I heard about Coffee Makers long before I went to Lille. I heard they had a vegan banana bread I had to try.
As an inducement to visit the Flemish city in Northern France, my favourite Lilloise who, coincidentally, was the only Lilloise I knew (can you tell that I just want to use the word Lilloise?) sent me a list of all the wonderful things Lille had to offer. Since exploring coffee shops is my thing, there was a section for coffee shops and Coffee Makers was at the top of the list.
One warm Saturday last September, I was lured to Lille so I made a beeline for the coffee shop as soon as I got off train; as luck would have it, it’s within walking distance from the train station.

Coffee Makers roast their own beans. The café has a cozy and convivial atmosphere, it feels very much like your small neighborhood coffee shop; serving a variety of carefully prepared coffee beverages from pour-over to espresso drinks, tea and juices, as well as light breakfast (and lunch) offerings such as muesli, sandwiches, salad, homemade cookies, cakes, sourdough bread and other pastry. The vegan banana bread is truly to die for.

We ordered flat whites and a matcha latte, a bowl of muesli and some sourdough bread to share, and a slice of banana bread to snack on later – the food was simple, tasty and filling; and the coffee excellent.
My matcha latte was smooth and lightly sweetened with a clean soft vegetal notes – I quite liked it. Those who ordered coffee loved their flat whites which they reported was perfectly smooth and strong with no aftertaste.

I was glad for this warm and friendly start to our day, it set the perfect mood for our time in Lille.