France

LiLLE

À L’HUÎTRIÈRE & HOTEL CARLTON

Carlton Hotel, Lille, France Search out the oyster shop in Lille and you will eat some of the best fish known to man. Not at home, after you have slaved over a hot stove with your purchases, but in the back of the shop. For the two rooms behind the emporium house one of the finest fish restaurants – not just in Northern France, but in the whole of Europe.

À L’Huîtrière has had one Michelin star for decades. But, on the evidence of my meal, it deserves two. Everything about this place shouts quality. Its surroundings, the pretty streets of the old town, are delightful. Its front building, a 1920s confection of Art Deco and ceramic tiles decorated with fishy themes, is a delight. And the entrance to the dining rooms – a small door with a corridor beyond, in the left hand corner of the shop – stirs up all the excitement and anticipation of the opening to Ali Baba’s cave. For, in very truth, there are treasures beyond.

I stepped inside. Immediately, I had the sense of gastronomy in the grand French tradition. Riedel (yes, I know they are Austrian) glasses, Limoges porcelain and Christofle cutlery adorned the tablecloths of pale lemon. Waiters in black tie moved purposefully around the light, oak-panelled rooms. I settled into an elegant fauteuil, opposite a modern painting of a large lady in a rowing boat, and reflected that Jean Proye, the restaurateur, must be proud of his establishment. Certainly, his staff – under the redoubtable maitre d’ Didier Vandenbossche – seemed proud to be here, and looked after me with that friendly aplomb which marks out those who know they are doing a good job well.

All was set fair for some really fine food. I caught sight of a plate of pink lamb as it was delivered to the next table. I was tempted. But no. I decided it would be the height of folly to play the carnivore in this Shrine to the Fish. So I was faithful to the call of the sea, and did not regret my fidelity. As I sipped a glass of rosé champagne and tasted the amuse-gueule – a tiny pot of tomato mousse and caviar – I surveyed the options. Oysters, crawfish, crayfish, lobsters, eels, langoustines, cod, monkfish, John Dory, red mullet, sea bass… but in the end I settled for scallops and turbot.

Sprinkled with black truffles and then wrapped in green cabbage, and sitting in a butter sauce with more slices of truffle, the scallops were tender and delicious. The freshness and hint of bitterness in the cabbage provided the ideal foil to the surrounding richness, and the combination of colours – green, white, yellow and black – was a treat for the eye. Then came the turbot, in a crisp and golden potato crust, with another butter sauce – this time with mushrooms and more of the divine truffles. The plate was too hot, but this tiny failing was easily forgiven, for this dish was superb – the firm, succulent fish partnered to perfection by the crunchy potato. Wonderful. Now, surely, the pudding could not live up to this standard. But it did.

L'Huitriere, Lille, France With pancakes, oranges, butter, sugar lumps, cognac, Grand Marnier and a flaming pan, Monsieur Vandenbossche created by the table the best crêpes Suzette ever to enter my mouth. (And, believe me, I have eaten many, many crêpes Suzette.) Here was the epitome of pure, unalloyed self-indulgence. Each spoonful was a thrill and a joy. (I judged the 93 euros for these three marvellous courses a bargain.)

And to accompany such delightful food, some delightful wine. Sommelier Philippe Wattelet sports an impressive waxed moustache. With majesty and expertise he presides over a cellar packed with fine French bottles. And, for an establishment of this standard, the prices are friendly. Thus some great clarets: 1995 Giscours – 76 euros, 1988 Pichon Lalande – 176 euros, 1995 Haut Brion – 240 euros and 1996 Pétrus – 450 euros. As you would expect at a fish restaurant, white burgundy is well represented. My 1999 Chassagne Montrachet was firm and wonderfully structured: it was a treat with the scallops and the turbot, cutting through the butter sauces with icy steel (Les Caillerets, Paul Pillot – 82 euros). And, with the crêpes Suzette, a 1994 Coteaux du Layon Sélection de Grains Nobles had the perfect hint of orange in its sweetness (Jean-Louis Douet, 50cl – 40 euros).

Such high standards of food, drink, service and surroundings make À L’Huîtrière a great restaurant, and reason alone to visit the city of Lille. But where to stay? I can commend to you a fine establishment just round the corner.

There are no huge luxury piles in Lille, but the Hotel Carlton – opposite the Opera House and the Vieille Bourse – offers comfortable accommodation with some style. My very quiet room on the second floor (number 202 – 242 euros a night, bed and breakfast for two) was traditionally furnished. Elegance was provided by the two Louis XVI-style side chairs, the blue damask on the walls and the beige marble in the small bathroom. From the breakfast buffet I ate good ham and cheese and drank decent coffee from the pots brought to my table by the friendly waitresses. Altogether, a most satisfactory billet.

With its mixture of Flemish and French architecture and culture, its fine art gallery (do not miss the Ecstasy of St Francis by El Greco) and its wonderful fish restaurant, Lille deserves your attention

France

LiLLE

À L’HUÎTRIÈRE & HOTEL CARLTON

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