Law Courts Inn Restaurant

It’s a buffet and I have trust issues with buffets at the best of times for so many reasons. Besides being full of pretentious litigators and overpriced, dry cake, I may have hated this place extra because I was about to go to court… but something tells me no. I wasn’t offered water once by the waiter and there is better food to be had within a block in all four directions. Lesson learned.

This place is dead at lunch hour. There were maybe at best 4 tables of four peeps. All of them looking kinda legalish.
It is on the fourth floor of the BC Supreme Court building and is hidden away from the general public. I found out about it from Unilocal.As others have mentioned, it is frequented by lawyers mainly. Only the odd outsider like me would pop in.
They offer a la carte items as well as a lunch buffet. The lunch buffet is not much of a «buffet» if this is all that they offer:
It looked more like a prix fixe «buffet» if anything. In addition, the dessert choices offered two types of cake, not «assorted». Maybe it was just today that it was like that (?) I doubt I would ever order the buffet. I would hazard to guess that the limited buffet menu is because of the low number of patrons.
I didn’t try the food, but I may try it one day for the sake of it.
3 stars for now.

Saw some old reviews here and thought it could use an update (and a better shake). This place is a hidden gem for lunch in the hustle and bustle of Downtown Vancouver. It might look like a place reserved only for lawyers and judges doing business at the Law Courts, but it is open and welcome to everyone.
It is hard to find, but basically you go into the main entrance of the Courthouse and take the elevator up to the fourth floor. Once you get out, there is a sign to your right (pictured) that directs you up some more stairs to the restaurant area.
Once you get up, the restaurant features large windows with a view of the garden area above Robson square, and the rest of the Vancouver building skyline (pictured).
It is dead quiet before 12:30. At 12:30 there is a small wave of lawyers coming from Court who sit down to eat (usually a courtroom will break for lunch between 12:30 — 2:00). They are usually still in court attire minus the robes. Even at the busiest times, there is plenty of space to sit.
The buffet was good. Nothing spectacular, but the price is unbelievable — $ 14.50 for soup, salad, bread, mains, fruits and dessert. Today, it featured chicken noodle soup, tortellini, chili, chicken, a huge fruit platter (pictured), crème caramel and brownies (pictured). My buddy and I came back for seconds, and ate both dessert options. If you don’t do the buffet, entrees will run anywhere from $ 9-​$ 14 ($ 14 for a sirloin steak, ridiculous). One thing I was unhappy with was that the coke was not refillable (a pet peeve of mine) and still cost $ 2.25. This might just be me, but when coke costs over $ 2, it should be refillable. Anyway, despite that, a hearty lunch still came to just over $ 20. And they take Amex.
There are 2 waiters handling everyone, but it is not too hard when most people are serving themselves via buffet.
So take the average food, but add it with the low price, great view, quiet surroundings and quick (mostly self) service, and you’ve elevated yourself to a four star review. Ok, 3.5 stars, but they don’t allow me half stars, so I’ll round up.

These guys have great food done fast enough to have lunch during the court’s lunch break. The staff are pleasant and professional. Different and hidden view of the city.

This place is garbage. The people who eat here are stuck up and rude (some lady cut the line at the buffet as if she owned the place). The food is bad, in lines with Uncle Willy’s. The service was equally terrible, I think the waiter came by twice and never offered us a drink even.
I wouldn’t recommend going here for lunch, food court at Pacific Centre is a better option.

Quick all you can eat buffet lunch tucked away in this difficult to find spot in the Law Courts. Heavily frequented by judges and lawyers. Some folks particularly like the dessert selection which comes from a local Italian bakery on most days. Food quality is slightly below average overall though.