The Refectory — Restaurant in Radnor Township

Update on review

I’m a bit late in writing an updated review from my previous experience, but life has been crazy so here it is. A day after my I initial call about the charges, I got a call from their general manager. I think her name was Kelsey. Kelsey was just outstanding. She listened to me explain everything and then she apologized and validated me. She understood my frustrations and showed empathy by sharing how she hates it when restaurants do that to her. She is the only manager who has shown great customer service skills and handled it with an apologetic and graceful tone. She offered to send me a gift card to make up for it. I obliged and thanked her for doing that. I told her how much I appreciated her taking the time to give me a call and offering me a generous gift card. She is an integral member to the team and I hope they never lose her. She’s a rockstar. Beware of their server overcharging your card on the bill. Luckily, I saved my customer copy and when I compared it to my posted transaction, I realized I was overcharged by $10! Always check your statements and keep your receipts because you never know when a server will sneak one under you. That made me so mad considering I purposely didn’t leave her a tip on my takeout order. (She wasn’t the one who took my order either) She took too long to cash me out when I needed to leave and drive 1.45 hours home. She wasn’t attentive towards me and I had to move to the other side of the bar. How frustrating. Of course I called the restaurant and after some back and forth phone tag, I finally got the manager to issue me a refund. This whole experience has left a bad taste in my mouth. Very poor service indeed.

Do not order take out from here. What a waste of my time and money. I decided to bring home dinner to my husband and selected the mushroom flatbread and the fish tacos. Upon my arrival at home. My husband heated up the flatbread in the pan and the fish tacos in the toaster oven. However, to our disappointment, the food was awful. The flatbread had a weird sweet taste that overpowered the savory ingredients. The dough was very dry and hard to chew. The fish tacos were flavorless and they didn’t come with my dipping sauce! All of this mediocre food for $43? That is insane. What a total rip off for an establishment that takes pride in their dishes, but failed to execute them with quality and taste. There’s a huge discrepancy between their brand marketing and the...

First visit shortly before noon on a Saturday after attending a seminar in the Villanova Business School and we learned that only the brunch menu is available on weekends. I'd been looking forward to the Filet Mignon Salad listed on their lunch menu online, and was disappointed it was not an option -- though to be fair, every other salad they offer is on their brunch menu. So we adjusted our appetites and expectations and both ordered Broccoli Cheddar Soup as an appetizer. Served in a crock and poured at the table by two servers, it was savory and smooth, with mingled notes of sage and thyme. We enjoyed it. I ordered the Smoked Salmon Flatbread entree, which comprised salmon, dill cream sauce, capers, and onions and served cold. Cold all the way through, including the bread beneath, which was also a little chewy. No warm crust to naturally release and mingle the flavors, which was surprising and disappointing to me -- a FLAT bread indeed. Husband's Brisket Flatbread was warm and tasty but nothing next-level. The servers were attentive and pleasant, the restroom was immaculate and attractive.The restaurant filled up quickly after we arrived with a mix of campus visitors, locals, families, and student groups. The overall atmosphere of The Refectory is a comfortable and inviting combination of sophisticated Main Line "clubby" and Villanova campus "chill." We thoroughly enjoyed the environment, the flow of the space, and watching people enjoy themselves. We live in the neighborhood and are likely to go back and give this place another try, for a meal other than brunch.

UPDATE: Returned a week later for a light dinner of Caesar salad with shrimp. It was fresh, simple, OK. It was the service that was disappointing. Excrutiatingly slow for an uncomplicated order. Our server, Henneh, apologized earnestly and explained the long wait was because of a large party that had come in. Staffing is an issue evidently, though oddly there were 4 hosts standing behind the welcome/check-in station when we came in. So as much as I like the atmosphere of The Refectory, it's not enough to keep me coming back, I'm...

I first went there for a lunch meeting, where I ordered a turkey BLT sandwich. Although it was $20, it was well worth the price, as the sandwich was great and filling. Despite the lunchtime rush, the service was still prompt and attentive, making the overall dining experience enjoyable. It’s definitely a great place for work lunches because it doesn’t get loud or distracting, allowing for productive conversations. The cozy atmosphere and quality food make it a top choice for future meetings or casual dining experiences.

The friendly staff and efficient service contribute significantly to this establishment's overall dining value. I visited again for dinner, and once again, the service was consistent, and the food was quite good. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone seeking a satisfying dining experience of great value. I enjoyed the steak, crab cakes, deviled eggs, and Nova fries, which were cooked to a tee and tasted great. I even tried a Caprese salad despite not liking tomatoes, and to my surprise, it was actually quite good. The drinks were good as well, they had a kick to them.

The atmosphere was pleasant as well. We were seated in a separate room in the back, which was ideal for our large group. It allowed us to socialize without being a nuisance to other diners. The restaurant is also aesthetically pleasing. I will say I had low expectations for this restaurant because it is attached to a school, which led me to assume the food would be mediocre. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the dishes and attentive service. Don’t let the location fool you; this restaurant is genuinely good! The menu offers a variety of options, and the presentation of the dishes...