They're perhaps not the words you'd expect to hear from someone in Lille, a city in northern France.
But this friendly stranger wasn't talking about the language, they were referring to Lille's most popular dish, a distinctive take on the Welsh rarebit, known as “Le Welsh” that appears on menus across the city.
Some sources claim that Le Welsh was introduced to France in 1544 by a Welsh guard during Henry VIII’s siege of Boulogne-sur-Mer. However, the fact that Welsh rarebit wasn’t recorded as a recipe until 1747 makes me a little bit sceptical.
Another source suggests that Le Welsh may have been brought to northern France in the 18th and 19th centuries by Welsh miners. In addition, it apparently became more commonplace in restaurants during World War 1 when millions of British troops were stationed in northern France.
If you want to watch an insane 51-minute documentary about the origin of Le Welsh, which fails to really mention anything about Wales, then there’s one right here for you.
Regardless of how Le Welsh arrived in northern France, it’s a very, very big deal.
Georges V, a tabac that was renamed after the King of England following World War 1 in 1920, is Lille’s self-proclaimed "Temple of Welsh".
From hosting the “Concours International du Welsh” a competition to find the best Welsh in the world in 2023 to organising “Welsh Fest” in November 2025, Georges V clearly lives up to its reputation.
Whilst Georges V’s menu features delicious sounding dishes like Flemish stew and Maroilles cheese pie, it’s Welsh which is the focus. They even offer a mini-Welsh as a starter and a Welsh appears on their dessert menu too (just in case!).
Like almost everyone else around us we each ordered the classic Welsh du Georges V (€16.90), and it was a seriously naughty delight.
Earthenware dishes were filled with a beery golden pool of molten cheese. Hidden in its depths sat a piece of crisp toast, slices of ham, and a runny-yolked egg.
It was as if someone decided the cheese to bread ratio in a traditional Welsh rarebit needed tipping significantly in favour of cheese. The result is a fondue meets a Welsh rarebit.
It was as if someone decided the cheese to bread ratio in a traditional Welsh rarebit needed tipping significantly in favour of cheese. The result is a fondue meets a Welsh rarebit.
Rich AF but seriously moreish, it was pepped up nicely with a good dash of Lea & Perrins.
On the side was a well-dressed salad and impeccable rosemary dusted frites.
We also enjoyed a couple of glasses of local beer, both pils and blonde.
So there we have it, who would have thought that the city that's most famous for the Welsh is in France? Certainly not me.
Lille is a lush place that’s most definitely worth a visit and when you do so, guzzling a Welsh should be top of your to do list.
The Details:
Address - Georges V - Temple du Welsh, 104B Boulevard de la Liberté, 59000 Lille, France
Telephone - +33 3 28 04 70 17
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