Vita Nova - University of Delaware

Name: Vita Nova - University of Delaware
Address: Trabant University Center-2nd floor 17 West Main Street 17 West Main Street, Newark, DE, United States, 19716
Telephone: (302) 831-0500
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.9

4.9

649 Reviews

$31 to $50

Contemporary French / American

Trabant University Center-2nd floor 17 West Main Street, 17 West Main Street, Newark, DE 19716

Make a reservation

2 people

Apr 25, 2025

8:30 PM

About this restaurant

Charming
Good for business meals
Neighborhood gem

Vita Nova is the signature student-operated restaurant which is part of the Hospitality Business Management program at the University of Delaware.

Vita Nova features a "Best of Delaware" award-winning lunch buffet Mon-Fri and elegant fine dining Wed-Fri during the fall and spring semesters. For lunch, the students offer fresh, local dishes including gourmet salads, soups, pastas, entrees, fire-roasted flatbreads, cheese board and mini sweets. The five-course dinner begins with a fusion-inspired appetizer trio and choice of salad, followed by intermezzo and your choice of entrée. The evening ends on a sweet note with a decadent dessert.

Thank you for your support and being an important part of our unique student learning experience!

Additional information

Dining style
Fine Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Contemporary French / American
Hours of operation
Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30 am–12:30 pm Dinner Wed–Fri 5:30 pm–6:30 pm
Phone number
(302) 831-0500
Website
http://www.lerner.udel.edu/departments/hrim/vita-nova-restaurant
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Business Casual
Executive chef
Chef Alison Rainis, Chef Gretchen Sianni
Private party facilities
Vita Nova offers private dining throughout the year. The Bistro Room is also available for rent for business meetings, retreats and private events. For more information, please e-mail us at vitanova@udel.edu.

Location
Trabant University Center-2nd floor 17 West Main Street, 17 West Main Street, Newark, DE 19716
Neighborhood
Newark
Cross street
South College
Parking details
Effective 9/1/18, the Trabant parking garage changed to a license plate based system. The system uses an app called PassportParking that you can use to add time from your phone should this be necessary. For more information please visit www.ppprk.com. We recommend estimating 3 hours for dinner & 2 hours for the lunch buffet and the bistro.
Additional
Bar Dining, Beer, Cocktails, Non-Smoking, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 649 people are saying

Vita Nova - University of Delaware reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.9

4.9 based on recent ratings

4.9Food
5Service
4.9Ambience
4.9Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Philadelphia County
Best Service
Philadelphia County
Best Value
Delaware
Best Overall
Delaware
Best Food
Delaware
Best Service
Delaware
Best Ambiance
Delaware
Best Value
Delaware
Innovative
Delaware
Healthy

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Vita Nova at the University of Delaware offers a "unique and wonderful dining experience" with delicious, "creative options" in a lovely atmosphere. Students in training provide "excellent service," adding to the charm. The lunch buffet is "fabulous," featuring well-prepared dishes and an "amazing variety" of sides. A must-try!

649 Reviews

S
Seth VIP
Philadelphia1 review
5.0
Dined on April 18, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic experience for student workers, gaining career experience in the field. Food was excellent! And what a value for the lunch buffet.
Is this helpful?
P
Pete
Philadelphia2 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 18, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always a great experience. I especially like when the students share what they hope to do after school.
Is this helpful?
C
Colleen
Philadelphia1 review
5.0
Dined on April 16, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
It was our first time dining at Vita Nova. We had an amazing experience. The food was delicious and the service was outstanding. The students do a great job running the restaurant and serving the tables. We will definitely come back again!
Is this helpful?
M
Michelle
Philadelphia1 review
5.0
Dined on April 11, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Wow! We’ve been meaning to try Vita Nova for ages and it did not disappoint. Creative, delicious options in a lovely atmosphere. UD students provided excellent service and a wonderful experience!
Is this helpful?
A
Alessandra
Philadelphia1 review
5.0
Dined on April 11, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
A most unique dining experience. The food was delicious, the service quite professional and the ambiance was relaxing. The luncheon buffet featured so many delicious items that it was necessary to have a little of everything the first time through the line, then go back for the dishes that were exceptional.
Is this helpful?
J
John VIP
Philadelphia192 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 8, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fabulous food Superb service - fine dine professional service Great atmosphere Wheelchair accessible
Is this helpful?
B
Brad
Philadelphia11 reviews
4.0
Dined on April 3, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food, service and ambiance is always superb. An experience that everyone should have.
Vita Nova - University of DelawareResponded on April 7, 2025
Thank you for your feedback. It's always helpful to hear what areas our students can continue to learn and focus on.
Is this helpful?
B
Barbara
Baltimore43 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 11, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always a 5 star experience. Food, service, wine selection are fantastic.
Vita Nova - University of DelawareResponded on March 19, 2025
Wow! Thank you so much!
Is this helpful?
J
Jane
Philadelphia8 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 10, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
A friend and I thoroughly enjoyed our first visit to Vita Nova. It was a little tricky to find, and parking on any college campus is always fraught, but now that we know the particulars, we'll definitely return. We had reservations for lunch, which is a buffet with not only the basic soup, salad, protein, but also an amazing variety of vegetable sides. Lastly, a wonderful array of mini desserts allowed us to sample several. We especially loved the chicken tagine and the lemon pudding! Service was outstanding - from the hosts who greeted us at the door to our sever to the manager who checked up on us during our meal. All the personnel are students and they've learned well. The space has a relaxing ambience. The chairs are particularly comfortable. And the price was extremely reasonable! We can't go back again this semester, as there are no reservations left, but we'll be some of the first to sign up for the next semester.
Vita Nova - University of DelawareResponded on March 13, 2025
Thank you for navigating the campus to get to us! We thank you for your lovely notes and are so glad you enjoyed your experience. We'll look forward to seeing you in the future!
Is this helpful?
R
Rebecca
Philadelphia3 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 7, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The lunch buffet had a great selection. The food was hot, well seasoned and excellent presentation. The service was attentive. Great value!
Vita Nova - University of DelawareResponded on March 13, 2025
Thank you for sharing!
Is this helpful?

FAQs

Vita Nova - University of Delaware is rated 4.9 stars by 649 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Apr 25, 2025

8:30 PM

Google Map for Vita Nova - University of Delaware

Trabant University Center-2nd floor 17 West Main Street, 17 West Main Street, Newark, DE 19716

Additional information

Cross street
South College
Neighborhood
Newark
Hours of operation
Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30 am–12:30 pm Dinner Wed–Fri 5:30 pm–6:30 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Contemporary French / American
Dining style
Fine Dining
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Effective 9/1/18, the Trabant parking garage changed to a license plate based system. The system uses an app called PassportParking that you can use to add time from your phone should this be necessary. For more information please visit www.ppprk.com. We recommend estimating 3 hours for dinner & 2 hours for the lunch buffet and the bistro.
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Chef Alison Rainis, Chef Gretchen Sianni
Additional
Bar Dining, Beer, Cocktails, Non-Smoking, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.lerner.udel.edu/departments/hrim/vita-nova-restaurant
Phone number
(302) 831-0500
Private party facilities
Vita Nova offers private dining throughout the year. The Bistro Room is also available for rent for business meetings, retreats and private events. For more information, please e-mail us at vitanova@udel.edu.

Vita Nova - University of Delaware

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Menu

What 649 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Vita Nova - University of Delaware restaurant rated?

Is Vita Nova - University of Delaware currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information