Very nice experience. Good food and a great ambience. Enjoyed the artichoke appetizer.

Ordered food from here to celebrate our engagement and treat ourselves. We came last year when we were visiting family and I was so excited to come back but unfortunately the quality has very noticeably dropped. The portion was about half the size and instead of a delicious creamy tomato sauce it just tastes like Ragu they dumped WAY to much black pepper in. So disappointed especially since we were trying to celebrate our engagement. read more

I enjoyed a nice meal tonight. I'm an out of town visitor and was looking for a nice meal with equally nice atmosphere. That's exactly what I received. I took a seat at the bar. My bartender Madison was fantastic. I ordered the Mediterranean salad and the rigatoni with sausage. Both were good especially the rigatoni. The restaurant was clean and organized. I will visit again read more

Had a family dinner here and the place was really nice. Expected a lot due to the ambiance when we walked in, but the food wasn't totally up to par. Wasn't bad, but could have been better! We all felt our meals could have been seasoned better - so that may have been just the chef we had that evening. Would try it again! read more

My pizza was at my table before i finished my drink. The Servers kept looking at our table to assess the speed at which we finished our food and this gave me a sense they wanted out of that place soon. It was kind of stressful. There were a number of tables empty so I couldn't figure out why they were in such a hurry to get rid of us. The kid that waited on us was quite nice and I think he deserved the 20% tip we left, but it almost seemed like the entire waiting crew is trained to constantly stare at your food and they are not very tactful. As for the Pizza, it was really good but not enough to like the overall experience. read more

This restaurant is pricier compared to the other downtown Newark restaurants nearby, and the high price doesn't correspond to the quality of the food. The only thing I would recommend is the crispy calamari appetizer. The veal spaghetti entree lacked the Italian flavors in the sauce, and the pizza was too salty. read more

Taverna - Italian Near Me - Newark, Delaware

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Overpriced and not very good. Better than the stone balloon but not much. Have I hit 85 characters?

Date night with the hubs began at this restaurant. They offered outside/inside dining. 1st, our server was ON POINT!! She offered great suggestions, was friendly and efficient. 2nd, the Spicy Shrimp entree was a PERFECT 10!!! The orzo, zuchinni, seasonings and shrimp....OMG. Please try this dish!! My husband enjoyed the special of the evening but said my dinner was better. 3rd, I'm super picky with wine. I ordered a Red Blend and was pleasantly surprised at how fantastic is tasted. Lastly, the manager came over and checked in which shows me they care about the patrons. We'll absolutely be back!! Overall, If highly rate this restaurant. read more

First time patron - this place was awesome. Chef Kristy made our table 3 lunch specials and it was 10/10 - braised beef and ravioli / pizza / chicken cutlet sandwich and crispy Parmesan fries (better than Thrashers)! Visiting UD, give it a GO - you won't be disappointed. read more

Very nice, funky decor. Service was a little perfunctory, but fine. Pizzas were tasty, a little doughy, but that's fairly typical for brick oven pizza. Fried calamari and grilled artichoke appetizers were both very tasty. They serve chili oil and dried oregano (on the stem) with the pizzas which I thought was a nice touch. Bread was from a bakery in Hoboken, NJ and was a nice touch. read more

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Very good atmosphere, and the service was great. I would love to come here again, and the wait was not long.

Food is just ok. Carbonara tastes good. Only I don't think the pasta is fresh made? Veal meatballs are great. The best dish we ordered in this restaurant. We order a mushroom pizza also. I don't love the pizza as other Italian places. The dough and topping ratio is a little bit off, too much dough at the edge. Dough like has been deep fired I don't personally like. read more

Always a great experience. Love the new in-house made pastas, just delicious. Special thanks to Michael, the GM. He always makes us feel welcome & appreciated. Thanks again for the special birthday drink tonight! Definitely check this place out- it's a gem in service & food. read more

Came for brunch and it was SO good! There is a bottomless mimosa option (well worth it if you'll have 3+) that we took advantage of and we started with the fried calamari (nom nommmm). I had the brioche eggs benny (really good) and I love that they have tots. Looking forward to coming back for lunch or dinner as that menu looked delicious too read more

Excellent Food, Service, and location. We typically visit during off season (i.e. UD is not in session), and love this place. At the front of the house, the bar tenders are top notch and know how to make a proper drink, and in the back of the house the food and table side service are excellent. We've tried the meatballs, pizza, gnocchi, free range chicken, beef brasato, and most of the salads offered. All are high quality and delicious! If you're a fan of Italian food, this is a safe bet! read more

This is an amazing Italian restaurant in the heart of Newark. I have been here multiple times, and never have been disappointed. I have brought many friends and relatives here as well. My last experience I came with a party of six. Unfortunately our usual appetizer of cheese sticks was no longer on the menu. But at the same time that is a positive. They consistently change their menu. We had ordered pan fried peppers and the polenta as appetizers. The polenta had browned butter and mushrooms, which made it taste amazing. I always order "the lemon" as my drink of choice. It is an amazing drink with lemon vodka, limoncello, and lemon juice. The combination just tastes great. And it is consistent every time I am there. For the main course I ordered braciole- tender beef on top of polenta with broccoli rabe. It was a simple yet flavorful dish. I also tried the Mac and cheese. This is not your typical mac & cheese, it is like a mac & cheese for grown-ups. It has fontina, parmesan, sweet onions, and prosciutto. It tasted great. I will be back again and again. read more

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The food is so good the manager is the nicest person I've met if you're looking looking for fresh good food come here

It was my first time here. Located right on main street it's a good location. The ambiance is super relaxing. I ordered the cannoli, it was ok, honestly should have went with another type of pasta. Also has the steamed clams and that was pretty good. Ordered sprintz for a drink and if you have tried actual spritz from Italy this spritz falls short, so if your expectations are high for a spritz just know this spritz is sweeter than a normal spritz. The waiter was kind, I honestly felt rushed when asked what I wanted to eat etc but he was attentive so no real complaints. The truffle bread was pretty on point. read more

Taverna - Cannelloni - Italian Near Me - Newark, Delaware

Good food good staff good ambience. Comfy cozy! Lunch or dinner give it a try. Good spirits to match

Since coming back from Italy, I have been in search of authentic Italian food and after numerous failures, we stumbled upon this gem. Although, I have come to the realization that I will never get food like in Italy, this place was the closest that I've had. It was actually amazing food! It is in a weird location being that it's across from the University but it was a pleasant surprise! I love (authentic) Italian food and this place had me wanting to come back again! Give it a try and you'll be happy that you did! read more

Taverna - Truffle Garlic Bread and Moscato wine - Italian Near Me - Newark, Delaware

The food served here is great! I think this is the best Italian place to eat on Main St. Always great service, super nice staff. The best appetizer on the menu is the calamari for sure, highly recommend! The chicken fettuccine is also a great special to get if you're there on a day that it is served. read more

We had a delicious dinner here on a Saturday night for my friend's birthday. We started with some Calamari which was tasty but I wish they would have had some tentacles. No Tentacles screams frozen. We also had the whipped ricotta which was different and yummy on some soft Italian bread. The bread that came with our meal was warm and had this yummy sun dried tomato dipping sauce which took it to the next level. For my meal I tried the Chicken Taverna. (I had to try the namesake of the restaurant) It was lightly breaded and yummy with the lemon and capers. It was a large portion too! I could only finish half. It was exactly as I craved so it did not disappoint. Our service was good and the atmosphere is cozy and romantic. I'd definitely return. read more

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Truffle garlic bread is amazing.. Pasta is just raw. Didn't like it.. vegan pizza is good too.. must try truffle garlic bread.. read more

Excellent service great location but the food us just okay. Calamari appetizer was weird with a sweet sauce that tasted like an Asian dish and the pizza oven doesn't make the bottom of the crust toasted. Minor changes would definitely make it better. read more

I had a very disappointing meal from Taverna. First it took 50 minutes to receive our food. Eventually, the server asked us if we wanted bread, which was very underwhelming and had no texture or taste . We finally received our food after 50 minutes. The first thing that came out was calamari. It had an unusual smell as well as being significantly under fried . it did not help that it was sitting on red sauce and had way too much aïoli on top I had ordered the Mediterranean salad. It was meant to be served with a shallot vinaigrette. I can say that it was very disappointing. The dressing tasted like water I could not taste anything. Another dish that we had ordered was Cacio de Pepe. Of all the pasta dishes I've had in my life ,this was the worst by far. It was a broken cream sauce that tasted like cheap ground pepper. I couldn't taste any pecorino Romano cheese. How is that even possible. Everybody at the table, tried it and nobody liked it. We had also ordered two pizzas. Both were undercooked and under seasoned. I can say with 100 percent certainty, I have bought frozen coal fired pizzas that were better than these pizzas. This meal came to $150. I wish we went to ROOTS. read more

Excellent food and service! Can't wait to go back! We were thee at Xmas time and it was packed but our server made us feel like we were the only people there!! Top notch service! read more

While in Newark for work, I've been trying different places and Taverna (with all the great reviews) was on my list for last week. Another great find on Main Street. I'll first mention that you need coins to park on the street (which I never carry) but there are a few public parking spots. Coming from Chicago, I anticipated paying $10 or $15. Nope - $2. Well worth it! As for Taverna - the front part of the restaurant is the bar area and I was not that impressed by it, but when they sat us in the back, I really liked that area. Very warm and inviting. Our server, Kyle, was quite attentive and very friendly, too. I had the special pizza of the night - meatball with a spicy red sauce and some basil. It was quite large and very good pizza. He brought me out a spicy hot oil, too and that just added to the flavor for me. I would definitely go back to Taverna the next time I'm in the area. read more

Good food, drinks & atmosphere always! Great nightly specials. Best Italian meatloaf! read more

Service was good! A bit dark for atmosphere but chill vibes. Food was not that great. I tried the margarita pizza but it def didn't even taste like a margarita pizza. The pasta special was decent but not that great. Def looks way more appetizing than it was. I wouldn't come back tho read more

Taverna - Italian Near Me - Newark, Delaware

Hankering for some amazing Italian food? This restaurant is a great place to scratch that itch. I cane here for a friends 40th birthday and everyone left stuffed and satisfied. We shared calamari for an appetizer which was very good and a sweet whipped ricotta flatbread which was very different. For dinner I got the Brachiole, which was almost like a beef short rib formed into three meatballs on top of polenta. I never had this dish before but I'll definitely have it again. It was amazing! Service was very good no complaints there and the atmosphere was nice and cozy. Give it a try you won't be disappointed! read more

I have been to this location several times and it has always been good. This visit...not so much. The chef had not communicated the specials to the staff when we arrived and therefore, specials were not an option for us. The fried mozzarella had no seasoning/flavor at all. The eggless caesar salad had almost no dressing and was not good. The croutons were the only thing good in the salad. We all also ordered pizza and it was just ok. I will pick another restaurant the next time we are dining in downtown Newark. read more

I had an opportunity to dine at Taverna on Mother's Day and overall, I enjoyed my time there. Taverna is conveniently located on the main street in Newark, DE at the University of Delaware campus. When you walk in the restaurant, you'll notice the dark and modern vibe going on. We were seated right away for our reservation and we were promptly greeted by our server. The menu was a nice size with a ton of different choices of food. We tried an order of the clams & mussels, meatballs, pizza and sweet potato fries. All of the food was delicious and priced well. I know I didn't write much on this review, but if you want something a little more upscale and family friendly, I would definitely recommend Taverna and I would try a lot of the good food. Bottomline...give it a try! read more

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We go to Taverna often as it is in walking distance to the office. Always great food and service!

Nice rustic ambience. Great service; Demetrius was very attentive and cordial . The calamari was delicious. Tried the cavatelli and it was awesome. Husband tried the sausage and peppers.and it was ok; nothing special and it only comes with garlic bread. Daughter tried the mac and cheese and she loved it. Recommend reservation as we had to wait around 20 min at 5pm Sunday. read more

Taverna - Cavatelli with braised pork - Italian Near Me - Newark, Delaware

This is one of the best restaurants on Main Street. If you're ever in the area, definitely make a stop here. Parking is a bit difficult when it's busy or during a weekend since you have to park on the street or in a lot nearby. The inside has a rustic feel, with a bar and plenty of seating. It also has an open kitchen where you can see the chefs busy cooking! I've been here multiple times for lunch and dinner. Their pasta is amazing--fresh and tastes handmade. The service was impeccable as well. We had to rush to leave and let our server know, and he made sure that our food was out and ready to go so that we can leave on time. It was busy that night too--but he still made it happen! They give complimentary bread and a sundried tomato oil sauce to dip in. SO GOOD. For dinner pastas, I recommend the corzettti and the ricotta cavatelli. The way they blend their flavors is amazing. We also had the Saturday special, which was rigatoni and meatballs. Even that was great for such a simple dish like pasta and meatballs. Definitely stop by here. Service, Food, and Atmosphere are all amazing. read more

The staff was pretty rude about my 13 year old son ordering off the kids menu, the kid wanted chicken fingers. Said it was only for 12 and under. I don't need to eat here again. Also I asked for straws they brought two for our party of three, and then we didn't see the wait staff again for about 20 minutes. read more

Like to sit at the bar. Bartenders are very friendly and make top notch cocktails. Food is decadent, leave stuffed easily as we can't order just 1 or 2 things. Environment is a little bougie, doesn't feel like a jeans and tee kinda place. Perfect for celebration dinners and date nights. Be careful arriving late on a slow night, they will close early and turn you away. It's happened and it sucks when ur craving a signature drink. read more

I love the atmosphere of Taverna -- it's a great date night spot!! I had the Chicken Taverna which was basically their take on chicken piccata. You're definitely going to want to make a reservation if you're planning on going on a weekend, and for busier weekends like Parents' Weekend you'll want to make your reservations very far in advance. I ran into this issue a couple times when I wanted to go there. read more

Taverna - Chicken Taverna - Italian Near Me - Newark, Delaware

This place is amazing, food is fresh, everything came out hot and tasted really good. Decor was cool, rustic, dark, dimmed lights. Packed house and really cool atmosphere. Ordered the chicken parm, calamari and meatball appetizers. All were perfect for my taste and would recommend going back read more

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Visited Taverns last night with a group of 5 other girls. A few of us were looking forward to the Tuesday special, veal Marcella. Needless to say it was the biggest disappointment ever! The food was very bland, no taste at all! Not even a hint of macella. The noodles were so soggy they seemed to be have sitting in water for awhile. One girl ordered the Chicken Parmesan and also not happy, meat was tough and hard to cut and noodles were like the other dishes, no taste! We really couldn't believe the lack of quality in the meals. We normally go a few times a year and also visited thethe owners other restaurant, Capers & Lemons which we have always gotten an excellent meal. Hope Capers and Lemons doesn't go downhill like Taverns has. From: Girls Night Out read more