We visited Boulebar, where you can play the traditional French boules game of pétanque for just £10 per person.
Starting out as a pop-up at London's Southbank, Boulebar proved so popular, they ended up opening a second venue at Spitalfields (a five minute walk from Liverpool Street station).
The sun was out the weekend at the end of April when we decided to visit, and the Southbank open-air space was fully booked, which is hardly surprising as pétanque is the perfect activity to enjoy outdoors, while sipping on a refreshing spritz and enjoying a bite to eat from one of the street-food vendors at the venue.
So, we visited the Spitalfields branch, and while this venue is indoors, the greenery, murals, festoon lights, and gravel court allowed you free transported into the charming port city of Marseille, where pétanque is a local favourite pastime.
We first came across pétanque on a Eurocamp holiday to the South of France. Groups of French families were playing on long summer evenings, and it looked like such a relaxing way to enjoy quality time together. But, though the activity was open to all guests, we didn't know the rules and weren't fluent enough in French to ask, so we couldn't join in.
But at Boulebar, we finally got to grips with the rules of the sport. The booking gives you 90 minutes on one of the courts for groups of two to six.
To start the game, team one throws the jack (a little orange ball). We decided on who threw the jack by a simple game of rock, paper, scissors. Every throw must be taken stood inside a red circle. Each team then throws their starting boule (a heavy metal ball - one team is smooth, the other patterned). The team that is furthest away from the jack continues to throw until they are closest, or (as in my case) they've used up all their boules (six boules per team).
The aim of the game is to try and get as close to the jack as possible, and you can be tactical by knocking away your opponents' boules (a manoeuvre too joyfully used by my mercilessly competitive husband). There's even a measuring tape, in case any arguments should arise about whose boule is closest to the jack. The team closest to the jack gets one point for each boule closer than the opposing team's best boule. But in the end, whoever gets to 13 points first is the winner. If that all sounds too complicate, don't worry, the friendly staff are happy to help out.
The clank of the metal balls was a satisfying sound (especially when it meant knocking my husband off the top spot!) and sometimes there were even sparks on the gravel! We played a couple of games and in one I was not only defeated but annihilated - though that didn't make it any less fun.
Maddie was a great server, on hand to tell us a little about the history of the game, talk us through the rules, and take our drinks order. Getting into the spirit of the summer, I ordered the Spritz De Passion, a refreshing blend of Lillet Blanc, passion fruit liqueur and Pampelle, topped off with Crémant. My husband chose the Maggi Chaud, a mixture of pineapple, white cocoa liqueur, tequila, lime and jalepeño salt. Cocktails were priced at £12.95. I also sipped on a delicious Sauvignon Blanc (£12.95 for a large glass) during our game, and my husband had a Brooklyn beer (£7.10 a pint). But you could also pop along during the day and sip on a nice coffee.
The experience made it easy to feel like we'd drifted away into holiday mode in the sun-drenched region of Provence.
Maddie told us they get lots of families visiting, and we saw a couple there with a young child in a pushchair. Kids are welcome until 8pm. It's a sport that doesn't involve any running or great physical exertion, making it perfect for all ages from kids to grandparents (in fact, I'm thinking of revisiting with my mother-in-law). Boulebar is also a dog-friendly venue. So the whole family is welcome!
The Spitalfields venue has a stylish mezzanine level bar, and the courts are downstairs, next to an inviting restaurant. After our game we enjoyed a sit-down bite to eat. We chose a sharing platter of Tour De Verde - artichoke dip and a tomato/bell pepper cream cheese dip, chickpea fritters and veggies ((£16), alongside melon and feta cheese salad (£9) and french fries served with a delicious chive mayo (£5). The food was really flavoursome, and for dessert we shared the moreish Pot Aux Fraises - white chocolate and cream cheese mousse with strawberries on a base of browned lemon butter and roasted chocolate (£9.50).
If you're looking to enjoy the laid-back charm of Provence, then hit the gravel at Boulebar. Bringing French leisure the heart of the city, it's the perfect place to unwind. Find out more here