Reviews describe L'Affaire est Ketchup as a truly unique, intimate dining experience with a cozy, homey atmosphere and a small open kitchen. The venue runs two seatings each night and explains the daily menu aloud in French and English, creating a communal feel and a sense of occasion. The menu changes with the seasons and emphasizes high quality local ingredients, offering dishes from sweetbreads and foie gras to duck, beef, fish and seafood, all thoughtfully prepared and beautifully plated. Service is attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable, and wine and beer options are solid though prices can be on the higher side. The overall vibe is relaxed and unpretentious yet sophisticated, like dining at a friend's kitchen, which many guests find highly memorable; occasional notes mention limited vegetarian options, minor variances in dish execution, and the challenge of the price point, but reservations are essential given the intimate space.
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.
First, let me say I have been here 3 times in the past 15 years. Once 15 years ago, once in 2017, & once now. It used to be one of my favorite restaurants in North America. What's changed?
First, maybe food culture. There are tons of great French restaurants & farm to table restaurants everywhere now, so the bar is higher. Second, the ordering process. It feels a bit like a cruise ship. The waiter comes out & tells the entire restaurant the menu. Most of the clientele probably came to the place through blogs & TV shows (no judgement, just that's the vibe) & then they take your order. Ok… but everything came out a little cold & average. Everything was under-salted & under-seasoned. The ingredients were solid, cook was good, but again, everything tasted like it had been sitting. The sweetbreads were still a highlight. Wine was good. Staff was cool.
The overall feeling was that this place had its day 10-15 years ago & they're resting on their laurels & once great reputation. This review is coming out of love. I wanted the place I knew, but was let down. I don't need yesteryear, but the bar either needs to remain strong or raise up, & I think in this case, the bar dropped a couple notches.
What happened?
May 14, 2026
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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.
I had a night of confusion & frustration after dining at this place. To highlight two things: we ordered wine & the server poured some for tasting. After that he poured just as much as the tasting portion & we were confused since this totally does not look like a full serving. We asked another server to check, & after some time he came back & told us that was the standard amount.
Second thing, the same server who poured our wine brought our bread, but it was SO clear that one of the pieces has part of it lingering under the plate & as soon as he put it on the table that bread just touched the table surface & he just served it like that?? We had to ask another server to get us new bread. The whole night there was not clear communication & we felt disrespected & unwelcomed. I'm sure there're a whole lot of restaurants in Quebec that can do better than this.
A lovely dining experience in this quaint & cozy restaurant. It appears the menu changes on a daily basis based on the fresh ingredients available. The server orates the menu options to the patrons. I had an amazing steak entre & a lamb sweetbread appetizer. The food was delicious & they had a very nice wine selection. It was a unique & special dining experience. I highly recommend.
Just a special place. Cool server, he was the best!!!
We loved the wine collection (thanks so much for the recommendations!) & we loved everything we ordered - unfortunately we are our appetizers before photos!
INCROYABLE!
The incredible level of service started with booking & Jordan taking the call. The next day he offered such an unimaginable level of knowledge & service. His pairing of wines with the appetizer & meals. The team loves food & their visitors... so reflected in all aspects of our dining experience... a true experience of joy.
Nov 5, 2025
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What a little gem in Quebec city! The place is small, cozy with an open kitchen. At first, we were a bit confused because we didn't know the concept of the place - all tables need to arrive, so the menu can be explained to all guests together. We drove from Ottawa & arrived very hungry, so, honestly, we were a bit impatient. But once we got some great wine & things got going, everything made sense. The experience turned into something special - the food was absolutely delicious & beautifully executed. The wine selection was just as impressive. By the end of the night, we felt more like being invited to a friend's dinner party than eating at a restaurant. Definitely going back. Thank you guys!
This was an experience with excellent food. You feel like you are at a dinner party where your friend is telling you what's on the menu & asking what kind of wine you like. It isn't cheap, but it's worth it. Each dish is clearly made with passion & thought.
The food was good but not awesome.
There were a few issues. We would have liked a printed wine list. The beef was not tender. The restaurant appeared run-down or as if they did not care. They could use a screen to keep out the flies. It was not worth walking 30 min from Old Quebec.
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!
Aug 7, 2025
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The wife & I were in town for our anniversary & made sure to book a reservation here a couple weeks beforehand. Tremendous experience. Forget the hoity-toity airs of the typical fine dining experience & come in looking at L'Affaire as performance paired with cuisine. & while they are super cool & laid back, do yourself a favor & get there on time -- because the menu presentation is done for the entire group & every night is a different menu. That being said, if they have them when you are visiting, get the sweet breads: they were phenomenal (as was the halibut, which my wife had, & the pork chop). Prices were absolutely reasonable considering the level of quality. Great beer & wine selection -- again, go in with an open mind because it isn't like most places with a full bar or the same stuff you find everywhere else.
It truly is a unique dining experience & if you are reading this review I'd assume you already have some familiarity with the whole concept. These guys are just as much artists as they chefs. & they do it all extremely well.
We had an amazing time & truly the most memorable dining experience I've ever had. Will most definitely be back next time we are in Québec. Tres magnifique. 💙 ⚜?
Super fun experience, like eating in someone's home. Staff was great at navigating us through some allergies we had (including gluten), & the team was clearly passionate about both the food & wine.
Since this is a somewhat unusual restaurant I'll describe it a bit in my review. My understanding is that food is served twice an evening at fixed times & you make a reservation for one of those particular times. The restaurant is very small.
The name of the restaurant comes from regional Quebec slang. The food includes sweetbreads, foie gras, & other fairly classical dishes. Everything we tried was delicious.
The atmosphere is extremely relaxed & friendly.
I tried to order wine by the glass, & they didn't seem to have a wine list, although perhaps they may for customers who order by the bottle. They had some extremely good local microbrewery beer.
May 13, 2025
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This was a very unique & memorable meal. We were a little concerned when we showed up a little before 8:30 & the door was locked. We had not paid attention to the fact that they do 2 separate seatings per evening & that the door opens at the set time….
That being said the food was amazing, the wine recommendations were on point & the service was fun & personable.
We will absolutely be back on our next visit to Quebec City.
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.
Wonderful quirky restaurant! We had a great meal! The menu is small & extremely inventive! Everything was delicious & our waiter did a wonderful job of explaining the menu & answered questions we had in regards to our dishes after they were served. Good wine selection!
Nothing better than being able to cross a restaurant off your bucket list & have it exceed your expectations. I'm still thinking about that scallop ceviche. Solid wine list. Definitely recommend & I can't wait to be back!
