Holden & Astor

Dinner was excellent but skip the brunch. Just found out they are going back to the baumarchait (sp?) concept I guess the meat packing doesn’t know how to do anything except restaurants that turn into clubs after a certain time. Disappointing Bc the dinner was excellent.

I took a star off because our 8pm reservation somehow became a 9pm seating on a Friday night. This ticks me off to no end.
Foods good. The tuna tartare dish is nice textural contrast. The branzino was tasty, and the wine and cocktails kept flowing. Drinks are quite pricey, but normal for the area actually. The wait staff are attentive but they seem so hurried, as the place gets packed full.
The people are pretty, and generally have a full-​of-​themselves New York attitude. Meatpacking was my favorite area of New York when I moved here a few years ago, it really stirs up the ‘top of the world’ feeling in many… but that light has faded substantially. For a New Yorker, who is always looking for the next best eating experience, I think that Holden & Astor is one of those immemorable places in MePa that kind of fades…

I would review the food, but we walked out before we got served. The fact that there was room to reserve on opentable at a prime brunch time 2-​days before should have been a sign to steer clear. We were seated and not greeted for about 20 minutes. Then, the host took our order in between sessions of grinding to the music of the dj. After waiting 45 minutes with still nothing brought to our table, we walked out and left and no one stopped us. Don’t waste your time!

Very meh, average place. Had the house made ginger beer. I would say that gets a ⁴⁄₅ because it really was gingery. Even a little bit too much for me but when the lime and ice watered it down slightly, that was the perfect level.
Their bread though is superb, with the chive butter. Make sure you fill up on that! That was my fav part of dinnerl
I had truffle mac and cheese with mushrooms as the main entrée, that thing is 28 $ but i doubt i would pay more than 10 $ for it. Sure it looks as fancy as you can get with those ingredients on a white plate but really, the flavor and taste just does not justify it. Now that I think about it, anything you’re paying for mac and cheese of any kind you should prob not spend more than 10 $ unless possibly because there are chunks of lobster inside. I had piece of the branzino off of a friends plate, nothing special. The brussel sprouts come with pork belly parts which is interesting.
Desserts we got some apple cobbler, the cobbler was dry and too crunchy. The ice cream sliders had too hard of cookies for the «bun» but the ice cream was good, but I mean its hard to mess up ice cream right???

Holden & Astor opened this past September in the trendy and quixotic neighborhood with the name we love to continue calling the Meatpacking District. Situated a Mrs. Dash throw away from Spice Market, this newbee has potential but could use a little tweaking and less tweaking.
You will more than likely be greeted by Sam, the handsome and omnipresent manager who is polite and professional especially when catering to his friends. All of the waitstaff that I encountered were efficient and attentive but we were one of only 6 occupied tables during this visit.
I started with the Tuna Tartare — tapioca cracker/​citrus sesame soy dressing. My bar is set very high for this appetizer ever since I indulged on Chef Raed Jallad of Allegria Hotel on Long Island — it was actually worth navigating the traffic on the L.I.E. The H&A appetizer was chilled but the tuna was not prepared correctly; stringy, attached with large chunks and the tapioca cracker reminded me of bland Rice Krispies without the «snack, crackle or pop». I hardly detected any soy and the citrus was completely null and void from the dish. Sorry, but this app is not for me.
For entrée, I had the Branzino with crispy mushroom salad, pickled onion and ginger-​peppercorn jus. The fish was cooked perfectly, flakey and succulent. The filet was crispy and added a delectable texture. I also enjoyed the mushroom salad but the pickled onion was bathing in vinegar.
The side of Swiss Chard was okay and topped with fried shallot rings — the portion was fine for sharing but the dish was nothing to write home about. Speaking of homecomings, it reminded me of that god-​awful string bean casserole topped with French’s Fried Onions ignored by most diners during Thanksgiving dinner. Hint: Stick with the Baby Carrots/​Cumin/​Orange.
Here’s what to expect: The rustic interior in this fashionable hood is appointed with lanterns, a brick wall, recessed faux tin ceilings, exposed wood tables, chairs and pillars, comfortable banquets plus two ominous pics of people from the turn-​of-​the-​century. The crowd ranges from daters to dust and the ambiance is relaxing, chic with music from the 60s, 70s and 80s — Stevie Wonder, Patty Smyth, Blondie, Michael Jackson… The room rocks on the weekends and they are offering a Brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays to beat the absent band.
I will return because I believe in second chances. I also want to try the infamous «mac & cheese» and the pork tenderloin that the table next to us had ordered and boasted about.
H&A is also known for their cocktails and I have to give kudos for their mixologist’s Sheep Meadow –vodka, salers, carpano bianco, drop of absinthe.
It’s a great place imbibe until my second try.

Great food, great drinks, great atmosphere. The drinks were flavorful and well proportioned. We all ordered different things and it was all excellent. Get any of the seafood, the salmon and other fish dishes were the highlight. Loved the loud, fun atmosphere and the great music.

For meatpacking and being in such a trendy spot, I wasn’t expecting a place worth going JUST for the food. Let’s say, I’ll be back. The mac and cheese felt worth paying $ 17 for — and that’s saying something! You have got to love truffles (well, truffle oil), and if you do this will now be your favorite comfort food in NYC, ever.
Cocktail list looked refreshingly new and inventive. The one I had was subtle and commendable.
I’ll be back for a full dinner to check out what the bartenders were raving about (chicken for 2 is apparently a highlight)

Venu par hasard car en face de notre hôtel, nous n avons pas été déçu: la table était dispo avant l’heure de resa. Et ça a été une belle découverte: cadre top, service impeccable, et surtout très bonne qualité des plats. Bön à un tarif assez élevé mais on s’y attendait compte tenu du quartier et du style de resto.
Bref, Tagliatelles aux écrevisses: finesse du plat, qualité de la cuisson. Mon ami avait prit mc&cheese à la truffe, qui nous on fait penser à nos «coquillettes françaises jambon/​truffes», très bien. Puis le dessert… alors la bravo pour la cuisson du chocolaté cake. Coulant à souhait… et avec le pop corn caramélise, surmonté de la glacé caramel salé. Parfaite association des saveurs. On rajoute à ça un bon dj, un bon vin (français…) La recette parfaite pour une excellente soirée. Ce n était pas plein, je leur souhaite que ça le devienne vite car à comparer avec d’ autres resto du même style, par ex ceux du fameux jean georges, on y passé un tout aussi (voire meilleur) moment!

A total surprising find in the meatpacking. Delicious food, cool environment, awesome drinks. Definitely my new go to in the meatpacking.

Loved this place. Was a little skeptical of a meat packing restaurant but this place was really good. We started with the tuna tartar and lobster. Both so good. Thought the entrée’s couldn’t top them. For our mains we had the Mac and cheese and pork tenderloin. Soooooo amazing. Ate every bit of both. I would definitely come back here for another date night. We were too stuffed to try any desert but the table next to us got little ice cream sandwiches. I was jealous.

I had a chance to check out Holden & Astor last week along with a date and had a perfectly enjoyable experience. In the interest of being a responsible authority, it should be noted that my evening was a complimentary affair as part of their initial media and PR outreach.
I’m not the biggest Meatpacking guy, so I tread pretty carefully when diving into a new operation that opens between West Village and Chelsea. It’s sadly all too common that some restaurant group with deep pockets muscles their way into the ‘hood, coerces a Michelin Star chef to whip up a menu heavy on trending foodstuffs, and builds a restaurant façade whose true mission is to sell $ 800 bottles of Grey Goose during weekend brunch service. Oftentimes said projects care more about which celebrities will get photographed walking through their front door after a Fashion Week soirée than delivering a respectable, consistent product… so imagine my delight when I found that Holden & Astor seems to be a complete 180-​degree turn from the typical playbook of this haute area of Manhattan (at this stage of their lifecycle at least).
In the old Beaumarchais space (well known for their 3:00pm brunch/​club ragers), they seem to be committing to a purely restaurant concept currently with a duteous bar program and subtle twists on new and classic American fare. Among the items we had a chance to sample…
* Diver scallops with cauliflower, blood orange reduction, capers, and lettuce
* Tuna tartar with tapioca crackers and a citrus dressing
* The dry aged sirloin accompanied by creamed spinach and rosemary potatoes
* The obligatory New American mac & cheese
Now, before you scoff at another restaurant reinterpreting the classic Blue Box comfort staple and marking up the price by 800%, hear me out. Upon first glance at a $ 28 plate of mac & cheese, my first instinct was to laugh and write some sort of snarky tweet questioning their culinary ethics. To my surprise, they were somehow able to deliver a commodity that was almost worth the nearly $ 30 price point. The dish is cooked risotto style so it’s a bit different than the usual elbow macaroni or shells varietal and includes wild mushrooms, fontina cheese, and truffle. Sure it seems like the truffle mac & cheese ship should have sailed away eons ago along with Brussels sprouts (arguably) and all Asian fusion restaurants… but they sort of get a hall pass due to the unique preparation. The other standout of our dinner were the diver scallops. Perfectly charred while retaining their inner moisture and the blood orange added a nice hit of sweetness that tied the simple, yet sophisticated creation together nicely. The sirloin was good, albeit a tad rudimentary for my liking. If you’re a huge red meat aficionado who habitually gravitates towards steak when eating out, however… feel free to get dirty. The water is perfectly fine, but it may not blow your socks off.
It’s certainly a sexy little thing that’s ripe for special occasions or that tricky dating timeline when you have to prove to the guy or gal you’re courting that your palate extends beyond bagels and pasta. For what it is, Holden & Astor gets an early thumbs up from ol’ Ruggeford H. Joesten III.

Tacky. Let’s try hard to be a club/​restaurant. Look at that burned pancake for crying out loud. Shitty food and an even shittier vibe. The awful French guy was such a douche. Go to Catch or Spice Market. Worst new spot in the meat packing. What is this. Lavo wanna be. Missed the mark. Might as well be STK same shitty place. Worst wine selection ever and over priced drinks. Gross go somewhere else.

Overrated… weird vibe… super slow service — waited over an hour for our food while the staff pushed us to order more drinks which are $ 19 each and are smaller than the average cocktail at other trendy NYC restaurants and clubs. The meals were okay but not worth the price which average $ 28 and do not include any sides or garnish. Too many amazing restaurants in NYC… MPD…W. Village, etc… Save your time, money and appetite for someplace worthwhile.

Went here on a recommendation from a friend on my recent trip to NYC. Great food, service was amazing. Try the risotto mac and cheese. Definitely a great date spot, or a place to eat before going out.

Fantastic! The ambiance is great, the service was attentive and friendly and the food and cocktails are stellar! Came in with my boyfriend for dinner. We had the cocktail made with Mezcal — I don’t remember the name but it was delicious. The Mac and Cheese was crazy good. I have been craving it ever since. The spinach salad was also great and a good enough portion to share. The salmon entrée was super tasty and the salmon was cooked to perfection. Overall it was a great experience and I cannot wait to come back!

Great restaurant! Food is spectacular; the spinach salad is perfect with just the right about of honey and hints of truffle, and the crispy taleggio melts in your mouth. The mac and cheese is by far the best I’ve had. Outstanding.
Cocktails are awesome, décor tasteful rustic, service friendly and professional.
Can’t wait to go back!

So much awesome here! The pork tenderloin had a crisp crust and amazing flavor. Loved the biscuits and modern fries. Classy décor and the upbeat music added a nice touch to the vibe. Definitely hidden gem status right now since they just opened.

I ordered the ‘chicken salad sandwich with brown bread’ and it came with white bread. Upon asking, the waiter checked with the kitchen, and said they had run out of brown bread so they used white instead. How about asking the customer first? My friend ordered bacon on the side and they were a little too salty and little too crispy. Also the Orange juice that I ordered was anything but fresh. I wouldn’t want to come here again.

Try the Mac n cheese, pork, and scallops. Great food, service, atmosphere. Add this to your list of must gos!

Great setting, it’s amazing how they have converted the space.
But the food was the main attraction. I can to dinner in meat packing not expecting much, but they really delivered on an amazing new American meal. The portions were well sized, but not too big. If you want something large get the pork; the salmon and scallops were great before a night out. Everything was expertly prepared and presented.
Oh and the music? Old school hits… Like 50s and 60s. We were singing along the entire night.

I read about the opening of Holden & Astor within Time Outs food & drink section. The location really caught my attention, nestled between 9^th ave and Washington on 13^th… right in the increasingly trendy Meatpacking District. After checking out the menu and noticing a couple items that caught my eye, I made a reservation for that night. Luckily the bridge and tunnels haven’t taken over this restaurant yet since it’s so new, so they had plenty of availability (unlike the rest of the restaurants in the area).
My friend and I started with the tuna tartare and the heirloom carrot salad. The tuna was piled on top of tapioca crackers and lightly dressed with a citrus soy dressing. The texture of the cracker paired with the freshness of the tuna made this a great starter. The heirloom carrot salad was also a great salad to start with. Initially, I thought it would be a salad comprised of entirely carrots but it ended up being a bed of arugula topped with carrots. If there were more carrots within the salad, I would of enjoyed it a lot more.
For our entrees, we shared the halibut and the squab. The squab was recommended to be served medium rare so we went with that. It ended up coming out closer to medium, but it was still delicious. I’ve had squab maybe once or twice though, so I’m no expert on how well it can be prepared. The halibut was prepared «en croute», which means wrapped in pastry dough and baked usually. Yeah, I totally just Googled that! The way it was prepared here seemed a little different than that definition. It had a nice light golden crust on top of the fish, but not around it. The halibut was in a small amount of grapefruit broth, which initially caught my attention on the menu. The broth added some more moisture to the fish, but not a huge amount of flavor along with the escarole. It was a good dish, but there could of been so much more flavor in terms of its composition.
The atmosphere here is nice. It’s dimly lit and has an open space so you can enjoy views of the street when it’s nice out. Can’t say much about the cocktails, other than I tried a sip of my friends «Sheep Meadow», which was a very small drink but also very strong. Unfortunately, service was not really on point during the night. At times there where big gaps (especially before ordering and waiting for our check), but everyone was still friendly. The restaurant is brand new so I’m sure the staff will eventually get it flowing better. Everything we had here was good. It wasn’t mind blowing enough to be 5 stars but definitely a fair 4 based on what we got.