In a country with UNESCO-listed cuisine, Northern France stands out for the passion and excellence of its chefs and its Michelin-starred restaurants.
Discover new tastes in elegant settings, based on ingredients rooted in terroir.
With 15 Michelin-starred chefs and many restaurants listed in the influential Gault et Millau guides, Hauts-de-France region is a paradise for foodie couples, who can enjoy both traditional and innovative cuisine while exploring the region’s sights. These include Deux-Caps, the Bay of Somme (among the world’s loveliest bays), the Château de Chantilly with its antique painting collection second only to that of the Louvre in Paris, the Musée du Louvre-Lens, and the city of Lille. And luxurious places to stay are close at hand too.
Breaking news!
The title of European Region of Gastronomy has been awarded to Hauts-de-France for 2023 which should raise awareness about the food treasures of the region beyond French borders.
Meet the Michelin-starred chefs in Northern France
One of France's stars, 2 Michelin stars an hour from Calais. Alexandre Gauthier, La Grenouillère
At the helm of Auberge de la Grenouillère in La Madelaine-sous-Montreuil, Michelin-starred Alexandre Gauthier shot to fame when he served local Licques chicken to heads of state including Barack Obama at Paris’ COP21 conference.
One of France's stars, 2 Michelin stars an hour from Calais: Christophe Dufossé
Chef at the Hôtel Le Château de Busnes, Christophe Dufossé likes cooking local produces and shares is passion with gourmet cookery courses, available in English.
Other Michelin-starred names to look out for are Sébastien Tantot, chef at the Auberge la Bonne idée in Saint Jean aux Bois near Compiègne, Benjamin Delpierre at la Liégoise in wimereux on the Opal Coast, Florent Ladeyn at the Auberge du Vert-Mont in Boeschepe
Chefs get out and about, selecting ingredients from market stalls, market gardeners and producers, plus seafood in the Somme Bay.
Then there are other huge talents such as Steven Ramon at Rouge Barre in Lille and Pierre-Alain Delaby at Le Mathurin in Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, known for his seafood.
Low Food Miles, High Standards of Presentation These chefs insist on using high-quality seasonal produce. Some incorporate rare ingredients such as saffron grown in the Somme Bay, as championed by Porquet and Ludovic Colpart at the Auberge du Pont de Rethondes.
Haute gastronomy at the Hotel Clarance in Lille, just 90 minutes from London
Low Food Miles, High Standards of Presentation These chefs insist on using high-quality seasonal produce. Some incorporate rare ingredients such as saffron grown in the Somme Bay, as championed by Porquet and Ludovic Colpart at the Auberge du Pont de Rethondes.
Many local products you’ll sample are also available to buy and bring home, including Philippe Olivier cheeses, served in the best restaurants but also available in his fromageries in Boulogne-sur-Mer, Lille, Lens and elsewhere. The same goes for champagne (10% of French output comes from Hauts-de-France) and fine wines.
And French art de vivre is demonstrated not only in what you’re served but how you’re served it – at beautifully set tables with properly placed cutlery and glasses. Here again, let yourself be inspired to take home hand-made local accessories for your own dining table, from shops including the Orfèvrerie d’Ercuis, Cristallerie d’Arc in Arques, Au Bleu d’Arras and Maison Porcelaine in Chantilly.
2023: List of Michelin-starred restaurants in Northern France
Two-Michelin-starred restaurants:
One-Michelin-starred restaurants:
In Lille Area:
- La table du Clarance, this one needs no introduction
- Le Cerisier in Lille
- Le Val d’Auge in Bondues (surburb of Lille)
- Pureté in Lille
In the French Flanders :
- Nature in Armantières near Lille
- Haut bonheur de la table in the picturesque village of Cassel
- Auberge du Vert Mont in Boeschepe by the trendy chef Florent Ladeyn
- Rozo in Marcq
- Arborescence in Croix
On the Opal Coast:
- Le Pavillon in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (the restaurant of the Westminster***** hotel)
- La Liègoise in Wimereux (the restaurant of Atlantic hotel****)
In the Oise department (north of Paris):
- La Grange de Belle-Eglise 15 miles from Chantilly
- L’auberge à la bonne idée in the picturesque village of Saint Jean-aux Bois in the forest of Compiègne (between Pierrefonds and Compiègne)
- L'Orée de la Forêt in Étouy (near Chantilly)
- Le Verbois in Saint-Maximin
Two-Michelin-starred restaurants:
On the Opal Coast:
- La Grenouillère ** in La Madeleine-sous-Montreuil near Montreuil-sur-Mer, chef Alexandre Gauthier.
Elsewhere in Pas-de-Calais:
- Château de Beaulieu in Busnes near Béthune / A 26 motorway (Château de Busnes is a 4* hotel Relai et Château) chef Christophe Dufossé
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