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Vita Nova - University of Delaware, Newark, DE

Vita Nova - University of Delaware

4.9
4.9
645 Reviews
$31 to $50
Contemporary French / American

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 1 time today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
  • Neighbourhood 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

  • Phone number
  • 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
  • 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

What 645 people are saying

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
  • 4.8Food
  • 5Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.9Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Vita Nova at the University of Delaware offers a unique dining experience with gourmet meals prepared and served by hospitality students. Guests praise the "exceptional service," "delicious food," and "relaxing atmosphere." The restaurant is a "hidden gem" with a "superb gourmet dining experience" and "great value," making it a must-visit spot.

645 Reviews
  1. Barbara

    Baltimore42 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always a 5 star experience. Food, service, wine selection are fantastic.

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  2. Jane

    Philadelphia8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    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 2 days ago
    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!

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  3. Rebecca

    Philadelphia3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 7 March 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 2 days ago
    Thank you for sharing!

    Is this helpful?

  4. Timothy

    Philadelphia1 review

    4.0

    Dined on 6 March 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was not up to what we've come to expect from Vita Nova. As always the service was excellent.
    Vita Nova - University of DelawareResponded 2 days ago
    We're sorry to hear that. If you'd like to share more specifics so we can better improve, please give us a call or send us an email. Thank you for your helpful feedback!

    Is this helpful?

  5. OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 3 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The lunch buffet was fabulous- the salmon was perfectly prepared and the crème brûlée was top notch. We celebrated my grandson’s birthday and he was most happy!
    Vita Nova - University of DelawareResponded 2 days ago
    Thank you so much!

    Is this helpful?

  6. Kathy VIP

    Philadelphia4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 27 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Having lunch at Vita Nova is always a pleasure. The food is delicous and the service is impeccable!
    Vita Nova - University of DelawareResponded 2 days ago
    We appreciate your support!

    Is this helpful?

  7. Jennifer

    Philadelphia4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 19 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    This restaurant is a training restaurant for students at University of Delaware in the Hospitality Management program. So, all of the servers and line cooks are students in training. It gives the restaurant the nervous energy of Restaurant Wars but also makes anything that happens in the dinner that isn't quite right seem endearing. The food was delicious. There were lots of gluten-free options including gluten-free bread. It was a unique and wonderful dining experience that I hope to have again.
    Vita Nova - University of DelawareResponded on 26 February 2025
    Thank you for sharing and for understanding what we are doing here. Our guests are a wonderful part of the experience! We look forward to serving you again!

    Is this helpful?

  8. Ed

    Philadelphia1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 19 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Excellent food and service. Highly recommend for lunch. Can’t wait to try dinner service.
    Vita Nova - University of DelawareResponded on 26 February 2025
    Thank you! Yes, dinner is a whole different experience we hope you will enjoy!

    Is this helpful?

  9. Sharon P VIP

    Philadelphia27 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 12 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Another wonderful lunch at Vita Nova! Service was excellent.
    Vita Nova - University of DelawareResponded on 6 March 2025
    Thank you for your continued support!

    Is this helpful?

  10. Jaclyn

    Philadelphia6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 4 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I try to score a reservation each semester that Vita Nova is open, it is a wonderful evening out! I am always impressed with the staff, they do a fantastic job. The food is consistently delicious each time I visit, and plated appealingly. I can't wait until next semester!
    Vita Nova - University of DelawareResponded on 15 January 2025
    Thank you for being an important part of our student's education!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Vita Nova - University of Delaware is rated 4.9 stars by 645 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 1 time today
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

  • Phone number
  • 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
  • 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
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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