This place is incredible. Fresh farm to table ingredients prepared gently with proper flavor balance. Rack of lamb is one of the best I have had. Good selection of booze and non booze drinks. Only suggestion would be to hit the rhubarb dessert with more rhubarb. read more

Had another fabulous dinner at the New Scenic Cafe. The food is ALWAYS amazing. We love the ahi tuna tacos. The evening special of Beef Tenderloin was melt-in-your mouth delicious. The service recently has been just shy of perfect - I hope it's just a small blip. read more

This restaurant is "local" friendly. I can not afford to go there very often but a girlfriend and I always chose it when we wish to celebrate each other and catch up. What we enjoy is the all-out creativity by the chef. You can spend too much on a meal without an ounce of innovation or good quality ingredients. Being a local customer doesn't always mean you love a place....I have not been bribed or received any special deals, but when I see people doing an amazing things I just have to say something. The Scenic Cafe is a place to celebrate! read more

We've heard amazing things about this restaurant and made a reservation for our anniversary. The outside ambiance is lovely, as well as the entry way/bakery area. However, when we were seated at our two top table which was in a small, overcrowded, very noisy section, we were very disappointed. The dark carpet was filthy w/crumbs and food everywhere. The wood table was tippy and dirty, looked cheap and the room as a whole was no better than a greasy spoon diner setting. The electric base board heaters had the covers off, looked broken with wires exposed. The overall feeling was outdated, dirty, and very little thought put into the feel of the interior. The server stopped by with barely a greeting, giving us the feeling that we were rushed and unwelcome. She never asked how our food was throughout the meal, and was clearly overwhelmed. But when our entrees were served, she tried to offer us dessert while we were still having our dinner. And She dropped the check at the beginning of our dessert. Then would check back to see if we'd paid yet while we were still eating. I was a fine dining server for many years, and I would have lost my job if I'd would have treated guests in this way. This was not fine dining service at all. Yet it had fine dining prices and an automatic 20% gratuity that I felt was not earned at all. However, The food was excellent. The cooks are clearly trained and care ab what they're doing. But the restaurant experience with the service/cleanliness/and ambiance is terrible and in complete conflict with the menu. read more

New scenic cafe might be my new favorite restaurant even though we got a meal kit and didn't dine it. We got the sea bass meal kit and it was absolutely delicious. The owner was so generous- she gifted us a salmon platter that was to die for. I can't wait to return this summer when we come back north!! read more

Great atmosphere. Service is either hot or cold. Being rude isn't cool, but I sometimes get the sense they think it's the way to treat guests. Very few vegetarian options. Won't return anytime soon. read more

Wow! Amazing food, great service, and wonderful views. The potato salad was unique and soooo good. I got the chicken breast sandwich and my boyfriend got the salmon burger. Both insanely good....although I enjoyed the salmon burger a bit more. We had the goat cheese cake for dessert and were not disappointed. Can't wait to visit this place again soon!! read more

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The food was just excellent but the service left a lot to be desired. A bit pricey too.

This Cafe was recommended to us by a local for a quiet anniversary dinner. I read some of the Yelp reviews and thought it looked like a good choice. We did not make reservations because we did not know for sure when we would be able to get there, we did have a very short wait but it was worth it. My husband and I both ordered the ratatouille lasagna and we both loved it. It was a very nice combination of veggies with just the right amount of goat cheese and balsamic reduction. The staff was very friendly and the service was great. I cannot wait to go again. read more

I'm giving this place 5 stars based on the fact that is it up in two harbors, if it were in a bigger city it would probably be only 4. However I think they deserve the extra star for offering and pulling off what they do in a more remote place where they could get away with much less, as their competition is really doing nothing noteworthy from what I've seen (and tasted). Made a reservation here for a friday night for when we arrived up north. This was a very smart move as when we showed up there were about 15 people all waiting for tables and the wait was about 45 minutes. We got our table about 10 minutes after our reservation time, and they were really apologetic, couldn't believe how nice they were- 10 minutes waiting is no big deal. Just looking at the menu made me hungry- everything looked awesome, and I rarely look at a menu and feel I could order anything happily. The waitress also told us of about 6 additional specials that all sounded amazing as well. You can't go wrong! We ended up ordering a fig appetizer special with gorgonzola and pecans. It was yummy, but the honey glaze the figs were cooked in was a bit sweet- I could eat it for dessert. For mains my hubby had a pork special wrapped in bacon with spinach. He loved it, and let me tell you that piece of pork was huge- took up the whole plate! I had a vegetarian lasagna, which was not like traditional lasagna with pasta sheets, but had grilled polenta layers with veggies, pesto, and some goat cheese. It was much lighter than traditional lasagna and WAY tastier. Now, usually, we're not big dessert people- especially after having the super sweet fig appetizer. However, their dessert menu looked so amazing, we had to order some dessert. Hubby had the goat cheese cake, which might have been the best cheesecake I"ve ever had, but I"m a huge goat cheese fan. I had the lemon tirimisu, which was the only mediocre thing either of us ate the entire meal. It was like a bad lemon sponge cake- really, I could only eat two bites and it just wasn't worth it to continue. Despite the bad lemon dessert, I really loved the place, it had a cute cozy atmosphere, the staff were all really friendly, and the food was delicious, I 'd go back- in fact, I could happily eat here every day of a weekend away up North. Book ahead though. read more

Driving up from our first stop on the Circle Tour of Lake Superior, we thought this place looked promising. It has an amazing view, and a cute veggie garden in front. I thought this place seemed great. Then we sit and order. That takes a long bit. We ordered an app. That came out in maybe 15 mins. I mean, not bad but not good. Then waiting for our main course, which were just sandwiches, was at least 40 minutes. That's INSANE. We got the app of smoked salmon and bread. Should be called bread and a finger worth of salmon. Salmon was dry and not good. And for $10 sandwiches, they did not live up to anything. I got the croque madame. It was probably the worst Croque I have ever had. No bechemel sauce, 1/4 inch cut ham, and a greasy mess served on the world's smallest plate. And they so lovingly gave me a rotten strawberry on the plate. Ugh. After this, we waited another 15 minutes for the check. The serivce sucked, probably some the worst I've seen for a place that taunts itself for being upper crust. I guess it's too much to ask to refill our water, too? It was a huge disappointing experience. Left me sad and alittle angry. read more

This place was great! From the presentation of the food to the service to the decor, I felt like everything had been well thought out, planned, and executed. My partner and I ordered the tuna tacos, which were a delicious appetizer. I ordered the ribeye steak which was cooked to perfection and my partner ordered the sockeye salmon. The interior felt sophisticated and chic without trying to hard. Overall it was a great experience and I cannot wait to come back for my next trip up north! read more

Absolutely gorgeous; the food, the atmosphere, the view; wow. Make a special outing and come to New Scenic Cafe for a treat that is sure to delight all of your senses. The service is a bit slow, but put away your phone and savor each bite, take in the view, look at the beautiful decor and artwork throughout the restaurant, and enjoy the company you are with. From start to finish every bite was incredible. Everything is seasonal and the menu changes frequently so listen for the daily specials. I started with the french onion soup; incredible! Resist your temptation to dive in and wait a few minutes for the piping hot soup to cool down. Each bite was savory and warming with the cheese, bread, and onions. My entree was the seared suck breast with seasonal vegetables and fruit; boy was this a mouthful of different flavors. The sweetness of the figs and reduction sauce combined with the duck and bed of sliced sweet potatoes potatoes was outstanding. Don't leave without trying some amazing dessert. Being a pumpkin fan I tried the pumpkin bundt cake; the butterscotch sauce and the crunchy candied pumpkin seeds sent this dish over the top. The only downside is I didn't want my meal to end! Sure, the prices are higher than average, but so is the quality of the food! The plating was beautiful and portion sizes were enough to fill up on in a healthy way. The staff is extremely knowledgeable about the food and is wiling to offer up recommendations. Make the short trip to the outskirts of Duluth and enjoy a fantastic meal. read more

This Cafe was suggested by several friends of ours and since we happened to be in the Duluth area and are always looking for exceptional food and service experiences, we thought we would give ti a try. It was cute inside and out, as they have a beautiful garden to sit in and have a glass of wine while you wait for your table. That was the best part of the evening. I think we got a server who was totally overwhelmed as he didn't get to us for at least ten minutes and didn't even acknowledge us. The rest of the night wasn't a whole lot better. I have been a chef and restauranteur myself so I know what good service can be and we did not get it. At one point I had to go ask the hostess if we could just get some bread and possibly order an appetizer because my husband, who is a light drinker, had had a glass of wine and was starting to crash. They were very nice about it and brought something out right away. We ordered the "artichoke slather" for an appetizer which is really another name for a bunch of cheese melted over a few canned artichoke hearts. NOTHING special. Next we split the beet salad, which was very good. For an entree I got the Lamb Meatloaf which was good but tiny and served with some peas and a few other veggies. My husband got the Ratatouille Lasagna which was small and pretty tasteless. All it was, was thin slices of zucchini,eggplant, tomato and maybe goat cheese. No pasta. We ordered a piece of Cherry Cheesecake to go for dessert, and it was just ok. More like a cherry mousse than a Cheesecake. I might give this place another try and just come back for one of their sandwiches and a glass of wine. Everything else is just not worth it. read more

Be prepared to bring some serious coin and your coolest attitude when coming up to the New Scenic Cafe. We came for lunch on a cold Saturday afternoon. The parking lot was full and pretty icy; a very slippery walk. We were promptly greeted by a chilly (attitude) young woman dressed in a short black spaghetti strapped dress- just saying it was odd- her question was also odd, "what can I do for you?" Do they do anything but serve food here? Anyway, after a short wait we were seated and ordered roasted cauliflower for $11 to start. No kidding, it was about 1/3 cup of tiny little pieces of cauliflower with petite cut tomatoes and black pepper for $11! We ordered Tempe Reuben sandwiches which were decent sized and very good but could have used a side of dressing served with it. As it was, it came with a little bunch of small red grapes and a small pickle chunk. Our bill was $45. It was good but we decided to skip the $7-12 dessert and go to Culver's in Two Harbors for a custard cone. The couple sitting ahead of us had two kids with them and parted with $100 for lunch. Lots of interesting food on the menu for lots of money. The clientele appear to be well heeled conspicuous consumers who can afford drop this kind of money for lunch without a care- kinda like "yuppies" used to be. It seemed like the people around us were more impressed with the food than we were. read more

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Oh my. I just left one of my favorite restaurants after a disastrous attempt at lunch. Mussels tasted like the bottom of a fishing boat, the salad to replace them never arrived, and the chili was just OK. The poor server tried her best and a couple of excuses--new seafood supplier, new menu, but I would avoid it until they figure out how to run a restaurant again. read more

My son and I and my nephew had lunch there a few days ago. Two of us ordered the $17 hamburger. It wasn't even good. My son ordered the muscles and he liked them. The service was AWKWARD. Very robotic. They are trying way way too hard to be all fancy, but the place is a dump and the food comes out looking like a middle school cooking class designed it. Our server had a person "shadowing" her, and besides that being awkward, she sounded like a robot, no personality, just reading the script in her head. I would not recommend. read more

Great atmosphere and excellent food. Best salmon I've ever had.

An absolutely pleasant surprise on our drive up north. Decor is out of the ordinary and refreshing. The service is friendly and quick but not rushed. Last but not least: the food was excellent. Sorry we couldn't stay longer to try everything on the menu, because I have the feeling everything is just as well as the few dishes we got. read more

The biggest fear the woman and I had when we left the West Coast for the North Shore was that eventually we were going to run out of great places to eat. We were spoiled by the foodie movement to locally sourced ingredients in northern California, but one of the biggest surprises about northern Minnesota has to be there's a surprising number of restaurants doing the same thing, with New Scenic Cafe more than likely leading the charge. It took us a long time to find a reason to come out here, but we're definitely glad we did. We made reservations and set out for the restaurant, not quite realizing how far outside of the city the restaurant is (note to Yelp, the map you have is highly misleading). We were very late for the reservations, but they held them for us anyways. We opened with the Pistachio Crusted Goat Cheese Salad, which was pretty much the bomb dot com. The tomato vinaigrette dressing was the perfect foil to a what is for all intents and purposes a goat cheese curd served on a bed of field greens. For entrees, we ordered the duck breast and the lamb shank special. Both were really, really good. dishes. The meat on the lamb shank immediately fell off the bone, a sign that it had been properly cooked. It was served with something akin to a greek salad, with lettuce, feta, grape tomatoes, kalamata olives and something that looked like peperoncini but tasted more like capers. The duck breast was served with a strawberry curry and salad as well. Needless to say, the salad on salad action was a bit excessive, and if you're going to order an entree you may want to go for a more traditional appetizer. The goat cheesecake with honey and lavender is one of the best desserts you'll ever taste. The biggest draw back to New Scenic is that it's nigh on impossible to get out in under an hour and a half. Granted, you'll be sitting across from Lake Superior, so it won't get boring that way. But it is a long wait in between courses. If you're looking for a gourmet type place in Duluth, this is definitely the place to head. Just make sure you bring a good conversationalist along with you. read more

Great food and a beautiful view in a cool city. (I mean it WAS cool enough to birth Bob Dylan)

So I ventured to Duluth to celebrate my birthday this year and stopped at the New Scenic restaurant. The staff was great as well as the food. The mushroom crepe was amazing and the ahi tacos! The atmosphere was very warm and personal which I loved. They brought me a cake with several candles and the portion of the restaurant I was on sang me happy birthday along with the staff. Their wine choice was great picking! I was able to get an awesome German Riesling with my meal. The awesome touch of writing a note before you leave is pretty awesome. I highly recommend this spot, between the atmosphere, the food, the staff, it's an amazing dining experience with the lake right over your shoulder!! read more

Worth the drive North if you find yourself in Duluth. Just trust me - you won't regret it.

Now my favorite restaurant in Duluth! Started with the pork belly appetizer - almost wrestled with my wife for the last bite. It was wonderful! Then we split an awesome pistachio goat cheese salad. I ordered the sea bass ... my wife ordered the ribeye roll. Again - both entrees were excellent. I'm not really a dessert guy, but we ordered the chocolate cremeaux. Oh my goodness - it was heavenly! The food is outstanding, the portions are small, the prices are not, and the service was pretty good. We visited at 8:00pm in January, so we didn't get to see the scenic view, but the ambiance was nice for a date with my favorite person. I will be back, and I recommend the New Scenic Cafe!! read more

I don't understand why they only have 4 stars. I just don't get it. This place is amazing!! I was visiting Duluth on vacation with some family, and we are from Phoenix, a large city. So to find such quality food in such a small town was a real find. We tried the tuna tacos which were so yummy. They also had a special blue cheese and fig appetizer which was even more phenomenal. The entrees were also super yummy and you have to try the dessert for sure. A gem hidden up north in Minnesota! read more

Once again, this place was nothing short of impressive. Even on a dreary, foggy day the place was bright and cheerful, with incredible food. The tuna wanton taco starter was terrific, and the butternut ravioli paired many wonderful fall flavors. We each had a sandwich and everyone cleaned their plate no problem. We finished it off with slices off pie - raspberry for me and blackberry peach for my mom. Great service, perfect food. This is definitely a permanent stop on all future trips to Duluth. read more

First off, let me say how excited I was to try this place! It came so highly recommended and the menu was different and eclectic. I caution all who are considering a meal at this establishment to NOT go on a warm day! Holy smokes, it gets incredibly hot in there, uncomfortably so. The waitresses are not at the top of their game but they are friendly and will get food to your table, it just may not necessarily be what you ordered. (Yup, this happened) We started our meal with the mussels and one of their specials, ahi sashimi wonton tacos, both decent. Our entrees were 2 duck breasts with confit. One was great, cooked to perfection and the other was overcooked but on both the side sauce was cold. The other 2 were the nights special, a rib eye. One of these was supposed to be scallops but it was so dang hot and it took so long that we just kept it. Again, one was cooked medium-rare and the other was medium-well and was supposed to be med-rare. I'm so disappointed in our experience tonight, I hope that they had an off night but I don't plan on going back and finding out. read more

Scott and the crew catered our wedding in Side Lake, MN in August. We live in Los Angeles, are pretty picky about food and were starting to get nervous about the caterer because we were planning the event from here. Every Google search for "wedding caterer" and "Side Lake/Hibbing/Chisolm" etc turned up someone wanting to charge $30/head to throw down Swedish meatballs. I randomly called up the Cafe and asked if they did weddings, the pictures on their website menu looked impressive. Scott spent roughly 10 hours on the phone with us over the course of 4 months to learn about our favorite kinds of foods, and put together a catering menu based on our discussions. Our wedding had guests from 35 states and 5 countries, and everyone said it's the best food they've ever had at a wedding. It was unbelievable, and the prices were fantastic. We said we wanted each table to have some truffle mac & cheese, and Scott said "Yeah I can do that" and then dropped the best truffle mac & cheese anyone's ever had. If you're planning an event within 200 miles of Duluth and you don't hire the New Scenic Cafe, you're doing yourself a disservice. I can't recommend them enough. Scott is awesome, the whole team was awesome. You get one shot at a wedding meal and we made the right choice. I wish there was a New Scenic Cafe in Hollywood, I'd go once a week. BTW I signed up for Yelp just so I could post this review. I feel very strongly about the New Scenic Cafe, as well as truffle mac read more

Here is the deal on the New Scenic Cafe: Pros: yes, amazing food, most of the time. The most creative and avant-garde food in the area. Nice view of the lake. Usually good service. Cons: The staff is stretched t-h-i-n. This is no ordinary cook-sever-host job. The servers make dinner salads, pour drinks, and plate desserts. There can be as few as 2 or 3 cooks on a Saturday night. The hosts try to understand the chef-owner's concept of "controlling the flow" which only he can truly understand and execute. This is a small place. There are a lot of people in the summer. The kitchen was expanded a few years ago, but there is still a tiny line and most of the food in intricate and time consuming to put together. Also, all orders go to one place. Apps, entrees, side orders, etc... all to that tiny line. This is why there can be such a long wait for a sandwich or an appetizer. The staff goes from feast in the summer to famine in the winter. By mid to late summer your server may already be burned out. My advice: make a reservation but expect to still have to wait. Don't try to get in and out quickly - plan to go when you want to sit and linger with your guests over a bottle of wine or after-dinner coffee. Also, it is an intimate space so don't be surprised if on a busy night you overhear the next table's entire conversation. read more

Really good food, fantastic view and upbeat helpful service. Will definitely be back when our business travels find us in Duluth again! read more

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

Amazing food and even more amazing scenery. Looks right out onto Lake Superior which, even on a dreary day (like we had), it was breathtaking. Very calm and relaxing environment and staff - made me forget how long it took to get our food. The food was perfect. Everything about it - the presentation, the quality, the taste. My favorite part of our visit was the variety of food they had. Very unique entrees and desserts. Get the Goat Cheese Cake ;) My boyfriend had the Beef Tenderloin w/ Chocolate Mole. At first we were very skeptical of the combination.....beef and chocolate? But we were pleasantly surprised after taking the first bite. The chocolate is subtle and the perfect blend with the soft beef. I had the special - Herring Sandwich. I'm a huge fan of fish so was pretty excited to try this out. Really good sauce and bread! Oh, of the course the fish was yummy too - I had never had herring before this and will definitely be looking for it more now in other restaurants. Also, beforehand we got the French Onion Soup. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM is all I can say. Perfect, flavorful and simple. read more

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Waited 45 minutes at 2:00 on Sunday after quoted 30 mins. Waiter was swamped & menu had oddities which some ppl may appreciate - we were looking for scallops or sea bass recommended but neither listed on menu so we left. Small place, great view of lake, perfect for health conscientious people. read more

Sometimes, you spend six dollars on a meal, and it's a waste of money. Sometimes, you spend thirty dollars on a meal, and you feel like you got the world's best bargain. This is absolutely the second kind of place. I had mango and mache salad, and adobo pork (a special). It was just really, really good, in all the ways food can be judged. There was one oddity- the knife they gave me for my pork was super flimsy. It was a good thing the meat was so tender it was really just a formaity! read more

Overpriced and the food was not very good. 5 people in our group were not happy with the food because it was blah and lacked any flavor.

New Scenic Café is located eight miles north of Duluth on the Scenic Highway at 5461 North Shore Drive. The restaurant offers a sophisticated and contemporary menu that you'd expect in a metropolitan area, in a casual cabin-like dining setting with views of Lake Superior. New Scenic uses fresh local ingredients so the menu changes with the season. This summer, we had a delicious and unique house salad ($5) of greens with roasted grapes, pumpkin seeds and a lovely filo crouton. They offer several house-made vinaigrettes - the vanilla peppercorn and mustard fennel flavors were really good. Soup, the day we visited, was curry kale asparagus and was as good as it sounds. The menu typically includes a tempeh reuben ($10) with fried tempeh, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, Russian dressing and tomato on a dark raisin rye bread. It was probably the best tempeh reuben I've had - mostly because of the flavor and texture of the tempeh and the addition of raisins in the dark rye. They are happy to hold the Swiss and dressing for vegans. A diner at the table next to us had the grilled egg and asparagus sandwich which looked beautiful. The kids' menu thoughtfully includes Boca nuggets. For more info: http://www.examiner.com/x-10371-Minneapolis-Vegetarian-Examiner read more

The food is delicious. But the shore is located across the road and most of the view is hidden by tall trees. Plus, it's not a 2 dollar place in terms of pricing. The prices were higher than expected. And the food portion is not filling at all. Maybe because there's less carbohydrate on the plate. Like burgers would need some fries or the scallops would need some mashes potatoes to achieve satiety. read more

Great place and good ambiance!! Little bit expensive but overall the food is unique and tastes good! Never seen anyone decorating food with flowers. Pretty good. read more

Without a doubt the best place to enjoy a meal in northern Minnesota. And arguably one of the best restaurants in all of Minnesota. Each time is creative yet approachable, comforting yet inventive, and will always leave you wondering when you can make it back there next. This is a kitchen who's chef and kitchen clearly loves to do what they do and it makes it that much more delicious and delightful for the diners. read more

I have been here twice and both times were wonderful. The last time was in the late fall and the leaves were full of color and the lake was calm, it was an awesome sight. Before your meal have a beer or a glass of wine outside in the GARDEN (they actually use it!) and enjoy the Adirondack chairs looking at Gitchigumi. Try to get a window seat if possible. The food only made everything that much better. Traveling with a small group make it possible to try a couple of things on the fall menu. They were all from 4.5 to 5. This is not a Scandinavian no taste restaurant. This is as good of food, as the north shore has to offer. read more

Really great place to dine. Everything was perfect. I am not sure why yelp has it listed as a vegetarian restaurant as it is not. They use lots of seaseonal and local ingrediants as well as organic when possible. I had a bacon sandwich on.cranberry sunflower seed bread that included delicious heirloom tomatos. There was also herring that was freshly caught right out of Lake Superior and our server even knew the name of who caught it. Make sure to leave room for desert. Not fast food its prepared fresh to order. Will be back. read more