Hauts-de-France, recently crowned as the European gastronomic region of the year, is just a quick trip away across the Channel
The magnificent region of northern France, bordering Belgium, is renowned for its impressive selection of cheeses. Hauts-de-France proudly produces over 200 diverse types of cheese, including some of the most delightful dairy products in the country. Keep an eye out for maroilles, a soft cow’s milk cheese with a distinct mushroom-like aroma, mimolette, a semi-hard cheese with a fruity scent, or the brine-washed chaud biloute, which is wonderfully gooey and best enjoyed warm from the oven.
In Montreuil-sur-Mer, Fromagerie Caseus presents an extensive range of local cheeses. In Lille, you can explore Philippe Olivier’s three exceptional cheese shops, and the Arras Food Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays showcases the creations of Virginie Dubois-Dhorne, the esteemed 2021 Cheese Champion.
Boulogne-sur-Mer, boasting France’s largest fishing port, features quays adorned with stalls selling incredibly fresh spider crab, lobster, langoustines, scallops, sole, and oysters. Enhance your seafood cooking skills at La Matelote, where Chef Stellio Lestienne shares expert advice and techniques, from fish filleting to opening scallops and oysters with finesse, as well as crafting delectable sauces. A must-visit is Le Chatillon in the port area, originally a restaurant catering to dock workers and sailors, offering an outstanding lunch menu showcasing market-fresh seafood (starting from €12.90 for main courses). Afterward, take a stroll through the charming, cobbled historic center of Boulogne-sur-Mer, with its prominent domed basilica dominating the skyline.
While the French cuisine may often be associated with a focus on meats and cheeses, the agricultural heartland of the country paints a different picture, especially in terms of vegetables. Here, in abundance, you’ll find leeks, beetroot, sand-grown carrots, cauliflower, and the renowned “pearl of the north” endives. These vegetables play a significant role in the region’s gastronomy, and interestingly, there are even guild-style brotherhoods dedicated to promoting and celebrating specific vegetables grown in the peaty Audomarois marshlands.
To truly appreciate these extraordinary market gardens, take a delightful journey on a flat-bottomed bacove barge from the La Maison du Marais visitor centre in Saint-Omer. As you navigate through the picturesque wetlands adorned with trees, you can witness the beauty of these thriving vegetable plots. It’s worth noting that the marshes themselves hold UNESCO recognition as a biosphere reserve, providing a habitat for numerous bird species, including storks and kingfishers.
Once you’ve finished exploring the town, make your way to Bacove, an elegant restaurant located in the heart of the old quarter and owned by Top Chef winner Camille Delcroix. Indulge in a brasserie-style lunch experience featuring delightful dishes made with locally sourced ingredients, including oysters served with foraged herb sorbet, artichokes, and monkfish tail – all sourced straight from the nearby Audomarois marshlands. You can enjoy a three-course menu at around €40 (restaurant-bacove.com).
Hauts-de-France boasts an impressive selection of 17 Michelin-starred restaurants, alongside charming and affordable bistro-style estaminets where traditional Flemish recipes harmonize with beloved French favorites. While it may be a challenge to try them all, setting up a base in the picturesque town of Montreuil-sur-Mer will grant you access to a variety of culinary experiences orchestrated by chef Alexandre Gauthier. At his establishment, the Grand Place Café (with main dishes starting from €15, fr.gaultmillau.com), you can savor delicate brioche-based croque monsieurs, daily specials such as locally-sourced endives baked with ham and cheese, and the beloved Flemish specialty known as “Welsh” – a hearty hot sandwich laden with cheese and enlivened with beer.
For a more refined dining experience, venture to La Grenouillere, Gauthier’s two-Michelin-starred farmhouse restaurant and hotel (offering three-course menus starting from €65). By staying in one of the inn’s eight exquisite hunting huts, you can indulge in signature dishes like blinis filled with local tourteau crab (lagrenouillere.fr).
Craving a beer? Hauts-de-France is home to over half of France’s breweries, offering a diverse selection of 200-plus ales ranging from blond, brown, amber, to golden. Established breweries like Brasserie Castelain, Brasserie Saint-Germain, and Brasserie Goudale are well-known, but there’s also a growing presence of microbreweries. Keep an eye out for unique beers crafted by Singe Savant and Les Célestins, both based in Lille.
If you’re passionate about beer tasting, Lille is the destination for you. With a brewing history spanning 1,000 years, the city hosts the annual Biere a Lille Festival, taking place from September 17th to 24th. Alternatively, you can join a beer treasure hunt organized by L’Echappée Biere, the first brewery tourist agency in France, which operates every Saturday (echappee-biere.com).
Celebrate with Champagne!
Hauts-de-France is home to some of the finest Champagne producers, with approximately 10% of France’s total output coming from the southern part of the region, specifically Aisne. Explore the region’s unique cellars to discover more about their exceptional Champagne crafted from a blend of pinot noir, pinot meunier, and chardonnay grapes. Notable Champagne houses include Maison Pannier in Château-Thierry and the UNESCO award-winning Champagne Meteyer house in Trelou-sur-Marne. Additionally, keep an eye out for the delightful and lesser-known local Champagne called Champagne Cricco (lesportesdelachampagne.com).
