Vita Nova

Vita Nova is University of Delaware's culinary academy. Staffed entirely by students, this was a phenomenal experience in Michelin-level dining.
Lunch is an elegant single-priced buffet with a wide range of choices. Dinner is a multi-course meal with a traditional menu of offerings and prices for each. Though the dinner was more food than I typically eat, (WHY did I have that second popover?), it was all fabulous.
Once we were seated and a napkin draped over our laps, we were asked if we'd like a sommelier to visit our table. This facility has an impressive wine list and the sommelier experience is not to be missed. Various wines were explained to us by region and attributes and we were offered a sampling of each of two featured wines.
If you're going to either lunch or dinner, be sure to make a reservation, dress the part, and arrive hungry!

Nice people and great food. The staff are professional and helpful. The place is beautiful and relaxing. Good ambient.

Wonderful experience with young students taking care of us. The Hospitality Management program should be commended.

Visited Vita Nova for a weeknight celebratory dinner with some friends this past week and had a really enjoyable experience!

The restaurant is within the Trabant Student Center at the University of Delaware, which is a bit confusing at first. You can street park or park in the nearby Trabant Parking Garage where I would recommend planning for about 3 hours ($8) if you are there for dinner. When walking from the garage, you can enter through the side of the building and proceed back (past the first elevator and staircase) through a set of doors to a second lobby area with a staircase and clear signage pointing you up to Vita Nova.

As many have already mentioned, the restaurant serves as experiential learning for the UD students studying hospitality, and the automatically added service charge is put back into their educational costs (they can't accept tips!). Since the students are being graded, everyone is on their best behavior. Since they are learning, you may notice a few awkward hiccups here and there but I was overall pretty impressed. Our coats were taken upon arrival and we were quickly shown to our table in their small dining room that only has maybe a 15 tables max.

The tasting menu includes an appetizer trio (for us, hummus with goat cheese and pomegranate, short rib with apple slaw, and roasted cauliflower soup --- you can get double of an appetizer you like instead of one you don't for those who are picky or vegetarian!) and a choice of Caesar or their signature salad (with mandarin oranges, toasted coconut, and almond). I really enjoyed the short rib and the soup, though the hummus was a bit dry and only comes with one small pita chip so you wind up eating the rest with a fork (or in my case, not eating it). The signature salad was delightful.

For dinner, you get your choice of 10-12 entrees ranging around $35-45 in price, which covers your 4 course meal. I opted for the scallops, which came with butternut squash puree and asparagus and were delicious. Two others got the gnocchi and enjoyed it, though felt it was a bit dry. One friend ordered the chicken and also liked his meal, especially because it comes with burrata (yum!).

And finally, for dessert, we all chose their dessert duo (a strawberry pastry and mini tiramisu) though there are a few other options. We liked both desserts, though neither particularly stood out to me.

As for drinks, they offer several beers, wines, and cocktails (with extra cost). We were offered a taste of the featured red and white wines of the evening and wound up getting a bottle, which cost a reasonable $30 or so.

If you decide to try Vita Nova, you DEFINITELY need a reservation. They are only open during school semesters, and only certain days of the week. They don't really turn over the tables, so there's a limited number of reservations per night. We made our reservation a solid 2 months before we went.... plan ahead!

Way back in the day, twenty years ago when I was a tour guide for the University of Delaware my tour spiel included calling out the university's highly rated hotel restaurant management major and the student run restaurant, Vita Nova. I never actually ate there but people shared how amazing it was, and I must agree, having dined there recently it is awesome! The food, ambiance, service, is all killer at a ridiculously low priced Prix menu cost too! I highly recommend this place whether dining with a date or group! The student servers are so engaging and dedicated and it's really fun to see they work in the kitchen as well with the culinary head chef. All the food was fantastic from our appetizer trio of mushroom risotto, roasted pork and lentil soup to our main entrees of Arctic char and braised short rib. They do fine dining and the food was superb. Also highly recommend capping your dinner with the ice cream that's made tableside with nitrous oxide. It's such a fun dining experience, I'd come here more often if it wasn't so hard to get reservations!

Absolutely wonderful. The selection of meals covered nearly all palates. I was very impressed with the students. They were very conscious of their roles in front of the house and back of the house. I'm looking forward to returning in the spring semester and maybe a lunch buffet or two as well. Don't be put off by the price of the dinners and the subsequent service charge. Tips are not allowed so take the service charge into consideration.

You will have a special night (or lunch) at the student run restaurant at the University of Delaware. The menus changes every semester and I've had many wonderful meals here.

Know that their lunch buffet is a great value.

At dinner, a very reasonably priced pre-fixed, four course menu is served.

You will start your meal with a trio of selected appetizers. Make sure you ask for their light, airy popovers. These all are the harbingers of the delicious meal to come.

You'll have a choice of two salads in
and either of them are quite enjoyable. Caesar dressing is outstanding.

The Mains: Their scallops are perfectly cooked and seasoned. Short ribs are tender and flavorful. Crab cakes are full of crab meat. Sea bass is one of their fantastic fish dishes. Steak is a good choice for the non-adventurous.

The Wine List: One word; incredible. There are so many wonderful choices at very fair prices.

Dessert: I'm a sucker for their great creme brûlée. Try the nitro ice cream.

The service: The student servers, sommelier, hosts, etc are knowledgeable and care about your dining experience. Vita Nova is a training ground and your'e part of their learning process. I've been very impressed with them all.

Reservations are a must.

WOW! Probably on the same level of service and quality food as the old Green Room and Crazy Cats for half the price!
Every bite was delicious. Portion size was perfect. It was so nice to see a properly set table again. The service was outstanding.
If you are lucky enough to get a reservation then you are very fortunate.
Wine selection was ok - but the food and the service are definitely the star of the evening.

I had dinner here with my friend Wednesday night. I have been here many times for buffet lunch, where has always been very tasty with a variety of choices. It was my first time here for dinner. The dinner had standard three courses. We ordered short rib beef and filet mignon. The first three sample appetizer were very tasty and well displayed. I really enjoyed the pea soup. In between the main course and salads, the student waiter gave us sorbet to clear the palate. The main courses were also amazing. The short rib was my favorite. It was very tender and rich flavored, satisfying for the palate. The filet mignon was a big portion and we had to box it up. Also, they serve three kinds of bread (puff-up, bread stick, and olive), where was also good.

5 STAR DINING EXPERIENCE ON CAMPUS?
Perfection is the name of this game on the University of Delaware's Newark Campus.
These people are being trained in "Attention to Detail," and "Excellence in Dining".
I went for lunch and "LOVED IT!", can't wait to go back for dinner!
Had the BEST lobster salad ever. Their lunch buffet is not to be missed. The staff, and manager are "SPOT ON!". If you ever wanted to experience a true gourmet meal experience, and could not afford to, here's your chance. These are students in Culinary Arts, Hotel & Restaurant Management, and boy do they execute what they're their studying well.
You park in the parking garage, cross the street, enter a building where students are lounging and studying. Go up the stairs to enter a "Marvelous Dining Experience!". Their Wine List is Extensive, and offers great wines, at great prices. Tips are not allowed. You MUST make reservations for dinner, and they also use "OPEN TABLE" for reservations. Their hours and dates are limited, so go to their website and check for availability.
I am really glad I went, and look forward to many return visits!
ENJOY!!
Chef Gary Curry