Toulouse: vibrant tribute to the boss of the “Petit Bonheur” restaurant, who died in a scooter accident

It was his lair, his home, his landmark. Over the years, it has become everyone’s den, home and landmark. “Le Petit Bonheur”, an invitation to pleasure. Multiples. Friendship first. Above all, friendship. It is in this restaurant in downtown Toulouse, rue des Filatiers, that Fabien Bord-Levère built this cocoon.
With Christelle, his companion, they had made this place an unmissable meeting place for those who liked to share. A good dish, a banoffee – his specialty – an anecdote he loved so much, a memory, whatever… On the night of Thursday to Friday, hit by scooter, fate put an end to his story and he was the only one to be able to silence him.

Child of Aude, Toulousain anchored on the Pavée coast

Born in Carcassonne, he spent part of his childhood on the slopes of Camurac, making him an accomplished skier. From there, he kept his famous Aude accent and his passion for rugby, a sport and its history that he sublimated thanks to an encyclopedic memory. A high school student at Jean-Pierre Vernant, in the heart of the Côte Pavée, he continued to live there surrounded by those they loved more than anything in the world, Christelle, her daughter Billie and her son Marius.

A restaurant opened in 1999 where sportsmen, politicians, anonymous people and gangs of friends met

Previously he had worked for several years in Paris, in the hotel industry, then meeting some celebrities with whom, again, he had been able to create a real closeness. Passionate about wines, gastronomy, a fine cook, he opened his restaurant in August 1999, once back in Toulouse.
For more than twenty years, anonymous people, sportsmen, politicians and artists have met there every evening and like all those who have been there once, all have returned.

Rugby, Platini, Belmondo…

“Le petit bonheur” was a menu in his image and seasonal products that he took care to prepare in his own way every morning, with the grill drawn but the door open, listening to the radio. He read La Dépêche daily on his smartphone, watching as much for an article on one of his innumerable acquaintances as for a short note about his restaurant. Not a Monday went by that he didn’t buy “Midol”, his bible, and didn’t miss a big rugby match.
“Who’s moving us anyway!!??” No one moves us!!! » he signed all his late evenings. In shock, his friends retain “his generosity, his smile, his open arms, his communicative joie de vivre”.

“He carried the values ​​of friendship and fraternity”

“He carried the values ​​of friendship and fraternity” recall others who knew him well. “In Cardiff, during a trip to attend a match of the XV of France, he had even managed to make us play “La Marseillaise” by bagpipe players” smiles, moved, one of his relatives. “Le petit bonheur” was our home base, a place where we knew we would find comfort”, sums up another modestly.
Unconditional fan of Michel Platini and Jean-Paul Belmondo, he disappeared the same day as Maradona and those who know him well saw his last wink there. “Do you see what I want to tell you? as he liked to repeat. It is in front of this now orphaned place of his soul that those who wished to make a final dedication to him left photos and flowers. Hi Fafa…