Overall, reviews describe L'Affaire est Ketchup as a tiny, cozy, open kitchen dining experience with a constantly changing seasonal menu and just two seatings each evening, both requiring reservations well in advance. Guests note a warm, welcoming atmosphere and a vibe that feels like dining at a friend's kitchen, with the menu explained aloud in both French and English. Dishes are praised for creativity and quality, with highlights including sweetbreads, duck, salmon, and ris de veau, and portions that feel generous for the price. Some reviews mention occasional service delays, pacing issues, noise, and ventilation that can make the room uncomfortable, while others praise the wine and beer selections and attentive staff. Overall, despite a few hiccups, the restaurant is described as a memorable, unique, and highly regarded dining destination.
This place serves the most amazing food & we really enjoyed the experience. The menu changes weekly so it is explained in English & French. We had an entree & main & they were both delicious the dessert looked delicious too but we had no space. It's a cute little place with a great atmosphere. Do yourself a favour & check this gem out.
Nous étions un groupe de six & avons profité l'opportunité de la formule table gourmande de Québec pour faire découvrir ce restaurant. Nous avions donc de bonnes attentes quant à l'expérience globale.
L'ambiance du restaurant est conviviale, mais assez bruyante. Nous avons attendu plus d'une heure avant la première assiette, & le souper a pris deux heures & demie (e plats & un dessert). Le service manquait de fluidité, avec plusieurs oublis, on se sentait un peu abandonnés.
La formule « table gourmande » était décevante. Plutôt qu'un menu dégustation ou une offre avantageuse, comme on a vécu ailleurs, il s'agissait simplement de choisir parmi deux entrées & deux plats principaux, sans réelle valeur ajoutée, no avantage dans le prix.
Côté cuisine, la poêlée de champignons a été un vrai coup de coeur. En revanche, les autres plats étaient plus inégaux : la morue & le boeuf manquaient d'assaisonnement, & la cuisson du boeuf était trop avancée pour la majorité d'entre nous, avec une cuisson très inégale (j'ai été chanceuse d'avoir le morceau mi-saignant!)
Le dessert était correct, mais un peu trop chargé, & surtout servi avec un délai d'environ 30 minutes après la cin du plat principal, alors que nous étions déjà en train de digérer.
Enfin, un problème de ventilation en cuisine a causé beaucoup de fumée dans la salle, au point où portes & fenêtres ont dû rester ouvertes longtemps, ce qui a rendu l'expérience inconfortable & froide.
En résumé, malgré quelques bons éléments, l'expérience n'a pas été à la hauteur de nos attentes. Pour le prix payé, ni le service ni la qualité des plats n'étaient au niveau espéré.
May 8, 2026
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Excellent rapport qualité prix pour un souper gastronomique. Tout est délicieux de l'entrée jusqu'au dessert.
Nous sommes client depuis plusieurs années & revenons avec plaisir!
I had a wonderful dining experience at this restaurant. The dishes I tried from the swordfish tataki & the perfectly cooked duck breast to the comforting pudding chômeur for dessert were all thoughtfully prepared & beautifully presented. Each course felt balanced & flavorful, showing great attention to quality & creativity. The overall meal was memorable from start to finish. The atmosphere was warm & relaxing, & the staff were incredibly welcoming & attentive. A place I would happily return to.
This is one of my favorite dining experiences ever. Delightfully casual with food that is exceptional & well thought through. I love the vibe of the place & the fact that it's a small intimate seating. You must arrive on time - & reserve EARLY! We got an app, main, & dessert for each person & it was the perfect amount of food.
This was one of the best dining experiences we've ever had.
From the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel genuinely welcomed. They were attentive, warm, & took the time to explain the menu in both French & English, which immediately set the tone for a wonderful evening.
We started with Limbo Yuzu & lime Montellier, followed by the riz d'agneau, which was rich & absolutely delicious. For the mains, my fiancé had the confit filet de boeuf & I chose the fruits de mer. Both plates were exquisite & beautifully prepared. Dessert was the perfect ending: brownie with chantilly & a flawless crème brûlée. Every bite was amazing.
More than a meal, this was a truly special, one-of-a-kind experience. Pure chef's kiss. A must-visit in Québec City.
Incredible! Both service & food. You walk in at your reserved time & its like walking into someone's cozy home. The staff were super friendly. They explained the menu in detail, in both French & English, prior to taking everyone's orders, then came back & explained the desserts to each individual table. Although our reserved time was 6-8:30, we never once felt rushed. The food was elegant & delicious. The portion sizes were perfect. I was truly blown away. I highly recommend going here if you are in Quebec City. I will definitely be returning.
Thank you to the 4 gentleman who run this incredible little restaurant, you made us feel like family!
Dec 15, 2025
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What a night! Five of us had an amazing dinner. From appetizers to dessert, everything was melt-in-your-mouth, incredibly prepared in the tiny kitchen. Mad skills. The service by the staff absolutely made our night. Thank you!
This place is amazing. They are celebrating 15-years for good reason. I counted 22-24 seats including a nook table by the barstools but mostly one narrow intimate room with great energy & incredible food. 5 apps & 5 mains to choose from + dessert selection which you can discuss with your server. Bonus points: they describe every element of every dish in French then in English & it is a vibe! Wine is pricey so be forewarned!
The pork belly was amazing as was the chocolate brownie dessert. Dinner is slower pace here so be prepared to make conversation with your date &/or drink more than anticipated. The vibe is unbeatable.
Apr 9, 2025
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The space is very small & simple, with lots of character. Make your reservation & make sure to arrive on time, as everyone's food is served at the same time. The menu changes often & is very short, but there were lots of interesting options. We had the Cobia gravlax & the pork croquette as appetizers, both incredible. As main we both had the contre-filet, & it was definite the best meat I've had ever since I moved to Canada. As dessert we couldn't choose between the chocolate brownie & the carrot cake - so we ordered both! Servings are a good size - you can have a three course meal or skip one course & still be full. Staff is super friendly & professional. Overall a great experience & will definitely be back when we're back in town!
J'imagine que je ne me suis pas retrouvé dans ce qui semble être l'ADN de ce restaurant. On s'entend pas parler, la musique est trop forte, le premier plat est arrivé 1h00 après notre arrivée. Le service est très très très long, on reste 2h00 mais tu attends sans trop savoir pourquoi. L'entrée (gravlax saumon) était exceptionnelle, le boeuf était bon mais moins WAW, le dessert est un brownie carré sans présentation. Difficile de comprendre la logique/coherence entre une entrée digne d'un gastronomique & un dessert basic que je suis capable de faire. J'allais mettre 3/5 mais ils ont servi des digestifs gratuits à la table voisine de la nôtre. Nous non, je sais pas pourquoi. C'est juste bizarre de faire ça, tu te dis que t'es un client moins important que celui à 1 mètre de toi. Quelque soit le motif c'est juste dégradant de faire ça devant nous. Sûrement que ce restaurant plait à beaucoup de personnes qui aiment cette ambiance. Cela n'a pas était notre cas.
My husband & I were visiting from NY & wanted to check out this restaurant on Bourdain's recommendation. From the outside, the restaurant is unassuming. The dining area is quaint but comfortable, & the staff took time to share the menu & made each table familiar with the various dishes. I have a sensitivity to onion & garlic, & the kitchen shared dishes that they could adapt to this need. I was so grateful for this! High attention & care to detail throughout the experience. The food was exceptional. From appetizers to mains & desserts, we were very pleased. Everything was excellent. If you have a moment to peek into the kitchen, do so! It is incredible the magic this restaurant is creating with so few chefs & such a modest kitchen. Highly impressive & we will absolutely return.
Entrée & plat délicieux on s'est régalé. Desserts décevants pas à la hauteur du reste malheureusement. Très belle ambiance. Serveurs supers sympa mais le service est vraiment trop long. 2h avant d'avoir le plat principal. Un peu dommage. Une autre personne pour le service aurait rendu le tout pas loin d'être parfait :)
Aug 24, 2024
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From the moment we arrived, the restaurant impressed us with their attention to detail. The highchair & booth seating were already prepared for us, ensuring our comfort right from the start. The menu was extensive & well-presented, with a knowledgeable introduction from the staff that set the tone for a delightful dining experience. The waitstaff were exceptionally friendly & attentive, going out of their way to make our child feel welcome, even offering high fives. The quality of the food surpassed our expectations; the lamb & beef dishes were unparalleled in any French restaurant we've tried before. Each bite was a testament to the chef's skill & dedication to quality ingredients. We would have loved to linger over dessert & extend our evening, but we had only reserved parking for 1.75 hours-a lesson for next time to secure more time for such a memorable dining outing. We highly recommend this restaurant for its warm hospitality, exceptional cuisine, & overall fantastic dining experience. It's a place we won't hesitate to visit again & again
Food was hearty & delicious. The service was warm & attentive. Had a great time！ This meal is better than all we had before in the city. we had sweat bread，mozzarella，& pork belly，beef risotto & fish. Everything is well structured & delicious. & the dessert...The best brownie I ever had...creamy & melting texture strong chocolate flavour perfectly sweet
Upon hearing this place from chefs all over Canada, I just had to visit. Apparently most of the food on their menu changes every week. This was the first restaurant I ate at for dinner in Quebec City. We reserved seating for about 11 people & amazingly they were able to seat us all. The interior was quite small & really felt like we were inside someone's humble home. I love the play on words with the restaurant's name. Their door entrance even had a artistic Ketchup bottle mural on it. After getting seated, the waiter explained everything on the menu to us in English & they also spoke French. I was told from the menu, the ris de veau was a signature dish that they often served so I had to get it, not knowing exactly what I was eatting as the translation was known as sweet bread. I think it was veal & whatever the sauce that came with it was so delicious! I could not stop dipping my bread in the sauce. My main dish was the dore de lac, fish with shrimp. It was sweet & savory. Nothing too heavy but just right & tasted great. Dessert was a surprise. We had a super soft chocolate mousse brownie with whip cream. It was very rich but I compared to what others have gotten in the past, I would have loved to try their cheesecake. Lastly, to pair with everything we also got a local white wine Le Saint-Pépin 2021 which was light & pleasant. It's hard to believe this was all cooked in a regular home kitchen. I have never had such an experience before. I would highly recommend for a fun, mystery, dining experience with friends & enjoy the friendly neighborhood atmosphere.
Very cozy & laid back restaurant. They serve customers in batches & all diners progress at the same pace. The menu is communicated to everyone once in French & once in English, although the English version is moderately briefer. This place is suitable for people who want to hang out, drink wine, & eat great food. The meal progresses slowly, first half hour was mostly drinking, then an hour for appetizers, & finally one more hour for entrées. (I didn't get dessert) The menu changes so not everyone would experience this, but when I went the restaurant got smoky to the point where the entire room seemed foggy & it became a bit difficult to breathe. Likely too many people ordered food that involved brown butter at once. The food was excellent, & highly recommend ordering the sweetbread (which seems to be a staple on the menu).
