Local life in Pas-de-Calais, France: Where to eat and stay

1: Isnor

La Baguernette sits at the heart of the Marais Audomarois wetlands, a UNESCO-listed Biosphere Reserve with vegetable gardens and 200-plus bird species. This laidback restaurant with its shaded terraces serves regional specialities including waterzooï, carbonnade and suckling pig cooked for eight hours in a wood-fired oven – the perfect fuel before or after taking one of Ô Marais’s trips through these water meadows by traditional bacôve (flat-bottomed oak boat) or larger cruiser serving food and drink. There are also guided walks (including a family trail), canoe and small boat hire, and a seasonal food and crafts market.

2: La Ferme de Wolphus

The unique collection of B&B rooms and gîtes is just 15 minutes from Calais in a soothing environment of 13-plus hectares of meadows and forests within the Caps et Marais d'Opale Regional Natural Park. Family-friendly, with a playground, it’s also a place where you can focus on your wellbeing away from the stresses of daily life thanks to its Jacuzzi and wellness area. On-site activities include forest walks, outdoor games and creative and sporting courses and workshops, while the gorgeous beaches of the Côte d’Opale are just a short hop away.

3: Domaine de Fresnoy

The perfect couple’s cocoon, this ancient post-house from the time of the Knights Templar is a place to reconnect with nature – its sights, its sounds and its scents – away from the noise of everyday life. Located in the 7 Vallées Ternois near the great open spaces of the Côte d’Opale and the mighty Baie de Somme, the Domaine de Fresnoy has just four stylish, uncluttered, restful rooms and offers an array of workshops including forest therapy, bodywork, self-development and astrology that complement the immersive, sensorial experiences you’ll enjoy simply by staying here.

4: Chez Marcel

Pas-de-Calais is big on artisan beer, which locals savour like good wines – especially in Chez Marcel, run by Luka Antonic with his famously curly moustache. As well as having an excellent line of taps, this hip bar is on hand for all the things to see and do in and around characterful Arras with its Flemish townhouses and towering belfry. These include the Wellington Tunnels, a museum and memorial to those who fought in the Battle of Arras in 1917, occupying part of tunnels dug under the city during WWI – in turn connecting with medieval and Roman tunnels and quarries. 

5: Cool K'cahuète

A pop-up restaurant and events space serving contemporary tapas and other fare showcasing exceptional products by passionate locals, cooked up in an Airstream trailer, ‘Cool Peanut’ invites its guests to slow down in ‘a bubble outside of space and time’ - dinners here are housed in two geodesic domes around vast circular communal tables. From March to August 2023, this nomadic venue will move to a site close the Aérodrome de Boulogne-Alprech and wild Ningles Cove just south of the seaside city of Boulogne-sur-Mer and its Nausicaa National Sealife Centre.

6: Le Château de Beaulieu

Another wonderful couples’ getaway, this heritage gem – part of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux collection - is deeply rooted in its history yet progressive, with a focus on biodiversity in the eco-system it has created: an orchard, a vegetable garden, a permaculture area and a farmyard. The 50 types of fruit and vegetables grown here across the year determine what is served in the fabulous restaurants (one fine-dining) and brasserie. If you can tear yourselves away from this chic idyll, you’ll find hiking trails, remembrance sites, gardens, Côte d’Opale beaches and the Louvre-Lens museum within easy reach.

7: Relais Bien-être

In Wingles to the southwest of Lille, ‘Wellbeing Inn’ is another place to discover local seasonal produce served in delicious dishes prepared with passion, served at lunchtime. There’s also a cosy bar with a lakeside terrace and events including yoga, Latin dance, themed evenings, concerts, dancing and sporting sessions. The inn is on the doorstep of the Parc de Nature et de Loisirs Marcel Cabiddu, a leisure space with all kinds of activities including sailing, canoeing, windsurfing, mountain biking, archery, mini-golf, tennis, fishing, karting and inflatable water games. You’re also just a short drive from the Louvre-Lens.

Feeling inspired? 

Start planning your dream visit to Pas-de-Calais now by heading over the official website. 

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