Quintessential duluth/north shore. This place had a great view, beautiful lighting, amazing servers and food that could put any twin cities menu to shame. I was obsessed with the curries mussels and my salmon burger was top notch. Highly recommend going here. Get their fries too! So yummy and the aioli was like no other, butter y mayo goodness. read more

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Pricey but worth it! Amazingly fresh, tasty and everything is homemade. Ordered: lobster roll, heirloom tomato salad, and ahi tuna tacos. For $66 Flavor explosion. Only complaint was the 20% service charge when we picked it up ourselves...but I guess maybe due to covid? read more

How wonderful to dine in your Shangri-La again! As much as the service has been stellar every single time we've dined at your table, it was not inconvenient to order at the entry-way counter and sit with a glass of wine while awaiting delivery by no-less-delightful servers. Hats off to you for surviving covidiocracy! And your make-over of the place is heavenly, to-boot! We've missed the tuna tacos. We've missed the muscles dishes. This curry was a ten. A TEN. We've missed the lovely space. Shangri-La is not an exaggeration. We will again make weekends in Duluth wrapped around our primary reason for doing so being visiting your heavenly restaurant. Warmest regards, Forrest and Sondra read more

New Scenic Cafe - SO nice to be able to dine in your Shangri-La again! - New American Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

I have been looking forward to returning here since they reopened. We had an amazing tasting of different foods out on their patio. Great outdoor dining experience. You order inside and wait for them to text you for your food and then you can eat outdoors! Lots of little nooks and corners to have a intimate meal. read more

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One of the things many of us have learned during the stages of the Trump Pandemic and shutdown and isolation is that a big part of dining out is "the experience." We've not just learned how to cook, but we've learned to enjoy cooking and eating food we've prepared and, even, grown ourselves. So, when we do bother with paying that premium for someone else's cooking and service, it's as much about the experience as it is the food. The Scenic Cafe is a whole body experience. The gardens are worth a visit on their own, the food is not just excellent but very different from anything you are likely to prepare for yourself, and the service is the model for "Minnesota Nice." The partially completed area behind the restaurant indicates some BIG plans are in the future for this place. I love the ambition. read more

The NSC is by far the best restaurant in the Duluth area. We have been a few times and the food is beyond a local rival. The food quality and presentation is consistent and interesting. You should not make the mistake of passing on the oysters, as they are the best we've experienced anywhere in the world. The toppings they use is the most interesting and tasty one could imagine. They are not on the menu, but as you sit down you will see that if it's your first time there, you're probably the only person that is unaware that they are a staple at the New Scenic Cafe. The wine list is limited and could have a few more options for those that are looking to enjoy a dry Chardonnay. This is a very small issue as they do have a lovely selection of wines including cold Sake which is a nice match for the oysters. If you are looking for a reservation, make sure you call well ahead otherwise you'll have about a 30-40 minute wait which is actually welcomed as you can sit out front and enjoy the gardens and the views. Overall... a fantastic place and one that you must visit during your stay in God's Country. read more

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When we take our annual fall trip north from the Twin Cities we always stop at the Scenic Cafe, a favorite place! The service is excellent, the views of the Lake are lovely & the atmosphere is airy & intimate. And the food is also creative & delicious with a menu that changes seasonally. In the fall they have the BEST French onion soup! read more

What has happened to the New Scenic Cafe of old? It's been several years since I had dined here, and I was finally able to get back and brought others along to experience what I've raved about. Sadly I will not return and neither will they. Half the stuff we couldn't even pronounce on the menu, let alone know what it was. 2 people in our group ordered steak tips. No sides with it, no chunk of break. Nothing! Just a small plate of mediocre steak tips. I ordered a sandwich, which was my go-to in the good ol days. No more awesome turkey with gruyere on cranberry bread. Now, the only thing that resembled a sandwich was a mushroom sandwich. Good bread, but the sandwich had an off taste and smell, which I did not finish. Wish you wouldn't have tried to fix what wasn't broken, because now it is! read more

Unreal food, fantastic service, cannot recommend highly enough. Get the figs and the quail but save room for dessert.

Every time I go to Duluth, I make sure I stop by New Scenic Cafe. It is the most food-for tears restaurant in the area and always worth a stop! It's definitely a bit out of the way - at least a 20 minute drive outside of downtown. Also beware if you're driving there at night when it's dark, it gets VERY dark around there and you may feel like you're lost. Press on though and trust your GPS! This weekend when we went, we started with 3 mocktails - an elderflower/citrus, a cherry/lime, and a raspberry/mint. They were all very tasty and they were packed with flavor. Definitely worth a taste if you're a sweet drink fan like me! For mains, we got the chicken, the miso glazed sea bass, and the Swedish meatballs. The miso glazed sea bass was incredibly tasty and absolutely worth an order. My husband isn't usually the biggest fan of wakame, but in this dish the flavor and texture were really utilized well. I got the chicken and although plated beautifully, the flavors were slightly underwhelming. The sauce was a bit lacking in flavor, and the pickled onions on top helped, but there weren't enough of them to save it. It just needed a bit of extra punch! The Swedish meatballs looked delicious and although I didn't try them myself were a hit! For dessert, we got the gjetost crème brûlée which basically tasted like a gingerbread crème brûlée on top of a layer of lingonberries. It was stellar. A bite of just the custard was a little rich, but a full bite with the lingonberries tart bite was just lovely! It was a real treat and definitely worth trying this time of year! read more

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The absolute best restaurant experience along the north shore. Fantastic, regionally influenced and beautifully prepared menu. Fun yurt experience while you wait. Although the dining felt fairly upscale they were still incredibly accommodating to our young children. read more

Food: The food was OK. We had the ribs, which were soft and fell off the bone. Scallions were tender and delicious, and the portions were perfect. Well done on the entrees! However, we ordered fries appetizers, and $8 for fries is steep anyway-- but it was basically a mug-sized portion, like a McDonald's small order. What's up with that? Also, a little too salty. For dessert, we had pie, which itself was well made. Again, it was waaaaay overpriced for what it was though-- a small slab of room temperature pie on an empty white plate, witha tablespoon if (really delicious) vanilla bean ice cream; for the price, I'd have expected at least that they microwave the pie or something. Overall, good food but a bit overpriced. Ambiance. Five stars-- the view during sunset was nice, though you don't actually see the sun since the place doesn't face west. Still, it was nice to experience the lovely pinks and purples in the dusk sky. Great date place! Service: Very prompt and efficient, bordering on pushy. Definitely not the place to have a long, drawn out dinner where you linger for conversation afterwards, but food comes quickly, and folks are perfectly friendly. read more

Our favorite place in town, they have it all. Excellent food, all carefully prepared and presented. Small and quiet. Well lit by natural light. Desserts are amazing. Coffee is good. I appreciate reasonable size proportions. Excellent service. Perfect setting, on the shore of Lake Superior. It's a short drive up the shore, from town. Lovely, casual atmosphere with top quality art and a delightful garden. We always have a perfect experience here. We have taken out meal kits during the pandemic. They are great, and we enjoy the excuse to drive up the shore. read more

I love this place-- coming here is truly a special treat! Tucked away location on the North Shore, it's cozy and always has a fabulous seasonally changing menu. My husband and I both agree that they make THE best burger! Love the simple, elevated menu. Service was great again last weekend. We had to get the burger again of course which was excellent, I don't know how they make the actual beef patty taste so good maybe the little bit of duck fat on top is the secret. The Ahi Tuna Taco appetizer has light and bright flavors plus fun crispy texture and yummy slaw. My favorite item that I've tried here so far is the Seared Duck Breast. Seriously perfection! The duck was juicy and cooked a perfect medium rare, the vegetables even by themselves were out of this world and a sweet/savory sauce combined to such a satisfying depth of flavor and texture.. just wowed me. As another reviewer mentioned, each bite was even better than the the last! For dessert we tried a very fall type dish, the Pumpkin Bundt Cake with ice cream. This was very good and the small size was appreciated after a big meal. Even the edible flowers were purposely placed to add an interesting spice to the dish. High expectations were met and this amazing little place continues to impress. I can't wait to come back! If we had more time I would have hung out in the garden area they have outside, it looked like a lot of people were enjoying the bonfire they had going. Make a reservation! read more

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A friend recommended this place as the best in Duluth and she was completely right!! Its a bit of a 10 mile ride from Duluth but well worth it for the view you will have. Food is delicious started with the Fondue with a bottle of rose wine. If the Onion soup is on the menu is a must! Can't go wrong great view, great food and excellent service! read more

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Drove up to a rather nondescript building, the first clue that we were in for something special was the fire pits outside with ample seating. Loved the warm pistachios on the table. I ordered the swedish meatballs, they rivaled any I had in Sweden. The bloody swede was uniquely awesome. Everything we ordered was awesome. We will be back any time we are in the state. read more

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Great spot up the shore. Unique menu all deliciously prepared. We were there for dinner. Would recommend reservations. Don't be in a rush. The service was top notch but this is not the type of restaurant/experience where you are going to get in/get out. I didn't see any kids under teen age just for reference. read more

Small portions but very tasty. Excellent service, we were there during lunch it was busy but we didn't feel neglected.

Imaginative, beautiful, tasty food and cheerful service with a beautiful view. A friend and I stopped here for lunch and decided to splurge on a rack of lamb each. Totally worth $28 apiece. Succulent, juicy, flavorful, crispy...Wow! We started our meal by sharing a beet, greens, and chevre salad that was almost to pretty to eat but tasted as good as it looked, and we finished by sharing a piece of raspberry rhubarb pie a la mode. I'm a good pie baker myself and think most commercial pies are too sugary, but this one was tart and flavorful. The only downside of the meal was the weak, lukewarm coffee we had with our dessert. It tasted like what's served in the basement of one of Minnesota's many Lutheran churches. We asked our charming waitress--yes, really, she was lovely and cheerful--for a hotter cup, but it really wasn't any better. So step up the coffee, Scenic, and I will change it to five stars! read more

We drove up from Mpls for the day and I was excited to try this restaurant after checking out their menu online and very nice website. We were surprised to be handed that same menu on stained nasty paper when we arrived Is this the same place? We ordered their signature tuna tacos for a starter after our waitress told us this is what they are known for and they were just Okay. Nothing fantastic so I was a little concerned that this was their signature dish. Our 10 year old son had the sloppy joes from the kids menu and the meat was incredibly sweet and not very appetizing. Accompanying tater tots were soggy and tasteless. My husband had the $17 burger smothered in cheese. Nothing really special about it. (The entrees were too expensive to consider for lunch.) Since we ordered the tacos as a starter, I thought I would just go with soup for my meal. I ordered the chilled sweet corn soup which tasted like it had a full bottle of SALT poured into it. My husband tried it and said it tasted like cold curry. It was not enjoyable at all, I finished it as not to be rude but I had a hard time getting it down. Even my peach ginger black tea had no flavor so I couldn't even wash away the flavor. As for the atmosphere, it was so hot & stuffy inside on a warm August 80 degree day I was about to beg someone to please open one of the air tight windows so we could at least enjoy the breeze of the "scenic" cafe after all. I don't understand why they don't open any of their windows in August?? I felt like I was going to pass out. Our waitress asked if we wanted to try dessert. Normally I would be all over that but by this point I was just done. Not pleasant, over priced and the added touch of being handed a soft bound journal to write your glowing review in with the bill did not sit well with me and my husband. We summed our review up in the journal with a simple Meh . I wanted to write more but decided against it. Won't be returning. read more

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

Used to be amazing. This time, the bread was blah, the lobster roll had pieces of shell in it, with Fritos on the side (which was kinda great in a weird way), so I didn't even finish the sandwich, because I didn't wanna choke. Redeeming quality: half price wine Wednesday. Pretty bummed about the whole thing. read more

Tucked away on an unassuming side road running along Lake Superior between Duluth and Two Harbors, New Scenic Cafe doesn't necessarily look like anything special on the outside. Good parking and a great view. The interior was clean and in good order, but also of an aesthetic where just about anyone could enter and not feel under dressed. The real magic, however, begins once you dive into the food. Making things easy with a pretty simple menu, NSC treads that fine line between familiar and adventurous. There's probably not anything exotic enough to scare you off unless you're a very narrow eater, but enough there to anchor you while providing a twist. Most importantly, the food there is done to exceptionally high quality. Partly due to the preparation but also due to planning and creativity, each level of a course is given in manageable portions (I had an appetizer, meal and dessert, and while I ended full, I did not feel stuffed; try doing that at Applebee's). The service was attentive, warm and professional, with great recommendations and personality. Seriously, everyone needs to try this place for the experience. While it is not cheap, it is also not terribly expensive if you pay attention. Whatever you spend, it will be worth every penny. read more

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Pop up during covid. Just got the tuna tacos. Very good but took a while to serve the few guests that were there. The restaurant last time I was here was much more memorable. read more

New Scenic Cafe - Beer by the fire! - New American Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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Ok, let me tell you what people. This place came highly recommended, so we had high expectations. Plus, it's 25 mins up the shore from Duluth. Beautiful drive, but adds to the expectation. Plus, it was New Year's Eve, and the NSC has a special menu just for the night. Not only did it life up to the hype, it was the best meal I've eaten in 2019. We were greeted by an outdoor fire which was nice on a wintery night. When we walked in we were handed a glass of lingonberry champagne. The service was very good. But the food was incredible: - 2 pound sous vide pork chop seared in duck fat. Best pork chop I've ever had. - beet gravlax wasn't my favorite, but wifey liked it - endive salad was almost too beautiful to eat, but I licked the plate clean. - fingerling potatoes were perfectly cooked. Could have had two or three more though. - drink list was extensive, but well curated. Also, we have a rule that if someplace serves creme brûlée, we order it. We've had some, um, bad creme brûlée while enforcing this rule. So of course we got the lingonberry creme brûlée (my wife wanted to break the rules and order the chestnut tart, I threatened to have her arrested). It was a top 5 creme brûlée! This place is the real deal. Go here. Go all out. Don't hold back. Oh, and the New Brunswick oysters were a nice starter :) read more

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We were very happy with the food, service, and views. Recommend reservations as they seem to be very busy. The Swedish Meatballs, Salmon, Mushroom Melt, and Lamb were delicious with beautiful presentation. The Cardamom Bread Pudding alone was worth the trip. Everything was excellent. read more

Always my favorite spot up the shore. If you are in Duluth, this is hands down the best restaurant around that reliably brings delicious, sophisticated food to the table. Rarely do I hear anyone is disappointed. read more

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This place is so special. Incredible food and a great relaxing vibe every time. My husband and I stopped in for dinner last Friday night and had a wonderful experience. I had the cara cara salad and the seared scallops and then we shared the Abe Lincoln cake for dessert. Every bite was delicious and we walked out with smiles on our faces. My favorite place for dinner on the north shore. read more

The lobster roll was amazing! Service was fantastic and the location is awesome. We were able to sit by the bonfire while we waited and have some drinks and it was so relaxing. I recommend New Scenic 100%! read more

We had ordered the Swedish meatballs and Norwegian salmon. The presentation was artfully done. The food was at room temperature. The portions were small. The cost was high. There was a 20% mandatory service fee to provide adequate wages for staff. The taste of the food was good. The temperature of the food could be considered a food safety issue. We had been hiking and were very hungry. We left the restaurant feeling hungry after spending $80.00 for food and 2 beers. read more

New Scenic Cafe is soooooo delicious. They are preparing take out/delivery boxes on a new menu with the familiar items that we have all come to love and if you have been trying to decide whether or not it is worth it, let me tell you that it is worth every bite. We ordered the "Laab Moo", "Smoked Salmon Appetizer", and the "Sashimi Tuna Tacos" and they were ALL DELICIOUS!!! They box up the delicious meals, include all of the needed ingredients with detailed instructions for preparation, and deliver to your door or, if you prefer, you can pick the order up. The pork in the laab moo needed to basically be heated (it was cooked, but refrigerated), we chose to sear the tuna for the tacos, and the smoked salmon just needed to be put on a serving dish with the other ingredients. Everything was wonderful and look forward to ordering again. read more

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

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Exceptional food. Presentation and taste. Everything I had was exquisite. The pistachio appetizers toaster perfectly. I had the sashimi tacos- amazing. Fresh and crunchy great balance overall. Fresh wasabi is incredible. The peanut thai slaw on the side was a nice twist- very crisp just what I want in a slaw more sour/tangy than sweet. The sangria was delicious- not too sweet, great addition with the citrus. I know I'll be craving it again. Great twists on classics. If you love creme brûlée you definitely won't be disappointed. read more

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Bakery and crescents were amazing. You can tell the chef and baker know what they are doing. It all looked amazing and smelt incredible. Drip coffee was good. Menu looked amazing. Views were good. Outdoor and indoor seating. Only missing more coffee options. read more

We'd just had the pleasure of a small named-blizzard (Ezekiel) and were driving out that Monday morning---Duluth had been hit harder than we had, a bit north, so snow was everywhere, and there was still a surfer in the waves off the point. Our hearts sank as we drove in, seeing chairs on tabletops when the cafe was supposed to be open, but we saw people at a table in another room and decided to see what was up. The door opened as we walked up and a woman greeted us, informing us in her genial manner that due to the storm the restaurant was closed, but... we were welcome to come in and have some soup and coffee. Ok. It was a choice of soups, actually, a rich tomato broth studded with vegetables, and a thick and creamy turkey soup, loaded with strips of turkey. And there was a small loaf of sour dough bread, hot from the oven, with a delectable butter of the sort it was not so easy to find in supermarkets there, or in Minneapolis. And then, after that was all eaten up, we were offered a choice of pies----triple berry or cranberry rhubarb. We ordered a slice of each, nice wide wedges of a two inch plus, thick, pie about as full of fruit as you could get, not like any pie I've had before, along with buttermilk vanilla housemade ice cream. Before we called for the check, out came a to-go box with a second loaf of the bread we liked. And the kicker? It was all "on the house". Free. One of the best meals we've had on the trip, in Boston, North Hampton (not even reviewing that dump) Provincetown (not comparable), Minneapolis and later, Seattle: And free. I'd return just to repay the gesture, even if the food was as bad as it was at that diner in N. Hampton! But it wasn't bad, it wasn't even "just good", it was wonderful food, of the sort I'd be happy to receive in any major city, and out there on the frozen road just south of Two Harbors, in the aftermath of a blizzard! I look forward to our next family visit at "the Farm", with a stop going in and out-bound here! read more

New Scenic Cafe USED to be my favorite restaurant in Duluth...however, I was there last week and when I got the bill there was a notice on the ticket that a 20% surcharge was being added to the bill. They were clear that this was NOT a TIP and that the surcharge was going to support a 'Living Wage' for ALL staff members. They did mentioned that a tip was not required...but, realistically how bad is it if you get a 20% surcharge for the meal and then don't leave a tip for the good service you received?? I believe that the management of New Scenic Cafe are cowards who are too afraid to be up front with it's patrons that this unreasonable surcharge is going to be added to their bill BEFORE we even sit down at the table!! I wouldn't have minded such a surcharge IF I had been notified of the charge when I booked the reservation AND if it would have been more reasonable. However, I believe that the 'right' thing to have done was too raise the pay for their workers and then raise the prices of their food to help offset those raises. I want to remind everyone that in Socialist Europe there is NO TIPPING! So, if that's where we are headed in the US....then I will stop tipping and advise all others to do the same! read more

New Scenic Cafe - This is a copy of the Notice of the added 20% Surcharge being added too my bill. - New American Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

The food was great but the service we received was embarrassing from beginning to end. The server was rude, rushed us to order and still took over 10 minutes to get us our coffee. Of course the drinks came after we were tired of waiting and had to ask another server for them. One of my friend asked if they had fries or anything like that and he replied immediately with a no. Later we find out they do indeed serve sides of tater tots! Before our food arrived he also accused us of swapped places at the table and was very openly irritated at us. How crazy is that!!! We just stared at each other in awe of his craziness. My friends and I are really easygoing folks. (I can understand this if we were a bunch of teens goofing about but we're not.) So after all his rudeness he still had the balls the charge us 20% gratuity! Mama Mia!! So at the end of this non-sense one would think that he would be in a hurry to cash us out and push out the door. Nope, we had to sit and wait a while for him to return and grab our payment after we told him we were ready to pay. We left very disappointed with the experience. So words of caution to any groups of 4 or more that wants to dine here. "Beware of the older server dude!" Unless you like a mean server that scoffs at you non-stop and ignores your dining needs. read more

New Scenic Cafe - Herring sandwich special. - New American Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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So for my birthday each year it is hubby's job to take me to dinner. He asked around since we were in the area and was told this is the place to go. As we drove up I wondered if he was playing a joke on me. Seriously? With a dirt driveway and the place looking like an upscale diner I thought he couldn't be serious. But he was and we parked and once we walked in it reminded me of being inside a cabin. With wood interior and a cabin like feel. You could tell this place was popular and busy and reservations are necessary, and the decor was very nice. This is upscale dining for sure, yet at the same time it appears that their artisan sandwiches are popular too as the table next to us ordered that and dessert. The cars in the parking lot also reflected the popularity and diversity of this place, with BMW, and Audi along side Chevy and Fords. We started with a cheese fondue which was excellent. Hubby had been told that the lamb meatloaf was really good so he decided to go with that. I had the land and sea which was a lobster also stuffed with lobster potatoes with these steak medallions. The lobster was on the tough side and I had a hard time getting it out of the shell, the medallions which just OK and the mashed was excellent. The food was top notch for sure and a bite of the meatloaf from hubby's plate was great and he was very happy. The lobster and steak cost $42 (wish I had known that before ordering it!) it was a special and I didn't ask :( We finished off with coffee and dessert. I had the chocolate torte which was excellent and hubby had a cheesecake also very good. The meal was expensive for sure, but it was relaxed and not rushed and the food presentation and tastes were great. I wouldn't hesitate to go again and I think he chose very well, even if my meal fell a bit short of my expectations. read more

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This is probably my favorite restaurant around, maybe due to the fact that we first saw it after it opened (and thus had no expectations) and that I'm always on vacation when I eat there. The atmosphere is great, I spend much of the time lusting after the original artwork and mentally calculating if I could smuggle a piece out in a doggy bag. Oh, and the view of Lake Superior is nice, too. I always have their simple soup and salad when I'm there, because really, a quality soup is hard to come by. It is always unique and obviously fresh. Their salad is obviously not just an iceberg-afterthought (which is why vegetarian restaurants are so great, they know that people actually like their salads to be tasty). We always go to the New Scenic Cafe when we're in Duluth now, and it is honestly one of the reasons Duluth is a favorite vacation spot. read more

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

Terrific meal. One of the best meals we have had in a long time. Get the sea bass, lamb, and panna cotta. This restaurant is amazing and it was a favorite during our trip to Duluth from the twin cities. read more

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This is a little hidden gem right outside of Duluth. Just went through a small expansion and upgrade but still has a homey feel. Took the family and they had this special Fig appetizer that is seasonal that was awesome. Also had the tuna tacos as a app and they were fresh and light and so good. Lastly had the deviled eggs which were good but nothing I having had before. We order the lobster roll, lamb shank, the duck and the kids grilled cheese which all were very, very good. Finished with the browny and hot fudge Sunday. The service was also very nice and our waitress was very pleasant. Make sure to add this one to your list. read more

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4.5 Stars New Scenic Cafe was recommended to me by both my hair stylist and my sister-in-law when we were planning our Duluth trip last summer. I am sooooo glad I listened to them as it was the best meal we've had in a long time! The drive to the restaurant is along the shoreline and yes, scenic. It was also a little further outside of town than we were expecting. The restaurant has a fire pit out front and its own (gravel) parking lot. The space is super cute, a nice balance of fancy and rustic. We had dinner reservations, and in fact changed them without issue just a couple hours beforehand, but it was kinda slow so we could have managed without them. But I suspect that it's not usually slow though... The service was fantastic! The waitresses knew their stuff and were exceedingly patient answering the hundreds of questions from an older couple at the table near us. We actually heard the couple say they were there on a weekly basis so that means they surely subject the staff to their line of questioning every week, so all the staff members deserve gold stars, IMO. But onto the food. Everything was DELICIOUS. And the presentation was beautiful as well. We had a couple appetizers, I believe we had the salmon and bass for entrees, and we also had desserts (it was my bday dinner). We enjoyed absolutely everything, there was nothing to complain about. Actually, my husband wished the portions were a little more hefty, but he has a very "healthy" appetite. Next time we are back in Duluth we will definitely be making another stop at the New Scenic Cafe. read more