The best things about this place are that it's pretty and it has an awesome view and location for a relaxing lunch. You must be aiming for slow and relaxing, though, because the service will NOT be fast. We had to wait a while for a table (for lunch on a weekday) but they have a nice patio you can wait at while having a drink. This place is beautiful and in a quiet place by the lake. Enjoy the quiet time outside though, the inside is not so quiet at all. It seems to me that this place outgrew their expected popularity too fast for them to keep up. Service will be ok since they are not very fast. Their food is really good, they clearly put a lot of thought into it and take pride in their good food. It might be slightly overpriced for what it really is, but the place is worth it. read more

Our party of six stopped here for lunch on a whim, as we were just driving through. This is a white linen "experience" place. I enjoyed the sweet pea hummus sandwich. The portions are small, the food tastes delicious and looks attractive, the price is steep, the atmosphere is charming, and the server was friendly and professional. read more

Completely worth the hour-long wait! The food is so fresh and tasty. As if they raise it all onsite and then prepare it when you order. The beef on the burger was delicious. The frites were seasoned to perfection and addictive. I ordered what I dubbed the "ikea sandwich", the räksmörgås, and it was perfectly lite and balanced. An egg salad sandwich topped with lil' cocktail shrimps. The fresh dill really elevated the flavor. This place is a must visit if you're up in Da'Nort in Duluth. You'll love the atmosphere too. Very light, airy, & natural. Apparently there's an outdoor deck coming soon! read more

Best restaurant in Duluth. Creative entrees. Fresh ingredients. Top level service most of the time. A classic foodie restaurant. I like Va Bene better overall but that is my individual quirk -- I think anyone used to good restaurants would say this is the best in Duluth. I would argue this is one of the few Duluth restaurants that not only could survive in Minneapolis but could thrive. I don't feel like New Scenic frequently hits it out of the park with their entrees like some Mpls places do (e.g., Bar La Grassa and their lobster and soft egg bruschetta). But I do feel like everything you get at New Scenic will be triples, to keep the baseball metaphor going, with the occasional home run. You can expect mostly great food every time you come here. It is definitely worth a stop any time you are in Duluth. read more

We were sent here by a server at a downtown Duluth restaurant, who immediately responded with New Scenic Cafe when we asked her about her favorite place for a nice dinner in Duluth. The drive was pretty and not too far. The parking was easy, as we were there early. The dining room had a very subdued atmosphere, almost too quiet, but then it grew on us and was very peaceful. Our servers were excellent and professional, while also warm and friendly. The food was interesting and fantastic! Not sure when or if we'll ever be in Duluth again, but if we are, we're definitely coming back here to eat. read more

Great food in a refreshing atmosphere. The vegetable "lasagna"--no noodles involved--was delicious! I had to Google some of the ingredients (e.g., "aubergine" for eggplant). Hubby's usual burger was huge--he said enough for two people. Waitress was attentive without being annoying. Good wine suggestion. Looks like they garnish everything with sprouts. Their menu is a bit out of the ordinary, and for our tastes, pretentious, but our experience was first rate. Their business seems to be booming, so I'd suggest reservations. Give it a try! read more

Unfortunately, not particularly scenic due to the haze over the lake, but the food was reasonable. My steak was done exactly as ordered, and the creme brûlée was fantastic. Wife's meal was good, not great. Atmosphere was cozy. Points lost for service, which was painfully slow, and somewhat disinterested. When asked if there was any shellfish in one of the appetizers (necessary knowledge due to severe allergy, which was explained to them), the answer was dismissive, and our waiter was not really interested in going to check with the chef. We'd go back, but would make a point to remember the epi-pens. read more

At the risk of being discredited for offering thus far SOLELY five star reviews to my readership (do you exist?), I can only say that mediocrity is apparently unmemorable, as opposed to those outings so dreadful and scarring (don't worry, Aveda Institute, your time is coming) or so blissful you just have to, you know, remember them. I was driving down Highway 61 en route to a cabin for a very last minute overnight and saw the charming building housing New Scenic appear suddenly around a bend in the road, opposite Lake Superior. Aha! This is a place I've heard about. This is the real reason I was meant to come up here. It was 7pm on a Saturday night, but we veered in, thinking maybe we'd wait out a table, hoping it would be worth it. It was worth it. The original wine list, stocked with affordable international picks. The subtle, sublime flavors of an ahi tuna avocado taco with housemade tortillas and a soy-spiked slaw. The traditional bahn mi (!) sharing the menu with a glazed duck breast paired with a blue cheese leek tart and some crazy delicious strawberries that tasted confited. The goat cheese tart with berries in thick, sticky honey I did NOT have room for, but polished off. I was happy. The fog rolled in, and we rolled off to the cabin, Superior winking on the horizon as the sun disappeared. Scenic. read more

The Scenic Cafe has earned its 5 star review from me. The food was wonderful, the service was good, and the atmosphere was sophisticated. I on the other hand am not sophisticated, I don't generally use big words, and I have no idea what the most current trends are. What I do know is good food and the Scenic hits the mark. I had a what came down to a ham and cheese sandwich on steroids, it was a special of the day and was not on the regular menu and I loved it. If you happen to be here and they mention this ham and cheese sandwich as an offering I would highly recommend it. We also started out our lunch with the escargot and it was the best escargot I think I have ever had, not that I have the chance to have escargot often I have had it enough to know that the Scenic really does it well. One other thing I would recommend is the raspberry mint lemonade, I could have drank a gallon of it no problem at all. We will be returning probably on our trip back down the North Shore in a few days. read more

Over priced food and subpar service pretty much sums up our trip to New Scenic Cafe. We were treated well at first but service quickly turned when it was noted that half the table decided to stick with just water and soup for lunch. Several times we attempted to wave the server down for coffee refills and were intentionally ignored. I ended up having to get up and find someone to bring us our check and coffee refill. Also, the butternut squash ravioli was terrible. It's one of our favorite dishes to get, so a big disappointment. It didn't taste fresh and the squash wasn't warm inside, but with our inattentive server it wasn't even worth letting her know. read more

This came highly recommended to me from a local, so I dove in head first. Lets start with the earth shattering sushi tacos. These things are to die for. I chose the seared duck breast over the seabass, which was a tough decision. The duck breast was expertly prepared and the sauce was spot on. It had a light and refreshing curry flavor to it, which was pleasantly surprising. I finished off with the rhubarb tart. If you live in the area, you are blessed. This place is a treasure. If I get back to the area you can be certain that I will pop in for a new taste, and those sushi tacos! read more

We have eaten at New Scenic previously and the food is usually outstanding. However last visit was a disappointment. My wife and I both ordered beef bourguignon open -face sandwich and the smoke flavor overpowered the entire dish. Additionally the bacon slivers were extremely fatty, the bread was hard, overloaded with pearl onions and the portion of mash potatoes was barely noticeable. The homemade soup was very good and the pie was exceptional. Service was very slow but it was a busy night. read more

Saw them listed in the Top 100 MN list & these excellent reviews so wanted to try. Glad I did. We tried the Grilled Atlantic Salmon & the Seared Duck Breast and they were excellent. The breathtaking view of Lake Superior just added to the ambience. read more

The cafe was cute but as soon as we sat down I got a strong whiff of what I perceived as cat urine. As much as I like cats, I lost my appetite and ordered a soup just to be polite. My friend said the scallops were delicious. I hope they can address the issue with the odor because I really would like to return and try some of the entrees. read more

One of the first places on the north shore highway 61 as you are driving north! Really glad we stopped here, as far as cuisine, this was the best, I have had on the north shore. Its one of the few places were you do not get the standard burger and walleye fare. For appetizer we had a wonderful asiago cheese artichoke dip served on toasted bread, really good. My son had pizza bread which looked tasty. My wife had the burger with gruyere cheese. I had the pastrami sandwich very good, and my mother had a fig/bruschetta/arugula sandwich that was out of this world good. Would definitely come back here if I am ever in the north shore. read more

The food is quite amazing. We started meal with sashimi tuna tacos made with wonton wrappers served with Chinese slaw and avocados. Divine. Next up was goat cheese pistachio salad, a goat cheese medallion pressed with Pistachios lightly sauteed served on top of lightly dressed fresh greens. Addictive. Lastly we split 2 sandwiches. One was a tuna melt with fresh made tuna burger. The other was raksmorgas open face sandwich with shrimp and egg salad. Delightful. Very satisfied and full. No room for dessert. Heavy on the wallet but worth it. read more

We stopped at the scenic 61 airstream at new scenic cafe and were amazed by our experience. The food is impeccable. The atmosphere is so peaceful with many physically distanced outdoor spaces to enjoy your food. Highly recommend stopping by and enjoying a relaxing time with delicious food. The quiche and salad were phenomenal and my boyfriend had the braised beef sandwich and fries which were delicious as well. They also have baked goods - fresh cookies and bread available to go. read more

We were a family of 8 visiting Duluth and my mother-in-law said this was the best place in Duluth and she was right. To start, the service was impeccable. We were coming from Gunflint Lake and there was a lot of road work along the way which meant we were about a half hour late for our reservation. Though we tried to call the restaurant several times, our cell phone service was weak and I don't think the receptionist could even hear us. We crossed our fingers that our table would be saved and it was. :) And I should mention that this placed was super busy but yet they held our large table. After being seated, the hostess explained all the specials in impressive detail, giving good eye contact to each person in our party. We were already impressed. Our server was equally warm and another consummate professional. This place obviously takes a lot of time and effort to find good staff. Our table ordered many of their entrees and the ones that really stuck out were the sashimi tacos and the tuna burger. We will definitely be going straight back to this spot next time we visit Duluth! read more

Very very good food, and priced accordingly. It cost $100 for lunch for 4 of us which was quite a bit BUT the food, tuna tacos, ham sandwich, egg salad with shrimp, burger (with a squid ink bun ) we're great.... mediocre chicken /asparagus sand..... Waitress was okay, jept forgetting water. read more

New Scenic is fantastic! It is so beautiful in the summer and cozy in the winter time. They change up their menu all the time so it's hard to recommend any one thing but everything is delicious. Some of my favorites were their lobster roll and their Caramel Corn Sundae! A must stop if you're in the Northland! It's a little spendy, but worth it if you plan on celebrating! read more

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Intriguing menu with amazing flavor, blends of accents, and presentations. Well worth the trip to this cute spot with breathtaking views and outdoor seating options too! read more

New Scenic Cafe - Fig frissee on pecan tartlet with just the right amount of blue cheese. Yum. - New American Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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This place has great food! Top notch chef. Very unassuming chic facade with a great view of the Lake Superior. The staff is superb and service was great! We did not have to wait long for amazing food. The appetizer servings are generous and the entree as well. We have decided to make it a tradition to come up here at least once or twice a month from the Twin Cities. I recommend it without any hesitation! read more

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Perfection. I ordered the ahi tuna tacos and have never tasted anything like them! Fresh avocado, tuna, and delicious ginger and wasabi. Wonton shells on the outside made the perfect combination of fresh, light and crunchy. The chef's love for food and innovation as well as paying tribute to many cultures and styles of food makes this a MUST stop in the North Shore. Try the wonderful semolina cake - it is the best dessert I've ever had! Sorry grandma...your brownies and good too. You cannot top this place! read more

I had lunch here with my husband and really enjoyed it. Best BLT I've ever had, flavored were spot on. We shared the fried rice as an appetizer which was delicious! Being pregnant I appreciated they had some great nonalcoholic beverages, I had the raspberry mint lemonade which was very good. Very glad we stopped here! read more

New Scenic Cafe - New American Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

This place is absolutely amazing. As a frequent diner in the Minneapolis Foodie scene, I think my expectations are high and this place blows me away every time. I recently had lunch here, and it was delicious. We shared the tuna appetizer special, sooo good. Then we split the walleye sandwich, the best walleye I've ever had. So fresh and tasty. To top it off, the rhubarb dessert was phenomenal! I'm pretty sure I'll be dreaming of this place. Thank you for another great experience Scenic Cafe....we'll be back!! read more

Food was virtually flawless. Our group of 5 started with a bottle of super dry Prosecco which was a good foil for the 3 appetizers we split; artichoke dip, goat cheese topped salad and bratwurst. Normally I'm not a brat for appetizer, but the homemade quality of the red cabbage and the apple cider brined brat were surprisingly good. The pistachio crusted goat cheese was fantastic and the light dressing over the greens was infused with VERY good olive oil. Counter point flavors of dried sweet cherries and various baby carrots were excellent. the artichoke schmeer was decadent, creamy, rich - not a diet plate. All our diners chose different entrees; venison tenderloin, beef cheeks bourguignon, sea scallops, roasted poussin, and grilled sea bass. Beef cheeks were melt in the mouth tender - think of the best possible take on pot roast. Scallops were also melt in the mouth - perfectly seared exterior with super delicate interior texture (orange and coconut blossom foam was a bit weird). Because the foam was cool, this cooled the scallops slightly too fast. Sea bass was spectacular; this was an extremely respectable fusion of japanese flavors. The kitchen seems to have a deft touch with a variety of pickling techniques. Finally the poussin was perfectly cooked and the play of root vegetables were the perfect pairing. Each plate had a multitude of flavors and textures. Dessert was spectacular and worth stopping here just for the pie. Forget Betty's pies, the triple berry pie (blue, black, rasp) was virtually perfect - crust was flaky and tender and the filling was thick and sort of deep dish in volume. One aspect of this pie that was almost impossible to believe is that there was very little thickened berry juice - it was nearly mincemeat in texture. I have no idea how this was accomplished. The creme brulee had a fantastic vanilla flavor; custard was perfect in texture. Very minor complaints; altho service was competent, it was a little spotty regarding timing; It was prime time on Friday and the place was packed, but the initial water was slow in coming as was the first visit by the waitress. First coffee for dessert was not hot. For those of you feeding a hungry teen/20s gent, it might be good to feed them a half a meal to start, but for the rest of the diners, there was ample food. Hats off to the kitchen!! The flavors were perfectly executed. read more

The entrees were terrible to say the least. Starters were good, french onion soup was good but a little to salty, salad with with blue cheese vinaigrette was good. Wow, you can do a great soup and salad, Congrats! So can everyone else. We got the venison tenderloin entree. It was awful, no seasoning, kitchen did not let it rest properly, it was terrible. Our server was awesome. She let us order something else immediately to replace it. We got the sea scallops, they were cooked ok, too much char and overwhelming burnt flavor on 2 of the four. Way too much coconut foam, in the end four scallops and a bowl of coconut broth seams more like an appetizer portion to me. We are from Minneapolis and vacation in the north shore often. We will not be back here. Honestly the Bloody Mary and pizza sticks we had at the dive bar The Landing in Two Harbors was more impressive. Stick with Lake Ave. Cafe for a good meal. read more

On a day trip north for relaxing and connecting, I chose the New Scenic Cafe for our afternoon meal. We were not disappointed. We really enjoy good, and the mushroom galette, butternut squash ravioli, and whitefish we ordered that day hit the mark. The pickled beets that came with the mushroom galette were fantastic. This is at the top of my list of places to eat in Duluth. We will be back. read more

Hands down best restaurant on the North Shore. Beautiful setting, innovative and delicious dishes, fantastic wine selection and great ambiance. Absolutely love the fire pit and looking out at the lake. read more

Fantastic seasonal and main menu items. The porterhouse should not be missed. Duck breast is a close second. The apps could easily pass for tapas and are great to make your main meal. But the real show stoppers are what ever is the specials of the day. I'm always impressed with the quality of the food and service at the Scenic Cafe! read more

Wow!!! SO well done!!! Great atmosphere, they know their food and wine. Had the roasted Beet small plate..oh my god it was good with a nice cali red served lovingly in a reidel. I loved it. read more

Executive Sommar: Wow! Details: Location: While worth the drive from Duluth, this restaurant is actually about half way between Duluth and Two Harbors (in or near Knife River). Background: We went two nights ago with our friends who were also vacationing on the North Shore; 2 families of 4; each with 2 young girls from 4 and 9 years old. At about 7:00 on a Tuesday the place was busy, and we did not have a reservation. The wait: We had drinks while waiting for our table. The server Kids: One of the best kids offerings my wife and I and our friends have seen. My 8 year old daughter got a salad from the kids menu, my 6 year old daughter had pasta, and our friends' kids each had peperoni pita pizza. read more

This is a true find! Embarrassed we've passed this up for years and finally decided to stop. Ahi tuna taco appetizer was flavorful and wonderfully unique. You've never had a tuna melt like this one. Truly fantastic. We will be back. read more

New Scenic Cafe - Tuna melt - New American Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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Great service and greet food - There were four in my party. All ordered a different entree and all were very pleased. My entree was the Lk Superior Whitefish. The fondue appetizer and potato soup were also very good. The only thing I'd add is that the pricing is a little higher than implied by the $$. I think it is more like $$$, however the food and service were commensurate with the pricing. read more

My husband and I had heard amazing things about the restaurant and were treated to some original choices, fresh ingredients and a knowledgeable server. The scallop dish was one of the best I've ever eaten. read more

New Scenic Cafe - Awesome!!! - New American Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

Several miles north of Duluth along scenic Highway 61, this is a great little restaurant right along the shores Lake Superior. The restaurant has a great selection of well-portioned (i.e. not too big, not too small) dishes with an emphasis on quality. My father has an allergy to anything made with corn based products (trust me corn is everywhere!) such that a restaurant that emphasizes natural and high quality ingredients is always a joy. Like most Duluth area restaurants, a nice casual environment makes it easy to feel like you are at home. read more

This restaurant never disappoints. We shared an artichoke sun dried tomato slather with toasted baguette, a micro green salad with baked goat cheese and pickled gooseberries, duck breast with a leek blue cheese tartlet & chocolate terrine dessert. For wine- Tajinaste blanco from the Canary Islands & Domaine des Ouches Cabernet Franc. We mmmmm'd & aaaahh'd our way through this meal. It was our 3rd time here & I would eat here every day if I could. Bon appetit! read more

Love this place! He prepared that if you don't have a reservation you will have a wait!

Poor service, poor value, and food that's beautiful to look at but very disappointing to eat. I came here with a friend for a weekday lunch. When we arrived, the front was empty, so we stood around for a bit waiting to see if anyone would notice our arrival. As a note, it was NOT busy at all. There were maybe 4 or 5 tables taken when we arrived. After a few minutes someone finally walked up and asked if we were there for lunch. We said yes, and she told us to wait for someone to come seat us and walked away. Okay, that's fine - as long as we were acknowledged! A while later someone else came to the front and started setting up a reservation on the phone, while we continued to stand around awkwardly and watching over workers walk back and forth. I considered just leaving at that point, but knew that if we did I would just be hungry and upset. I was hoping the food would make up for the weird vibes. Finally, someone came over and asked if we were there for lunch. We said yes, again. She told us to wait just a moment and she would be back to seat us. Okay, this is getting ridiculous now. She reappeared a few minutes later and sat us at the closest table to the front (a table without any semblance of a view, which was another disappointment - there were tons of open tables by the windows). She gave us menus and went over daily specials (in a strange, robotic way) which took way too long, especially considering they were all meat-based and we are both vegetarians. Our server eventually came over and took our orders. I was still getting really weird vibes, almost like the folks working there were annoyed to have customers and expected us to be extremely thankful that they're taking time out of their busy day to do their jobs. But, okay, I'm still holding out for delicious food, because I've heard so many great things. The food really is beautifully plated. Between my friend and I we ordered a salad and two difference sandwiches. I had the caprese sandwich, which was rubbery and not very exciting otherwise. It came with pickles and pineapple on the side. My friend had the avocado and egg sandwich, which was tastier but still not great, and had no sides. Finally, we had the pistachio and goat cheese salad, which was very basic with one kind of greens. I could appreciate the amount of goat cheese on it, but still would not consider it worth the price. If you're not really hungry and have a lot of time and money, maybe the New Scenic Cafe would be your kind of place. If you want truly good food and don't want to feel like a nuisance, maybe just drive on by. read more

One star for service, atmosphere, value, portion size, price and the "scenic view" of a highway. In my opinion the fancy plating doesn't compensate for much. I showed up with a party of two around 12:30 on a Thursday. There was no line, and there was no one by the front desk to greet us. After waiting about two minutes, someone walked over and asked "two of you for lunch?" And we said "yes" to which she replied "okay, [generic white girl name] will seat you in a minute" before she walked away. About two more minutes later, someone else came over and got on the phone behind the desk. We listened to her talk on the phone (loudly, and rudely) for a moment before someone else came over and said "are you two here for lunch?". Again, we said "yes". She told us she just needed to get another table "settled" before she'd seat us. Considering we were the only people waiting (and had been the only ones in the front this whole time), whoever was getting "settled" had been seated for about ten minutes at least. But alright, we're chill. So we waited about two more minutes. When the host came back she literally walked us about ten feet from where we had been standing to the nearest table. It was close enough to us that it would have taken a fraction of a second to walk us there or even less time to say "you can sit there" (a reasonable alternative to taking the time to tell us why we could not be seated yet), so I am honestly confused as to why we had to wait so long. There were also many empty tables nearby, so it wasn't like they had to do any plotting or calculations to fit us in. After handing us the menus the host told us the daily [meat] specials, asked "still or sparkling water?" and told us that our waitress would be right with us. Again, I wondered why every task seemed to be allotted to someone different. A bottle of mineral water and a very small bowl (about 2 tablespoons) of pistachios was brought to our table while we waited about another five minutes for our waiter. Nothing else particularly noteworthy occurred between ordering and eating. The food was beautifully arranged, but not economically priced or portioned if you aren't wealthy and/or have an appetite. I ordered a "sandwich", which should've been called an "open-faced sandwich" (if we're being acurate). My sandwich came with no sides, while my partner's caprese came with sliced pickles and pinapple (such an odd choice!?). In addition to the offensive level of service, the real thing that shaped my opinion was when the bill came at the end: there was a $7 charge on the bill for the mineral water. I was really peeved that we were charged when the choice ("still or sparkling water") indicates that they are equivalent and, thus, that they are both free. It is a common practice at other places I have dined to offer sparkling water (Agraculture, Lake & Irving, Punch Pizza...etc.) and I have never been charged for sparkling water. The exception to free sparkling water only seems reasonable if it is ordered explicitly (as a drink, while ordering drinks). When the host asked us our choice for water we were not asked if we wanted to order drinks (again, indicating that the water was not "a drink"). Furthermore, San Pelligrino was on the beverage menu and listed as costing $3.50 (for the single 750 ml we received). Seven dollars is quite a bit more than $3.50. Considering the $13 paid for each sandwich, I don't think the relative price of a bottle of water makes sense. read more

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