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.
Although L'Affaire est ketchup is super highly rated, the portions, food, & atmosphere fell a flat.
The menu changes daily which is a unique & fun concept which allows for ingredients to be fresh & seasonal. The vegetables, grains & pasta were cooked to perfection & had great flavour. But the main star of the dishes such as the beef & duck were dry & tough. The croquette we ordered was soggy, the fish appetizer was dry, & the mozzarella appetizer was something you'd see at any average restaurant. We found most of the proteins to be very tough & lacking in portion size especially for the price.
We loved the lamb dish as well as the sweet breads appetizer but the rest were very average. The wine list was well selected & we ordered two bottles which were both great. Overall there were one or two dishes that we liked, while the rest were nothing to write home about.
The interior was unique & homey but was very noticeably dusty & a bit neglected. Also the bathrooms were insanely small, & super awkward to wash our hands in. This was a minus for us in atmosphere. It was bustling & busy, it felt great to have a conversation there with friends & the staff, but we couldn't overlook the inaccessibility & state of the interior.
TLDR: Slightly overrated. If you're in the area you should try it for yourself if you really want to, but I wouldn't recommend anyone go out of their way. We enjoyed our experience but probably wouldn't come back again.
I regularly eat salmon. I believe I'm a pretty terrific salmon chef. I just returned from dinner at L'Affaire. This was the very most fantastic salmon dish I've had...the very most!!! My wife had the duck. She raved about it. We did not have starter or dessert dishes though I have no doubt they are terrific. The entree portion size is so generous you won't leave hungry if you just order an entree (highly recommend salmon!!!).
May 20, 2026
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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.
A truly unique concept unlike any restaurant I've visited. Reservations are required, & service begins for everyone at 6 p.m. The space is intimate, with only nine tables-eight for two people, one for four-& a bar that seats up to four. Once all guests have arrived, the experience starts.
The kitchen is essentially a home-style kitchen in full view, which adds a warm & personal touch. The daily menu is explained at the beginning: five appetizers to choose from & a main course featuring beef, pork, fish, seafood, or duck (options vary with the season). From what I understood, vegetarian choices seem limited or unavailable.
We tried the ris d'agneau & the pork belly as appetizers, followed by the duck & the beef for our mains. The duck was exceptional-honestly the best I've ever had. The beef, however, was just okay. Most of it was good, but the thinner end was slightly overcooked & a bit dry. Normally I wouldn't mention it, but at this price point, I expected more consistency.
After finishing our mains, we were still a bit hungry & ordered foie gras, which was excellent.
We also had a glass of wine & a beer. The wine selection is solid, but glasses are on the expensive side ($15-$20). The staff really know their wines, though, & can guide you toward something you'll enjoy.
Overall, the service is knowledgeable & friendly, the concept is original, & the food is very good. The main downsides for me were the small bathroom & the overall cost of the meal.
The salmon, The pork, the duck. The non working pudding!!!!!! Indescribably perfect.
I brought my girlfriend my second time around, I ate here on election night 2024 & I hope my second visit reverses everything that's happened between our countries since then. If anything has the power to do so it's the awesome depth of heart & care in this evening.
On a strong recommendation, we had a magnificent dining experience! Their concept is homey yet highly elevated. All of the offerings were absolutely mouth-watering & it was difficult to choose simply because all of them were delicious! We opted this evening for veal sweetbreads, croquette of blood pudding & bone marrow or appetizers. For the main course we had duck, seafood & pork cheek . We rounded out the meal with cheesecake. All were masterfully & deliciously compared. Rich & full of flavor! Overall just a fabulous experience with great memories! The staff are all very friendly & attentive & helpful to explain the many items & help you make those tough decisions! We look forward to coming back again next time we are in town! Highly recommended!
We came here for dinner on July 10/25 not knowing what to expect & by the time we were seated we felt like we were catching up with old friends & getting ready for a home cooked meal in their kitchen. The manager Johnathan was the first to greet us & was very friendly, knowledgeable & entertaining. Unlike other restaurants Johnathan waited for all his guests to arrive before announcing the menu to all the guests in the room, & then we ordered. For starters we chose the sweetbread, buffalo mozzarella & bison appetizers - all were amazing. We then had the duck & the fish dishes & they were also delicious. A fine dining experience with attention to flavours, details & plating, but very down to earth guys with great senses of humour that make everyone feel like a friend. During our stay we have been to several of the restaurants in Old Quebec but this experience was by far our favourite. If you're looking for an authentic local dining experience, make sure you come here. Strongly recommend you make reservations in advance, as this is an intimate dining experience with
Jul 12, 2025
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Wonderful dining experience near old Quebec. Every dish we had was outstanding, but particularly recommend the duck, the pork cheeks & the lamb sweetbread. When you walk into the restaurant, you immediately feel like your in someone's kitchen & the hosts go out of their way to make sure the guests all feel part of a communal experience since it's a small, cozy dining area.
Highly recommend this unique dining experience! The staff were friendly & very well educated, I really appreciated their knowledge of the wine list, they recommended the perfect pairing for my meal. The meal itself was amazing, high quality ingredients & perfectly executed (I had the duck). This was one of the best restaurant experiences I've ever had.
Dinnerware delicious. Our group tried the lamb, duck, beef & liver dishes & the sweetbreads, mozzarella & duck apps. Our server was from Lyon France & was super nice. All was delicious.
Mar 12, 2025
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This restaurant offers a unique dining experience that creates a fun & family like environment. There are two dining sessions & customers are seated simultaneously to prepare for the round of service. You start with some drinks & then the menu is explained in detail in both English & French to all customers. The food is solid, especially the apps (buffalo mozz & sweetbreads were phenomenal) but there were some issues for the temperature of the proteins on the mains. We ordered duck & swordfish, which should be cooked between a medium rare to medium, but both our dishes were on the rare side of rare. Very undercooked with made the fish tough to eat as the connective tissues have not broken down. We expected a nice fish steak & instead got a more sashimi style strips that were almost inedible. The flavors on the duck dish were fantastic, but again…duck should not be served rare as there are some tough parts to chew through. dessert was awesome & drinks were ok overall. The restaurant could use better ventilation as the entire building fills with smoke once they start cooking. Very nice guys though & cool atmosphere.
We visited for our anniversary last week & were blown away by this place. The simplicity of the kitchen, casual decor, & incredible service really amplified the experience. The food was absolutely flawless. We loved every minute. We had the blood pudding, the foie gras, the seafood plate, & the duck poitrine. I have never had such tender octopus. It was so beautiful & we cannot wait to return.
The dining experience at L'Affaire est Ketchup was truly exceptional. From the moment we were seated, it was clear that the evening would be memorable. With a selection of 5 appetizers & 5 entrées, choosing was a delightful challenge. The Fois Gras & Salmon were outstanding, & the Steak & Duck elevated the meal to new heights. I highly recommend this restaurant & suggest sitting at the bar for an up-close view of the kitchen's artistry.
I loved it. It was like we were family. The service was just outstanding. The food was amazing. Our table ordered all the apps. The best being the sweetbreads, the bone marrow, & the cheese. But they were all excellent. Our group had most of the entrees, but I only tried the risotto, which was good & the duck which was amazing. Just one of the best nights out in a long time. So great.
Aug 22, 2024
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Excellent food & service. We had a sweet bread to share for appetizer. Then I had the duck & husband had the scallop & blood pudding. My friend got tuna & octopus. We all rounded things up with a cheesecake for dessert. Everything was so good & fresh. They change the menu frequently based on whatever fresh ingredients are available. The experience was fun too - everyone got seated, then the waiter went over the entire menu & we ordered at the same time. Will definitely be back. The only thing to note is ventilation was not the best so you had a ton of smoke inside while the kitchen was cooking.
Would give 6 stars if possible. Incredible food, cozy & relaxed unpretentious atmosphere combined with great & friendly service. Our waiter Jordan did a fantastic job in French & English breaking down the menu for the night, making recommendations, & was attentive, friendly, & charismatic throughout. Food was incredible & not overpriced, our table of 3 split 2 bottles of wine, 3 appetizers, 3 entrees, & 2 desserts for a very reasonable price. Would absolutely recommend to anyone visiting looking for the best French food I've ever had. The sweetbreads & veal tataki are must get appetizers, & the duck, steak, & pork roulade were incredible as well.
Clinched a last minute 6pm reservation here & it was absolutely wonderful. Their vibe is super chill, friendly, yet energetic/efficient. Got the: veal sweetbread (ris de veau), fish dumplings, & the duck, paired with a very crushable white wine from Spain.
Some additional info:
- There are two dinner services: 6pm & 8:30pm. Try to arrive on time as they will explain the menu in detail to everyone, take everyone's order, then the courses come out in sync across tables.
- The chalkboard menu is split into two sections: appetizers & mains (e.g., ris de veau is an appetizer, duck is a main). An appetizer & main per person works pretty well.
So dim, not romantic dark, not be able to see the food clearly. Tables are so close to each other, very poor ventilation. It was so nosy that we, party of two, were not able to hear each other without shouting. Service was very very slow. It was a pain in such an extremely noisy environment waiting forever for the food. Regarding the food, it was ok but very disappointed with the duck which had no taste & was tough. For the duck, it would be only 2 stars. We could not enjoy our dinner in such an environment & in fact walked out with disappointment. Sorry for saying bad things of your restaurant but just like to speak out the truth.
