Holder

François-Xavier

5.0

Went to Holder for New Year's Eve with a group of 10 & Holder's team went above & beyond to make it easy. First the booking process on the phone for a big group was extremely straightforward. We were planned to be 11 but 1 dropped 3 days before & the update to 10 was a breeze. Then comes the dinner. The food was delicious. The special NYE foie gras ravioli was a delight. & the best for last, the service. Laurie went above & beyond to make the experience easy & nice. First we were booked from 20:00 to 22:30, Laurie switched tables around & made sure we could stay as long as we wanted. This allowed us to ring in the new year at Holder. Then came the bill. Laurie split every item per person & even went the extra mile by splitting each bottles of wine with who had some. What service! Thank you so much.

Mark

5.0

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.

Logan

17 Commentaires

3.0

My second visit & this time again a toss up between Holder & Boris Bistro which has a splendid terrasse that will charm all comers.

But I remember Holder having a better quality of food. The reception was very welcoming & we were seated in a rather nice part of the restaurant despite the fact I was dressed in can only be described as clochard circa 1988.

My companion though more than made up for my appearance. The place is beautiful in a way that can not be readily understood. Practical with tables well located so that the nearness of other diners is forgotten despite the fact they could easily be pouring you wine without standing. tall ceilings add much to the feeling of privacy.


Only one thing before I forget the washrooms had 2 urinals & the tiniest sink I have ever seen, really!!

We had what I thought were the best part of the meal drinks & appetizers. My companion had the goat cheese on flaky pastry while I had the salmon tartare. The chevre was beautifully toasted on the top with just the right amount of warmth . It came with an olive tapenade that I felt was much too strong for the cheese, my taste of course. My salmon was delish with just the right amount of spice & herbs. It was listed to contain caviar but the quantities were unnoticeable to have much impact other than a few black specs.

We then had fish & chips & the pasta with lardons & mushrooms. The fish & chips was good but not 20$ good & I would say they should bring theirs in from around the corner at the fish & chips shop.... The pasta was I should of expected drowned with a rich cream sauce that overpowered everything else in th eplate although the smokiness of the bacon was present.

Wine was actually tasty but of course a compromise considering what we were eating.

Creme brulee yes, coffee yes


Now for service it was impeccable in many was prompt courteous & attentive, but I couldn't help but feel were being shuffled in & out with little concern to interact with the clients. I understand the concept of tourist trade & if Holder can live off of that super but me thinks the winter months could use a dedicated clientele that felt welcome for something other than their credit card.

Would I go back probably but I would stop at the salmon tartare with 2 white russians...