How to Eat like a Local in Hauts-de-France

Three new free guides reveal Hauts-de-France’s culinary riches, offering itineraries through coastal resorts and vibrant cities…

Hauts-de-France is inviting visitors to discover the region’s rich culinary culture through three new free guides, each designed for couples seeking a flavour-packed escape, and crammed with insider tips, so you can go (and eat) where the locals go.

Easily reached from the UK by ferry, tunnel or Eurostar, this northernmost tip of France is ideal for short breaks, and these guides will steer you through grand seaside resorts, elegant cities and peaceful canalside towns, highlighting what to taste, explore and savour.

LE TOUQUET-MONTREUIL-SUR-MER FOODIE TRAIL

The guide to Le Touquet and Montreuil-sur-Mer is built around a four-day itinerary that proves just how effortless a French foodie break can be so close to the Channel. It spotlights Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, the – resort famed for its Art Deco heritage, vast beaches, English influences and buzzing food scene. Visitors can follow its neat grid of streets to artisan chocolatiers, crêperies and cheesemongers, or time a trip for market days on Rue Jean-Monnet, when stalls brim with cheeses, charcuterie, jams and freshly caught seafood. Oysters are a must-try local delicacy.

Beyond the boutiques and beach cafés, travellers are encouraged to cycle the dunes and estuary trails, climb the lighthouse for sweeping views, or enjoy cocktails at the historic Westminster Hotel, once frequented by Ian Fleming. Twenty minutes inland, you’ll find Montreuil-sur-Mer, celebrated for its Saturday market, fortified ramparts and remarkably high concentration of restaurants. Michelin-starred chef Alexandre Gauthier sources local produce from the market for his restaurants Anecdote, Froggy’s Tavern and the two-star La Grenouillère in nearby La Madelaine-sous-Montreuil. Specialist food shops, wine cellars and boulangeries round off the experience.

https://tinyurl.com/Touquet-Montreuil

A LILLE FOODIE WEEKEND

Lille is an ideal weekend escape for gourmets: 80 minutes from London, entirely walkable, and thriving with both Flemish and French gastronomic traditions. This three-night itinerary takes in its welcoming estaminets, which serve hearty local classics such as carbonnade (Flemish beef stew) and flamiche au Maroilles (cheese tart), as well as plenty of tips for cosy bistros and Michelin-starred restaurants, including La Table du Clarance, Pureté and Le Cerisier.

Beer lovers are well catered for, with more than 60 regional breweries and a wave of new microbreweries in the city; the guide even suggests a beer-themed treasure hunt through the old town. Sweet treats feature strongly too, notably the vanilla-filled waffles at Meert and the celebrated Merveilleux de Fred. Cultural stops such as the Old Stock Exchange, the belfry and the atmospheric Wazemmes Market help pace the day between tastings, while the guide also suggests unusual experiences such as 2CV tours and excursions to Roubaix’s La Piscine museum or the Louvre-Lens.

https://tinyurl.com/Foodie-Lille

GOURMET AMIENS/BAIE DE SOMME

Amiens and the Somme Bay offer one of northern France’s most appealing short road trips, with a five-day itinerary taking in the city, coast and the moving battlefields of the Somme. Amiens is celebrated for its sensational produce, much of it grown in the historic hortillonnages – floating market gardens cultivated since the Middle Ages. Visitors can browse the Saturday market on Place Parmentier, then continue to foodie shops for specialities such as ficelle picarde (ham and mushroom crêpe) and the almond-based macarons d’Amiens. The city rewards wandering: its UNESCO-listed Gothic cathedral dazzles after dark with the nightly Chroma light show, while the canalside Saint-Leu district is perfect for an al fresco drink.

The guide highlights electric-boat trips through the hortillonnages, especially during the International Festival of Gardens (May-October). Beyond Amiens, the route continues through the medieval streets of Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, with views from the ramparts by the Porte Guillaume, stops for gâteau battu, and chances to spot salt-meadow sheep.

Travellers can cycle the bay’s flat trails – part of the Vélomaritime – or ride the vintage steam train between Saint-Valery and Le Crotoy. Restaurants feature local gems such as salt-meadow lamb and samphire, as well as some of the freshest seafood in France.

https://tinyurl.com/Amiens-Somme

All guides are free to download.

Visit hautsdefrancetourism.com

Looking for more French food and drink content?

In our magazine we offer a whirlwind tour of the best gastronomic destinations. Discover La Belle France’s renowned markets, quirkiest food festivals, most indulgent restaurants and foodie experiences.

Lead photo credit : Lille _ terrasses illuminées de la Grand Place, Hauts-de-France tourisme Nicolas Bryant