"My wife and I came here for lunch the weekend just passed. We had Eurostar loyalty points to spend, I hadn’t been to Lille so thought why don’t we go for lunch – because, well why not. So then we needed someone perfect for lunch! We spent a lot of time researching, forums, TA reviews etc. and decided to go with Rouge Barre – it had good reviews, the restaurant looked comfortable and not too formal, and whilst there was no menu on line, pictures on TA looked good and the chef was on Top Chef, so we took a leap of faith – and wow are we glad we did. What an incredible restaurant. The restaurant itself feels like it’s in a slightly more secluded, but perhaps more trendy / hipster part of Lille – lovely art gallery just around the corner, and cafés etc on the approach. We sat upstairs on the outside terrace which was lovely, and the restaurant itself inside has been decorated very nicely, airy and light to create a comfortable dining experience. There was no menu as such, our waitress said there was a 3 course option or a 9 course tasting menu. We choose the 3 course, and when I told them I didn’t eat fish, they immediately accommodated my preference on the 3 course menu with no fuss. In the event, the 3 course menu turned into a 6 course menu with amuse-bouche etc. and every course was exquisite. I’ve been fortunate enough to have eaten in some good restaurants around the world with my work, but this restaurant easily tops some of the meals I’ve had by other well-known chefs. The food was well proportioned, portions were just the right size, flavours worked well together, and the quality of the ingredients was excellent. On top of that the value for money was outstanding - we had two 3 course menus, champagne, water and soft drinks, with tip was less than €100!!!I won’t give details of the courses as they change constantly, but this place is superb and if anyone is looking for that one good meal in Lille this is the place to go. I’d return just for this place again! How this place doesn’t gave a Michelin star is beyond me. It deserves one."
