Life in France is not all about food. It’s also about sport. Cue the Six Nations.

 

Our local bar, La Coussotte, celebrated England v France (22:16) by introducing a new Six Nations burger. Last Saturday they served England on a roll (21:16). Can’t last!

 

Presided over by the jovial Loic Beaurain and his wife Cindy, the bar offers an essential safety valve for life in the French countryside, somewhere local to escape to. Granted there may be only three or four regulars on a quiet winter’s evening (each has his own brass name plate at the bar), weekends are lively enough.

 

There is a three-course weekday lunch menu at €12.50 including wine. Weekends offer home-cooked steak with frites, a range of tasty pizzas to eat in or take way and the new burger maison. The bar also hosts special events for Beaujolais Day etc. as well as the odd comedy night (and no, my French is no way good enough for that). On Sundays, you can have an apéro of oysters with a glass of Muscadet for €7.

 

In the summer, there’s a sunny outdoor area. In winter, the rustic interior welcomes you with its red-checked table cloths, wooden beams and fireplace. There is snooker, darts, table football. And plenty of craic. Just watch out when France plays Ireland on the 25th.