Lille, the new capital for sweet tooths

Marguerite Yourcenar, Jackie Kennedy, Lille-born Charles de Gaulle, who had some delivered to the Élysée Palace, and more recently Amélie Nothomb... Many of the world's greats, past and present, have already gobbled up what is considered Lille's most emblematic sweet. Recognizable by its oval shape and subtle Madagascar vanilla aroma, the fine waffle served by Maison Méert has been an institution since 1849. But it hasn't been the only one since 1997, when Frédéric Vaucamps decided to revisit a traditional Belgian dessert based on meringue, cream and chocolate shavings, to make it lighter: the merveilleux. The success ofAux Merveilleux de Fred boutiques, which have been exported as far as New York, is well known.

Add the creations of the region's star baker, Alex Croquet, and for a long time these desserts were the only pleasures to be had when visiting the capital of Flanders. But a new generation of young pastry chefs has been resurrecting Lille's sweet legend over the past five years. Just an hour by train from Paris, where the network of new stores is saturated with more and more addresses, Lille stands out for the multiplication of new businesses focusing on the quality of raw materials and frank tastes. Here are five must-visits at snack time...

Oxalis & Bergamot

" Before we opened, there weren't many pastry shops in Old Lille. And since COVID-19, it's exploded," admits Ingrid Vanbleu, who has made her dream of running a pastry store a reality by opening Oxalis & Bergamote in May 2019. Accompanied by her partner Romain Samson, who has made a professional conversion after a career as a landscape architect, the duo has conquered the taste buds of a neighbourhood clientele in the Old Town.a local clientele in Vieux-Lille with simple recipes such as cinnamon roll brioche, vanilla/chocolate marbré and vanilla flan. Above all, the young entrepreneurs are committed to using only local raw materials, such as raw milk and butter from the Ferme des Anneaux in Avelin. Two and a half years ago, Ingrid and Romain added another string to their bow by adding a range of cookies to their shop window. " What we like is to make simple cakes in which the taste of each ingredient can be found," explains the Dunkirk-born pastry chef.

• 44 rue d'Angleterre, 59800 Lille
• www.oxalisetbergamote.fr

Encuentro chocolatier

A few kilometers from the Belgian border, often referred to as the land of chocolate, Antoine Maschi and Candice Peytour are shaking things up with their artisanal production project. Since 2019, they have been daring the painstaking work of roasting and conching cocoa beans they receive from the four corners of the globe, from Peru to Bolivia, an origin whose wild cocoa they work with. " We take a no-cocoa-butter approach, which makes our chocolates very special," explains Antoine, who says he learned his trade in a family-run chocolate factory in the Dominican Republic, where he also offers a variety. The Encuentro workshop is located on the outskirts of Lille, in Saint-André. " Candice and I met in Lille during our engineering studies. And when we decided to move our manufacturing workshop from Montreuil, it was an obvious choice to return to this city to which we are so attached. We're proud to have built our project here; it's a real business hub," confides Antoine. Between past and present, Encuentro has come full circle, supplying chocolate to the Méert patisserie for its own sweet creations.

• 26 rue Félix Faure, 59350 Saint-André-lez-Lille
• www.chocolatencuentro.com

©Encuentro

L'Ogre de Carrouselberg

"Dorsmon p'tit quinquin, min p'tit pouchin..." No one from Lille is unfamiliar with this famous nursery rhyme, which has lulled the childhood of many generations. With a wink as sweet as a lullaby, Stéphanie Touzet and Matthieu Buchalski drew their inspiration from it to creates signature cake, whose name, borrowed from a regional tale, reveals their themes of inspiration. A fingertip treat, P'tit Pouchin is topped with a light Madagascar vanilla cream, scented with orange blossom. Varying with the seasons, the recipe has become as indispensable as the Méert waffle. The Gianduja pompon, with its creamy hazelnut heart, is another " must-have" in the range of pastries, taking you back to childhood.

• 17 rue des Vieux Murs, 59800 Lille
• www.ogre-de-carrouselberg.com

Maison Beauchamp

One of the city's latest sweet sensations. Originally opened in Wattrelos, Maison Beauchamp has spread its reputation by setting up shop in the heart of the bustle, right next to Place Rihour, a well-known meeting point for the people of Lille, linking Vieux-Lille with the fast-changing Wazemmes district. Behind a sleekly decorated window, the store takes its cue from the sculpted fruit that has made pastry chef Cédric Grolet the star of Instagram. Betting on a high-end concept, Beauchamp has adapted the method to its own creations, such as a popcorn topped with a ganache and popcorn-flavored cream. A salted butter caramel with a crisp corn crunch makes it all the more delicious.

• 14 Rue de la Vieille Comédie, 59800 Lille
• www.facebook.com/p/Maison-Beauchamp

©MaisonBeauchamp

The Pablo & Valentina tea room

This is one of the very first addresses of this new generation to offer good and beautiful food in Lille. Initially inspired by English snacks, the Cordelette family recently made a pastry turn to focus on more traditional desserts such as Mont-Blanc and Paris-Brest. Located in the heart of Vieux-Lille, the tearoom's ambition when it opened was to " compete with the new coffee chains that have just arrived on the scene, by focussing on the quality of their products". by focusing on fresh, seasonal ingredients," explains Vincent Cordelette, who has just taken over from his father at the helm.

• 17 Rue Bartholomé Masurel, 59800 Lille
• Read Gault&Millau's review of Pablo & Valentina