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The Refectory, Villanova, PA

The Refectory

4.6
4.6
1031 Reviews
$31 to $50
Contemporary American

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2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 38 times today
  • Lively
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
The Refectory is a stunning New American restaurant located on Lancaster Avenue in Villanova. The menu features modern and upscale interpretations of American comfort classics such as homemade pastas, wood-fired flatbreads, a raw bar, craft cocktails and specialty homemade 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 Refectory is open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. We validate parking in the I-1 garage across the street. For parties of 9 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.
Private dining

Private dining

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Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • 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–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 3:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 3:00 pm–11:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 4:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Biff Gottehrer, Michael Murray
Gift card

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What 1,031 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
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Western Suburbs

    Contemporary American

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Refectory offers a delightful dining experience with "excellent food," "attentive service," and a "beautiful atmosphere." Guests enjoy a "creative menu," highlighting dishes like branzino and salmon. While some find the noise level high, the "consistent quality" and "friendly staff" make it a "highly recommended" spot for any occasion.

1,199 Reviews
  1. Kristen VIP

    Philadelphia173 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our bartender and waitress Madison was a joy. Our dinner choices were fantastic and the drinks she made were incredible. She made the best espresso martini ever. This is my new favorite place. Please bring back the deviled eggs
    The RefectoryResponded 3 days ago
    Hi Kristen, We're thrilled to hear that you had a fantastic dining experience at The Refectory! It's wonderful to know that our bartender, Madison, made a lasting impression on you. Your kind words truly mean a lot to us! Thank you for choosing us and for your wonderful review. We look forward to welcoming you back soon! Best regards, The Management Team

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  2. Stephen VIP

    Philadelphia2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great collegiate environment with excellent food. Additionally, the menu included options to cover our vegan and our gluten free friends, which are two very big checkboxes for us. We will be back.
    The RefectoryResponded 5 days ago
    Hi Stephen, Thank you for your kind words and for choosing The Refectory. We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our environment and food. We aim to cater to a diverse range of dietary needs and we're glad that our menu accommodated your needs. Your feedback is invaluable and we're delighted to know that we could make your dining experience great. We look forward to welcoming you back soon. Best regards, The Management Team

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  3. michael VIP

    Washington DC27 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on March 1, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 1
    The service was very slow. There was a giant party that created a lot of noise! The Citrus Winter salad did not have some of the the ingredients listed on the menu such as granola. I asked the waiter if the salad has cheese in it because I can’t eat most dairy products and he assured me that there is no cheese in this salad. It had chunks of soft cheese in it!! Luckily I was able to remove them in time. It did have mostly bitter endive and very little of the rest. The Salmon that was listed on under “Large Plates” came indeed on a large plate but otherwise the serving was very small. The desert was very good.
    The RefectoryResponded 7 days ago
    Thanks for the feedback, Michael. We're sorry to hear about the service during your visit and the issues you encountered. We strive to provide a comfortable environment for all our guests, and we apologize if we fell short. We also appreciate your feedback about our menu items and will certainly look into these concerns. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you again and provide a better experience. Best, The Management Team

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  4. ScottH

    Philadelphia5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Great ambiance and welcoming environment. Food was delicious and service was very good. Prices were reasonable. We will be going back.
    The RefectoryResponded 7 days ago
    Hey Scott, Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the ambiance and service at The Refectory. It's wonderful to know that our food and prices met your expectations. We're always striving to provide an exceptional dining experience for our guests, so your feedback is greatly appreciated. We look forward to welcoming you back soon! Best regards, The Management Team

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  5. Kelly

    New York City9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    You wouldn't think a restaurant on Villanova's campus is the best brunch spot on the Main Line...but it is! Delicious food (lots of options), strong service and a gorgeous almost art-deco room. Every time we go there its great. We forgot to check if there was a Villanova Bball game today (there was!) but we were still able to find parking easily and the game was at noon so everyone cleared out just as we were sitting for our 11:30am reservations...probably wouldn't want to be there at 10:30am (unless you wanted to join the fun looking pregame happening at the bar!) but afterwards was perfect bunch atmosphere.
    The RefectoryResponded on March 2, 2025
    Hello Kelly, Thank you for your kind words and for taking the time to share your experience at The Refectory. We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our food, service, and ambiance. It's always our goal to provide a great brunch spot on the Main Line, and we're glad to know we hit the mark for you! We look forward to welcoming you back soon for another memorable brunch. Best Regards, The Management Team

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  6. Shannon VIP

    Philadelphia11 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Beautiful space, stellar service, & delicious food.
    The RefectoryResponded 7 days ago
    Hey Shannon, Thank you for the glowing review! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the space, service, and food at The Refectory. We always strive to provide a memorable experience for our guests, and it's wonderful to know we succeeded. We appreciate your support and look forward to welcoming you back soon! Best, The Management Team

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  7. OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 28, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This was our first visit and we loved it. Great ambiance and delicious food and great service
    The RefectoryResponded on March 2, 2025
    Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your first visit to The Refectory and found our ambiance and food to your liking. It's always a pleasure to know that our efforts to provide a memorable dining experience are appreciated. We're also glad to know that our service met your expectations. We look forward to welcoming you back soon! Best regards, The Management Team

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  8. OpenTable Diner VIP

    New York City4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 27, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Ambience, food and service were all excellent. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
    The RefectoryResponded on February 28, 2025
    Thanks for the feedback! We're delighted to hear that you had a wonderful time at The Refectory. It's fantastic to know that our ambience, food, and service met your expectations. Your kind words truly mean a lot to us. We look forward to welcoming you back soon!

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  9. Kristin VIP

    Philadelphia82 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on February 23, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    First time, nice bar, liked the menu. Spicy tuna taartare wasn’t great but okay. I’d return for apps and a big salad. Happy to see it’s busy. Good addition to the neighborhood.
    The RefectoryResponded on February 26, 2025
    Hello Kristin, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience at The Refectory. We're sorry to hear that the tuna tartare didn't meet your expectations. Your feedback is important to us and we'll definitely take it into consideration. We're glad to hear that you're enjoying the busy atmosphere and we look forward to welcoming you back soon. Best regards, The Management Team

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  10. DEBORAH

    Philadelphia2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 23, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    The Refectory is a beautiful dining spot. The food and service were very good. I would definitely return. The only less than ideal factor was the noise. It's rather boisterous.
    The RefectoryResponded on February 26, 2025
    Hey Deborah, Thanks a lot for your kind words about The Refectory! We're thrilled you enjoyed our food and service. We're sorry about the noise, we aim to create a lively atmosphere for our guests. We appreciate your feedback and will certainly take it into consideration. We're looking forward to your return visit! Best, The Management Team

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FAQs

The Refectory is rated 4.6 stars by 1031 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.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 38 times today
Google Map for The Refectory

862 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • 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–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 3:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 3:00 pm–11:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 4:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Biff Gottehrer, Michael Murray
Gift card

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card
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