The other side of Grenoble

June 04 2013

by Frédéric Maurice / TÊTU

In the hollow of two famous massifs, the Vercors and the Chartreuse, seems to prosper a forest of rainbow flags. The very deserving Gay-grenoble.fr lists no less than fourteen associations, three saunas, seven bars and four friendly restaurants! An unsuspected opulence for the sixteenth city of the country.

Because the gateway to the Alps, nestled in a basin, is also the flattest city in France. Literally. And a little bit figuratively too, the gays in goguette will deplore too quickly. For if you look closely, Grenoble's gay scene is not flourishing.

Of course, the institutions are holding up well: the Café Noir and the George V continue to prevent the gays of Grenoble from snoozing. But at the cost of a lot of effort and imagination for their tireless managers. Recently, they have been joined by the Vixen, the Loungta...

But at the same time, how many curtains have been lowered? Other officially friendly shops are mostly unofficially profitable. For a Mix, a restaurant in the old town that exudes gaytitude, how many rather pale rainbows?

Grenoble remains cheap and lively. But the morale is not really there anymore among the gays. "Twenty years ago, we used to go out from Thursday to Sunday. Now it's Friday and Saturday at best," laments Céline, from Vixen. "There is a lack of trendy places," says Benoît, 38, the editor of Gay-grenoble.fr.

"The gay world has evolved, but some establishments in Grenoble have not been able to grasp the change", says Christiane, the owner of Café Noir. at 50 years old, this unshakeable pillar of the community is furious: "In my time, it was Lyon that came to Grenoble, now it's the opposite! "

But we're staying, just long enough to sample Grenoble's attractions: the Fine Arts Museum, the Bastille lookout, the remains of the 1968 Olympics... And above all, the nearby ski resorts and the hills that dominate the city. "At the end of each street, a mountain", wrote Stendhal, a local child.

(Illustration photo: Marius Gontard Bridge - Grenoble © Milky,CC BY-SA 3.0)

The addresses

The most girls
Le Vixen
Restaurant from Tuesday to Friday for lunch, musical bar from Wednesday to Saturday until 1 am.
146, cours Berriat.
An honest neighborhood restaurant at lunchtime, when night falls, the Vixen becomes a musical bar with a DJ. Even if Céline insists on the mix of her establishment, it is particularly appreciated by girls.

The most delirious
Le Café noir
Brasserie from Monday to Friday from 7:30 am to 8:30 pm, musical bar on Fridays and Saturdays until 1 am
68, cours Jean-Jaurès.
At Café Noir, you have to show your credentials at the entrance. inside, Christiane, the owner (with Sophie) wants her guests, often young and sexy, to be able to let loose without any restraint. Torrid atmosphere guaranteed. Without doubt the most feverish before of all Grenoble!

The most must
Le George V
From Wednesday to Sunday from 11:30 pm to 5:30 am
124, cours Berriat.
The "G5" remains the only gay club worthy of the name in the whole of Isère. Two dance-floors, two different atmospheres (pop and electro-house), the guarantee to have fun.especially since Matthieu, the young and new owner, and his team are having one party after another ("What the Fuck", "Icônes gays"...) and all styles and ages are mixed together.

Find all the gay and gay-friendly addresses in Grenoble inthe Grenoble gay guide