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Taverna

4.0 (363 reviews)
ModerateItalian, Bars, Pizza
Closed 11:30 am - 10:00 pm

Taverna Photos

Business Info

TAVERNA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Classy
Good for groups
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - Taverna

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Reviews With Photos

Interior of a bar featuring beer taps, liquor bottles on shelves, a TV displaying a news broadcast, and glassware on the counter.
Gabriel C.

I've visited Newark, Delaware, several times now. My wife's father lives here, so our trips have usually been about family and conversation. Today was different. I wanted to explore Newark itself -- the vibrant hometown of the University of Delaware. After walking around campus, I wandered down Main Street, a stretch filled with small shops, hotels, restaurants, and bars. Coincidentally, today was also No Kings Day -- a nationwide rally protesting the Trump administration. The journalist in me couldn't resist capturing a few moments from this historic day. Eventually, I ducked into a hidden spot between buildings -- Taverna, an Italian restaurant that's been part of Newark since 2012. The atmosphere struck the perfect balance between casual and romantic -- ideal for dinner or a quiet drink at the long marble bar. I found a seat, ordered a Borgo Magredo Friuli Pinot Noir (nine ounces, but let's keep that between us), and took in the room's warm buzz. The experience was everything I love about traveling -- finding good wine, good people, and a reminder of the freedoms we enjoy in this country. If you find yourself in Newark -- whether you're visiting or you've lived here all your life -- I highly recommend Taverna. I plan to return one day, not just for another glass, but for a full meal and more time to soak in its charm.

Sun dried tomato dipping sauce  loaded with herbs , garlic, and red chile flakes. - A close-up of a bowl containing sun-dried tomato dipping sauce loaded with herbs, garlic, and red chile flakes, served in a restaurant setting.
Beth K.

The veal meatballs with quality ingredients and the polenta surrounding the meatballs were delish. (3) The melt in your mouth meatballs were so good ! The Italian bread served with the "olive oil bread dip ", with added sun-dried tomato, was an "Italian bread of deliciousness. " So here's the dilemma eating on Sunday from 11:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m. is " Sunday brunch " and I don't do brunch . The cooks are cooking off this brunch menu which is the priority and unfortunately not the " lunch menu". Taverna let me order off the lunch menu " Chicken Taverna" which is basically Chicken piccata. The chicken was so DRY DRY DRY there was no marinade absorbed in this DRY chicken. The breaded chicken was reheated and the capellini was Mushy. Pasta becomes mushy when overcooked when the starches break down and texture is soft. Capellini is easy to overcook due to its thinness. The flavor was there but the pasta was not al dente and the chicken being so DRY even the tantalizing sauce on the chicken cannot help the reheated dry chicken. Taverna missed the mark with "Taverna Chicken ". Insert sad face. The tiramisu was rich and perfectly layered. I would have to say one of the best I ever had! I do want to note the FOH manager was glued to Eagles game and not the FOH and not communicating with BOH. There was no need to tell any one of the mushy pasta and dry chicken because we were not asked. I will be back in Newark next month and may give Taverna another try but never ever on a Sunday ! LOL

Four cheese white pizza - A four cheese white pizza is served on a metal tray at a rustic Italian restaurant, with a wooden table and wine glass nearby.
Shawn F.

Great restaurant option in downtown Newark. Vibrant Saturday in town and so made reservations in advance---good thing as many restaurants had waiting lines. From the wine selection, starters, to dinner this was a great dinning experience. The truffle butter garlic bread offered a great twist on traditional garlic bread. Four cheese while pizza was perfect. Tried the red wine on tap.....better than expected! Lastly, wait staff was great even though the place was packed!

Calamarata
Zara T.

Popped in after playing a game at the University of Delaware and it was definitely the right choice! Our server was friendly and helpful, keeping our waters filled and explaining dishes on the menu. We could add protein to any dish, which was helpful for me as a mushroom lover. We ordered 3 dishes from the main entrees section of the menu and all were delicious!!! I would order any again (see photos). They also had wine on tap and different specials throughout the day. The veggies on the shrimp dish tasted so fresh and were done just right. We asked for chili oil on the side, which was good for peace of mind. The calamarata might have been my favorite, just so light and creamy and perfect. As mentioned, I added chicken to my mushroom agnolotti for extra protein. So yummy! There was indoor and outdoor seating, and while it was dark in the building, it felt very cozy. I was in town for the weekend to play a tournament, but if I return I will definitely be back!

Truffle garlic bread - Three slices of garlic bread with a crispy crust, topped with herbs and melted cheese, served in a paper-lined basket.
Alex H.

It's your typical American version of southern Italian food which means good but a ton of food! Everyone had takeout boxes and it seemed the norm. My favorite was the truffle butter garlic bread which was amazing. Freshly baked bread, crispy crust, and hot salty butter on top. Yum! The Calamarata seemed to make it on top of everything's list but it seemed a little bland and needed a lot of salt. The Mushroom Agnolotti, on the other hand, was really flavorful and sweet (balsamic vinaigrette?). Definitely a winner. Overall, Taverna is not going to make it to any gourmet list but you won't feel like you just ate at the Olive Garden either. Worth visiting if you want a decent Italian and be prepared to take home a lot of extras!

Fettuccine with braised pork
Bridgette T.

We had a fantastic time. Food was great! Service was attentive and thoughtful and the crowd was buzzing.

Risotto
J L.

A table was quickly made up for the 5 of us on a Friday night. Grilled Artichoke and arugula appetizer was smoky with the bite from the arugula and lemon. Good solid pair. The carbonara was well done with the ravioli, but a bit over salty from the bacon. Chicken taverna was slightly overdone and the sauce was missing something, maybe a bit more garlic. However this was light and done well.. just a little flat on flavor. Risotto and salad were standard and done well. The two best dishes we tried were the gnocchi and the mushroom pizza. The gnocchi was superb with multi level flavors in the garlic cheese sauce. Homemade pasta was a home run. The mushroom pizza was crispy and garlicky with a thorough covering of multiple kinds of mushrooms. Hand tossed and a really good execution of these high quality ingredients. If you are on Main Street... come on in. You won't be disappointed for a very pleasant meal in a quaint and rustic setting. Our server was very helpful and truly highly trained. Enjoy!

Bread with dipping oil

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1 month ago

Food and service has been perfect each time we have gone. Doesn't matter if it's lunch or dinner!

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3 months ago

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2 months ago

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1 year ago

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8 months ago

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2 years ago

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9 months ago

Great service, amazing food, love the interior. This is my wife's favorite restaurant.

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4 months ago

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11 months ago

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1 year ago

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4 months ago

Great atmosphere and service. A favorite recommendation of students and families. Classic fare with some extras.

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8 months ago

Great service and food! Great menu selection, daily specials are great. High value for your $$$. Can't go wrong here!

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2 years ago

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11 months ago

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5 months ago

The food is delicious. I particularly like the Baked Salmon. The service is excellent, and the price is right.

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5 months ago

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4 months ago

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1 year ago

Had lunch here with my daughter and grandkids. It was delicious, especially the pizza. The staff was very attentive and accommodating

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

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10 months ago

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3 years ago

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1 year ago

Everything we ate here was amazing!! I definitely recommend coming here if you are in Newark, DE.

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2 years ago

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Ask the Community - Taverna

Are there vegan options here?

Yes. We had a vegan in our dining party. There were lots of options. Just be sure to tell then you are vegan.

Good for kids?

It's not my first choice for kids. I find that the menu is "adult" for all intents and purposes. While there's no specific reason to not take the entire family, I'd likely opt for another place.

Are there good vegetarian options?

It's okaaaay. There are usually options present, but not an abundance. That's for a traditional vegetarian; vegans will have even more difficulty.

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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Great lunch today at Grain. We had the potato kegs for an app followed by a Caesar salad with…read morechicken, the birrea grilled cheese and the salmon BLT. I enjoyed the bacon and cheese potato kegs. My wife and I split the BLT and grilled cheese. Hers came with a side salad mine with shoe string fries. My son has the salad. Salmon was very good, it was vodka cured; bloodline and skin removed (+++)! Grain was pretty busy for mid-afternoon on a Sunday. Modern pub/ sports pub feel. Phillies game on the TVs. Music playing. Service was OK. My one pet peeve is allowing servers to leave dirty dishes and empty glasses on the table. And our server, although attentive, did not clear any dishes or glasses. Thank god I don't have epilepsy, the light over our table kept blinking non-stop. Plenty of off street parking for patrons. Lots of varied seating, both indoor and outdoor. See warning sign in my pics (haha). As far as prices, they are in line with any other places, as far as these other reviews that said it is excessively expensive, not true. Lunches are $15-20. Apps are a little pricey. Nice beer selection in the $8 ish range. Forgot I wanted to get a pan dessert, next time. I paid using InKind and got a nice discount.

Casual bar & restaurant Extensive brunch menu with unique…read morechoices as well as traditional. We were here for Easter, visiting our Blue Hen. Was able to secure last minute reservation. Not surprising, as on holiday weekends most students go home so the town isn't crowded like a usual week. Service was friendly, fast and attentive. Everyone's meals were very good, except for mine. I made a bad choice. Skip the hot honey chicken over donuts brunch item. Its nothing more than 3 chicken fingers over what tasted like a couple of dry entemann's donuts. (Missed opportunity..theres a greta bakery across the street..should get fresh glazed donuts from them. The donuts ruined the dish. Other meals were very good. Easter quiche special with hollandaise sauce and fried potatoes was delicious, although the size of quiche slices was kind of small. Burrata avocado toast was great, and so was their cheese omelette. It was perfect dining for us as we didn't want a heavy, upscale meal at 1:30 in the afternoon. Will definitely come back next time we are in town for dinner and drinks.

Taverna - italian - Updated May 2026

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