This is one of the best restaurants in the area of San Clemente/Dana Point, when restaurants disappoint us, we always say, "We should have went to Gemmell's". Food, service and ambiance always tops! Everything prepared 5 stars. read more

Went this Tuesday evening on a Groupon -- I've lived locally for 25 years, but never went before. Met some friends. Service was slow, but once they came over pleasant enough. They just didn't come often enough and the restaurant wasn't very busy. Food was average, especially considering the price. My 21 year old daughter even commented that the vegetable/potato side was the exact same for each plate (four different entrees). Also, very old fashioned/continental/touristy type sides -- no flavor. The entrees (seabass, lamb, chicken) we good, but not great. We ordered fantastic wine (at a price of course). Our total for four people, with only one appetizer and only one extra salad was $270! I probably won't go back as there are many other good restaurants in the area. There was a cute little front area that might be nice for drinks and/or appetizers though. I read more

This place REALLY needs improvements! First of all, the waiter has a real attitude. Rude, unpleasant to deal with, and not helpfuly in any way. We had to ask every time to bring water and iced-tea. I mean come-on, what waiter is going to treat your customers like this?? DON'T go there unless you want to be treated as a second-class citizen. read more

We had an Open Table Focus certificate (no longer available due to a legal issue). We decided to use it for a leisurely Saturday lunch, since the $50 minimum left a lot of room for fun things in addition to the entrees. There were a half dozen mostly middle aged (including us) parties in mid-afternoon. The service was timely, courteous and attentive. We decided on plain Caesar salads (by request - no chicken), one split lobster bisque and entrees. The (better quality bag type) rolls arrived a little too crusty from the warmer but soft and fresh inside, with nice little butter balls. The salads were generous, chilled, crisp and flavored with all the right things, including just the right amount of anchovy. There were no croutons or fresh parmesan, but the rolls were crisp. The bisque was creamy-rich and nicely redolent of sherry. It was really an excellent tomato bisque with just a touch of lobster. The pasta was al dente, rich with a kind of white sauce, not exactly what we expected as "buerre blanc" - more like Alfredo with some sherry. The flavor was excellent with just-right veggies on top. The whitefish was a thin completely boneless filet fried crispy and sauced with a wonderful sherry butter. (I cook whitefish and appreciate the amount of trouble it must have been to remove or carve around all the little pectoral bones). Yes it was well-done (being thin) but not too dry. It was served with the same veggies as the pasta, in a butter sauce, along with a wonderful little puree of some kind (carrot? squash?) which saved the day, since both the yellow and green squash chunks were very bitter and the cauliflower had black spots on the crown. This place is all about butter and cream! Their use of wine is nice. We enjoyed it overall but probably won't become regulars because of the extreme richness. Bottom lines: Food quality variable from two to four stars. For us, service was excellent but with two on staff it could get slow at peak times. Decor is just fine with us, not trendy but sort of provincial with nice art on the walls, music just right, everything clean and well taken care of. read more

Went to Gemmells last night to pay back a favor of a neighbor who watched over our house during our vacation. We got there at 5:45 PM in time for the Fixed Price dinner. Chantal (sp) was our waitress and she was delightful. Ordered a bottle of wine and got 3 glasses as 3 in our party wanted wine? Was some what befuddled that she did not come with the bottle, open it up, pour it in my glass....you know...the usual routine. Afterwards, I thought that kind of odd? Our guests had the Sand Dabs and the puffed pastry with asparagus while I had the calamari and cream of mushroom soup. Both were very good. This place is a great place to have a very leisurely dinner...no rush. By the way my guest had the cheese cake and I had the chocolate cake which was included int he Fixed Price. I would recommend this place. It's worth going back. read more

SUPERB The drive from San Diego was worth the trip. i did not and do not use discount coupons!! [if you want cheap - try fast food - bring your own candle and plastic rose]. The restaurant was about 50% full [Saturday evening] - i talked to other diners and here is the conclusion: Prompt and engaging service [Dimtry was our server], the food outstanding. We shall return for another delightful experience. read more

Food was excellent, perfect temperature. Great service. Would recommend it for a nice date night.

Husband and I have eaten there many times before always very good ,this night we had a Groupon it was terrible I felt they gave us leftovers it was just terrible.So now we think twice about going there.h read more

This is the second time our group of two have dined here. Last Thursday night it was not very busy and the service was very good. I had the duck and it was very good and the portion was generous. Everyone else enjoyed their dinners too. Nobody went away hungry. The pour for my wife's and my glasses of wine were generous too. The only negatives were at dessert. The Crème Brule was cold and I had to switch to another choice because there was no ice cream for the apple tart. The two wives did enjoy their flourless chocolate cake. Next time we will get the Groupon. read more

Delicious food crafted by an amazing chef. Quiet and cozy place. Will definitely come back again.

For my first French restaurant experience, I wasn't expecting much. However, Gemmell's exceeded my expectations on every level. Although I'm not a big fan of French food, the atmosphere, experience and service would bring me back to try another dish. Our waiter was part of the Gemmell's family (the son of the chief), and did everything he could to make our first experience there an exceptional one. If you are a fan of French cuisine, this place is great place off the radar. Good prices for authentic food. read more

The best meal you can get for the price is the 3 course dinner offered Sun-Thurs from 3-6 for $21.95. We LOVE the rolls which are brought right away. I tried the pastry with asparagus and sauce for appetizer, (WONDERFUL, one of three choices), pork tenderloin so tender you can cut with a fork and a great sauce (and I'm not much on sauces) from a choice of about 8 entrees. We had a choice of 3 desserts and chose the lemon tart (YEA!). We have been Gemmell's customers for the last 4 years when we found them to celebrate our 49th Wedding Anniversary. We just celebrated our 52nd last Tuesday and was not disappointed. There has never been a crowd during this offered time so expect a wonderful, quiet, delicious dinner. Don't hurry. Enjoy the experience and the great music being played while you eat. Hopefully we'll celebrate many more anniversaries with them. Judee and Al from AZ. read more

Four of us ate there Saturday nite, Jan 26, 2013. I hadn't gone there in over a year but had a $20 coupon from a mailer and love French food. Yes, the food can be rich, so we skipped the escargot and went to a shared hearts of Romain salad that set the stage for more good things to come, plus Chopin straight up "Martinis," for $11 each, a very fair price because they had to be over 4 ozs each. The main entree was Chilian sea bass in a pesto-like sauce that was perhaps the very best that we ever had, and a nice big chunk of it to boot. The wine? Sure, the Montrachet looked good at $300 but so did a French Chardonnay, but the waiter actually told us that we would not like it and nudged us into a Napa Sauvingnon Blanc at $40, a perfect fit. Desert was a Chocolate souffle split 4 ways, which is the key to eating there; that is, try to underdo it: the issue with French is not that it is so rich, but that dummies eat too much. Service was excellent and the atmosphere was a little noisy because of this one foursome: us. read more

My husband and I used a Groupon and had the 4 course price fixe menu. Overall, food & service were good & good value for the Groupon price. We are not French food fanatics so I can't judge meal on a scale of being authentic. (side veggies were frozen - wasn't super upscale and interior was dated.). I had the Chicken & Mushroom Crepe entree and husband had Sand Dabs. Sand Dabs themselves were delicious - my crepe was overdone. The deserts (lemon tart and Crepe Suzette) were tasty and freshly made. My martini was excellent. Never had our water glasses refilled, that was only service complaint. Fine for a simple sit down meal for two - no special event. read more

LOUSY SERVICE AND OVER PRICED!! There are 2 important things that make a restaurant worth going back to, the food and the service. If the service is sub par but the food is to die for then I will overlook that and go back. However the food at Gemmell's is just passable in my opinion especially for the prices they charge! You don't even get a house salad with your entree, which are all over $23. I have been to this restaurant before with a Groupon and wasn't too pleased with the service but my mother-in-law likes it so we decided to go back armed with a restaurant.com coupon. I arrived with a party of four at 5:30pm on Tuesday evening. The place was empty but it was early. We got to choose what table we wanted to sit at and then the waitress disappeared. Several minutes later she appeared with menus and left again. Then she comes back 5 minutes later to take our drink order. I'm beginning to see a pattern here. We ordered a bottle of wine and when she served the wine she took the cork. A small detail but never ever have I been served a bottle where they did not leave the cork (I happen to collect corks so this pissed me off). One person ordered a mixed drink and she did not bring that along with the wine. Now we are there for at least half an hour and have not ordered any food. Two parties came in after us and they seemed to be regulars or they just knew how long it took to order because as soon as they sat down they said they wanted to order. We eventually were able to order our food AFTER she served the other two tables who came in after us even though we tried to flag her down. The bus boy brought bread but never once during the meal did anyone come to re-fill our water glasses. We were seated on the patio and it wasn't easy to flag someone down without getting up an walking into the inside part of the restaurant. The food was drowning is sauce and the mixed vegetables they serve with the entree is boring. They also give you a scoop of bland white rice and a mousse of carrots and broccoli I think, that was shaped like a volcano. Save your well earned money and go some place that will appreciate your business and where you will get good service. read more

Rack of Lamb, Lobster Bisque and French Onion Soup are delicious!!! Food quality, cozy atmosphere and attentive staff makes it one of my favorite French cuisines in Orange County. You can also take a nice walk around Dana Point Harbor after your meal. Highly recommend this place!! read more

Went to Gemmels on a Groupon. I was pretty excited as they also own the Vintage Steakhouse in San Juan which I thought was terrific. I had heard good things about Gemmel's but I have to say I was somewhat dissapointed. The food was not great and the service was slow. We sat in the front dining area which was nice and the staff was friendly. With so many choices out there I don't think I'll be back anytime soon. read more

I would comment on the service, but there was none. Got dressed up for Friday night with my husband , braved the holiday traffic and was appalled by how blatantly we were ignored. Came in for my 7:30 reservation and the restaurant was mostly empty, should have been an obvious red flag but we were already there so why not just try it. It took close to 10 min to even get seated, and it was the bartender that sat us since no one else came up to help. We were then passed by over and over again by multiple staff members, repeatedly. No greeting, no water, nothing. The table next to us received a lot of attention, but not us. After 15 minutes we had enough, and walked out. Leaving only three occupied tables in the whole restaurant, in hindsight I understand why and I'm glad I didn't waste my money. If you wish for the same experience then by all means come here. If you'd like efficient, friendly service and perfectly cooked seafood, do yourself a favor and go next door to The Harbor Grill. read more

Ok so before I review, I just want to say I am a server and I know the service industry. Me and my boyfriend had reservations and was sat fairly fast. the service was the only bad part of the restaurant. food was good and the steak was amazing BUT after not being greeted for 15 min it took 38 minutes for our soups to get to us. We couldnt ask for bread or butter because our server was no where to be found. When we tried to order drinks (mid-meal because he never checked on us) he said he didnt know what drinks we were talking about and they were on the specialty cocktail menu. He had to grab a menu and find it and ask us what the heck we were talking about. He knew nothing about the menu and the ticket times were terrible!!! i thought ok maybe he has a lot of tables and i noticed the restaurant was almost empty! Hmmm so i thought well its a laid back nice restaurant so maybe they just have a more relaxed vibe. But spending 3 hours there and missing my movie because the service was SO slow led to such a low rating. read more

I got an Amazon Local deal for $55 for a four course dinner. I was excited to go to this restaurant at Dana Point because my husband is French Canadian and loves to speak French and I love being near the beach. I was, however, disappointed. The place was pretty empty on a Friday night, which was a red flag. None of the people who worked there spoke French - most of them were Hispanic. The decor was outdated and felt stuffy. And the food was just so-so. The duck pate we had was presented like a beautiful swan, but it tasted weird and had a bitter after-taste. The soups were very dense and heavy, like it was filled with cream, and I'm lactose intolerant! The entrees, however, were excellent and came on a plate that was very hot. The dessert was good as well. With the wine, coffee, and the tip, we ended up paying about $100 dollars for 2 people - which is about what you would expect to pay for a good French restaurant. But this was not a good French restaurant. The food was only so-so overall, and the atmosphere was lacking. I would not come back again. Even with a coupon, it was overpriced and not worth it considering the food quality. read more

Gemmell's Restaurant - Beautiful presentation but it did not taste good. - French Near Me - Dana Point, California

Finally tried this restaurant after many years. What a disappointment. The lobster bisque was inedible, the food was bland, and we were overcharged for our wine. Even with a discount card promotion, (which was not honored as it was sold, but rather limited to the higher priced fare,) the food was overpriced. Even at a prime hour, the place had two tables occupied, both by very elderly patrons, so I'm guessing that this explains the bland taste of the food. The card did as intended, it brought us in, but it won't bring us back. read more

This is the worst place I've been to. I bought the Groupon deal to take my girlfriend to this place. I made a reservation but I got there about 30 min early (I thought there would be traffic and left early, but I was able to get there early). Just to see it, I asked to be seated, there were about 9 tables still open, but they said my table wasn't ready yet, so I told them that I would be back in 20 min. After about 20 min, I went back to be seated, they told me that the seats still weren't ready with 7 tables still open. They made my girlfriend and I stand in the front, next to open tables for about extra 40 min, for "our table" to be ready. We asked them if we could be seated at some other table, but the manager there told us to wait...who the heck does this? make a customer wait for 40 min with 7 tables open. I had to demand for a new table after about 50 min to get seated. I had to raise my voice a bit for the table. I was going to be really nice about it, but the manager just kept telling us to wait. AFTER 40 MIN, SHE KEPT TELLING US TO WAIT WITH 7 OR SO TABLES STILL OPEN...WHAT IS THE POINT OF MAKING RESERVATIONS WHEN YOU CAN'T EVEN GET A TABLE -.- after we were seated, the manager came about 15 min after... the reservation was at 630pm, but by the time we got our food, it was around 750pm-ish. I had the WORST CUSTOMER EVER. I have never felt so insulted or felt like I had wasted money at a restaurant. I would NEVER recommend this place to anyone...I don't want others to go through what I had to go to. Save yourself a trip and money and go to a better place. Also, the food wasn't great either. It was just mediocre. Everything was just horrible. I would give it minus stars if I could...WORST PLACE EVER. read more

Food and service was great but the checkout was annoying, the lady at the front desk didn't acknowledge me while I stood there for 5 minutes because she was talking to 2 ladies purchasing something to go then our waiter saw me and came over....there was a charge of $8.95 on top of the groupon and I was not sure what it was for but maybe it was gratuity so he got a good tip from me, which I am in the customer service business so I know it's appreciated when service is good. I believe you should acknowledge anyone you can not get to right away letting them know you'll be right with them...its like you're ignoring the customer if you dont. But I was happy with the food. read more

I was excited to try. Few French restaurants have such a background as the owner, have visited where he apprenticed and have enjoyed. Had the escargot - fair, hearts of palm salad - delicious, rack of lamb - good, eastern scallops - awful drenched in same sauce as escargot. Dessert chocolate cake - good, blueberry tart -OK. Latte/ expresso machine broken. Wine choices very good. Bar stock vodka - good. Wait staff, everyone needed to jump in. Ambiance, filled with Christmas. Perhaps this was wrong season to visit, but will keep looking for another restaurant. Cheers! read more

Quaint, quiet Italian restaurant get the table only for two great atmosphere with soft music playing while your slow dining and enjoy their crepe chicken mushroom meal to die for. Never rushed by staff just relaxing.. read more

I went to Gemmells today @ 1:15 for lunch. I stood at the entrance to the dining room for 6 - 7 minutes without being approached, even though there were 3 "employees" in the dining room who saw me. (It's an awkward feeling just standing there). Finally, I approached one of them asked about a table. He looked around the room but couldn't make a decision. I asked "how about that one" he shrugged his shoulders so I sat there. After sitting at the table for 8 minutes (I timed it) no one came to the table, no water, no acknowledgement that I existed. I left and won't return. read more

This could even go lower. We did try this place once before and it was not that bad. It was quiet and hardly anyone there. Food was so , so. What we are complaining about is the service we got . My husband had spoken to a person named Barbara and wanted to come at 5pm on Thanksgiving day. We have a service dog and told them about this. No problem and we asked for a certain table also. Again no problem. She called day before to confirm and still no problem. The day we arrived the door was for some reason locked and had to call to say what is going on. Then we are told that someone was at the table we asked for and had to wait. The place had many other open tablets so why was ours taken. We arrived early and once was told after about 20 minutes sorry but they are still there. Never was told to come in and wait or how much longer . We saw her again outside with other people and after waiting for over 30 minutes and not able to find her we left. Our Thanksgiving was ruin and if we were not wanted there for whatever reason be honest and say something and not be so RUDE. Never will recommend this place and as far as food it is so , so we have had better. I just feel that people need to know what kind of service they will get if they have a service dog with them and was shocked and not a happy evening for us. Other people were coming in and no problem for them . SO much for asking and setting up things in advance. read more

We came with a Travelzoo coupon on a Thursday night to try a new place. The food was just ok. Service was not. We were there for 2 1/2 hours, not by choice. We only saw one waiter, one busboy, and a woman who really didn't seem to do anything to help, for 10 seated tables inside and the same on the "patio". One guy, apparently tired of waiting, got up and mixed his own drinks behind the bar. Our bill arrived charging us for 5 glasses of wine when we had 3. Not a good experience and see no reason to return. read more

We made a big party reservation for a Christmas party. I requested we all sit together at a big table( which was confirmed ok) and once we arrived we were broken up into 3 tables. Service was incredibly slow! Our last table didn't receive their food until the other 2 tables were finished, and the restraunt wasn't even 1/2 full! The food was average at best and of course our bill was incorrect once we received it. I will never go back to this place! read more

Groupon 4 course meal 2/8/17. I am not picky and even I was disappointed. Sorry to give a bad review...the Top sirloin was quite tough, bordelaise sauce was bland. Salmon was overlooked. Soup was ok but had a skin on top. The tall chairs were wobbly and uncomfortable. The waitress was competent but unfriendly and made us feel we were a bother. Glad we didn't pay the full price which would have been $130 for 2 people. Would not go back, even w a Groupon. We traveled from San Diego--expected a lot better experience for a special birthday and don't even feel it was a good price with the Groupon, given the experience. Read good reviews which is why I bought the Groupon. Maybe we just went there on an off night? read more

Quaint restaurant with great ambiance. The food is very good. Some favorites include the salads, wonderful lobster bisque, grilled and poached salmon, sand dabs and crepes. Have had great service for lunch and Vicky is wonderful. We purchased a groupon and although the food was very good, the service was definitely lacking. Other diners next to our table received much better service and had frequent visits from the staff. It was disappointing since we frequent the restaurant and are locals in the community. read more

Great place, great food, wait staff was outstanding. We had a very large party, with a birthday, so we brought our own cake, which they held as the surprise, and it went perfect! The food was outstanding! My wife had the Scallops ( which means I had half ) and I had the Lamb, will definitely do this again! read more

Came here today for Mothers Day Brunch, we arrived at 1:30 thinking the crowd would be gone and the service good, big mistake. We were seated right away but it took 15 minutes to get water, then another 15 min to get bread but no butter. The butter came after the warm bread was cold. An hour later we were just finishing the appitezer. When the salads arrived, two of the 6 salads had large hairs on the plates, disgusting. They replaced them but i was no longer in the mood to eat, so i sent back my soup. The entrees came out nearly two hours after we arrived and unfortunately one of my kids had to leave to get to work and did not get to eat. The entrees were just OK, my sand dabs were covered in the same tan gravy that covered my wife's chicken dish. We ordered dessert which was excellent, but the chocolate cake looked exactly like the ones they sell at Costco, pretty sure it was Costco. It got to be 4:15 and I could tell the waitress was involved in setting up tables for dinner and not wanting to spend another hour i had to go to the front desk to get the bill. There was no apology for the hairy salads, no apology for the delay that caused my daughter to miss eating with her mother, no apology for taking over three hours to serve a brunch. It was laughable, but severely disappointing. I should have bought my own cake at Costco and grilled something at home skipping the $300 i paid for this meal. We wont be back, ever! read more

Food was delish, but everything we ate was not hot. Spinach salad not hot and saturated with dressing. Onion soup looked like it should be hot, the cheese was burnt, but not hot. Will not be returning. read more

This place was excellent. We went because we had bought a Groupon and were pleasantly surprised when we had an amazing meal. We had amazing food and awesome service. My boyfriend had the poached salmon, which was excellent. It was moist and very tasty. I got the duck, which I normally wouldn't have gotten, but I must say it was excellent - it wasn't too greasy and had excellent flavor. The French Onion Soup was also very good. The establishment itself had an old-fashioned-type atmosphere but the food was very good as well as the hospitality. They even gave us a complimentary chocolate mousse, which was very delicious. I highly recommend this place. read more

We have always wanted to try this Restaurant as it is in a great location and we are now regretting the experience. When we arrived our table was not ready and we had to wait 30 minutes however the wait staff was courteous and we were offered champagne while we waited.. The food was sub-par, the French onion soup was the only item that was good and the only other plus was the fact they have a good pour on the wine and cocktails... The rest of the evening was quite a let down the escargot was nothing to write home about, the shrimp cocktail were not jumbo shrimp and the dinner portions were quite large and over-sauced... I had the fillet which was chewy and covered in mushroom sauce and my husband had the Sea Bass SPECIAL which was highly recommended, the fish was mushy and over-sauced and the vegetables were bland.. In addition to the sub-par food the Restaurant is in need of a MAJOR makeover, the lack of privacy while dining and background noise made it difficult to hold a conversation, they did have a full house, however i felt like i was eating in a large banquet room with dated decor also the for sale tags hanging from the pictures were a eyesore.. The bottom line we wont be returning as the affair lacked the ambiance we were in need of for a fine dining romantic dinner. read more

Gemmell's in Dana Point is a top flight restaurant for those gourmands who relish excellent food combined with a charming ambiance. Their calamari is simply the best I've ever had. I know some people will complain about the service being too slow, but why rush through a delicious meal? To me, Gemmell's is tantamount to dining out in Europe where you might spend several hours enjoying a superb meal with good friends. If you don't try it, you'll actually miss out on one of the finest restaurants in South Orange County! read more

We ate here last night for the first time. We have seen this restaurant for decades, but for some reason never have eaten there. This is truly an "old-school" French restaurant, which we absolutely love. I had the duck with banana sauce and the caramelized banana, and it was crazy - good!!! Both my wife and I had French onion soup before dinner. All I can say is that I've never had better. We didn't know they serve soufflés and we didn't have time to wait at the end of the meal. So we had the lemon torte. I'm normally not a big fan of lemon desserts - my wife is the one that wanted this. But I will say that it was absolutely amazing, and I will order it again next time! I don't know if hipster young people would like this place, but if you like old school fine dining restaurants, you will love this place. And one more thing - we were very pleasantly surprised when we receive the bill. I would have expected, and been very happy to pay, much more. read more

My girlfriend and I purchased a Groupon prix fix dinner deal for Gemmell's and dined there on a Friday night. We were seated promptly for our 7:30 reservation, and bread and water were promptly delivered to the table. Our server, Jeff, was right on the money delivering the wine and dinner menus and provided great input on our wine selection, a blend called liquid velvet that was outstanding. We ordered the asparagus puff pastry appetizer which was very good. The mixed green and caesar salads were good but nothing special. We both ordered the poached salmon with dill sauce which was outstanding and served in a large portion. For dessert, we had a vanilla creme brûlée with fruit topping which was excellent. For the money we paid including two glasses of wine each, this was an unbelievable value. In addition, our server was as good as it gets. When we finished dining, the restaurant had slowed down, and we chatted with Jeff for about fifteen minutes. My policy when purchasing deals is to return to the restaurant if it provides a great dining experience, and we will definitely be returning to Gemmells. The only reason I gave four instead of five stars is that we are both into healthy eating, and french food is a bit heavy on the sauces for us. read more

This is one of my absolute favorite restaurants! The food, the ambience, the staff, all top-drawer, and I've eaten here many times. Even the parking is a breeze! Highly recommend to anyone who likes fine food and terrific service. read more