Small, fun, unpretentious, seriously good food. This was my second visit, and what I love most about l'Affaire Ketchup is that it's an authentic, absolutely Canadian gem away from the touristy old town. The kitchen delivers amazing dishes from two old household stoves. Which is in and of itself noteworthy. The quality of dishes and the no-frills service makes it amazing. We tried a fresh tomato plate, sweetbreads (a must), asparagus, roasted duck (a little gamey, as is sometimes the case with wild duck), and a veal shoulder served with a gravy that could cause addiction. Missing were the scallops. Halibut was in its place. Bourdain loved it. I do, too. Only 8 tables. Book early. read more

Excellent, excellent and too much fun. Everything about our time spent there was amazing. Loved the service style, 'welcome into our home'

Brilliance cooked on two home ranges. The service was funny yet incisive, the atmosphere is completely relaxed, and the food... oh dear Lord, the food. The sweetbreads are a must, the duck was absolutely genius, and the seafood main was off the charts good. I don't know if there are any better restaurants in Quebec City, but I guarantee you no one was having more fun than we were. This is exactly the kind of fine dining that makes me come back again and again. Great atmosphere, playful attitudes, and genius on plates. My better half and I seriously discussed whether or not we should retire to Quebec City just do that we can enjoy this brilliance more often. WOW. read more

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It was truly one of the most special dining experiences we've ever had. From the very beginning, everything felt intentional and warm. We started with Limbo Yuzu and lime Montellier, light, refreshing, and perfectly balanced. Sharing the riz d'agneau set the tone for the evening. It was rich, comforting, and absolutely unforgettable. For the mains, my fiancé chose the conkie filet de bœuf, and I had the fruits de mer. Both dishes were exquisite. The filet was tender and deeply flavorful, while the seafood plate felt elegant, fresh, and beautifully composed. Every bite told was perfect. Dessert was the perfect finale. The brownie with chantilly was indulgent and satisfying, and the crème brûlée was silky, delicate, and flawlessly caramelized. Truly, every single bite was amazing. What made the experience even more meaningful was the staff. They were incredibly attentive, kind, and genuinely passionate, taking the time to explain the menu thoughtfully in both French and English. We felt welcomed, cared for, and completely present in the moment. This wasn't just a meal; it was an experience. Pure chef's kiss. We will remember this evening for a very long time and cannot recommend this place enough to anyone visiting Québec City. read more

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This is an experience! Made reservations at 8:30pm (last seating) for L'Affaire Est Ketchup after hearing that Anthony Bourdain went and could not have foreseen the night. It's a super cozy space with a kitchen that couldn't possibly be churning out food of this quality. I mean, honestly, electric stovetops and nonstick pans? Staff first comes around to take every table's drink order before going over its chalkboard menu with everyone together for the night based on the quality of produce or items on hand. It really has a friend's kitchen vibe. We began with several appetizers including the bison arancini, scallops ceviche, foie gras (pate), and mozzarella. My favorites are in the order listed. Each dish had a simplicity to it that still highlighted those elevated French cooking nuances like richness, velvetness, or a kiss of acidity. For mains, I went with the t-bone of a piglet. The only part that I was kind of iffy about was the braised pork belly skin. I ate some but it wasn't my preferred texture. Still, I loved every other part of the dish. My friends helped explore the rest of the menu including the orange duck breast, beef filet, and seafood mix. I tried a bit of each, and the duck breast was definitely an equal star. The only other area that was iffy was the wine. Since it was chosen off a bookshelf which is consistently exposed to heat, some bottles definitely suffered as we hypothesized with our beaujolais which was very tart and almost bitter. It got a little better with time but it wasn't a good bottle. Regardless, our experience pushed us well into the later hours of the night but the staff was entertaining and we just generally had a real great time! Highly recommended! read more

For some real local flavor get there early and have a couple Labatts at Taverne Jos Dion a block away. The food at Ketchup was great. The sweetbreads were sublime...pillowy meat in an awesome risotto. Same with the vicheyssoise...unconventional almost gaspacho-esque. With my lamb main course, the small amount of edible meat I was able to find with my fork and butter knife was very good. Service?...we were clearly the sacrificial lamb table. It would be unfair to say service was unfriendly, but there was definitely never any attempt to engage, and they were generally dismissive. If you're American and don't speak French, you may feel something less than welcome here. read more

Service was wonderful. It was a slow night. I had the best dessert of my entire visit. read more

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This place has the best casual non judgemental atmosphere that would portend that the service and atmosphere would vastly outshine the food but this turned out not to be the case. The explanation of the menu will make your mouth begin to water with anticipation. It will be difficult to choose what to order. When the food arrives, promptly, it is a Michelin quality plating, photogenic. The first bite is delicious,the second more so. The depth and complexity of the food is above reproach. The balance of flavors is unimaginable. I feel someone must have sold their soul in order to create such flavors. Truly magical. read more

Picture a little corner storefront restaurant, maybe you think it's a cool dive. Could not be more wrong This a gem of a place staffed with a staff of culinary perfectionists. Sure they wear plaid shirts and well worn jeans BUT aside from the superficial aspects, you are in a 5 star restaurant. Blackboard menu changes every day. Reservations are booked every 2 hours. The ingredients of every dish is explained in detail. Exquisite flavors, wine selection superb Guess what it is a moderately priced for a meal you will never forget Ceviche of scallops with a bit of caviar , freshly and locally made mozzarella surrounded with a lovely caponata and homemade focaccia . Duck breast , crispy, on a a golden sauce. A platter of scallops and octopus. All local, all made on the premises It was so perfect read more

tl;dr cute restaurant, amazing food, great vibe, slow service We made a reservation at this place around 1 month before our trip for a small table for 2 on a regular Saturday evening, and the only time left was 8:00pm. So plan early if you decide to come. We came a bit early and waited outside for a while before going in. This place is tiny but very intimidate and lovely. We love their music choice a lot! The waiter was super nice and explained everything on the menu in detail. The food was magnificent. Unfortunately I didn't have the taste bud for their sweet bread but my friend said it was amazing. The poisson (fish) I ordered was light and satisfying. The final dessert brownie tasted very much like the kind made at home than in a fast food restaurant. We finished everything close to 11pm so the whole meal took around 3 hours. The majority of the time was spent on waiting as both of us are fast eaters. Make sure you are not starving and very well rested before you come, and enjoy a slow night out here. read more

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Forget everything you've read or heard. It's even better than that. The staff is welcoming and fun and dare I say cool. The food is elevated and accessible, which is quite a feat to pull off when you really think about it. The presentation of what's on the menu, in French and English, is an event. The wine selections are thoughtful and integrated. They played 93 Til Infinity and Liquid Swords during dinner. I loved it. My two year old nephew loved it. My 75 year old mother loved it. If you're lucky enough to eat here, you will love it. read more

Surprisingly it was easy to make a reservation for 3 just a week in advance, but we were not super impressed by the experience. The service was friendly, though quite slow and the music very loud. We had white wine, ris de veau (sweetbread, aka pancreas), duck, pork, halibut, and brownie. Although the ris de veau was super small, it was the best part of our meal. It had a good caramelized exterior and the interior was the right mix of fat and gamey texture. We also scooped up all the creamy sauce to complement the thin slices of bread they provided. The pork was acceptable with a little bit of crunch from the thin skin, but overall it was not particularly juicy or tender. We have had far better in less famous restaurants. The duck also wasn't noteworthy. The halibut was not as expected. It kind of resembled a fried patty with mashed up pieces of fish instead of a fillet, which really left a sour taste in my mouth knowing how much it cost. The sauce had a nice tang to it but it didn't wow me at all. When we finally got to eat dessert, the brownie was so average. It was a disappointing end to the meal. Overall we paid around $200 for an underwhelming experience. It was worth trying but not worth going again. read more

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Tucked in a little unassuming storefront in the St-Roch neighborhood, the restaurant provides delicious options for entrées and mains, that get changed depending on the day you're going. The ris de veau is rich and succulent. The canard is cooked to perfection, while the flanc is just out of this world - my only complaint would be on the portion of the scallops dish. Service is friendly. read more

L'Affaire Est Ketchup - French Near Me - Quebec City, Quebec

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Amazing people and atmosphere! Unfortunately, I cannot comment on the food, because a storm cut out the electricity and we weren't able to have dinner, but I can comment on the fabulous vibe and service. Despite no electricity, we were still invited to hang out and drink wine, do shots, and have great conversation by candle light. I definitely will return and enjoy the food I've heard so much about. You'll want to make reservations weeks in advance. It's an intimate experience, accommodating about 26 people. It feels like you are in someone's home. I really enjoyed myself and I won't forget my experience here. read more

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reservations are a MUST. this is an experience and an acquired taste over all. we snagged the final 2 reservations for 6 PM when they opened. they seat everyone down together and ask for a round of drink orders. they have beer and wine. roughly 8 to 15 a glass. this takes about 30 mins. during this process you can glance at the chalk board on the side to see that nights menu. it's a very small and expensive menu. a la carte. if you are a vegan or vegetarian, this place isnt for you. id say theres 2 desserts, 7 apps and 5 entree. 1 or 2 of the hosts come out and greets the whole room and goes down the menu explaining each dish. my friend got a burratta app dish and i got a salmon app dish. both were absolutely delicious and plated beautifully. i think each dish were about $15.00. we didnt want to stay for dinner so we asked for check, but everyone else stayed at the other tables. the place has about 15 tables and they were packed. apps took about 30 mins to come out. everyone gets served around the same time so its almost like a family style meal, but not really. fun experience, a one and done for me, and i appreciated the dishes, but due to my diet restrictions i can see how this can be a gamble. read more

On our last night in QC, the entire city was preparing for the following day, St. Jean Baptiste Day.  Some were even celebrating early, so we had no expectation that there would be any spaces available at L'Affaire Est Ketchup, a recommendation from a local walking tour guide, Samuel Dubois. Placed a call to them thursday afternoon and luckily for me, the guy at the other end spoke English and had 2 last spots available at the counter/serving station.  There were 4 guys always working and keeping the food train running...everyone was energetic and passionate about the service.  Music was mostly fast paced techno with some French pop-urban mixed in.  Sylvan was managing the food train and before the service started, he presented the entire menu 1st in English to us and another English-speaking couple, then in French to the 16-17 French speakers. We started with a dumpling appetizer, which had a great filling and nice amount of hot seasoned broth.  Very satisfying! We also had the lobster appetizer, which was delicate, savory and succulent.  A delicious dish! The main course of seared scallops arrived with a slice of blood pudding atop of a type of mash...the scallops had some caramelization to the seared side!  Very enjoyable consuming this dish! Our last main course arrived consisting of a plump and tender piece of octopus on top of a seared squid steak (which was explained to be like a fish cake) accompanied by some diced tomato and greens.  A great tasting, healthy dish! For dessert we had mini creampuffs with a cognac cream, raspberries and chocolate sauce.  A nice touch to the end of our dinner! Overall, the service and food were exceptional.  The staff was very accommodating and made a regular dinner into something extra special.  Anthony Bourdain Day was June 25th and it was an honor to celebrate a couple days early in the same seat that he sat in when he last visited. read more

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Easily in the top 5 restaurants i've ever been to. The "pirate" vibe plus next level food make it so. Service - is world class. If LAEK made it on your radar -- make sure you do not skip. read more

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The Best!!!! Coming from New York and Paris, we're a little spoilt when it comes to excellent dining experiences. So, at first we were hesitant to book L'Affaire est Ketchup as there were so many highly reviewed restaurants to choose from in Quebec. So glad we went for it!! We tried a lot of them and this was by far the best meal we had in Quebec! The ingredients, preparation and presentation were outstanding! And it didn't cost a ridiculous arm n a leg. The restaurant and the chefs are completely unpretentious. But, don't be put off by that...every dish was outstanding. Don't expect a white linen experience. It is very bohemian and relaxed; like eating in someone's kitchen. Such a relief to avoid all the BS that seems to come with "fine dining". This is all about the food. The menu changes daily and there are only two seatings per day. So, so glad we went with our gut and booked this experience. Thank you! read more

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Super fun solo dining night. Call for a reservation; they'll speak with you in English so don't be intimidated. Great way to get out of the old city and see a lively locals neighborhood. Really enjoyed my food and sitting at the bar was perfect for watching the crew cook. No formal cocktail list but they can make you whatever you'd like. Great wine recommendations - by the glass or bottle. I wanted to bundle up this team and take them home with me! read more

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Great vibe at this restaurant. Staff so helpful. Food inventive. Beautiful presentation. Most importantly - DELICIOUS!

The food was good. The service was brisk and friendly. The decor is very rough around the edges which is fine, but when you're paying about $100 per person, they should at least provide some air-conditioning on a hot summer evening. read more

Our last night of a 9-day trip split between Montreal and Quebec City. I've been happy with most of the meals during our vacation, and chose L'Affaire partly based on its reviews, but mostly because of the enticing charm of its exterior. The place is so unassuming, it makes you insatiably curious. It was only after the incredible meal last night that I did some Googling and discovered it's a well-established destination for gourmands like Anthony Bourdain. The experience was extraordinary. Upon arrival we were greeted at the door, our reservation confirmed, and told to sit wherever we liked. It felt like attending an intimate party at a friendly new acquaintance's home. Since there are only two seatings, everyone sits down at the same time, has their order taken at the same time, is served... you get the picture. My partner and I do not speak French. There is no menu, other than 2 chalkboards with a short, non-descriptive list of appetizers and entrees (6 of the former, 4 of the latter). We spent the first five minutes translating on our phones. The person who greeted us and got our first round of drinks addressed everyone from the center of the tiny dining room and gave a minutes-long description of each dish in French. There was a lot of laughter and smiling. We also laughed and smiled, but because we didn't understand a word. Nonetheless, based solely on the brief, translated list we'd already decided what we were having. The server finally discovered we didn't speak French and offered to go back over everything in English once she'd taken everyone else's order. We told her there was no need, and ordered sweetbreads, halibut, and sea scallops with black pudding (sweetbreads and black pudding are two of my favorite things). The only thing lost in translation, we regret that we didn't get a second appetizer. I've had sweetbreads more times than I can count. I used to work in a French restaurant in NYC in my 20s and it was on our menu. Ours was pretty basic, but always executed well. The ones last night were anything but basic. The biggest mistake made with sweetbreads, in my opinion, is that so many places bread and deep fry them. You don't really taste anything that way. These were lightly floured and pan-fried, and came with a sauce I wish now I'd heard the full description of in English. It has all the richness of something like a steak au poivre, but was as delicate as mousse. It packed the greatest possible nuance and flavor without overpowering the sweetbreads. This would become a theme of all the sauces. They were some of the best sweetbreads I've ever had. Then, entrees. My partner's halibut was fantastic. I won't go into too much detail beyond that because my entree was, no hyperbole, the best dish I've eaten in my life. There were at least 6 different perfectly executed components that worked flawlessly together in any combination. The black pudding was light, but not dry, crumbly and so flavorful the tiniest morsel brought an explosion of flavor to any bite you paired it with. The scallops were seared impeccably and each little vegetable element brought a unique and amazing flavor profile. There were 2 complimentary sauces that worked well together or apart. I'm not kidding when I say at one point I thought I shed a tear from the rush of endorphins of realizing, "this might be the best meal I'll ever have." I couldn't recommend this place more highly. I don't know if we got lucky, and the chef was in a state of Zen and could do no wrong, but I also don't really care. We'll definitely be back. I mean, we might return to Quebec City specifically to eat here again. 6 hours of driving? Beyond worth it. read more

We absolutely loved it! Unpretentious. Fabulous. friendly staff. we would make the drive from Toronto just to come back to enjoy this restaurant and food again. high end food in a cool space. cabbagetown in Toronto could really benefit from this concept. Hoping the owners of Pirate read this! read more

Fantastic find - small and unassuming place but the BEST dining experience. Definitely will visit Quebec city if only to dine here again!

Very cool. Relaxing atmosphere & charismatic staff. We understood immediately why this small place has been open for 14 years and counting. The menu changes often depending on what's in season and availability of the freshest ingredients. Overall, just a fantastic meal; we had the gazpacho and giant shrimp appetizer, scallops with the octopus and the duck breast as main course. Great drinks, good smells, delicious food. read more

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10/10. If you go anywhere in Quebec City, come here. Incredible cocktails, appetizers, desserts, staff, everything. My wife and I eat very well, and I can't remember the last time I had a meal this good. Overlayed with Greta Van Fleet and Tool to boot. read more

L'Affaire Est Ketchup - Scallops and blood sausage pudding. Steak - French Near Me - Quebec City, Quebec

Perfect food, warm friendly service, and cozy and homey feel. We felt so special having this dinner and will remember it for the rest of our lives. By far one of my favorite dining experiences I've ever had. This place activated all of my senses at the highest levels and I just felt so lucky to be alive and to have this memory for my husband and I. read more

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You come to this restaurant for the food and the people who are there to serve you. Dining here is an experience that you will not forget. The food is terrific and the people working there are passionate about what they do. read more

My boyfriend and I visited on our trip and it was the most fantastic experience! The food was 10/10 and the owner and staff were gracious and amazing. The space is very intimate and unique as you can see the chef preparing your food from some seats in the restaurant. The owner gets up and describes the menu in front of guests all at once, answering any questions, and was very kind to repeat it in English to us and another couple who were not French speaking. We got the whitefish dumplings to start, the pork chop and stag as our main dishes, and a brownie for dessert. This is a must visit and somewhere we look forward to going again on our next trip. read more

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Simply astounding food! The place is quite small so reservation is a must. We got seated right away. The menu changes periodically and menu for the day was explained by Sylvan (hope I spelled it right) in front of everyone. The food was quite slow (though the place wasn't full), we waited an hour & a half for it to come. But the wait was worth it because everything was delicious. I may not have understood all the details whilst being explained this is what we had: scallops, salmon, surf n turf, deer, cod. A bottle of red complimented all our dishes. Very happy tummy! read more

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I want to start by saying I wanted to give this 5 stars but can't. The vibe: this is a really cool place, intimate, you can see the kitchen and the servers are very nice. There's no physical menu so one of the team members addresses all the diners (about 20-22) in both English and French walking through the entire menu. My wife and I started with 2 appetizers: the mushroom ravioli and the sweet breads and a beer each. We nearly licked our plates clean. I can't express enough how amazing these were. I looked at my wife and told her if I was still hungry after dinner I may ask for another order of sweet breads. For mains my wife ordered the duck (they said it was cooked medium rare with crispy skin) and I ordered the beef. The duck was cooked medium but definitely didn't have crispy skin. It wasn't very tender and had a little gristle to it. With that said, the vegetables were perfectly cooked. My beef looked really good until I realized half of the portion was undercooked fat and there was a line of silver skin running through it. Not a good and or decent cut in any means, but again, the vegetables were cooked perfectly. My 2 gripes gripes: 1.) I left nearly half the steak on my plate and upon removing my plate, there were no questions asked, no "how was your steak" or "did you like your entree" as half was still there. 2.) the head server/manager was going around and making deep conversation with 3-4 tables and offering free drinks or shots or something of the sort. I think this is great, but when you're not of the the "chosen" tables it makes you feel like an outsider. Once our entree course was completed, we tried to pay and get out of there as quickly as possible. It hurts to write this because I've been looking forward to dining here for over a year, and with limited seating scarce availability for reservations, it only built up the hype more. read more

Ugh. I had high hopes for this place. Alas it turned out the food was not up to expectations. I had the deer. I've had deer many times in the past and this was the first time I've had a piece so tough. It was so tough that I was trying to cut it as thin as possible so I'd be able to eat it. Even then it was chewy as all heck. I had some sort of pasta dumpling with a filling. I like my pasta al dente, but this pasta was dry and tasted like cardboard. The filling was also dry. My wife had the scallops. They're supposed to be seared and not too well cooked. Well these were overcooked, which makes them chewy. Honestly I could turn out something superior in my own kitchen. Not recommended. read more

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Be aware they have a sitting schedule. That means the entire restaurant needs to be emptied before the next sitting can sit. Kind of like on a cruise ship. The food is DELICIOUS!!!! the staff are great and fun. Definitely recommend. read more

L'Affaire Est Ketchup - Try this wine there. Slightly more expensive but so good with food. - French Near Me - Quebec City, Quebec

If you are considering coming here.... stop wasting time and make the reservation!!!! We loved every second of this experience..... the 4 guys running the show, hats OFF to them, making us feel like family in their unconventional but brilliant kitchen and restaurant. The ambiance was welcoming and so unique, like you're in your french grandmas kitchen. We sat at the bar and enjoyed shots from the staff, and friendly conversation. But, the food..... OMG, the food! It was some of the most delectable items of our lives... the SWEETBREAD! stop the madness, it was divine. The duck and the pork belly.... life changing. With foie gras, just the right salty sweetness to make the entrees unforgettable, seriously the best of our LIVES!! This crew needs a TV show, they are just creating miracles and I am over the moon to sit at their bar and reap the benefits of them. Cheers to you guys and may you always be blessed with the business you work for and deserve! read more

Really unique and solid experience. Coming from Toronto I haven't come across a restaurant such as this which feels very intimate. Menu will be explained to entire restaurant in one go (sounds like a lot but they were only seating 10 people roughly during covid). I suspect under normal conditions it's not much more because it is a small restaurant. Pretty much everything is done by 2 people from waiting tables to cooking. Food quality is excellent and great value overall. Not expensive. Portion size on smaller side so be sure to order appetizers and most likely some dessert. Enjoyed all the food here and it was the most fancy casual dining experience I've had if that makes sense. They managed to mesh the both together somehow. read more

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This is one of the best meals I have had in my 62 years of living. Visiting here is a must, but do have reservations. Prices are reasonable but food is the caliber of any 5 star restaurant!! read more

It's true only 2 seatings each evening. They fill up the place - about 8-9 tables - and it feels like a group dining experience with everyone. We were Seated in the bay window so we're on display but also we view the Canadian Hipsters strolling along the sidewalks. Interesting crowd. Server announces the menu to whole place at once, similar to a performance art piece on food. Everyone claps when he finishes. Appetizer- Calmars- "omg these taste like ravioli" "Tender like they were cooked so softly" Served with a spice forward, zesty sauce light on the tomato and giving a little kick at the finish. Really it's just cooked perfectly - usually when you eat calamari there's that over flexible, maybe even rubbery texture. But not these - no rubbery texture. They're almost like a cooked scallop tenderness. Bread and butter - seemed locally made - great crisp crust- airy and light with just a hint of sour. Dipping this bread in the calmars sauce is a very smart choice. Surlonge de Bison - a rich, meaty flavor the juices oozed out of the meat which had a nice bark on it. Magret de Canard - the rice bed mixture was an interesting take on wild rice but much better with textures of bitty veggies. The duck breast was cooked crispy on the fat side and bit well done but still juicy. This was a good sized portion of duck too. Desserts were a deconstructed cheese cake with marscapone and basil with strawberries for him. And a light, buttery pound cake with caramel sauce and roasted pecans. Believe the hype. This was THE best dining experience we've had in a long time. read more

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Go. Can't recommend it highly enough, especially if you're the type to enjoy foosball at the bar down the street.

Love everything about this place. Its incredibly casual and the staff is warm and funny and welcoming. Almost feels like you're eating in a friends house. And the music is also fantastic. Better yet, even without the service and ambience, the food is excellent. The steak and halibut were both excellent. And the croquette appetizer and sweat bread were delicious. I would say the sweet bread stood out - it was really mind blowing. read more

Small unassuming restaurant turns out amazing dishes cooked in the tiniest kitchen! Space is small and busy but cozy and friendly.