Holder occupe un vaste espace industriel caractérisé par de hauts plafonds et des briques apparentes qui définissent son atmosphère animée. La cuisine se concentre sur les classiques de la brasserie française avec une emphase particulière sur la précision technique. Les préparations signatures incluent un tartare de bœuf coupé à la main et assaisonné avec expertise, accompagné de frites dorées et croustillantes. Les moules sont servies en portions généreuses, cuites à la vapeur dans des bouillons aromatiques qui soulignent la salinité naturelle des mollusques. Les convives explorent un menu varié qui équilibre les techniques traditionnelles avec des présentations contemporaines. Les grandes banquettes circulaires et les boiseries polies favorisent un environnement propice à la dégustation de favoris culinaires classiques. Cet établissement maintient une réputation constante pour offrir des plats robustes et savoureux ancrés dans les principes fondamentaux des traditions européennes.
Holder est largement reconnu comme une institution du Vieux Montréal, offrant une atmosphère accueillante et une cuisine de bistro français de haute qualité. Les clients saluent fréquemment des plats emblématiques tels que la joue de bœuf braisée, le canard confit, la soupe à l'oignon et les fruits de mer frais, tout en soulignant le service exceptionnel fourni par un personnel professionnel et attentionné. Bien que le restaurant soit souvent animé et puisse devenir bruyant, de nombreux convives estiment que cela contribue à son énergie authentique et charmante. Malgré quelques rares commentaires concernant des irrégularités dans les plats ou le niveau sonore, la grande majorité des avis met en avant une expérience culinaire mémorable qui fait de cet établissement une recommandation incontournable, tant pour des sorties décontractées que pour des occasions spéciales.
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!
One of the few places we were lucky to get dinner reservations...which is both good & bad. The service was excellent...well trained & knowledgeable wait staff. Ours was Anabelle & she made some great suggestions, topped off our wine & checked in on us. The food on the other hand was ok...we 4 got the Hanger steak (was cooked medii but was still tough/, Lobster ravioli (no flavor, wouldn't reco), the duck confit was good & the veal Marsala steak was the best among the 4 dishes.
Nice ambience & good service. Food experience disappointing though. Liver pate was nondescript & tasted processed rather than home made. The duck confit was bland, soft skinned & nothing like the proper French dish with crispy skin & tasty delicate meat. The salad with lardons & poached egg was ok but the salmon was bland too & the potato purée that came with it was nothing special. The place itself looked promising but the cuisine did not deliver. Pity.
My husband & I went to Holder for date night. The food & ambiance were amazing. I'm a vegetarian & there were many options for me (I got the fig salad as an appetizer & my main was the goat cheese tartlette & frites). My husband is a chef & carnivore & he absolutely loved his food (he got the fois gras as his appetizer & the duck confit as his main). We shared the lemon cream dessert & it was heavenly. I wish I could give the service at Holder a 20 out of 10. The service/our server was so attentive that it completely elevated our dining experience. We have been to many restaurants & would both say this was probably the best server/service we have ever had.
Great space, amazing service. Food was good but nothing out of this world. Duck confit was delicious but heavy & lacking acidity in the salad to balance out.
La nourriture n'est pas mauvaise, mais très basic je dirais. J'ai prit l'entrée de calmar & le canard confit. J'ai malheureusement fait une indigestion alimentaire suite à mon souper... Le service était super bien, les serveuses & les serveurs sont très bien & super gentils! Pour ce qui est de l'ambiance, je trouvais que c'était un peu trop bruyant. C'était un peu décevant comme expérience & je regrette un peu d'y être allée pour mon anniversaire, je me me suis fiée aux avis & je dirais que ce n'est pas à la hauteur de ce qui est vanté.
Nice room, efficient servers - we were a party of 10 - but goodness the food. The flavourful salad was the high point of the meal, but might have served three - is this the Americanization of brasserie servings? The soup was thin, bland & instantly forgettable; the confit de canard looked forlorn & overcooked in a vast forest of arugula, had little flavour & no succulence & the roast potatoes underneath were meagre & hard to locate in all that foliage. A lackluster fruit salad with a tiny dollop of sherbet made dessert hardly worth the effort.'Disappointing' is the polite term for what Holder gets away with.
We picked Holder for is location to our hotel, but ended up wanting to go back because it was fantastic. We sat at the bar while waiting for our table & the bar staff were great. The food at dinner was excellent. The bison mozzarella appetizer was great; duck confit, & pepperedelle dinners amazing; & the creme Brule dessert was one of the best I've ever had. The prices were very reasonable as well
