Don't rule out evening Eurostar trains to Lille or Paris. Tickets are often cheaper and, despite the clocks being an hour ahead, your break can still start that night, as there's plenty of accommodation near the Eurostar terminals and good restaurants that stay open late.

For example, microbrewery Les Trois Brasseurs (22 Place de la Gare, Lille) has cheap-and-cheerful local dishes, while you might also try the art deco Brasserie Terminus Nord (23 Rue de Dunkerque, Paris).

www.lachope.com/troisbr.html

www.terminusnord.com

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Café Oz for a brilliant and trendy anglophone bar. Great cocktails, fantastic music, and always packed!

community.iexplore.com/planning/journalEntryActivity.asp?journalID=31247&entryID=35784&n=Cafe+Oz

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Don't miss Les Trois Brasseurs, a bar selling many types of beer, all brewed on the premises. Try a rack of different beers in tasting glasses and some cheap and authentic local food.

www.lachope.com/troisbr.html

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Microbrewery opposite Lille Flanders station. The food here's OK (pub grub - go for the Flammekuche pizza) but the real draw is the beer, brewed on site. Try the tasting menu: four house beers in little sampling glasses. Also sells beer to take home - a three-pack of 75cl bottles is about 10 euro.

22 place de la gare, 59000 Lille;
tel: 03 20 06 4625;
www.les3brasseurs.com

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