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    Legislative Dining Room

    4.5 (37 reviews)
    Open 8:30 am - 2:00 pm

    Legislative Dining Room Photos

    LEGISLATIVE DINING ROOM ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Upscale
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Legislative Dining Room

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    Kerri F.

    A little confusing trying to find the dining room. You will have to go through security and leave one form of picture ID at the front desk while you're dining. Once in the dining room, we were treated very well and had a very tasty breakfast. Good selection for everyone. Service was very nice. Prices were comparable to everywhere else downtown.

    Jackson H.

    I've been to this place a few times already and enjoyed every one of my visit. It is extremely busy so I highly recommend you make reservations ahead of time. You likely won't be able to get in without reservation because you have to go thru security like the airport and they won't even open the locked door if you don't have reservation. The menu items are plentiful with a wide range of choices to satisfy all different dietary needs. The price is also cheap compare to other restaurants. The staff there were all very nice and accommodating. The building itself has over a hundred years of history. Inside the restaurant they have some rather interesting old photos hanging on the wall. Make sure you ask the staff there about some of the more unique photos.

    Fancy!
    Herman E.

    COVID #43 Welp, that was an easy 5*s In a building that's over 100 years old that's been modernized. Top notch service. Fancy place settings that made me feel like the royalty that I'm certainly not. Toast that used actual butter instead of margarine, and this isn't even the Empress Hotel! Exceptionally prepared food. My steak was done perfectly. Taxpayer subsidized meals, aka it was extremely reasonably priced. Now you know where your taxpayer $'s are going, so I may as well take some advantage of it. The place does get busy. I just happened to luck out. Check out the website for timing. Only one thing to note. Heavy security to enter. It's like going through airport security. Empty your pockets of anything metal, and you also walk through a metal detector. They do x-ray your belongings. I guess they don't want any stray ceremonial swords entering the building other than what is already onsite. Leave ID with security and you retrieve it on the way out. P.s. GST included in the pricing. It's pretty much unbeatable. Recommended.

    a red and white dining room sign
    Lisa A.

    I don't know if this is Victorias best kept secret but guys... wow! Go! Hidden in the basement of the legislature building here in Victoria is the 'cafeteria' where the politicians can grab lunch! I would have expected high prices to match the location but not at all! Fine china, delish food and reasonably priced. Plus as free tour of the parliament building for dessert! Make reservations and enjoy this secret gem in the heart of BCs capital building!

    Rotunda
    Sarah S.

    Such an amazing and unique experience we would never have known about without Yelp! We called ahead to try to get lunch reservations but they were booked solid for lunch for weeks. We settled for breakfast and it did not disappoint. To enter you have to have a reservation and be beaded in at the bottom entry. They then take your ID and repaint you with a visitor badge before having you and your belongs go through an X-ray and metal detector. You then go through the basement and follow a green line to the entrance. It was all very elegant with linen and china. The menu was simple and they had a chef special which was the breakfast sandwich, which the hubs ordered. I had the breakfast fried rice which was to die for, my eggs were perfect! Through the course of the meal, some of the members of parliament came in to the table next to us and were discussing their politics. The hubs said "oh this is just like like the West Wing!" After eating, you return to security to retrieve your ID, then you can proceed upstairs to your the parliament building, if you wish. Would 10/10 return and hope to snag a lunch reservation next trip!

    Key lime pie cheesecake
    Ellen C.

    Dining at the Parliamentary Dining Room for lunch was one of my favorite experiences in Victoria! There are no walk-ins and I was lucky enough to make a reservation the day before for lunch since they get booked up really fast. Highly recommend to call to reserve early to get the time you want! They are only open on weekdays for breakfast and lunch. Once you're inside the dining room, you feel like you are having a VIP service to eat here! At least that's what it feels like to me lol. Food is so delicious and affordable. Service is great as well! I'm still thinking about my meal since coming back home now haha. Truly a wonderful experience that I'll never forget! Tip: Go through security at the main entrance to explore the Legislative Assembly first (can take a free guided tour or do a self tour) and then tell a staff that you have a reservation at the dining room. They'll take you through an elevator on the lower level and you bypass the security at that floor. Once done, you can leave through the entrance of the dining room instead of going back to the main floor to leave!

    Restaurant signage in front of the Parliament.
    Lim T.

    High security breakfast! Took us awhile to find the entrance to get to the restaurant. It was like going through some back door entrance. Just walk down the curvy path that is to the right of the restaurant signage (see photo) and you'll find this mysterious door. The door is locked and you have to buzz in. Next, we had to provide our IDs which they'll hold on to until you leave. Then we went through security scanners! Love it already and haven't even gotten to the restaurant yet! As soon as we walked in, it was very welcoming. It had a classic dining decor that was very comfortable. Our server was extremely nice and helpful. They had a good selection breakfast menu which included steak and eggs at very reasonable price. Highly recommend.

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    4 years ago

    Great service, extremely attentive wait staff!. Limited breakfast menu, but still tasty and was great to tour the building after

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    7 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Excellent place for breakfast or lunch!! Best kept secret in town! Great food good value!!

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    Review Highlights - Legislative Dining Room

    It is also open for lunch, but hours of operation are cut back when parliament is in session (they're out during the summer).

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

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    Frankie's Modern Diner

    Frankie's Modern Diner

    4.2(291 reviews)
    0.5 km
    $$

    Great service and delicious food…read more The food is always delicious and the service is very accommodating. We had a couple of children with us and they were very kind in bringing out a combination of food that the kids would enjoy and actually eat.

    Frankie's Modern Diner was a nice casual place to stop by for dinner. We had a reservation for…read moredinner on a weekday, but there were hardly anyone in during prime meal time. The atmosphere was alright with dimmer lighting than other similar places which was nice for the mood, and the place was surprisingly louder than expected for the little people that were there. The waitress we had was friendly and nice, but also came by frequently to ask if we were done looking at the menu, with our food, wanting the bill. It felt very rushed despite there not being many other customers in the area. We were only in the restaurant for about 45 minutes today. The food was mediocre. I had the fried chicken and waffles, which looked good but tasted generic. The fried chicken was a bit dry and just tasted like it was seasoned with salt and pepper and that's about it. The waffle tasted like something anyone could make at home. My friend had the Caesar salad, which was drenched in sauce but otherwise looked alright. Overall, the food is on the pricier side, relative to the portion size being served. Expect to spend at least $30 to be full, not including drinks and dessert.

    Photos
    Frankie's Modern Diner - Starting the day with a spot of tea

    Starting the day with a spot of tea

    Frankie's Modern Diner - Mozzarella Sticks

    Mozzarella Sticks

    Frankie's Modern Diner - Dinner with friend tonight!

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    Dinner with friend tonight!

    Hastings House Dining Room - View from the table (with a Salt Spring Island pinot noir)

    Hastings House Dining Room

    4.6(16 reviews)
    49.9 km
    $$$$

    We not only had dinners there but stayed there as well. We felt pampered with delicious meals…read more(breakfast and dinner). The first night my wife and I had scallops for appetizers and herb crusted Wild pacific salmon for the entrees. Their fish were cooked to perfection and the accompaniments were an enhancement as opposed to a dominating force. The second night I had escargot and my wife had the beet and goat cheese salad. We both loved our appetizers. The shepherds pie was good although I found the cheese on top of the mashed potatoes was neither necessary nor authentic, but it was still quite good. My wife had the duck confit which she liked very much. The ambiance is one of a country English cottage which felt cozy and warm and the servers were personable and solicitous without hovering. I'm guessing as good as most of the restaurants in town (Hastings House lies just outside the main strip).

    With a fantastic view into the harbor we knew the evening would be great. And the staff and food…read moreprep did not disappoint! Started out with lobster bisque (with a good amount of lobster) and a dozen snails (chef slipped a couple extra!) in a marvelous garlic butter and Parmesan sprinkled over all. Then for entree we enjoyed a wonderfully prepared Herb Crusted Wild Pacific Red Snapper With Creamy Parmesan Polenta, Basil Pesto. I enjoyed the Pan-Seared Nova Scotia Deep Sea Scallops on a fresh bed of lettuce mix and greens. So definitely a restaurant to try but you'll want to plan staying a night or two given they are on an island off the Vancouver island! Rooms are great also with some placed in cabins with views making you feel like you're in a tree house amongst the pines.

    Photos
    Hastings House Dining Room - Main dining room (all those windows can open)

    Main dining room (all those windows can open)

    Hastings House Dining Room - Cheesy polenta, a burnished yellow pepper and a salty, parmesan crusted sea bass...

    Cheesy polenta, a burnished yellow pepper and a salty, parmesan crusted sea bass...

    Hastings House Dining Room - View of the harbor from the back patio.

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    View of the harbor from the back patio.

    Zanzibar

    Zanzibar

    3.9(67 reviews)
    18.8 km
    $$

    TLDR I recommend the lamb burger with potatoes…read more Tourist here. The patty was rather crumbly, which I wasn't sure if I liked, but it still had a ton of flavor, especially alongside the pickles and everything. Potatoes were outrageously good. They were JUST on the verge of burning, so they were smoky without being overwhelming. And DANG this place knows how to season! The salad was kinda eh, honestly. Dressing was pretty generic. If you're looking for flavor, get more potatoes instead of half/half. Got the zucchini brownie out of curiosity. It was fine, but odd. I thought maybe they would just use the zucchini as a binder, but no - there were still some small chunks spread throughout. Didn't really like that, but the brownie was still smooth and pretty good. Interior is quaint, and waitress was very polite.

    Lexi is an amazing server. She is friendly, quick to understand what one is looking for. She has a…read moregood sense of humor as well. On food, their tapenades is a must try. Delicious olives in olive oil, it comes with bread. I tried their fresh grilled fish. It happened to be salmon on that day, grilled and skin was amazingly crispy. The vegetables that came with it were DELICIOUS. For dessert, i had Crème brûlée. The consistency and taste was good, but the middle was cold, which surprised me. Ambience was nice... made me feel that i am away from normal business of life, as i was on vacation. Music played in background was easy instrumental. It was a Wednesday abd i was surprised to see busy they were... for a good reason. Thank you Lexi for an awesome service.

    Photos
    Zanzibar
    Zanzibar
    Zanzibar - Breakfast!

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    Breakfast!

    Legislative Dining Room - breakfast_brunch - Updated May 2026

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