The Strand Waterfront Dining & Wine Bar

The Strand is a spectacular dining experience! My husband and I enjoyed eating here on our honeymoon in 2020, and coming back in 2023 for my birthday did not disappoint. Everything from the wine list to the dessert was delicious! The service was exceptional. We will definitely be planning our next visit soon.

Went for breakfast, and all bias aside with the caveat of the necessity of a slightly cultured palate, this place is by far the best breakfast on the shore. Also, never worry about if you will be able to get in, as they often aren’t busy. It’s one of those things though, that they are specialized items, and as such if they aren’t cooked properly, then your experience may vary. But we have been twice and both times have been AWESOME.

We went here on the last night of our honeymoon. The atmosphere was perfect and our server Maria was absolutely amazing. We enjoyed the Oyster Rockefeller, Cedar Plank Salmon, and Scandinavian Chicken and Waffles. For dessert we had the salted Carmel Cheescake and Mable Crème Brûlée (which was the highlight of the food) Everything was so insanely tasty and so thoughtful. Everyone was so kind and the whole experience was so romantic.

My husband and I recently dined at The Strand and had a wonderful experience. We were promptly greeted and seated by Fabian and were impressed with Diana's attentive service throughout the evening. We were honored to meet the chef, Jennifer, and were impressed by the delicious meal she prepared.

We dined on the walleye cakes to start, shared the smoked goose chowder and caesar salad, my husband enjoyed the birch braised short rib, and I loved the pheasant cordon bleu. We were impressed with the drink menu with included some great spiritless options as well as some wonderful mezcal drinks - something we did not expect to see in Northern MN. In all, a wonderful evening and the service team went above and beyond to make our dinner special.

We visited the Strand on a Friday evening to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. We chose the north shore, Lutsen specifically, as our vacation destination to relax, get outdoors, and enjoy eachother's company. We haven't been to Lutsen before, but came to learn restaurant options are limited. We were worried we wouldn't find somewhere extra special, with reason to dress up, for our anniversary day, but ended up learning of the Strand. We were wowed by the atmosphere and outstanding service from Rob who made us feel incredibly special with complimentary champagne and chocolates. For a starter we got the venison carpaccio - as hunters we were intrigued by a "new" way to use venison and enjoyed it. For entrees we got the pheasant, Cesar salad, and wild goose chowder; all were excellent. The wild goose chowder was a little unexpected in that it didn't contain chunks of potato or goose as one might expect, but it was packed with flavor, hearty, and nice and hot. The prices are a little steep compared to what we're used to at fine dining establishments in the Green Bay, WI area; however, this is a niche place up this way and we recognize we're "off the beaten path" with goods and services coming at a higher cost. Many thanks for the incredibly special anniversary dinner!