Our last stop in Montreal was at Holder Restaurant for brunch. While the space was elegant and the food simple and satisfying, I found the price a touch high. For my purposes, I would’ve appreciated a more relaxed atmosphere with heartier portions. As is, Holder would be a nice stop for a more refined meal.

Atmosphere: As stated, Holder was a nice restaurant, with a masculine, industry feel. A large coat room was available for guests and diners were seated spaced away from each other. There were a few large groups (6+ people) that day and lots of families.

Service: We had no language issues placing our order. My cousin’s still learning English and I had to translate a few terms but the waiter was patient and helpful. Our plates arrived quickly and coffees were always refilled before I ever reached the bottom of my cup.

Food: For brunch, The Hubby and I decided to split one savoury and one sweet dish. He chose crepes while I went with eggs benedict, a classic and my favourite. Really I order it for the hollandaise sauce. The two crepes were simply presented, folder, topped with fresh berries and a side ramekin of maple syrup. The crepes were thin and had a delicate texture. My poached egg duo was served on smoked salmon and and English muffin. A small bowl of fresh fruit was served alongside with a small ramekin of hollandaise sauce. Again, each element of the plate was cooked well with fresh ingredients. The sauce was rich and I liked being able to control how much I ate.

My cousin ordered the classic breakfast with bacon, two glossy sunnyside up eggs, fruit bowl and a square of what looked like potato gratin. All three plates were minimalist.

Overall, breakfast at Holder Restaurant was simple and classic, set in a nice restaurant but I didn’t find any single element to be outstanding or especially memorable.