Méert, Lille

Originally opened in 1761 by Mr Delcourt, offering pastries and chocolate, the establishment has never ceased to operate. Its name was changed when the shop was bought by the Belgian Michael Paulus Gislenus Méert, who gave Meert its current name, of course, but also new ambitions to become the renowned address it is today.

Nestled in the heart of one of the oldest streets in the city, the Rue Esquermoise, which runs from the Grand Place to the Rue Royale, Méert has always been a privileged witness to its time. It has been a popular address for the people of Lille for centuries, but also for famous visitors to the city, such as Buffalo Bill, Mary Higgins Clark, Napoleon, Winston Churchill, Marguerite Yourcenar and, of course, Charles de Gaulle, a native Lillois. The shop and its front are even listed as historical monuments!

The fame of this place is due in particular to everything that turns to chocolate, where the Maison Meert excels thanks to its master chocolate maker, but especially to the succulent Méert waffles with vanilla, whose exact recipe is still jealously kept secret. The recipe for this precious dessert is rather simple: a flat waffle filled with sugar, butter and flavoured with Madagascar vanilla. A real delight!
And though the recipe has remained unchanged for more than 160 years, new flavours have been added to the traditional vanilla: pistachio, Morello cherry, chestnut, Spéculoos, praline puffed rice or raspberry. For more reasonable gourmets, a "mini" format is also available.