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.
We came here on a Tuesday night for a group gathering & the staff put a few plates together behind the bar for us to sit together. I was surprised by how busy the restaurant was in the middle of the week & it's not a small one! Maybe it's because of the great service & amazing food! ;) We ordered a few appetizers to share for the tables; Fried Calamari, Mussels, & Fries. Mussel were generously portioned & the calamari was delicious. For entrée, we ordered "Grilled salmon filet, lemon beurre blanc, potato puree", "Grilled hanger steak with shallots, house fries", "Duck confit, roasted potatoes, arugula, white truffle dressing" & "Grilled veal T-bon steak". Salmon was medium rare & very tasty. Steaks were perfectly cooked to everyone's preferences & we all enjoyed our drinks & food.
Ate here on Saturday 11/4/23 - I'm not sure what was worse, the food or the service. This place is not worth your $$. Frozen vegetables, soggy frites, flavorless muscles. There were 3 of us & we all felt our food was below average & bland. Waiter was deep in the weeds & service was bad.
The Great:
The staff is professional, attentive & efficient while being friendly in a way that feels deliberate. The service was exceptionally quick.
The Good:
The duck confit paired with a glass of Pinot was delicious & had the right balance of tastes & flavor. Crème Brûlée was good.
Not So Good aka Disaster:
Whenever I visit French restaurants, I always order the onion soup, a staple that done well sets the expectation for the other courses. In this instance after ordering the waiter came back to say due to something unexpected, the kitchen would not offer onion soup tonight. I was disappointed until someone else brought the onion soup & said it was on the house for the confusion.
The French onion soup was a sloppy hot mess. I could not hide my disappointment & cannot recommend anyone try that slop. This maybe the standard for this restaurant but the cooked pot of chopped onions in broth really lets down the amazing duck confit!
Summary:
Don’t have the onion soup. Go for the service & other French classics. Despite the weird soup, they have at least earned a return visit to try some of the other flavors.
I have been here a few times now in the past year, most recently 2 weeks ago, & it has always been excellent. The food is delicious & I would recommend the duck confit, lobster ravioli & beef tartare. The service has always been top notch as well. It makes for a perfect evening dinner.
Truly an amazing restaurant to go to in Old Montreal! Found this on a website & had seen great things, only to find them to be completely true! I had the gnocchi & also got dessert as well. Both were delicious & service was great. Will be back next time I’m in Montreal!
Oct 14, 2023
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Simply amazing food & wonderful service. The bartender with the gray curly hair was quite charming (& tres beau). Merci beaucoup! I had the Halibut special & the Creme Brulee was to die for.
Food decent, at least 3-4 flies flying around, different varieties (huge turn off while Dining). Temperature was hot inside on the night we visited , making it uncomfortable. Not terribly expensive, good food, atmosphere not great. Paper for table cloths (excuse me, can I have some crayons so I can draw) robert 5 stars out of 10, until management does better, I wouldn’t recommend.
We had a fabulous dinner for 6 here last night. Way beyond expectation! This restaurant has great service, a nice a non-touristy vibe, & really excellent food. They were also super accommodating of my sister-in-law, who requires a wheel chair.
We arrived around 6 on a Saturday, & the large restaurant was about 20% full, by the time we left, between 8:30 & 9:00 it was jam packed & very loud, .
The food was great. perfectly prepared & presented... we ate through the classics, like steak tartare (the best I have had), Faux Gras with pear- extraordinary, salmon gnocchi & an awesome beef cheeks dish. My nephew & niece, who had not eaten in a fine French restaurant before were blown away. My Sister-in-law, who had been a chef, was also limitless in her praise.
The dishes are classic, nothing way out of the ordinary, but super well done. The front of house was awesome. As the place filled up all the staff were chipping in... even the greeter was serving wine. I bet we had 8 different staff doing one thing or another at the tabke & all seamlessly.
To top it all - with appetizers, 2 bottles or Prosecco, various drinks by the glass, entrees & 2 desserts the bill came to $75USD apiece including 20% tip. Living in the wine country in California, it seemed an extraordinary value.
