Everybody knows the french bistro, but very few people know the art living of the french Guinguette. These taverns located along the banks of the rivers are
mostly on open-air restaurants with dance-floor.
Guinguette (pronounced ‘gang-ETTE ») exist since the end of the 18th century when parisians went outside the city limits in order to avoid tax (octroi) of incoming merchandise in Paris.

Like the word bistro, the origin of the word guinguette is debated, but it is likely coming from the name of a wine produced around Paris, the guiguet.
During the 19th and 20th century, the guinguettes gathered working class, who came on sundays on these riverside tavern along the banks of the Marne or the
Seine river to enjoy simple meals and little wine such as friture (fried whitebait). Thus, from 1850 to 1950, scores of them were to be found along the banks of the Seine and especially along the banks of the Marne river. After
lunch, people stand up to dance polka, waltz, and of course « Valse Musette“ with accordion accompaniment.

During the 50's, the rise of television almost killed the Guinguette and so today few survive.
The Guinguette Auvergnate at Villeneuve-Saint-Georges is one those last well alive.



















It was created by Jean-Pierre Vic in 1995. Jean-Pierre is a fourth-generation “Bougnat“, Aveyron natives who used to come to Paris as wines and coal merchants, and who eventually settled there as café owners (bistrots).
Jean-Pierre runs a café near Saint-Germain des Près, but he can no longer stand the crowd of Paris. When he has discovered this Guinguette, he immediatly purchased it.

Jean-Pierre enjoys giving pleasure to people. According to him, happiness comes with a good air of accordion (which he plays good) and a good food.
In his Guinguette Auvergnate, he manages to gather all generations and to have fun. Grand parents cousins, friends, children came to dance, la Guinguette
Auvergnate, according Annabel Simms, is a little spot of paradise. Annabel author of « An hour from Paris » a guide to 20 lesser-known destinations reachable by train.

At la Guinguette Auvergnate, you will taste an authentic cuisine from Auvergne and Aveyron regions. The portions of aligot (mashed potatoes, garlic and cheese) are generous, but there is also stuffed cabbage, and many specialities, among them, the calf's head of la Guinguette Auvergnate which keeps connoisseurs coming. The dance and the music of La Guinguette Auvergnate is perfect for the digestion.

19 av de Choisy
94190 Villeneuve-Saint-Georges
Tél : 01 43 89 04 64
Fax / 01 43 89 82 17

Station RER : Villeneuve-Triage (12 mn from Gare de Lyon (Line D)
Menus from 12 to 18 €
Dancing lunch or dinner : from 35 to 45€

Open every day except on monday