Review: Best Coffee Places in Lille

(This is the street that most of the listed coffee shops are on.)

I've been back in the United States for about two weeks now, so it's time for--you guessed it--nostalgia posting. This was something that I was planning to post when I was still in Lille, but like many things I plan to do, I didn't do it. Well, better late than never. Also, it's a good excuse to relive the days when I used to go camp out in cute coffee shops because I didn't have working wifi at my residence hall.

Caféine Coffee

They're serious about coffee here. They don't just have filtered coffee, they have pressed coffee. I recommend giving the aeropress a try. Also, a tip: aeropress is the wifi password. It's a bit of a hipster hotbed, and the first place I ever saw an issue of Kinfolk magazine. (I know nothing about Kinfolk except that apparently hipsters read it.) This was one of my favorite places to camp out and do work, especially since I could go to their downstairs area and completely zone out from the world if I needed to. Beware on weekends, especially Sundays: this place gets crazy busy.

Tamper! Espresso Bar

Just down the road from Caféine, and just as serious about coffee. They also serve some really good smoothies, and if you're lucky they'll have brookies among their pastries of the day. There's not as much seating here as there is at other places, and the hours are a little strange. But if you plan it out and get there early, you can score a outdoor table for a prime people watching view.

Moment Privilégié

Yes, they do have coffee here, but no, that's not what you should get on your first visit. You should get the HotChocSpoon, which is essentially a circle of chocolate on a spoon that you stick in a warm cup of milk to make your own hot chocolate. They have tons of flavors, and they even have options of milk, dark, or white chocolate. This is also the place to go if you want to read a book or get some work done in peace. They have a basement room filled with comfy armchairs and couches, and no wifi means no distractions.

Coffee Makers 

This tiny place on Rue de Paris is easy to miss, but if it does catch your eye, you're in for a treat. They have quirky and cute drawings on the walls, a quirky and kind staff, and, as they advertise out front, seriously good coffee. They also make great sandwiches for lunch, but don't get too attached--they change the lunch menu every week, so even if you become a regular like me (seriously, they offered me a loyalty card), you never get bored.

Costa Coffee

Good old Costa. It's not a cute little indie shop like the others, but it was there for me from 8am to 8pm any day that I needed it. I worked on applications here. I had long talks with friends here. I made new friends here. I wrote in my journal here. And a medium coffee here is even bigger than most large coffees at other places. As an added bonus: their Christmas cups are adorable.

Résidence Béthanie, Room 233

The coffee isn't necessarily the best you can find out there--it's just Nestlé Special Instant--but it's strong and it wakes you up. Sometimes it's served with a pastry or sandwich from the phenomenal Boulangerie/Pattiserie du Renard from across the street. The wifi is sometimes spotty, but the bed the perfect place to huddle away and read on a rainy day.