Oh là là! Sloane Square has been turned into a pétanque court

Stuck in London for the rest of the summer? You can now get all the vibes of a French holiday without even travelling beyond the M25. (Although our freakishly long spell of Continental good weather might be coming to an end this week.)

It’s thanks to a pop-up from French apéritif Lillet, running in Sloane Square until September in collaboration with the area’s fancy French restaurant Colbert.

Pétanque on the Square will transform London’s posho heartland into a slice of Bordeaux life. There’ll be snacks – like black olive tapenade toast and savoury madeleines – spritz cocktails (in flavours from orange to pamplemousse) and, most importantly, a brand new sandpit where you can try your hand at pétanque. It’s a classic Gallic game that’s a version of boules and is played in town centres around the country. 

Organisers say that there’s no need to book your spot to play, you can just roll up from noon until 9pm-ish, Wednesday to Sunday until September 14. Make sure to pop into Parisian bakers Poilane in Belgravia on your way home to pick up a grotesque number of baguettes and finish off your French day out in style. 

Staying in the area? Read Time Out’s guide to Chelsea.

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