Bars and nightlife in Lille

Rue Solférino, the student strip

This is the busiest street in Lille at night. Lots of bars, long happy hours, cheap pints. It's loud, it's fun, and the crowd is mostly students. Le Solférino, at number 156, is a friendly bar-tabac with a small terrace and games. Right next to it, at 23 rue Masséna, Shooter's Bar lives up to its name: a long list of shooters, a terrace, and a crowd that livens up quickly as the evening goes on. It opens from 4pm.

Vieux-Lille, for a quieter drink

A completely different mood. Wine bars like Au Gré du Vin or Nectar Dégustation, where you come to discover a bottle rather than work through rounds. The stone and exposed beams do a lot for the atmosphere in the evening.

If you're after cocktails, I'd point you to Le Quai des Bananes, at the start of rue Royale. Warm, slightly tropical, and the prices stay reasonable. There's a cellar and an enclosed terrace, so you can settle in with friends even when it's cold out. Plenty of cocktails and mocktails, and beers too if you'd rather. Open every day.

Wazemmes, the most mixed district

Craft beer bars, cocktail places, and more alternative spots, in a lively multicultural district. The mood changes completely from one street to the next. It's the area to head for when you don't want to decide in advance where you'll end up.

Central Lille, for sport and big groups

The centre draws a wider crowd than the other districts: students, people coming out of the office, groups of friends, and plenty of visitors from abroad. This is where the big venues are, the ones that can take fifty people without becoming unbearable.

Delirium Café, 14 rue Léon Trulin, is the best example. Two floors, four serving counters: you never wait twenty minutes for a pint on a Saturday night. The beer list is long, mostly Belgian, and a pint costs between €6 and €8. Weekday happy hour from 4pm to 7pm makes a real difference to the bill. The times shift now and then, so the board at the entrance is what counts.

Above all it's the place to know if you want to watch a match. Plenty of screens, the week's fixtures posted up, and a room that fills for big football or rugby nights. You'll often find supporters who have travelled over to follow their team. If you're in Lille on a European night, there'll be people cheering the same shirt as you.

One warning: on big match nights the room fills well before kick-off. Get there an hour early if you want a seat.