Insane it doesn't have better reviews. Grew up loving this place! Highly recommend if you love superbly cooked food and a cozy atmosphere. Be prepared to just sit and enjoy. This is not a fast food restaurant so don't expect quick, fast, and in a hurry. read more

When you go to a French (ok European cuisine) restaurant you should expect to take your time. And when we go here we always do. We have gone for our anniversary every year for 20 years. (other times, too) Yes, the Harbor renovation is causing issues with all businesses in the harbor and this one has suffered as well. But the food is always excellent. The service is always kind and well timed with European panache. We should cherish this gem for as long as Chef Byron will allow it to remain. And we thank him for providing the community with class and taste. read more

I decided to take my mom out on Mother's Day to one of her favorite spots in Dana point Gemmel's plus it was her birthday. Maybe my expectations ions for this restaurant were high because she requested we take her there. To my disappointment the food was sub par, lacking in presentation and flavor but what stood out was the service..... it was horrendous. No one wants an mediocre food with a side of attitude. This place does not deserve a second chance. read more

This gem has been in business at the same location for decades, and even though I grew up in the area, I hadn't had the opportunity to dine here until just last week. My friend and her family are regulars and rave about the cuisine - particularly the sauces, which, let's face it, are the bloodline of good French cooking. The restaurant itself is very charming in an Old European way - small, intimate, and elegant. This is not the place to come for a rushed, quick dinner, although I understand they do offer a prix fixe lunch for those on a schedule. The service is careful and attentive, but this is a place to relax, enjoy your company, the experience, and of course, your delicious meal. My friend and I began with the shrimp scampi starter - 5 succulent prawns in a shallow pool of the most divine light, but creamy beurre blanc sauce. I could have eaten 3 of these on my own! We both ordered the lamb chops medium-rare, and again, another home run! Perfectly tender and hot, beautifully presented over a plate of roasted potatoes and al dente vegetables. The demi-glace poured over the lamb was absolutely heavenly. The pièce de résistance were our two Grand Marnier soufflé. That's right - one each! Standard 25 minute preparation time, but ohhhh so worth it!! Beautifully presented and served with a fun flair of decadence having the crème anglaise poured precisely into the center of the soufflé from 3 feet off the table. :) Our server was excellent, and I'm still dreaming about this dessert. My only regret was I had waited so many years before coming to Gemmell's! After the last year of restrictions and particularly difficult times for small, independently-owned restaurants, I was more grateful than ever to see this place still thriving. read more

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The meals are presented beautifully and taste as good as they look. The restaurant feels intimate and cozy. You have the feeling that you are dining at a private sitting. read more

Genmell's isn't what it used to be. The food here used to have flavor, and presentation, and fairly priced and so much more. I've been going here for the last 12-14 years anytime I pass by DP. I am usually reserved when putting a bad review, but the purpose of this is for the owners to take a note and possibly change. I used to rave about their lobster bisque and beignets and so much more, but now their beignets are balls of undercooked dough covered in syrupy substance. I truly hope something will change and I will keep the place in my favorites to monitor future reviews. Hopefully I get to visit again. read more

For classic menu and best quality ingredients. Extensive menu. Great fish. Calamari was tender but not my favorite compared to Wind and Sea calamari steak. Mr Gemmell is the best chef. Loved the Pol Clement champag ne reasonable price. read more

I just recently hosted a luncheon of 21 ladies at Gemmell's and I cannot rave enough about it! From the decor, absolutely gorgeous decorations, to the food, wonderful selections for everyone's different tastes and price range, and ultimately the service, which was timely and unrushed! Kevin did an amazing job! I LOVE this old treasure and do hope it survives the oncoming changes. read more

Gemmell's Restaurant - French Near Me - Dana Point, California

Excellent French food and ambience. The service by longtime employee Julian was good despite the fact he was running everything. Their $25 luncheon specials are a great deal as they include soup or salad and an entree with a side. With rising prices at fast food places, I would recommend trying this quiet, hidden gem in Dana Point Harbor. read more

Like many other posters, this is a place I've walked past for the last couple of years, in my visits to Dana Point. We went one night out of convenience because we were staying at the inn next door and wanted to keep it close by. The food was outstanding! The shrimp scampi appetizer was so good that I just wanted to drink the sauce. True story. Ha! Then I ordered the special. The Chilean sea bass. After a lifetime of seafood living on the east coast, this is my all-time favorite. A texture like no other, and melts in your mouth. Go there. Today. Sooooo good. The service was excellent. Atmosphere was quiet that night, but such a nice table by the sidewalk. Will be going again for sure. read more

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Great service, great food and nice atmosphere. Quiet so you Can actually have a conversation

Our fourth time here and nice to find a fabulous French restaurant that lets you relax and enjoy the atmosphere. The waiter is always thoughtful and nice to see the chef come out and say hello. My husband's favorite is the calamari steak; we have had the omelette, the pork tenderloin, the crêpes all delicious. The rolls so yummy and the mushroom soup to die for. Beautifully decorated this time of year. Enjoyed lunch very much but I can imagine the beautiful decorations at night if we get a chance to return in the next few weeks of this holiday season. read more

Gemmell's is a family favorite. The food is always delicious, and the atmosphere relaxed and cozy. We look forward to it and make it a point to return at least every couple of months! read more

We love Gemmells. It has become a tradition to spend our Christmas Eve enjoying the wonderful food and delightful ambiance !!

This is a very nice kind of old school restaurant with really good classic dishes and a semi formal setting. We have been 2 x and really enjoyed our meal. The atmosphere is very flat because there were only two other tables occupied both times we have gone. It's a good place to celebrate an anniversary or special birthday. They do a fun comp. piece of cake that they light on fire with a celebration greeting. The prices are not low but you get a good size portion. read more

Gemmell's Restaurant - Chicken Elizabeth and filet mignon with the Italian Pinot Grigio and a French red wine. - French Near Me - Dana Point, California

The food here is always delicious and the service outstanding. I'm always surprised that the place isn't packed! The spinach salad, sand dabs, salmon, chicken and mushroom crepes, as well as all desserts are top notch. Treat yourself to this place soon! read more

Great food and friendly service. Their duck pate and Eggs Benedict were a hit! Coming back for more soon... read more

Gemmell's Restaurant - Delicious Bennies - French Near Me - Dana Point, California

This establishment has been in the Dana Point Harbor for many years! Last month, I met my girlfriend here for lunch. There were only 3 other tables and one gentleman taking care of everyone. He did a fabulous job of making sure everybody had what they needed. It was decorated so festively, I imagine it's very romantic at night. My girlfriend had the chicken piccata lunch special which was fresh chicken breast sautéed with shallots and T opped with a creamy bur blanc sauce, capers, served with veggies and rice. I had the Sand Dabs with Lemon Butter. Sand dabs (fish) sautéed topped with a white wine demi-glaze lemon butter sauce with a side of vegetables and rice. It melted in my mouth. Unfortunately I didn't have a chance to take a photo of our lunch entrées but we were very satisfied with the business lunch at $20 per person. Unfortunately, I'm not sure about the future of this restaurant along with many others in the harbor as they tear down and rebuild, but it's a sweet little place. read more

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We needed a spot to meet that was about halfway between Long Beach and San Diego. Dana Point is always nice, and I picked Gemmell's based on some of the comments. WOW... The outside of the restaurant isn't very impressive, but the meal was fantastic. I started with the escargots - the menu says it best - "Farm raised Helix snails, sautéed with garlic, shallots, mushrooms and diced ham, in a rich burgundy sauce". Outstanding - the snails were tasty, and the burgundy sauce with the finely diced pieces of ham, mushrooms, garlic, and shallots was amazing. It will be hard to go back to plain butter escargots after this. My wife had the Chef Byron's smoked salmon appetizer - lots of thinly-sliced salmon with capers, lemon, and toast points. I had a bite and it was very tasty. The toast points were very light and airy - almost like biting into foam. My sister and I also shared the pate canard - also with toast points and aspic. Delicious! For our salad course, I had the wilted spinach - baby spinach leaves in a flambeed bacon dressing. WOW - we all agreed that I won that round. The spinach and dressing was rich and flavorful. My wife had the lobster bisque and said it was the best she had tasted. I tasted it and agreed that it was truly rich and full of lobster flavor. My sister passed on the salad/soup course - saving room for dessert later. For our main courses, I had the scallops. From the menu - "Eastern Sea Scallops sautéed in Garlic champagne butter sauce, vegetables and rice". The garlic champagne butter sauce perfectly accented the scallops, and the rice gave a break to the richness of the scallops and sauce. My wife had the chicken crepe (chicken and mushrooms sauteed and wrapped in a crepe) and I think I will have that next time - it had a great flavor and texture. The crepe texture with the chicken and mushroom pieces was a perfect mix. My sister had the "Chicken Elizabeth" - from the menu - "Fresh Tender chicken breast sautéed with artichoke hearts, garlic and gulf shrimp, In a citrus chardonnay sauce vegetables and rice". Another winner. Finally, for dessert, my wife had the Creme Brulee - served in a large ramekin with artistically arranged strawberries and blueberries. Again, she raved about the flavor. I had the blueberry tart, and my sister had the Meyer lemon tart - both were delicious and not too heavy. Prices were quite reasonable (actually lower than we would have expected for the quality of the food and the presentation). We are already planning on coming back. Even though it is an hour's drive from our home in San Diego, it is definitely worth the trip. This may be one of the best French restaurants in Southern California. read more

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Classic French with a Californian twist and nice selection of wines- amazing sauces- this restaurant has consistently been my favorite since 2008 read more

Loved it. Kind staff. Excellent dessert. Loved the interior. Glad we came across it on our trip. We were delighted. Thank you!

Gemmell's is a perfect French establishment in the classic style -- I love the cream soups, sand dabs, chicken crepes, poached salmon, chicken Marsala! And my husband was wowed by the pork Chateaubriand! The service at lunch is so nice. Thank you! read more

I think their lunch deal is the best in Orange County, especially since it's available on Saturdays, also. For $19 you get TWO courses and the food is absolutely delicious. I had the salmon with a mustard cream sauce and it was perfect. My husband loved his chicken Marsala and Caesar salad. I don't know where you can eat this caliber and quality of food at this price anywhere else. And the service was fabulous. Well done! read more

The food was great, the service was not. Too bad because its a sweet spot. We sat on the patio and were out of sight, may be better inside. Just very poor service! read more

Went to a restaurant passing by on a tour. When we arrived at the restaurant, there was only one table, the service was very slow, the food was very slow, the food was already cold when it arrived at the table, and I ate bugs in the kale in one of the meals, not recommended. read more

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It took 2 hours for dinner during a non-busy time. Also, they use buckets of ice at the bar and used their hands to fill drink glasses, the same hands that were answering the phone, etc. I had Gemmell's Pasta with shrimp that was pretty good. It took about 20 minutes to get drinks and another 15 to get appetizers. Dinner was served another 20 minutes later. The hostess and waiter were nice. The place was really decorated for Christmas. It appeared there were a lot of regulars dining, but I gave no plans to return. read more

Amazing is not a grand enough word for wonders here. The sauce and vegetables can be had alone ...that is how beautiful the flavors are. I went on a drive and stopped in Dana Point to find this French restaurant. Everyone was raving about the sauces. It's good, ask the regulars. I may drive here once a week. It's that good. read more

Gemmell's Restaurant - Creme Brule - French Near Me - Dana Point, California

great service, good food!! Loved the shrimp scampi, steak tender with a lovely sauce.

3 of us had a lovely pre Christmas dinner at Gemmell's last night. The room was festively decorated for Christmas and the ambiance was warm and cozy. We started with cocktails and shared the pate appetizer which was wonderful. From there 2 of us had salads which were tasty and then we all ordered different entrees. Each entree was delicious and plated beautifully. We enjoyed wine with our meals but were too full to have dessert. Next time we decided we'd skip the salads so that we could enjoy what sounds like a great assortment of desserts. Julian was our waiter, he was attentive but not obtrusive. It was a very successful evening and the 3 of us will return to Gemmell's again and again. read more

We went at 4 pm Thursday night and were the ONLY people there.. which was a little concerning.. We've walked past this restaurants for years but never ate there so we wanted to try it as we love the ambience and decor. Food selection is good. Service was relaxed and slow.. but, we were well taken care of and the bread was fresh and hot, our appetizer of sautéed mushrooms in puff pastry was a $8 happy hour special and was delicious... I had the scallops and my boyfriend had the happy hour Angel hair with chicken (more than half off). All dishes were beautifully prepared and tasty. It started to fill up with customers as we left.. It's a family run business and we like supporting that. Hence, my taking the time to review. It was worth it. read more

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I really don't like to give bad ratings, because I know most restaurants (especially during this trying time) do their best to give their diners a wonderful experience. Gemmell's on the other hand has got to be one of the worst dining experiences we have had in a long time, and no words would bring us back. First off, this restaurant is right off the pier in Dana Point, so it is in a wonderful spot, surrounded by shops, and other eating establishments. Gemmells truly fell short! We should have known by the fact that their were no other diners in the restaurant (except a party of 2) prior to our arrival. I ordered a medium rare burger, while my mother ordered the frog leg special. It took a very long time to receive our order, at least 45 minutes, if not longer. And this is for a nearly empty restaurant. My burger came out well done, and my mom's frog legs lacked flavor and very small, all the while being overpowered by the sauce that was on them. The vegetables that accompanied her dish were raw, and just horrible. Neither one of us finished our meals. We did not say anything because we did not want to sit there for another 45 minutes to have our food redone. We simply wanted to leave. Again, for this being in a prime location, I would not return, if it were the last restaurant around. Terrible! Do not go here! read more

My husband and I have now eaten at this lovely little charming restaurant twice now and both times have left looking forward to coming back and bringing our dearest friends. The service is perfect spot-on and the food is absolutely delicious. We ordered the escargot to share it was served on a lovely little dish with warm tasty bread. We had the special John Dory fish special and the Chicken Mushroom Crepes. Served piping hot and presented perfectly. Finished our evening with a Grand Marnier Souffle'. Loved sitting on the covered patio with the breeze and fresh air coming through. Merci........ read more

I love French food but I don't think this is a very good French restaurant. It was a bit disappointing. Actually a lot. They ran out of escargots but judging by the other dishes that we ate, I'm not sure if it wolf be any good. The spinach salad wasn't good at all. I'm not sure what dressing was used but it wasn't good. The steak was very disappointing. French cuisine likes to add a bunch of sauce to the steak. I don't mind, but the sauce should be good. In addition, the steak wasn't tender and it wasn't the highest quality. I was hoping for some good French cuisine since it was located in a nice location at the Dana Point Harbor. I was disappointed. read more

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It looked cute so we stopped in for a glass of wine and an appetizer. That was a mistake. So we placed our order and the server left. There were 3 other tables in the restaurant. The bus boy brought us butter to the table but no bread. Then we waited, and waited, and waited. We watched the server help and clean two tables bringing drinks, food and bread to them. Looked like they were regulars as she talked with them a bit. But all we were given was a side of butter. 15 mins passes and still no bread, no wine. I got up to ask the server for our wine but she was no where to be found. After another couple mins of looking for her we had enough. We walked out, at least we left them the butter. We won't be back. read more

This is one of our go to restaurants in Dana Point. Their menu selections are varied as well as the wine list. It's good for either lunch or dinner. Cloth tablecloths and napkins. Prices are average. We will be back. read more

In 2020 this restaurant was cool with their waiter not wearing a mask. If an establishment doesn't care about the health and safety of their customers, what do you think they get away with in the kitchen? Serve safe? Sanitation? Cross contamination? Old product Etc. Yup, I can't trust this restaurant to cook and serve food knowing they don't care about public health I'd love to support a local business that's been around for a long time but a socially irresponsible restaurant management is something I cannot give a high rating. read more

As I write this, I think it appropriate to point out that I'm sitting in a Parisian hotel lobby. I can better appreciate the French style; both interior decorating and cuisine. This quaint restaurant with classic French styling can be appreciated locally, instead of the 10 hour flight I just endured. That being said, they need to keep the scallops and all the wines on the menu on-hand (had to order some alternatives). Quirky for the area, but well appreciated unique dining experience in the harbor. Bon apetite! If you're male, don't forget to use the water closet--just for the random pic of J Lo "Booty" (see pic). read more

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Wonderful selection of food and so delicious. Excellent service. Service was friendly and efficient. Lovely ambiance.

Great French. Food at reasonable prices. Kevin's Martini is 5star. Lamb chops and seafood specials are excellent.

I just had the most wonderful lunch at Gemmell's. I had known about the restaurant for a long time, but Han never been there. The food was absolutely delicious, the service was fantastic and I loved the atmosphere. It was quiet, and not bustling and loud like most restaurants these days. It's my new favorite place. read more