Holder Owners Bring New Gastropub and ‘Saketinis’ to Old Montreal

The people behind Old Montreal Euro-brasserie Holder have opened up a new venue right next door to that McGill Street institution, with gastropub Le 409 now open.

Le 409 looks to be a rather more casual complement to its big sibling and neighbour, with an all-rounder bar operation and a light menu of upscale bar food. With quite early opening hours of 8 a.m. on weekdays, it seems Le 409 is also running a coffee operation by day.

It’s been 15 years since Holder first opened up on McGill, named for the trio of brothers that own it, Maurice, Paul, and Richard Holder. Maurice and Paul are behind Le 409 along with one-time owner of St-Denis restaurant Ouzeri, Haralabos Sugleris. (Richard Holder, who also owns Mile End’s Bar Waverly, does not appear to be involved.)

The new project features a list of mostly house creations for cocktails — for example, a “saketini” with sake, yuzu, and peach bitters, and a pisco cocktail with elderflower liqueur and matcha; all are priced at a reasonable (by Old Montreal standards) $12. A beer list drawing on brewers like Beau’s and Trou de Diable alongside some big brewers, and a varied wine list.

Food options lean more towards snacks and smaller plates, and while there’s a veggie burger, it mostly gets away from standard pub fare with quite the mixed bag of influences, with items ranging from dal and a lamb curry to jambalaya, chicken satay, a fattoush salad, cod accras, and dumplings — they maxing out at $14 with a range of options under $10.

Le 409/Facebook

The space itself seems to also mix and match: it resembles a noir-ish Havana-inspired cocktail club but with some Bollywood elements in — perhaps an odd set of motifs to blend, but it seems that restraint was exercised and it fits together in a stylish bar setting, even if there’s no clear Indian connection beyond a couple of menu items.

STATUS — Le 409 is open at 409 McGill Street from 5 p.m. nightly; regular hours will begin September 17, from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday to Friday and 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

• Le 409 [Facebook]
• All Holder coverage [EMTL]