Carbonade Flamande

I messaged Theo “Do you know anywhere good to eat near the pub?”

“If you are down for proper Lille cuisine, seek out somewhere that serves Carbonade Flamande, it’s a local speciality. Meat cooked in dark beer. Delicious”.

I ask Alexander, who is working the bar at The Queen Victoria, the pub I am visiting for work. He lights up “A classic dish! You need to go to Au Paon d’Or”. A five minute walk away and two minutes from my hotel. Excellent.

Au Paon d’Or is on a corner and lit up like a beacon. Luminous signage and terrace seating area under red awnings. I choose to sit inside on this chilly March evening. The inside is blue and wood, brown and tiles. Timeless. The lighting is hidden behind an ornate stained glass in the ceiling.

If France is a wine country, someone forgot to tell the clientele of Au Paon d’Or, whom seem to be exclusively drinking beer. The waitress approaches and I pronounce the order I have been practising in my head for the last ten minutes. “Une grande bière brune et une flandre carbonadée, s’il vous plaît”. “No problem” she replies in perfectly blank English.

I sit in the hubbub soaking it all in. A few minutes later, my beer arrives, followed promptly by the meal. The meat is tender and falls apart under the slightest pressure. The gravy is sweet. It has a faint malt grain hint, but is predominantly molasses, almost jammy. It pairs wonderfully with the glass of Leffe brune, which is a medley of brown sugar, herbs, banana and raisin. I suspect this beer was used in the sauce. The combo is simple and comforting. Delicious.

For a Tuesday evening the brasserie seems busy. I listen to the voices around me whilst I eat. I do not understand any of it. I don’t speak French and every French person I encounter in Lille speaks English to me. I must look British. A couple sit down on the table next to me and the lady eyes my food whilst pretending to look at the menu. A moment later, she orders Carbonade Flamande and a Leffe Brun. The waitress responds approvingly in French. As I finish my beer the woman’s meal arrives. I catch her eye. We exchange smiles.

“Merci. Au revoir” I say to the waitress.

“Ok. Bye” she responds without looking up.