Where to eat out in Arras?
The traditional restaurants of Arras: bistros, brasseries and fine-dining tables, around the Grand'Place, the Place des Héros and throughout the city.
The tables that tell the story of Arras
Traditional dining is the beating heart of the Arras table. Neighbourhood bistros, lively brasseries and fine-dining addresses keep alive a cuisine of the North and of the Artois, generous and seasonal, served in a setting of stone and brick unlike anywhere else in France.
Around the Grand'Place and the Place des Héros, under the arcades and in the vaulted cellars, most of the addresses are gathered. Here you find the great regional classics, from welsh to Flemish carbonnade, from potjevleesch to fries with maroilles, as well as more contemporary menus built on fresh produce and the slate of the day.
This section gathers all these tables, from the no-fuss bistro to the address you book for a special day. Each listing describes the establishment, its neighbourhood, its atmosphere and its price range, with a map to locate it without getting lost in the lanes. Whether you are here for a weekend or a local looking for a new address, the aim is the same: to find the table that matches the moment, the craving and the budget. Browse the selection below, then let the pages that follow tell you everything about traditional cooking in Arras.
3 Brasseurs, craft brewery-restaurant in Arras
€€A brewery that brews its own beers, flammekueche and Northern cuisine.
Bistrot La Comédie, restaurant in Arras (Place du Théâtre)
€€Bistro-brasserie on the Place du Théâtre: welsh, house burgers and gigs.
L’Entre Nous, restaurant on Grand’Place in Arras
€€French brasserie with a terrace at 43 Grand’Place in Arras.
L’Épicurien Arras, restaurant near the station
€€Seasonal French cooking and local produce opposite Arras station.
L’Œuf ou la Poule, restaurant in Arras centre
€€€Creative cooking centred on eggs and poultry, near Place des Héros.
La Cave des Saveurs, restaurant in Arras (Grand'Place)
€€ (environ 35 à 40 €)Northern cuisine in a brick vaulted cellar, at 36 Grand'Place.
La Passe-Pierre, seafood restaurant in Arras
€€Homemade fish and seafood on Place des Héros.
La Signature, fine dining in Arras
€€€€Refined French cooking in a vaulted cellar in old Arras.
Le Bouchot, seafood restaurant in Arras
€€Fish, seafood and mussels on rue Chanzy, close to the railway station.
Le Carpe Diem, restaurant in Arras (Petits Viéziers)
€€Seasonal French cuisine and a terrace, on rue des Petits Viéziers.
Le Ch’ti Charivari, restaurant in Arras
€€Northern French and mountain dishes in a convivial Grand’Place setting.
Le Péché Gourmand, restaurant in Arras
€€Brasserie lunches and seasonal bistronomic cooking in the evening.
Le Petit Rat Porteur, restaurant in Arras
€€Northern French cooking in a vaulted cellar between Arras main squares.
Le Petit Théâtre, Italian restaurant in Arras
€€Italian brasserie near the theatre with pizza, pasta, grills and a terrace.
Le Saint-Germain, restaurant in Arras (Grand'Place)
€€Generous Northern cuisine in a warm room, at 14 Grand'Place.
Le Silex, rotisserie in Arras (Grand'Place)
€€€Contemporary rotisserie with fresh produce and a Grand'Place terrace.
Le Vidocq, Italian restaurant in Arras (pizzeria)
€€Wood-fired pizzeria and Italian cuisine, right in the centre of Arras.
Poulet d’Enfer Arras, rotisserie and Northern bistro
€€Licques poultry, rotisserie cooking and beef-fat fries near the belfry.
Bistro, brasserie, fine dining: who is who?
Behind the word « restaurant » lie, in Arras as elsewhere, several ways of welcoming guests. Telling them apart helps you aim right, depending on the mood of the day and the time you have.
The bistro
This is the everyday table, unpretentious and often family-run. It serves market cooking, a slate that changes with the seasons, a dish of the day at lunchtime. Atmosphere matters more than ceremony, prices stay moderate, and you quickly feel at home. In Arras, the bistro is the ideal refuge for a weekday lunch or a simple dinner with friends.
The brasserie
Larger and livelier, the brasserie serves continuously or over wide hours, which makes it precious when you arrive at an off-peak time. It is the kingdom of the great classics, of Northern dishes, of seafood on fine days and of cheerful tables. Many occupy the finest terraces on the two squares.
The fine-dining table
Here you come for the plate as much as for the moment. The chef works the produce, cares for the plating and builds a shorter menu, often set in a vaulted cellar or an elegant room. You book, you take your time, you celebrate. It is the table for special occasions, where the Artois terroir is told with finesse.
The dishes you find on the menu
Traditional Arras cooking draws on a well-identified regional repertoire. Here are the essentials to spot on the menus, best tasted with a local beer and a cone of fries.
Welsh
Toasted bread drowned in cheddar melted with beer and mustard, often crowned with an egg and a slice of ham. The Northern comfort dish par excellence, served bubbling hot.
Flemish carbonnade
Beef slowly braised in brown ale, softened with gingerbread and a touch of brown sugar. Homemade sweet-and-savoury, served with fries.
Potjevleesch
A terrine of white meats set in jelly, the Flemish « little pot of meat ». Eaten cold, with fries, as a starter with real backbone.
To these three pillars add many other seasonal pleasures. The maroilles tart fills the room with its powerful cheese; the chicons, our endives, are enjoyed braised or baked with ham; the mussels and fries delight fine days; the grilled andouillette, made from pork and veal, reminds you that the city devotes a festival to it every summer. Many tables round out this repertoire with grilled meats, fish and vegetarian options, enough to please every guest at the same table.
Under the arcades and in the vaulted cellars
Traditional dining in Arras has a rare privilege: its setting. On the Grand'Place and the Place des Héros, the gabled houses line up their sandstone arcades, and beneath them stretch the finest terraces in the city. To sit down there, facing the belfry, turns a simple meal into a moment of heritage.
Inside, many addresses occupy former brick vaulted cellars, cool in summer and warm in winter. These low rooms, inherited from the grain trade, give dinners a particular intimacy, well suited to tête-à-têtes as much as to celebratory meals. The streets radiating from the squares, towards the theatre or the Saint-Vaast abbey, hide more confidential tables, often the most endearing.
This geography is easy to remember: the squares for the buzz and the view, the lanes for peace and quiet, the cellars for atmosphere. On each listing, the neighbourhood shown helps you choose the setting as much as the cuisine.
The rhythm of markets and seasons
A traditional table lives to the rhythm of its supply and of the city's big events. Knowing this calendar helps you choose your moment, and know when to book.
Wednesday and Saturday mornings
The market spreads across the two squares. Cooks do their shopping there, and at a glance you understand what will fill the day's slates: Artois vegetables, cheeses, seafood from the coast.
Spring and summer
The terraces open under the arcades, mussels and fries return and lunches stretch on. In early summer, on festival nights, the central tables are booked far ahead.
Autumn
The season of slow-cooked dishes takes over: carbonnade, hotpots, sometimes game. It is the ideal moment to rediscover Northern cooking in a vaulted cellar, sheltered from the wind.
December
The Christmas market lights up the Grand'Place and fills the central restaurants. A traditional dinner after a stroll among the chalets becomes one of the pleasures of the Arras winter.
Choosing your traditional table well
Not every table suits every occasion. Open these few pointers to find the address that fits you.
By budget
The price range is shown on every listing. For an affordable meal, aim for weekday set lunches, often good value. For an occasion, fine-dining tables offer more elaborate menus. In between, bistros and brasseries offer excellent value for generosity.
By occasion
With family, favour spacious brasseries and their menus that please all ages. For a romantic meal, the vaulted cellars and intimate tables of the lanes are ideal. For a business lunch, look for careful service and a calm room, right in the centre.
Do I need to book?
For a weekend dinner, during the Christmas market or the big summer festival, booking is strongly advised, as the centre fills up fast. During the week, lunch is more relaxed. When in doubt, a simple call confirms availability and current hours.
Vegetarian options and diets
While Northern cuisine celebrates meat, many tables now offer salads, vegetarian dishes, baked chicons and fish. The cuisine type appears on each listing to help you choose before booking.
A cuisine of terroir and season
If people eat well in the traditional restaurants of Arras, it is also because the countryside begins at the edge of the cobbles. The Artois is a generous farming land, and the best tables draw on this nearby larder.
The market gardeners of the Arras ring supply the markets and, more and more, the kitchens directly. Chicons grow away from the light, potatoes become fries, cheesemakers ripen maroilles and its cousins in patient cellars, and the Opal Coast, an hour away, sends its fish and mussels. This closeness lets restaurateurs work with seasonal produce and shorten supply chains.
When a menu announces a slate that changes every week or fresh seasonal cooking, it is this terroir speaking. Choosing it means supporting local farming and finding on the plate the true taste of the Artois, the one standardised chains cannot offer.
Your questions about restaurants in Arras
Where can I find the best traditional restaurants in Arras?
The highest concentration is around the Grand'Place and the Place des Héros, under the arcades and in the vaulted cellars. The city-centre streets, towards the theatre and the Saint-Vaast abbey, hide more intimate addresses. Browse the listings above and note the neighbourhood shown on each.
What typical dish should I try in an Arras restaurant?
Welsh, Flemish carbonnade and potjevleesch are the three classics to discover first. Depending on the season, add a maroilles tart, baked chicons or mussels and fries. The Arras andouillette, celebrated every summer, is also worth a detour for charcuterie lovers.
Can I eat on the Grand'Place or the Place des Héros?
Yes, the two squares concentrate brasseries and terraces set under the arcades. It is the dream setting for a heritage meal. On fine days, it is better to arrive early or book, as the best terrace tables go fast.
Are traditional restaurants expensive in Arras?
There is something for every budget. Bistros and brasseries offer affordable set lunches and generous dishes at moderate prices, while fine-dining tables target special occasions. The price range appears on each listing so you can choose with full transparency.
Should I book at the weekend?
It is strongly advised, especially on Saturday evenings, during the Christmas market and the city's big events. A prior call avoids waiting and sometimes secures a better table.
How is this list of addresses selected?
This guide lists the traditional dining establishments of Arras and its urban community, with a descriptive listing and a map for each. It is independent and free, and is neither a booking service nor an agent of the establishments mentioned.
Find your next table
From the brasseries of the Grand'Place to the neighbourhood bistros, by way of the fine-dining tables in vaulted cellars, every traditional address in the city is waiting for you above.
See the establishments