Constance HOUZÉ
Constance Houzé, winner of the Prix Accueil at the Gault&Millau Tour Hauts-de-France 2025, has opened restaurant 49R (2 toques), in Lille. Here's her story.
Born in 1989, Constance Houzé was not destined for the restaurant business. After studying business in Montreal between 2007 and 2010, she returned to Lille and initially focused on management and marketing. She worked for four years at Meert, where she discovered pastry-making. "I had a fabulous boss who passed on this passion to me," she recounts. She then went on to work in communications for a property developer.
The latter then bought a mansion in Lille, which would later serve as the setting for 49R. "We thought it was a shame to turn it into apartments. I slowly began to organize seminars and events there. But I was frustrated by having to use subcontractors and not working with a full-time chef," she explains. The idea of opening a restaurant then took shape.
The alliance with Alexandre Dathy
In 2020, as the health crisis hit France, Constance spoke with Alexandre Dathy, a sommelier by trade whom she had known for over twenty years. Seeing their complementary qualities, they came up with the idea of opening their own establishment. "I had the management side, he had the practical side", sums up Constance Houzé. Together, they imagined a gastronomic venue in the image of the building: elegant, yet warm and friendly.
Le 49R opened its doors in 2021. The maison de maître became an intimate address, with just 35 covers, a terrace overlooking the garden and a "family home" atmosphere. The spirit of hospitality is essential here: Constance sees herself as mistress of the house as much as she does in the dining room, sometimes even in the kitchen. "I have a plural identity. I welcome, I accompany, but I also get my hands dirty."
Alongside chef Antoine Coutier and Alexandre Dathy, who develops a remarkable wine list, Constance Houzé has found her place. "Customers have the impression of being out of time. That's exactly what we wanted to create." In 2025, their work was rewarded with a welcome award at the Gault&Millau Tour des Hauts-de-France, saluting this vision of gastronomy where high standards and conviviality come together.
