Located in a beautiful turn of the century building in Old Montreal, Brasserie Holder's design makes good use of its high ceilings and wide open space creating a sense of European charm that is hard to find anywhere else in town. Specializing in Old World European cuisine, Restaurant Holder is famous for its vast selection of brasserie-style seafood, pasta and meat dishes. Sample Menu items at Holder include: grilled beefsteak, steamed clams, salads, tartares, etc...
Overall, reviews describe Holder as a lively, classic French brasserie in Old Montreal with a warm, versatile atmosphere and a strong wine list. Service is repeatedly praised for attentiveness and friendliness, though a few visits note slower pacing or inconsistent attention during peak hours. The space is stylish and bustling, which can translate to a noisy environment and limited privacy, making it less ideal for quiet business meals or intimate dinners. The food earns high marks for standout dishes such as braised beef cheeks, duck confit, lobster ravioli, mussels, oysters, and French onion soup, with many diners calling the meals superb and well presented. Yet other orders have fallen flat, including greasy or under seasoned items, dry meats, or dishes that felt overpriced for the portion or quality. The menu's breadth is a strength, offering classic French bistro staples and brasserie favorites that suit groups, celebrations, or casual yet substantial lunches, with brunch and lunch service generally reliable. In sum, Holder emerges as a dependable, high energy spot with many standout plates and gracious service, but experiences can vary by dish and by the tempo of the room.
Decided to lunch here after reading the reviews.
Staff were both friendly, pleasant & helpful. Great ambience & well appointed.
My wife ordered the French onion soup & the beef tatare (her favourite) for the entrée. I had the warm goat cheese & beef cheek for the entrée.
My order was fabulous. Loved it. My wife was a wee bit disappointed with hers. The soup was below average & her beef tartare was average fare.
We'll try Vallier tomorrow as we're here for a few days.
We had a nice dinner at Holder in Old Montreal. The ambiance was lively & stylish, & the service was friendly & attentive.
Here's what we ordered:
🥩 Beef Tartare: Flavorful & well-prepared, though a touch too salty for my taste. Still enjoyable overall.
🥗 Mixed Vegetable Salad: Light, fresh, & a great starter - nicely balanced & refreshing.
🐮 Braised Beef Cheeks: Tender & deeply flavored, one of the best dishes of the night.
🦆 Duck Confit: The skin was crisp, but the meat was a bit dry. Could use a bit more juiciness.
🦞 Lobster Ravioli: Rich & creamy, with a generous amount of lobster. A standout dish!
Overall, a solid dining experience with a few minor flaws. Still a great spot to check out if you're in Old Montreal!
Jul 1, 2025
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
The restaurant has a pleasant layout & a comfortable atmosphere-thankfully not too loud, which made for a relaxed dining experience. However, the service left something to be desired. While our server was clearly inexperienced, they were polite & made a genuine effort, which I appreciated.
Unfortunately, the food didn't justify the high prices. The mussels had an overpowering smell that made them unappetizing, & the French fries were soggy & greasy. The salmon tartare had potential, but the quality of the fish didn't seem particularly fresh.
The wine list was average-nothing remarkable-but be sure to double-check prices. Our check listed a different price for the bottle than what was shown on the menu, which was a bit frustrating.
Overall, while the space is inviting, the experience didn't live up to expectations, especially considering the cost.
The braised beef cheeks was very scrumptious, tender, juicy & all that jazz! We also tried salmon tartare & it was beautiful & cute, both in taste & looks.
Le repas était excellent, j'ai mage le tartare de boeuf & il était exquis ! Le service était parfait, notre serveuse était super, à prit le temps de bien répondre à nos questions. L'endroit est bruyant mais c'est ce qui donne le ton a l'atmosphère. Une prochaine visite s'impose
Dec 10, 2024
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
I recently dined at a fantastic restaurant with a fantastic atmosphere. I was fortunate enough to sit by the window on a rainy day, which created the perfect ambiance-there's something so relaxing about watching the rain while enjoying a meal. The food was equally impressive. I started with the French onion soup, which was rich & flavorful, with just the right balance of savory & sweet. For the entrée, I opted for the tartare de saumon, & it did not disappoint-fresh, vibrant, & perfectly seasoned. Overall, a delightful experience, & I highly recommend both the soup & the tartare de saumon for anyone visiting.
To start, the ambiance & look of the restaurant are absolutely outstanding. & the service was fast & the staff were very kind & helpful. An excellent choice if you're looking to celebrate a birthday or anniversary. We opted to share the seafood paella, which was listed as a main, & it exceeded our expectations. The server recommended a spicy twist on the classic beef tartare, which was delightful. However, the highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the chicken paté, which was extraordinary. For our main courses, we enjoyed the hanger steak, braised beef, lobster ravioli, & duck confit. Each dish was exquisite & worth trying, but the lobster ravioli stood out as my personal favorite. Holder is a must-visit in Montreal.
One of the best restaurants i've been to during my trip in montreal. The oysters, foie gras, & the beef tartare was amazing & certainly worth the price. Will definitely come back again!
Jul 1, 2024
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
Ça ne vaut pas le détour. Sauce de paella avec goût incertain, les aliments étaient de qualité, portion de riz insuffisante. Tartare de saumon portion repas était correct sans plus, servi avec un seul croûton! Salade verte, sans goût ni épices. Service courtois mais novice. Établissement propre.
Un classique de Montreal! J'ai d'ailleurs choisi deux entrées très classiques la soupe de poisson avec la rouille & la salade frisée aux lardons & mon mari a pris la salade d'endives avec le tartare. Tout était impeccable!
Nous étions un gros groupe le samedi de la formule 1. Un service courtois, rapide & des plats excellents! Le tartare de saumon & le chèvre chaud en entrée étaient excellents! & pour le plat de résistance nous avons essayé le veau de lait sauce marsala dont la cuisson était parfaite & les pâtes aux champignons & pancetta. Je recommande fortement! Nous reviendrons!
Best dining experience I've had in a while! I regret not getting our servers name. She said it was her third day, she had brown hair & she was divine. Attentive & an overall delight to have her serving our dinner. The tartare & crème brûlée were classically prepared with amazing flavours. The ravioli... I could have order three more plates it was the best I've ever had. This restaurant is clearly a very well oiled machine, it was impressive to see. Thank you so much to our server & the whole staff!
Apr 27, 2024
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
We came for lunch & had the soup, burrata salad & beef tartare. The burrata was fresh, the beef tartare one of the best I ever had but the soup underwhelming. Would definitely come back & try more tartare.
Had a fantastic experience here, food & service was top notch! Our favourites were the warm goat cheese entrée, beef tartare, & duck confit. The butterscotch mi-cuit was amazing as well. Will definitely come again next time we're in the city.
Excellent service, quickly served & polite waiters. The food was unbelievably delicious! We had beef tartare as an entree, then I had the duck confit which was very well seasoned & tender, & then we had crème brûlée for the first time & it was very good!! Highly recommend
Un très bel endroit tamisé, belle ambiance avec un bon service. Des personnes bien apprêtés & poli. Une belle st Valentin passée dans ce restaurant! Au niveau du repas ce fut un 50/50. Du côté de mon conjoint le repas ne lui a pas plu. Du miens c'était un casi parfait. Votre crème brûlée est à tomber! Un petit peu plus de "croutons de pain" avec le tartare ne serait pas de refus! Sinon bien relevé, belle présentation. Le foie gras était bon & son chutney de poire un vrai délice. Les vins étaient bons. La note de fin de repas est correcte. Merci à vous :)
During my visit to Montreal, eating at a French bistro was at the top of my to-do list. Appearance-wise, the restaurant looked like a typical French bistro but a lot bigger than the average one. When we sat down, we were famished & waiting to be attended to. Service, however, was mediocre at best, as servers were not very attentive & seldom checked up on us. It took a while before the servers took our order & a long time for food to arrive. When the server arrived, we ordered the salmon tartare, the beef tartare, the grilled salmon filet with beurre blanc, & the duck confit. For appetizers, the beef & salmon tartare were under seasoned & could use more acidity to bring out their freshness. For mains, the salmon was cooked well but bland while the duck confit was dry & sat on top of a mountain of underdressed arugula. The finger potatoes that went with the confit were seasoned well & delicious, but there were too few of them (5 pcs) as compared to the mountain of arugula. Overall, Holder fell short of my expectations from a French bistro in Montreal & I'd recommend eating elsewhere for French cuisine.
