Chez Bouboule

Alexis Robert didn't quite manage to claim the title of the first pétanque bar in Paris (that goes to Les Niçois), but there's always room for one more. What's more, at Les Niçois they use synthetic grass for the pitch, while here it's the more traditional sand and gravel. Alexis opened Chez Bouboule in honour of his grandfather, a dentist in a little village in Cantal who was a huge pétanque fan.

Here, ball-players gather around a narrow pitch behind a sturdy net (reserve your free half hour sessions in advance), and the friendly barmen oversee the rest of the shining, relaxed space. Locals pop in to say hi, as the bar is hugely popular in the arrondissement. The bar works hard to keep up these relationships at a time when the noisy Paris nightlife scene frequently comes into confilct with residents. Pétanque stops at 11.30 sharp, and the bars success bodes well for the gentrification of this area south of Anvers metro station. Chez Bouboule's prices do seem to anticipate this trend – at €8 for a pint and €17 for a burger, you might want to stick to €3 shots of Ricard and tapas at €9 a plate.