Food was amazing and our server was phenomenal! Gave great recommendations on the food and what wine to pair it with. Everyone loved their dishes. Will be back! Just make you to have a reservation beforehand - they fill up super quick. Cute quaint dining space. read more

Told there was no tables so we took a seat at the bar. Terrible chairs. Another couple came in with no reservation and were given a table. Decided to leave and took our order to go. Food was very disappointing. Worst experience imaginable all around. read more

This is our special Wine Wednesday go to when we visit Duluth! Half price bottle of wine makes a late lunch super special to enjoy with their delicious pasta dishes. Did I mention they have the BEST VIEW of Lake Superior in all of Duluth? A visit to Duluth should include Va Bene! Make reservations on line to ensure you get to pick your table! Enjoy! read more

It took over an hour for our food to come, it was hot in the building, the Caesar salad did not have any dressing on it, the chicken Alfredo had no flavor and the chicken also had no flavor and was not very good. The price per potion was pretty spendy. read more

We had a great lunch at Va Bene. We shared a pear crostini appetizer that was fantastic. The house rose was tart and crisp. First rate with the pasta with mushrooms and carbonara. Great service. All in all a wonderful dining experience. read more

The artichoke dip is out of this world. Pastas and salads were on point. Great ambience.

This is not a big place so I highly recommend you make reservations. We knew we would be in Duluth and secured our spot. We chose the solarium, not knowing how cool the night would be and we made a great choice. We could have easily eaten on the deck as well, but our spot was perfect. We were behind windows as opposed to being in the open or inside. Staff was wonderful. I ordered the mahi mahi and it was hot and tasty. We started with a Caprese salad. We found a parking spot right in front but the lot is small and I noticed others parking on the street. This is a great romantic spot with a stunning view of the water and the lights of Duluth. read more

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Great ambiance, friendly staff and nice food. Clean and great location. Online reservations work great. read more

Great staff, food was fresh, seasoned perfectly. Must try if you find yourself in Duluth!

We came to this place around 1pm and it was full. This place had a really pretty lookout seating but unfortunately it was full until 4pm so they ended up seating the four us at a table by the door and it was really cold because of everyone who kept on coming in and out. We ordered some appetizers and one of them that i had high expectations was the honey goat crostini and the grilled bread was very burnt. So was the other appetizers. The best part was the complimentary focaccia bread. Had higher expectations for this so called italian restaurant. Also you can see their kitchen and everything is out to the open so it smells. Maybe i just got a bad experience and others have better luck? read more

Va Bene - Honey goat crostini - Italian Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

Our experience was okay. Service was a little slow. We started with the honey goat cheese with pear crostini and that wasn't too bad. Our food took a long time to come so they gave us some free focaccia with olive oil and balsamic vinergar to tide us over in between. I got the conchigle con fungi and it was rather tasteless. My husband got the Salmon Fresca and he enjoyed it. It had much better flavour. Ambience is more of a cafe feel rather than a proper sit down restaurant. If you can get a seat in the grotto, the view is truly spectacular. This seems to be one of the better places to dine in Duluth. read more

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Va Bene has been one of my favorites in Duluth since they opened. We love the drinks, the food, and the gelato. The deck outside is our favorite place to sit. We have never had even remotely bad service here, it's always been great! read more

Va Bene - Italian Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

Easily the best dining experience in the Twin Ports! Service, food, cocktails and ambiance all exceptional! read more

If you're coming to Duluth, definitely make a reservation to get a great water view outdoors!! We managed to snag a table for 4 walk in at ~2pm during late lunch hours, but all dinner slots were booked. Focaccia was delicious and they give you a free plate (but we liked it so much we ordered another plate for a bit extra). The bistecca was good if you like blue cheese! read more

Va Bene - Bistecca - Italian Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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Excellent restaurant. Great service. Very good Italian food! Nice view of the Lake. Only drawback is parking - none available on site and limited on street. read more

I just want to go back to Duluth so I can go to va bene and try all their dishes. My bisteca was amazing, though was a small portion at first but then I was ok. The coffee was incredible, with ice cream inside and the combination with caramel really really delicious. The staff was very kind too Can't wait to go back, seriously. read more

Va Bene - Bisteca - Italian Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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The food was everything and more from the starters to the main dish! The building felt rustically charming and had an amazing view from the sun patio overlooking the lake. The staff were friendly and very polite a specially when it came to the time for seating out side! read more

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We dined in during a non-busy time and were so excited based on all the great reviews, but the food was so disappointing. Cookery on my scallops was the worst I have ever had. 2 of 3 scallops were burnt and all were tough, leathery and extremely salty. The pasta was mid, sauce was odd tasting, overly acidic, and displeasing. My husband and the salmon risotto. Salmon was full of bones to pick out and the cookery on the risotto was poor. Cooks must have burning a lot because the dining room was smokey (smell and haze in the air). Drinks and service were great! Hopefully it was just a really off night for the kitchen staff, but we won't be back based on the terrible food experience. read more

Love it here! We always stop here when we head up to the north shore. The views are great and the food is yummy. This time around we got some appetizers. The meatballs are awesome, we got some extra focaccia bread to dip in the sauce. And the bread is so yummy! I would have been happy with bread and the olive oil dip on the side! We also got the bruschetta, always a classic. Very flavorful. The servers are super nice here, friendly and quick. Definitely one of my favorite places in Duluth. read more

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Whenever I visit Duluth, this is the restaurant that I always make an intentional effort going to. The food here is great. What makes this place even better is the fact that diners have the ability to sit right next to the window to have a view of the lake! On a day with good weather, especially when the sun is out, sitting by the window or even outside is just perfect! In terms of food, some of my strongest recommendations are the pesto frutti de mare, the gnocchi, the caprese, the honey goat cheese with pear crostini, the pomodoro e palpette di carne, the pasta alla zucca violina, and the bruschetta. Among all of them, the honey goat cheese with pear crostini is a very pleasant surprise because I have not had anything similar in other Italian restaurants, so when I ordered them, they left a huge impression in my brain. The pistachio gelato is a an excellent dessert, too. This is not to discredit any of the other dishes I have gotten, though! Almost everything has been great. The only dishes that I think can use some improvement are the salmon fresca and the Italian sausage soup (the salmon was slightly fishy and did not mesh with the rest of the ingredients in terms of flavor, and the Italian sausage soup was not seasoned enough in general). In conclusion, I recommend everyone visiting the Duluth area to give this establishment a visit as I consider it a staple restaurant in the city! read more

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A lovely experience here! The food really hit that pasta spot in our hearts. We stopped in Duluth on our way home from apostle islands and wanted a nice lunch to end the trip. We came here based on yelp reviews (thanks yelp!). We had some time to kill so we first explored canal park and walked there from the aerial lift bridge. It was a little over twenty minutes along the board walk to get there but it was well worth the walk. Otherwise, there seemed to be some street parking around the cafe. The inside has an older, smaller, cafe-feel to it. We were seated on the balcony and what a view! Beautiful Lake Superior view up high on the balcony (see pics). The menu was lovely and had the most pasta selections I had ever seen! They also have other selections like salads, panini, and meat dishes. We started with the rosemary focaccia that came with the traditional olive oil and balsamic vinegar. So yummy! I tried the pasta primavera and my partner tried the alfredo with shrimp. Both were amazing and perfect in every way. The serving sizes are also spot on so you're not excessively full and uncomfortable. Gah just writing this review is making me crave it! We loved the food here! Definitely worth a drop in here for some delicious food! read more

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Great food, attentive service and very kind wait staff. View over the lake is gorgeous.

It's a cute date spot or a place to come with friends. The gnocchi was soft and creamy but a bit one note. Will have to go back to try the ice cream. read more

We enjoyed the food at so much on Sunday they we went back on Tuesday! One person ordered the same meal both days.

The food was delicious and the view was cute. It wasn't a super "nice" restaurant but loved the burrata and bread. Bellini drink was delicious. read more

Sadly I was very disappointed with my experience tonight. I got the carbonara and the pancetta was extremely burnt to the point where it was not edible and it was very bitter. For a place this expensive the food should be way better. The server was very friendly. The tables are way too close to each other, not an intimate environment at all. Sadly I don't think we will be back. read more

Wow! We are so happy we made a point to eat here for lunch. Make sure to grab a reservation and reserve your VIEW! It was so incredible. The food was amazing, the service was great, all around one of the best food experiences I've ever had in Duluth. Do not miss this spot! Chefs kiss!!!! read more

Va Bene - Italian Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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Authentic Italian food. Delicious! Great service! Atmosphere a bit louder than I'd like but reminds me of my Italian grandmother's kitchen so maybe authentic too ;) read more

Go to date night spot. Needs a reservation, but the preparation is worth it. Fantastic food, apps, and drinks. Probably our favorite local spot. read more

The staff there was very friendly and nice. We made reservations for a lake view table and the view was AMAZING! Getting a lake view table is a must! The food there was also great. I would say overall my experience there was fantastic. It can be expensive but trust me, it's totally worth it. I can't wait to go there again! I would recommend to book online first before going there so that it's guaranteed you'll get a lake view table. read more

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Food wasn't as good as I expected. The pesto and shells dish was really thick and way too strong. My mom's Alfredo was lacking in flavor and had barely any sauce or chicken. My sisters liked the salmon shells dish and the fungi shells dish. The atmosphere was nice and our server was also nice. Bathrooms weren't accessible for my mom who uses a walker. Chairs were blocking the entrance to bathroom area and staff just stood there and watched us struggle trying to get in. We most likely won't be back read more

Loved this place. Maybe the best pasta meal we have ever had. Had the Rosemary bread, Pesto Frutti Di Mare and the Preferito Della Casa. Both were outstanding. Plenty to eat. Also had the lemon sorbet. The view off the back deck was fabulous. The service was also very good. read more

Overall an excellent Italian Style bistro Service was excellent but they wouldn't seat us with a view ("party's too large"). Martini was an actual bar drink, correctly made. Allow me to recommend the bolognese - truly an excellent pasta! I also recommend not getting meatballs - the bolognese is so much more luscious than the meatballs were and pretty meaty in itself. Maybe the best bolognese over spaghetti I've had. We had a party of seven and everyone loved what they ordered which was all over the menu. Pricey but not for what you're getting. read more

The location is great as it looks out over Lake Superior. Make sure to sit on the deck if you can. They do take reservations for the prime seating locations. The service was super fast and the food was good. read more

Va Bene - Bistecca - steak tips and pasta in gorgonzola sauce - Italian Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

Great food and ambiance, highly recommend. Best we had in Duluth................ Ask for the patio read more

We have eaten at the restaurant many times and always had a great experience. Tonight we went for the wine pairing New Years dinner and it didn't hit the mark. Our salad didn't have any dressing, you couldn't see an oil dredge on the bottom of the bowl. The pasta coarse was Cold and gummy, The last coarse was tenderloin and was COLD. Hot food should be on hot plates!! We commented to our server, no apologies but my husband watched her expound to her co-workers. If you want to be 4 or 5 star then do it. Very disappointing read more

This is the best Italian food I've ever had in the United States. Every dish I've gotten is amazing. Everything is wonderfully flavored and the portions are more than enough. read more

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We had a great experience at Va Bene. The food was delicious, good environment, friendly staff. I definitely recommend and I'd for sure go back to try the other dishes. read more

Va Bene - Carbonara - Italian Near Me - Duluth, Minnesota

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I went here with my son and wife. What a great view out on their patio. We also picked a gorgeous day to take on Lake Superior. The food was great. I had beef sliced tenderloins with risotto and my company had the bolognese and my son had Chicken Alfredo for the firts time. All was fantastic. The only reason on the fours stars is the food did take a little while to get to the table. Otherwise great place and service. Go check it ou!! read more

The views from the solarium were fantastic and the food was even better. Our waitress was so sweet and gave us all the fantastic recommendations. We got the honey goat cheese with pear for a starter and it was delicious. For entree we had the Pasta Frutti Di Marie & Gorgonzola Al Peperoncino. Everything was so good and tasted so fresh. 10/10 recommend! read more

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