The Refectory

Name: The Refectory
Address: 862 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA, United States, 19085
Telephone: (610) 519-5786
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.6

4.6

291 Reviews

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Top Tags:

The Refectory is a stunning new restaurant located on Lancaster Avenue in Villanova. The menu (designed by Director of Culinary & Hospitality, Chef Biff Gottehrer, and executed by Chef Michael Murray) features modern and upscale interpretations of American comfort classics such as homemade pastas, wood-fired flatbreads, a raw bar, craft cocktails and specialty desserts. Our kitchen's philosophy is to keep it simple and straightforward, with a lot of thought and technique put behind each dish and ingredient. The goal is to let each ingredient shine.

The Refectory is open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. For parties of 7 or more guests, please contact the restaurant directly by calling (610) 519-5786 or by emailing info@refectorynova.com. Please call or email with any questions and we will return your message.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Jul 6, 2022

7:00 PM

Booked 22 times today

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Cuisines
Contemporary American, Cocktail Bar, Oyster Bar
Hours of operation
Brunch Sat, Sun 10:30 am–3:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30 am–2:45 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–11:00 pm
Phone number
(610) 519-5786
Website
http://www.refectorynova.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Biff Gottehrer, Michael Murray
Private party facilities
We offer several private and semi-private dining and event options. The private President's Dining Room accommodates up to 14 guests for a seated function, while semi-private areas of our dining room can be set up for guests ranging from 25-80. Inquire for restaurant buyouts. Contact our Event Director, Jessica Jefferson at jess@refectorynova.com.

Location
862 Lancaster Avenue Villanova, PA 19085
Neighborhood
Villanova
Cross street
Ithan Ave
Parking details
Public Lot
Public transit
PARKING GARAGE INFORMATION: Parking is only available across the street from The Refectory at the Villanova I-1 Parking Garage located on South Ithan Avenue. There are no timing restrictions for vehicles parked at the I-1 Parking Garage for guests dining at The Refectory. The rates are as follows: the 1st hour is free, two hours is $2, and up to four hours is $5. Currently, we do not validate parking. Upon entry, pull a ticket and park on any of the first 3 floors. A pay machine accepting cash and credit is located by the Main Pedestrian Entrance/Exit on Floor 2. The exit lanes only accept credit cards and do not accept cash. To get to the Refectory from the Parking Garage from Floor 2, use the pedestrian walkway across Ithan Avenue. The Refectory is located in The Commons, the stone mixed-use residential and commercial building on the corner of Ithan & Lancaster Avenue. Look for restaurant signage and call us at 610-519-5786 if you have any issues
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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Popular dishes

Refectory Tower$75.00
Nova Tower$110.00
a little bit o' this, a little bit o' that
Oysters*$18.00
1/2 dozen, corpse reviver #2 mignonette
Shrimp Cocktail$17.00
cocktail sauce, marie rose sauce
Chilled 1/2 Lobster$21.00
smoked dijon, marie rose sauce
Cobia Crudo*$13.00
pomegranate, tarragon, pinenut, radish
Spicy Tuna*$16.00
red chili, ginger, puffed wild rice

Wood-Grilled Flatbreads

Cheese$9.00
cheddar, grana padano, marinara
Spicy Pepperoni$11.00
oregano, hot honey
Brisket$14.00
onion purée, smoked cheddar, bleu cheese, horseradish
Wild Mushroom$13.00
sweet onion purée, truffle, egg yolk
Squash$13.00
butternut squash, goat cheese, spiced pepitas, pinenut
Steak Tartare$17.00
beef tenderloin, capers, arugula, parmesan
Tuna Pizza*$19.00
sashimi, flour tortilla, jalapeño aioli, serrano

Shareables

House-Made Bread Basket$9.00
parker house rolls, focaccia, multigrain
Brussels Sprouts$13.00
bacon lardon, apple, balsamic mustard
Baked Cheese$18.00
grilled bread, honeycomb, black garlic mustard, pesto
Mahi Tacos$14.00
plantain crust, cabbage, chipotle mayo
Grilled Octopus$18.00
ricotta, smoked tomato, black olive oil
Saffron Maine Mussels$19.00
foccacia, andouille, white wine
Buffalo Cauliflower$14.00
house hot sauce, buttermilk ranch
Grilled Shrimp Toast$14.00
ricotta, multigrain, avocado, beurre blanc
Nova Fries$9.00
brisket, house whiz, pickled onion
Deviled Eggs$9.00
crawfish salad, tarragon bread crumb

Soups & Salads

Caesar Salad$13.00
baby gem, focaccia croutons, dill, cured yolk
Lyonnaise Salad$14.00
bacon lardon, soft egg, frisee, fingerling potatoes
Green Salad$11.00
avocado, radish, cucumber, green goddess dressing
Truffled Apple & Celery Root Soup$14.00
flaxseed granola, sourdough croutons
Fall Harvest Salad$12.00
apple, beet, date, goat cheese, candied pecan, balsamic mustard dressing

From the Land

Nova Cravers*$18.00
(3 2oz. burger patties) cooper sharp, jalapeño aioli, house slider buns
Roasted Chicken$22.00
salsa verde, honey roasted carrot, chicken jus
Kobe NY Strip*$33.00
onion soubise, royal trumpet, cippolini, bordelaise
Bone-In Shortrib*$32.00
maitake mushroom, hollandaise, bearnaise bread crumb
Whole Duck$36.00
duck leg confit, foie gras, corn cake, blackberry jus

Potatoes

Fries$6.00
tomato & vinegar emulsion
Crispy New Potatoes$8.00
chili oil, salsa verde
Hash Brown$8.00
hollandaise, chive
Mashed Potatoes$7.00
chive butter
Loaded Hasselback Potato$8.00
bacon bits, fondue, scallion

Pasta & Grain

Spicy Vodka Rigatoni$16.00
calabrian chili, tito's vodka
Spaghetti & Meatballs$19.00
marinara, parmesan, oregano
Coq au Vin Risotto$24.00
braised chicken, barbera, parmesan
Saffron Casarecce$27.00
clams, lobster, crab, sauce americaine
Bucatini*$26.00
cacio e pepe, black truffle, soft egg
Ricotta Raviolo$25.00
braised lamb, lamb jus, root vegetable

Post Grad Burger

Post Grad Burger$25.00
rogue smokey bleu, pickled onion, truffled mushroom, special sauce (served with nova fries)

From the Sea

Pistachio-Crusted Salmon*$24.00
broccolini, lemon beurre blanc, trout roe
Blackened Mahi Mahi$22.00
papaya salad, jalapeño emulsion, coconut curry
Grilled Yellowfin Tuna*$27.00
brown butter spaetzle, leeks, pepita togarashi
Fish & Chips$21.00
tempura fried line-caught cod, tartare sauce, lemon
Branzino Filet$23.00
butternut squash, celery root, brown butter, red chimichurri

Vegetables

Sumac Dusted Carrot$9.00
golden raisin, pine nut
Charred Broccolini$9.00
garlic conserva, chili, pickled lemon
Maitake Mushroom$9.00
sherry butter, hazelnut, herbs
Cheesy Cauliflower$9.00
bechamel, cheddar, parmesan
Crispy Baby Sweet Potato$9.00
tamarind, ancho chili glaze

What 291 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.6Service
4.7Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Western Suburbs
Contemporary American

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Filters

N
Nova
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 3 days ago
overall5food4service5ambience5
Enjoyed our experience overall. Good service and food. Dessert we chose wasn’t great. Noise levels were perfect - good energy but still able to talk without shouting. Prices could be better. Will be returning soon.
IB
IreneB
Philadelphia
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent food and service. Our waiter Alex was excellent. Best French toast ever!!
OT
OpenTable Diner
London
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Amazing food amd beautiful atmosphere. So excited to come back!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Philadelphia
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 6 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great service, great food, and REALLY great happy hour value! :)
OT
OpenTable Diner
Philadelphia
13 reviews
5.0
13 reviews
Dined 7 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Delicious food, great atmosphere!
DJ
DanielleJ
Chicago
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 7 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Was great!!!
S
Stillers
Philadelphia
42 reviews
vip
2.0
42 reviews
Dined on June 25, 2022
overall2food2service3ambience4
This is a beautiful space where nothing was done to dampen the noise bouncing off of brick walls and wood floors. The service was slow, menu limited and the noise factor made it soo uncomfortable and unpleasant to the point we had to leave and not have dessert.
AP
AliP
Philadelphia
17 reviews
4.0
17 reviews
Dined on June 21, 2022
overall4food5service5ambience5
The atmosphere was nice, the food was good, BUT was shocked to find the margarita was $21!! The drink was not on the menu, but the most expensive cocktail on the menu was $14. This really put a bad taste in my mouth, I guess the restaurant is trying to keep college students away. It will wind up keeping grads away.
C
Corey
Poconos
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on June 20, 2022
overall5food5service4ambience5
Love the interior decor and the food was delicious! Portions were substantial so you definitely get what you’re paying for both in terms of taste and amount of food. I’ll be back!
j
janineb
Philadelphia
23 reviews
vip
5.0
23 reviews
Dined on June 19, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Every time I dine at this restaurant I have the best experience! I highly recommend this place!
DC
DonC
Philadelphia
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on June 19, 2022
overall5food4service4ambience5
The shrimp toast was so delicious. We ordered a second serving after we finished the first. The portions for the meals were the perfect size to allow us to clean our plates and still have room for dessert. The desserts weren't as good as the meal. My son sent his back to try something else. He had something with peanut butter in it. The zebra cake was pretty good, but the brownie wasn't.
CR
CaityR
Philadelphia
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 16, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
The Refectory is the perfect place for a meal or a casual hang during happy hour. The food is next level, the service is friendly and attentive, and the interior decor is perfectly executed. Highly recommend giving this place a shot and/or a regular spot on your dining out rotation.
SD
SurprisedDiner
Philadelphia
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on June 16, 2022
overall2food4service4ambience2
On a Thursday night at 7pm, with advance reservations, when the restaurant seemed only 75% full, our party was brusquely relegated to the corner (last) table by the service entry, with a view of the swinging door to the kitchen. It wasn't that the maitre d' wasn't thinking, he just didn't care. Very poor attention to customers' experience.
ED
EdwardD
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 14, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
The entire experience was wonderful. The best fish and chips ever! The branzino was excellent. The service was outstanding which is very much appreciated.
HC
HilaryC
Philadelphia
14 reviews
vip
5.0
14 reviews
Dined on June 12, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food, drinks, service, ambiance
AM
AMdiningclub
Philadelphia
44 reviews
3.0
44 reviews
Dined on June 11, 2022
overall3food3service4ambience1
Location on Villanova campus was convenient to reunion activities. However, the dining room/bar was too loud to carry on a conversation or even hear the waitress. Very limited entrees. Waygu strip steak was tough and chewy. Small portion required a side at extra cost. Hash browns were flavorless. Mahi-mahi was dry and small. Donut dessert was very good with chocolate and blueberry sauces to dip. Waitress was friendly, helpful and attentive. Prices were too high for amount of food served.
GC
GeorgeC
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 10, 2022
overall5food5service4ambience5
Dinner with college classmates. Nice place, will go there again with family and friends. Food was good and atmosphere nice as well.
DW
DavidW
Philadelphia
7 reviews
vip
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on June 10, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
As always, food and service were terrific. Thanks!
MG
MGKing
Philadelphia
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on June 9, 2022
overall5food5service4ambience5
Great atmosphere and food and hot date. 💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯
a
andiswim
Philadelphia
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 8, 2022
overall5food4service3ambience4
We had a good visit. The cocktails were absolutely amazing and we will be returning for those alone. The food was good but disappointed that some options were not available. Overall a good experience and we will be back.
J
Jimm
Philadelphia
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 8, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
The service and food were great. The servers were attentive, but not bothersome. They let you relax and enjoy your dinner. I highly recommend the Refectory. We will be back soon.
JG
JuliaG
Philadelphia
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on June 6, 2022
overall5food5service4ambience3
Our dinner was excellent. We especially enjoyed the garden salad with a buttermilk dressing unusual with watermelon radish and avocado. Entrees were cooked just right and delicious. Our waitress was attentive and thoughtful. Our first time here and we will definitely be back.
QS
QingS
New York Area
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on June 5, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Went for dinner with my family, everything we ordered is delicious from appetizer to dessert. Service is a little bit slow on Sunday night but our waitress is very friendly. We all agreed that we would come back again .
S
Sammy
Philadelphia
8 reviews
vip
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on June 5, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
A real gem: excellent service, excellent food, great ambiance. A first-class, blue-ribbon place.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Philadelphia
2 reviews
2.0
2 reviews
Dined on June 5, 2022
overall2food4service1ambience5
Our waitress was very rude to us in the beginning. Never had a waitress treat me like that
DP
DrewP
Philadelphia
17 reviews
vip
3.0
17 reviews
Dined on June 3, 2022
overall3food3service3ambience4
Wait staff was short waitress did a great job Management was very understanding
p
pedro
Philadelphia
18 reviews
vip
5.0
18 reviews
Dined on June 1, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience4
Great food from diverse and fascinating menu. Chef is doing things no other restaurant on the main line is doing. Quickly becoming my favorite restaurant outside a city I don’t venture into anymore.
K
Knitone
Philadelphia
17 reviews
5.0
17 reviews
Dined on May 26, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
The French Dip was the best I've ever had. I was surprised to hear that the bread was baked in house - it was delicious! Dessert portions are huge and are perfect for sharing.
BW
BruceW
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on May 23, 2022
overall2food2service1ambience5
Service was terrible. On a Monday when it want crowded. No ice. Drinks came late or not at all. Veggies with meal were cold.
The RefectoryResponded on May 24, 2022Hello Bruce, We would like to thank you for your honest feedback and sincerely apologize for our performance yesterday. That is certainly not the standard we have trained our staff to provide. We would greatly appreciate the opportunity to regain your trust in The Refectory and would like to invite you and your guest back for a complimentary dinner, with the guarantee that your experience will only be positive!
SG
SuburbanGal
Philadelphia
37 reviews
vip
5.0
37 reviews
Dined on May 22, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience4
The food is excellent! We loved the roasted chicken Coq au Vin Risotto! The sides were delicious and can easily serve 2 people. Can't wait to return!
S
Surgchair
Philadelphia
15 reviews
vip
3.0
15 reviews
Dined on May 21, 2022
overall3food3service3ambience2
Very loud. Small portions. Food was just average. Pricey.
AF
AlexF
New York Area
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on May 21, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Fantastic from start to finish! Such a bonus to have this beautiful restaurant right on Villanova’s stunning campus.
J
Jane
Philadelphia
9 reviews
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on May 21, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great service. Friendly staff. Love the atmosphere. A little pricey but what isn’t these days!
J
Jenna
Philadelphia
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on May 20, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Always an enjoyable time at Refectory. Great service, tasty food, can’t wait to come back in 2 weeks!!
NN
NoNoSmith
Philadelphia
20 reviews
vip
5.0
20 reviews
Dined on May 20, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience4
We decided to try Refectory due to recommendations of a friend. Parking was easy as Villanova classes are over and the parking garage is across the street. Our waitress was pleasant and the food excellent. We came at the tail end of happy hour, so it was a bit loud, but after happy hour ended, noise level was good. Food sizes were substantial, so next time we won't order a flatbread as an appetizer. But the brisket flatbread was excellent. Great find. We will be back this summer as The Refectory will be open during the summer months this year.
k
kris
Philadelphia
11 reviews
vip
4.0
11 reviews
Dined on May 19, 2022
overall4food4service5ambience4
Food and service were very good. This is our 2nd visit and we will be back.
p
pedro
Philadelphia
19 reviews
vip
5.0
19 reviews
Dined on May 19, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience4
First time eating there. It exceeded every expectation. Great drinks, great menu, great service. We will be back.
LD
LanD
Philadelphia
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 14, 2022
overall5food4service5ambience5
Amazing food and wonderful service !!
w
writeway00
Philadelphia
23 reviews
vip
4.0
23 reviews
Dined on May 11, 2022
overall4food5service3ambience4
Good food. Lunch service was very slow. Would still recommend.
S
Stephenj
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 10, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
It was a wonderful experience for me and my guest. The food was fresh and the service was good.

FAQs

The Refectory is rated 4.6 stars by 291 OpenTable diners.

The Refectory does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

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