They serve, it seems, a delicious veal's head with gribiche sauce on Thursdays.
This Friday noon, about twenty customers take their seats in the room of the café-restaurant "Le Village", in Auvernaux, in the south of Essonne.
They enjoy a fillet of saithe, sirloin or rougail sausage.
In relative darkness, because the shutters are drawn, discretion requires.
Their meal is interrupted by the arrival of the gendarmes of Ballancourt-sur-Essonne, informed by telephone of the clandestine activities of the restaurant.
While the manager is arrested, the customers flee through the windows.
“Apart from the manager, no customer has been fined for the time being, confirms the gendarmerie this Saturday.
They are still being identified.
The restaurateur, he was placed in police custody until Friday evening for endangering the lives of others.
And so it was also fined.
"I hope he will avoid heavy sanctions"
In Auvernaux, his arrest does not surprise, but saddens.
"He is highly regarded in the village," indicates a couple of residents.
From time to time, we would take him a tray of fries.
Frankly, police custody is disproportionate.
In department stores, people are jostling!
We walk on the head.
"
"I hope that he will avoid heavy penalties and that he will just receive a reminder of the law," said the mayor (SE) and farmer, Wilfried Hilgenga.
I was not aware of his clandestine activities.
He's just someone trying to survive.
With the health crisis, he was making take-out meals, but the charges are still there.
"
For the elected official, it is important to "protect yourself" against the health risk, but "we will not be able to block society indefinitely".
“And then, this restaurateur is helping everyone, he's the soul of the village!
», Adds Wilfried Hilgenga.
In this town of 400 inhabitants, this bar-brewery is the only business.
It drains a clientele of workers and regulars from the surrounding towns in the morning and at noon.
This Saturday, his iron curtain is drawn, barred with a fresco representing a tackle on a rugby field.
Outside, you can just hear the hunter's bullets whistling in the surrounding woods.
"It's the only social place in the area!"
“This café is the only social place in the area!
recalls Nicolas, inhabitant of Auvernaux.
We have neither parties nor fairs, there is only that left.
"As" business manager ", Nicolas understands" the fed up "of the restaurateur, whom we contacted without being able to reach him this Saturday.
"On the other hand, I am divided, because if everyone respected the measures like me, we might not be there", continues Nicolas, who says "no longer seeing friends, having stopped aperitifs ”and put aside his“ social life ”.
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“He played, he lost, summarizes Adeline, recently arrived at Auvernaux.
It's his livelihood, I understand.
He just wants to work.
I see it more as a gesture of desperation, it's unfortunate.
"
The restaurant owner risks the administrative closure of his establishment for 15 days and the withdrawal of government aid.
Following the proliferation of restaurants serving customers discreetly, the Paris police headquarters (PP) announced an intensification of controls.
According to the PP, since Thursday, 24 illegal restaurants have been identified.