Holder

Holder Restaurant & Bar

407 Rue McGill
Montréal, QC H2Y

www.restaurantholder.com

So it kind of struck me when I was in Cuba over McGill's 'Reading Week' that I have about two months left in the city of Montreal, and I can't believe time have passed so quickly! Most importantly, I also can't believe I haven't blogged about by far my favourite restaurant in Montreal --- HOLDER.

Situated in Old Montreal, this establishment has never failed to deliver on each of the five occasions when I visited the place. I always bring different groups of friends to the place, introducing the food served at the restaurant as European rather than that of a French bistro (at least that is generally the impression I get). The food at Holder is simply mindblowing. Nothing too fancy and pretentious, but really good food with good ingredients and impeccable combination of flavours. This is definitely a winner for me and a must-go for all you people in Montreal who are reading my blog!

So my most recent trip down to Holder was with Miss A, also an exchange student at McGill from France. I had a little bit of trouble convincing her to have 'European' food, but I guess based on my credentials so far, she decided to place her fate in my hands, and there we were, an awesome night at Holder.

Warm goat cheese on thin flaky crust, basil emulsion and olive tapenade

Beef Tartare (spicy)

A very satisfied Miss A with her appetizer.

Yours truly playing dress-up with a new tan from Cuba!

Lamb shepherd's pie with onions, asparagus and cognac sauce.

Pappardelle with three mushrooms, pine nuts and pancetta

Verdict

9.5/10

I am sure that most of you guys must be surprised why the meal ended with no dessert. We DID have dessert, but we just couldn't resist diving into the vanilla crème brûlée and the runny butterscotch cake with maldon salt and butterscotch ice cream, which are both, in my opinion, the two true winners for me among the list of amazing desserts on the menu. Holder has never once failed to impress me with their food, as well as service. My only complaint would be the exclusion of an egg yolk in my beef tartare, like how they do it in Melbourne, and that the restaurant can get a little too noisy during peak dining hours, and I am almost positive that the conversation at every table in the house revolves around how amazing the food are. I am already excited about my next trip back, this time brunch perhaps?