostly metal. You can take a 360 degree tour of his fascinating workshop here.

Address: Espace Point Barre, 65 Rue de la Barre, 59800, LILLE

Photo: P1000756 by Gia_S