Dine in underground tunnels in this French city reachable by Eurostar
Eat your Christmas dinner in a spooky French tunnel – and it’s reachable by Eurostar in two hours from London, says Adam Bloodworth
THE WEEKEND: In London, you can have dinner hanging from a crane, in the pitch black, and while actors who would much rather be on the West End sing in your face during immersive theatre-and-dinner shows. I’m not normally a fan of these events: they are mostly the pursuit of bridge-and-tunnel tourists in London for the day who don’t know where to go. But then again, the other day I saw an advertisement for ‘dinner in a French underground tunnel’ and thought, ‘I’ll jump on the Eurostar.’
THE EXPERIENCE: You won’t have heard of the northern French city of Arras, because no one this side of the Channel has. But you should hear about it: firstly, it’s easy to get to for a weekend. The city is under two hours from London, with a quick change at Lille from the Eurostar to a local train. It also has a couple of great Christmas markets.
Arras was integral in the wars: 150,000 men lost their lives in the First World War during one bloody battle when allied forces gained twenty kilometres on Germany, and aside from now being a charming place to explore, the tunnels where British soldiers lived during conflict are offering a truly unusual experience: they’re now hosting slap-up dinners. Yes, fine dining in an underground tunnel where troops lived in World War 1.
Full disclosure: it doesn’t feel like we should be having dinner here. The air is humid and there is moss on the walls. The walls are not walls, they’re limestone boulders. We’re sitting twelve metres underground in a place created by miners in the 9th century but used by British and French allied forces during both world wars. It’s not where you’d imagine settling into a relaxing meal, but the absurdity makes it thrilling, plus the head chef from The Chicken and The Egg, one of the city’s best restaurants, has lugged over his best food.
THE FOOD: Not that the French are famous for being agreeable, but Arras blows particularly hard in the face of convention. Sod wine pairings, they say: we’re about the beer. They make great beers, from pilsner styles to stouts. I sat at an absurdly posh table given the stones on the floor and the general cave atmosphere. We were served herring with beer, cheese with beer (duh) and a very impressive chicken and mash potato dish with more beer. Everything’s done in a fine dining style, so each beer is presented before serving, then poured, rather frustratingly if you’re British, into a wine glass and treated like wine (I found asking for more usually worked).
You get to tour the war history too before you sit down, then go for a late-night wander to the top of the spire to look out over all the bars where you’re about to go and drink more beer.
DON’T MISS: Wander the brilliant Christmas markets, which are spread across the walkable city’s two main squares. It has a chocolate-box cutesyness that Britain’s markets just cannot compete with: a few fairground rides but not so many that it’s tacky; interesting local produce and a diverse age range just enjoying the magical vibes rather than teenagers running between thrill rides (Bah, humbug).
Also go to the Wellington Tunnels, a short walk from the centre. It’s strange to think that 24,000 soldiers lived down here during the war. It is connected to the Boves caves where you’ll have dinner. War exhibitions can sadly feel a little tired but this one is world-leading. An audio-visual display plays the prayers and last breaths of these soldiers before they ran out of these tunnels with their rifles and out to war, and a high chance of death. At one point a light display projects images of soldiers exiting the tunnels to run above ground. It caused my arm hairs to stand on end. It’s all new since the pandemic and our guide even runs immersive events where he pretends to be a war leader and chases you around the tunnels. Ah, Arras, the city you’ve never heard of that warmed my freezing cold December heart.
NEED TO KNOW: Dîners Secrets des Boves runs twice weekly throughout December and costs around £95 per person with drinks and food included. They will book private dinners throughout the year for corporate or large groups. Book via the tourist office of Arras-Pays d’Artois by calling +33 03 21 51 26 95, email [email protected] or go online to arraspaysdartois.com. Eurostar goes to Lille direct from St Pancras
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