Inexpensive coffee while enjoying the rare sunny day on the Petite Place…read more The server ignored us while cleaning tables, obviously more important, but I gave her a 33% tip anyway. She soon returned with a bowl of water which I thought was for my service animal, but she passed us by and gave it to the people with a dog a few tables away! CombatCritic Gives L'Estaminet 5 Bombs Out Of 10 With A 3 Bomb DeductionFor Pour Service ... More Bombs Are Better!

Dropped by on Sunday afternoon for tea! Very friendly service! Good music! Good place for drinks…read more Also serve food.

From the owner: Décoration antique La spécialité de cette boutique n'est pas commune puisqu'elle vend des amphores…read morede type gréco-romain. Celles-ci sont fabriquées artisanalement et peintes à la main. Cet élément décoratif est suffisamment rare pour intéresser ceux que l'originalité et la nouveauté n'effrayent pas.

After having a little rest at the hotel before heading out the explore the town, we wandered past…read morethis place so we decided to stop by for a drink. One again it is one of those Tabac Cafes, namely a newsagent, bar, and cafe all merged into one, and probably the only store where you can buy cigarettes in France (that is a Tabac, not that is store is the only store in France that sells cigarettes). Honestly, it isn't really a place that I would recommend going out of you way to visit, but then considering that this does happen to be Arras then I really shouldn't have too many expectations as to what to find here, and to where I can grab a decent coffee. This certainly isn't one of those places. Still, I shouldn't complain.

From the owner: Le bar qui vous sert plus vite que l'éclair Pour le coté pratique, un bureau de tabac; pour le coté…read moreplaisir, un endroit populaire et populeux dans lequel on a toutes les chances d'être invité naturellement à l'une des conversations afin de participer au joyeux brouhaha ambiant. Environnement essentiellement masculin dont les propos s'en ressentent.

What looked a promising place on the Grand Place proved to be a disappointment. One drink…read moreforgotten, one food order wrong, the Childrens menu 'steak burger' disintegrated when touched, proving difficult to eat (and on tasting, was no wonder the child didn't perseve). My Salad was obliterated with parsley and a peculiar tart dressing. The steak grilles were bland, and the other salad distinctly average. There must be much better places than this to eat, and I suggest you pass this one by.

I'm not all that sure about this place, namely because from what I remember from Brussels, Paul…read morehappened to be a Boulangerie (Bakery for those non-Francophiles). Anyway, when I paid this one a visit it seemed to be one of those shops that are like a cross between a cafe, newsagent, and bar, and then to be pretty tacky at that. One thought is that they also threw a bakery into to keep the mix interesting, though I have noticed that pretty much most cafes in France tend to be a cross between a coffee shop and a bar. Anyway, this is a pretty tacky place, and certainly not a place I would be willing to spend a night out drinking at.

From the owner: Reconnu d'utilité publique Dans l'artére principal d'Arras, Chez Paul est sans doute l'endroit le…read moreplus familier d'une large partie de la population arrageoise, inscrit dans le quotidien des fumeurs. Fournissant un choix exhaustif de tabacs il satisfait tout les gouts jusqu'à une heure tardive, si bien qu'il est devenu l'incontournable des gens qui sortent.

The principal sights in Arras, historic captial of the Artois region, are its two main squares, the…read morehuge Grand Place and the smaller Place des Héros. Both are lined with 17th and 18th century houses, most designed individually, but built to a common overall plan in terms of their height and style. Their facades are lovely compositions of typically Flemish architecture. The Grand Place is, as its name suggests, the larger of the two, and contains some older houses dating back to the 15th Century. It's one of many claiming to be France's largest 'proper' town square, but its size, to my mind, is its undoing: it's just too large to work properly as a public space, feeling empty and bleak, despite the architecture. Much nicer is the smaller and more intimate Place des Héros, which is still spacious, but with more life and bustle to it, with plenty of good bars and restaurants. It's graced by the town's impressive Town Hall, which boasts a 75m belfry. Destroyed in the First World War, it was rebuilt in an elaborate version of the decorated Gothic style, and is beautifully maintained. Guided tours include underground passages constructed in the 10th century, and used for everything from sheltering injured troops in the war, to provided an excellent cellar for wine. You can also climb the belfry for an excellent view of the town (I declined on this occasion!). Both squares suffer badly from being used as car-parks, with constant traffic. The French are well known for building clever underground car parks, so why not here?

a wonderful place.it is a very large space surrender of houses and shops.we can see the beffroi of…read morearras from the grand place.i saw the concert of metallica this summer and it was amazing.15000 people.