There are bars everywhere. Obviously, quite a few in Grand Place/fan zone area. All pretty good and geared up for RWC, Brasserie La Cloche (Place du Théâtre/Fan Zone) is popular.
My favourite, because it feels very French bistro, is Au Paon d’Or (Rue de Béthune). There are lots located around rue Solféreno, rue Masséna and rue Royale in the old town (Le Vieux Lille; a great area just to wander around). These three streets are where the city’s vast number of students go to blow their grants. The bars are often more like UK pubs, usually bar service rather than waiters. Plenty of screens/music/choice of beer!
Also, classic French station bars around Gare Lille-Flandres, the 3 Brasseurs, Taverne Flamande and Le Napoleon are regular haunts of mine, and in other city squares.
L’Imaginaire in the old town has a very large outdoor area if you’re all smokers. A few popular bars around the Notre-Dame cathedral, Place Gilleson, Beer Square Lille is good.
Most open very late – but may not open early – and have a vast selection of beers! One warning, Flemish beer is absolutely fantastic, but very, very strong! It’s fairly competitive, so there are lots of happy hours… expect to pay 5-7€ for a 50cl of very strong, famous beer. My favourite is La Chouffe (8%). Jupiler is the popular ‘basic’ beer, but it’s still 5.2%. Beer is generally served in 25cl/33cl/50cl (une pint!) measures.
The area around Place Rihour, off Grand Place (beside the Fan Zones) is also good for bars/brasseries. Here there is also a very fine restaurant, Brasserie La Chicorée, https://www.brasserie-lachicoree.fr/, where you can get all the usual suspects, plus fantastic seafood platters, like you find on the coast; not cheap. Also Café Meo, a good coffee spot.
If ‘posh’ is your thing, the bar at Mama Shelter (almost opposite Gare Lille-Flandres) and the next-door Nu restaurant/bar are your best bets! Le Dandy is a cocktail bar in the old town, https://www.ledandybarmobile.com/.
The Scots had a big ‘night before’ party at The Black Lab (https://theblacklab.fr/), seemed to go well.
In the old town, L’Abbaye des Saveurs, rue des Vieux Murs, is a renowned beer-lovers institution. Over 200 beers on offer and they are showing the games. La Capsule is another beer-lovers destination, rue des Trois Mollettes. Again a couple of hundred beers to choose from.
Box2Box, Rue Saint-Jacques, is the best known sports bar. Great atmosphere. Best option if you want to watch other things, such as UK football. Open until 2am on Saturday (https://www.box2box.fr/). Le Monkey, rue Nicholas Leblanc, is another sports bar.
If you’re watching the Ireland v Scotland game afterwards, I think it’s OK to say every bar will be showing it, so all the areas I previously mentioned are a safe bet. There are actually a few UK ‘pub’ type bars along rue Solféreno: The Queen Victoria (yes, really!), L’Irlandais and O’Scotland. Plus, Irish pubs on rue Masséna, Temple’s Bar and Mac Allans.
Most of the Tabacs are also basic bars. Can be atmospheric. They are often also PMU (betting) locations, so always showing sport. Popular with the ‘Ch’ti’, a slightly derogatory term for northern working-class people, who speak a slightly strange dialect. [The very funny film Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis portrays it well]. Obviously, I’ve focused on beer, but other drinks are available! Slightly oddly, even large bars tend to have very small toilets! Be warned.
And don’t worry if you’re not a drinker. Bar owners seem to be very tolerant of large groups of students nursing an espresso or Perrier for hours on end as they chat endlessly!
Lille RWC Guide 