We were a party of four last Friday night...Each of us ordered something different and everything was absolutely delicious. We will be returning often. read more

To start, it was $200 for 4 to have a Sunday Brunch. High price should provide quality food and service. We received neither. The "brunch menu" was not available online so on arrival we were expecting dishes that were not offered. When we asked about the dishes they normally serve, we were refused our request and instead told they were only making the face menu. The server who brought our waters spilled an entire glass on my girlfriend. A quick sorry but no other compensation for a guest to have to sit in a puddle of the restaurants making. We opted in for the Champagne which I googled at 5.99 a bottle, not at wholesale, which was then spilled on our feet during refills. To start you get fruit and beignets. The fruit was fruit, not the freshest, and the beignets were undercooked in the center with a thick dough consistency. We ordered all four of the soups they offered: cream of mushroom and cream of potato leek tasted like it was from a can, lobster bisque which cost's $5 more tasted like fake lobster seasoning, and the French Onion Soup which also costs $5 more was actually ok, pretty edible. For entree's, The Calamari Steak was rubbery, skin was slimy, and the sauce with almonds was bland. Rice and vegetables on all dishes were standard, nothing special. Steamed veggies with no salt or seasoning, pot rice with nothing as well. We sent the pork tenderloin back because it was a tv dinner, the shrimp entree was rubbery but the garlic butter was tasty, I guess. The chicken and mushroom crepe tasted like it was frozen and then microwaved. The desserts were ok. Creme brulee was burnt and the consistency of the custard was more like a runny pudding. But the flavor was good. The lemon tart was mushy but the flavor of the lemon was there. And the vanilla bean ice cream, was alas, vanilla bean ice cream. All in all, garbage establishment. Don't waste your money. They are on the water in Dana Point and offer TV Dinner food and mediocre service. On top of all of that, we were on a waitlist for a week to even get a reservation, and the place was empty. Makes no sense. Really glad we chose this place for Mother's Day. Shut this place down. read more

Wonderful food at reasonable prices. Good service and atmosphere close to Dana Point Harbor.

Restaurant has a vintage feel and is ran by the owner Barbara. We went on a Monday afternoon and got their $16 (2 course) lunch. We got the chicken and mushroom crepe, sand dabs in lemon and butter sauce, sirloin steak, escargot, french onion and mushroom soups. Food was savory and delicious and the sauces were flavorful. Other patrons with us were senior citizens that said they go there 3x a week. Love the authentic vibe here. read more

We've been coming to the harbor (harbor grill) for 30+ years for lunch and dinner. Tonight we decided to try Gemmells for something different and maybe a little special. Our thought was, Things are opening up and let's give our business to other establishments. The food was very good but the service was less than. The male waiter we had could not be interested at all, not engaging and acted like we weren't even there. He came to the table to take our order, then again to bring our check... nothing in between. Not to offer another beverage, ask to see how our meal was or to offer coffee with our dessert. Needless to say we will not be going back again. Not when The Harbor Grill is Nextdoor... great food and excellent service. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants. The owners are amazing. Byron and Barbara and staff. The food is consistently good. My favorite entree is the Rack of Lamb. Whenever I have special occasions, Gemmell's is my go to restaurant. I have had employee Christmas parties and Birthday Parties to celebrate the occasion. I call it a little gem in the Harbor. When I eat their food it is like receiving a big hug. read more

Amazing food. But you can tell they are struggling to hire help so the service was slow. That's the only reason they don't get 5 stars. The calamari steak is not to be missed. Perfectly tender and flavorful and I would walk a mile for the French onion soup! The cheesecake with chocolate drizzle is simply mouthwatering. I didn't want to finish it but it was just too good not to. We will be back. read more

There is a whole lot to like about this place, including the location, ambiance, and as others have said, its old world charm. What was seriously lacking in our experience, however, was the quality of the service. Yes the waiter/maître d' was efficient enough. But he did not smile, welcome us in or even chit chat, despite us being the only customers in the restaurant for at least 45 minutes. I guess we expected that classy place like this--especially at this price point--would have waitstaff that's at least a little friendly and cheerful. Not so on this day. Anyway, for a special occasion venue, it's fine, but as the two-stars reflect, with just a little effort to make guests feel welcome it could have been so much better. read more

This little French gem is a must! Both our meals were delicious, our drinks were fabulous. Nice surprise was our happy anniversary dessert with flame and all! read more

We decided to finally try this place after receiving a gift certificate from my cousin. I'm surprised it only has 3.5 stars. Anyhow, here is the breakdown... Located in the Dana Point Harbor, parking can be difficult but not impossible. After circling the parking lot for about 10 mins, we were able to find a spot. The front is cute. It gives you an old style vibe. We went in and only two other patrons were there. We waited for about 5 mins to be seated by our host Paul. He was very friends and very engaged. He had us choose where we wanted to sit. We picked a corner table since it allowed my hubby and I to have constant view of the entire restaurant. Paul gave us our menus and took his time to go over specials and to ask any questions. We got two appetizers and 2 entrees. Shrimp scampi was awesome. Escargot in burgundy sauce was good but we miss the simple version we have had at other French places. My hubby ordered the rack of lamb and I ordered filet mignon (my go to). The meat was very tender and the sides (some veg/cheese mouse, garlic red potatoes and mixed veggies) were also good. My filet mignon had mushrooms on top and they were also good. They also bake their own bread! Which was yummy. And for dessert we had crepe with berries and ice cream. Overall, it was about $105 which I thought was pretty darn good for what we ordered. Service was awesome but not fast. We were there for about 2.5 hours so if you want quick food and quick service, this is not the place to go. But if you want to enjoy French cuisine and relax, this is definitely the place to go to. read more

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We went here on 12-19-21, because most of the surrounding restaurants in Dana Point Harbor had 45-minute wait times. I ordered the Eggs Benedict. The roasted garlic potatoes and plate was super hot. The vegetables and benedict were room temperature. After taking the 1st bite, I informed the waiter that the benedict was not hot. About 15-mins later, I received my original plate back with burnt Hollandaise sauce and the English muffin. I asked the waiter if he would eat it and asked for the manager. She came to the table very defensive and was extremely rude to me & my wife. Who ever owns this restaurant needs to fire that manager. Now, I see why we were seated immediately. This could have been easily resolved with instead of putting my plate under a heat lamp for 15-mins, make me a fresh hot benedict, problem solved. I should have gone on Yelp and read some of their reviews. Lesson learned, read Yelp before you go. read more

Gemmell's Restaurant - Eggs Benedict Burnt Sauce & Muffin - French Near Me - Dana Point, California

Astoundingly bad would be an understatement, we stopped in here as a family for a quick meal. An hour and a half later we got some of the food we'd ordered and had to take the rest to go as my young daughter had had enough. Got home to feed my family with our $90.00 meal we had bought, no drinking at all and 2 meals plus 2 starters for that amount and we threw it in the bin. I've eaten in some bad places and had my fair share of crappy meals as a solider away on tours in some very questionable countries, BUT wow that was some next level crap. Tasteless mulch can't be passed as French cuisine by any means, and I should know I've travelled across france!. Truly don't know what else to say but please save your money and go somewhere else. Feel this is to much, this is the edited version.. read more

Great deal w/Groupon as other Yelpers have stated =) Groupon has great deals, everyone should signup btw. A nice cozy little french resturant w/great amibence ;) Great for 1st date / for a special night w/your special someone..they even have a little outdoor patio area which you can sit... Food was pretty good, average I would say. It was not the most real french food that I have ever had either, it tasted more like continental food to me. Service was ok but the waiters were very attentive with the drinks. Overall, a pretty good experience. This place can be a bit pricey if you don't have one of the Groupon/ other coupon deals then you might not find it worth it. =) read more

This place isn't hip. It isn't new. It's a vintage style french restaurant. The majority of the crowd is seniors. If you want a quiet dinner, then you will like it. I like quiet. The food tastes homestyle. It's not fancy but I enjoy it. However, the prices are too high. Use a lunch club card (which I have) or a groupon coupon to prevent overpaying. If you use the buy one get $20 off the second meal, your dinner for two at $60 will only be about $40. That price more accurately reflects the food quality. Lunch costs less. $15 per business lunch. The service is ok. When the restaurant is crowded, service is a bit slow. Dine here on a quiet day and service is better. You will receive your meal on time. My review is based on one dinner service and one lunch service. read more

Gemmell's Restaurant - Sand dab lunch. - French Near Me - Dana Point, California

If only it compared to the promise of the menu. The bread brought to the table was similar what one finds in a grocery store bin. The waiter had zero knowledge of the wine, nor was there a single person on the staff to advise. Every entrée had the exact mushy cauliflower/ broccoli vegetables with mediocre potatoes for sides. The signature duck was over cooked, dry, and lacking in sauce. Such a disappointment as it was our favorite French restaurant in Orange County. Terrible, just terrible. read more

We recently had lunch at Gemmell's during a little getaway to Laguna Beach for a museum show there. We had found Gemmell's because we noted that they served Sand Dabs. This incredibly delicious fish, mostly found in the Pacific I think, is kind of a rarity. Its sweet, somewhat nutty-flavored flesh is a total delight. And Gemmell's preparation in lemon butter, with and egg and flower wash, is so perfect that it moves the whole experience into a stratosphere of savory wonder. The portion also was very impressive. But when you consider addition that it comes as one of the daily lunch specials with a potato leek soup, it is just the most incredible deal. Honestly, this was one of the greatest fish dishes I have had in my life that I could count on maybe two hands. The charming waiter was very helpful too, and made the whole experience extremely fine. read more

Absolute WORST service I've ever encountered in my life! My bfs parents took us to dinner here and it was terrible! Server, I wanna say was Julian, seemed miserable. Barely opened his mouth when he spoke and had no table side manner. Right off the bat we noticed it was SOOOO hot inside. We asked to move closer to the door (which was open) but were told no table closer could accommodate our party of 4. He said he'd check the air, while he's clearly sweating I might add! He came back and said he turned it down and somehow it was turned off by accident. 20 mins feeling no different, we moved to a bistro table closer to the door. Much cooler but it was very uncomfortable. Went to the bathroom about 10 mins later and passed the thermostat which was set to 78.. ridiculous!!! Took so long to take drink order, Food order, appetizer, literally just took forever for everything!! We were here for 3 hours.. not because we were deep in conversation but because each course took FOREVER!!! Let's talk food; lobster bisque- didn't even have a taste of lobster in it. Appetizers- super small! Entrees- pasta was good, large portion. Crepe was bland. Sirloins were so thick there's no wonder mine was med rare when I asked for med. lemon tarte was alright.. way better than my grand mariner soufflé which was sooooo bland. DONT WASTE YOUR TIME! read more

Really good dinner. Sauce on the steak was perfect. French onion soup was one of the best. Our waiter did a great job. read more

NO MASK by server. September 10, 2020 went into Gemmell's around 6:30 PM when we noticed restaurant was nearly empty and had tables available next to open window. Thought it would be safe - NOPE. Server arrived without wearing a mask, stood within three feet of us. We should have left right then, but I regret we didn't. Had a quick drink, paid our bill and started walking out, when two people who appeared to be the owners/managers walked up to us and thanked us for visiting. They DID NOT WEAR MASKS. I accept my stupidity for not walking out and will never make that mistake again, BUT, you restaurant owners and managers are begging for business, but you violate the very basic courtesy of protecting your customers by wearing masks. NEVER AGAIN AT GEMMELL'S read more

I came here with about 6 other family members to celebrate my great-aunt's 90th birthday about a month ago. We had a reservation, but upon arrival it was obvious we didn't need one. The place was empty, save two small groups dining inside. Food was presented nicely, but I found it to be oversalted, and so did the rest of my family. There were a lot of breaks in between where we didn't see a worker for a while, like after we were seated, we had to wait awhile for our drink order to be taken. Then wait a while for the drinks to come. Then wait a while for them to take our food order... you get the picture. We all ordered different things, and no one had a real complaint about their food, except for the salt. All in all, food wasn't bad, prices weren't bad. Doubt I'd ever come here again though. read more

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Recently this restaurant hosted my wife's birthday party. I couldn't ask for a better venue with excellent food and on the mark service then Gemmells. The staff were marvelous with every little detail. And treated us as if we were their own family. If you ever decide to do an event like this one definitely reach out to Barbara who helped coordinate every little single detail we could possibly think of and make it happen to our delight.We plan on dining there on a regular basis as the environment is quite romantic, intimate, and the ambience is what you would expect out of a French boutique restaurant. Of the 50 guests that we had present for the party I heard only wonderful compliments on the food its presentation the temperature and the taste out of this world! If you plan on dining in Dana Point harbor don't miss this wonderful option... it's a treasure! read more

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Barbara (hostess) and (server) Julian were awesome but they couldn't make up for the food. Came here for husband's birthday, bought a coupon on groupon. We were undecided on wine. So, ordered cocktails, he hated his. The next one a different drink was worse. He was not happy with the bread, appetite, or main course. We could hear the customers at the pizza shop next door through the wall. Dessert was better than everything else. To me everything was too dry, had an after taste or just BLAND. We will not be back. read more

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

I am giving onle 1 star. The food was great but our waiter did not have a mask. I asked him about it and he said it was his preference. We had a 12 year old girl with us and it didn't even faze him. I reflected this on his tip. Better i leave a review instead of calling the health department, or i still may. Trying to get past being mad before I do. read more

Unfortunately it must have been a bad night. My husband and I felt invisible and they didn't even seem to mind that we got up and left.

I came here because of a Groupon for a four course meal and got there right when it opened up for dinner. We were the second couple to arrive in this restaurant and the head waiter (I think he was the head waiter) tried to seat us next to the other couple. The rest of the restaurant was completely empty so we asked to sit on the other side so we could at least have some privacy. The waiter seemed a bit annoyed by our request and said they were going to have more customers later on. I don't know what that had to do with anything but he let us sit where we wanted to. Another waiter approached our table with a couple menus and introduced himself. I mentioned that I had a Groupon. He went to the front and brought out a different set of menus for Groupon holders. Um, okay. We ordered escargot, hearts of romaine, lobster bisque, NY steak, a couple glasses of wine (wine was not included with the Groupon), and bread pudding, creme brulee, and coffee for dessert. We thought the food was good but service was slow. By the time we got to dessert, the restaurant was packed and there were people waiting at the entrance to be seated. I asked for my leftover dinner to be packed. After we had dessert and paid the remaining balance for our meal, my leftovers were nowhere in sight. We waited forever before we realized that our waiter disappeared. We had to flag down the head waiter and explain that we were still waiting for my leftovers. I was beginning to wonder if they got thrown out because it was taking a long time. My leftovers were finally brought out and we were good to go. I would not advise coming here if you have an important event to attend after dinner because you will be late. I would also definitely recommend making reservations. Check out my photos! read more

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Yo, F this restaurant who took our 830 reservations and were fully closed at 820. That's some BS. Straight garbage zero stars. They picked up the phone just to say they were closed. Screw these losers. read more

The restaurant took a reservation for 9/7/2020 for a 70th birthday party and failed to call us to tell us they would not be open. Our entire party showed up from out of town, paid for a hotel room, and expected to have my father's 70th birthday at Gemmell's. We got the the restaurant and nobody was there. No call. No nothing. Extremely rude and will certainly inform people not to go to this place. DO NOT GO HERE. read more

Absolutely delicious French food. Lovely ambiance. Great service! The Sand dabs and Grand Marnier soufflé was exquisite. read more

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

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Besides the food and service what I like about Gemmell's is the atmosphere. It's old world esthetics and quiet atmosphere. It's a place where you can enjoy your meal and enjoy your conversation without a lot of background noise. Food was excellent and all 4 of us enjoyed our meals . It is expensive and probably not a place you want to take kiddos. Although we did not bring our own wine, I read recently that's on Wednesday's you can bring your own wine and there is no corkage fee for up to 2 bottles of wine, however you might want to double check with them on this. Enjoy! read more

Food is excellent. Service is good. Ambiance is wonderful. Located at Dana Point Harbor. There are lots of other restaurants in the area. But GEMMELS is French Continental. Worth it. A perfect date night or anniversary place. read more

A quiet surprise in a busy restaurant harbor in Dana Point. Moderately priced with a French flair also some old favorites such as duck pate; sand dabs ; and 2-3 fish specials read more

The food was terrible there's menu on line and there menu at the restaurant the prices are at least 15.00 higher for bread we got Hawaiian rolls at a French restaurant will not recommend it read more

Lived in south county for years, no idea why we never went here but we finally did the other night and the food was fantastic!!! Really outstanding. Each of our entree's was perfectly cooked, seasoned, they were amazing. We are so glad to have found a new spot to enjoy all the time, it's a wonderful relaxing place with really tasty food. read more

What a great find. Host and Chef were great and the food special. I would highly recommend

three words.... the greatest sand dabs ever! okay that might be a little bit more than three words... but omg it is the most ridiculous meal you will ever have. all of their dishes have the most amazing sauces. this place might not have the ambiance of some nicer restaurants.. but if you're all about the food, this is the place read more

Wonderful service, romantic atmosphere and great food! When we arrived we told them we were there to celebrate my husbands birthday and our soon to be baby, they seated us in a private booth in the back which was very nice. Before ordering we were given a basket of fresh warm bread that was crusty on the outside and soft in the inside. We ordered the mushrooms for an appetizers. Nice assortment in a creamy wine based sauce. My husband ordered the French onion soup which I stole a few bites of and it was the best French onion soup I've ever had. I ordered the organic salad as my entree and is was huge! My husband ordered the filet mignon and said it was excellent, it came with a nice mushroom sauce and steamed veggies.. His plate looked clean after he had finished! As we had mentioned earlier that it was my husbands birthday he was served a generous portion of rich chocolate cake with fresh berries and a happy birthday note with a congratulations on our baby girl written in chocolate. We really enjoyed our experience here and would definatly come back here for a special occasion! read more

Gemmell's Restaurant - Chocolate cake, delicious! - French Near Me - Dana Point, California

I had lunch here today and I was so excited of the menu only to be shocked by a broken class in my appetizer. I called their attention to it and they just didn't charge me the appetizer. I lost my appetite I just had my salmon lunch to go! read more

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

We had a wonderful Valentine's Day dinner (regular menu) here last night. It was with a little trepidation since some of the previous reviewers weren't too kind. We found the food, service, and ambiance to be quite good. Gemmell's is a small restaurant with about 20 tables in the indoor part of the restaurant, so it was quiet and had a relaxed atmosphere. We were seated promptly and had good service throughout. We were not rushed at all and finished our cocktail. The sea breeze was quite tasty and my bourbon was ample. My wife ordered the French onion soup appetizer and she had chicken crepes for her main course. Both were delicious and used good quality ingredients. (We had had unsatisfactory French onion soup at another restaurant a couple of weeks ago. They had used cheap Gruyère and the broth wasn't nearly as rich as hers was last night.) my Caesar salad was good... but it's hard to mess that up much. I had the fish special, I believe it was called a Dory fish (no, not the Disney Dory). I found it to be excellently prepared with a tasty sauce, vegetables, and rice. We also ordered Chardonnay to go along with the dinner. The serving portions were good and the Chardonnay (at $8 and $14, by the glass) was quite nice. Though it didn't detract from our meal, some might find the decor to be a bit old. We found it to be charming. The bourbon (about 8) and Chardonnay by the glass choices (3 choices) were fairly small. Overall, an excellent meal in a romantic setting... Perfect! read more

Came here on a Friday night at 5:30 with my mom. The ambience is nice- dim lights and wine bottles on the top shelves. We had Juan as our server. To start off, we got some duck liver from the menu- I can't recommend it unless you have this acquired taste. So we switched to a different appetizer. FYI we got the Groupon "Dinner for Two" menu, so the second thing we got was the second item on that specific menu. MUCH better than the first item we received. For the salad/soup, I got the Organic Baby Greens salad (#1 on the second category) and my mom got the asparagus cream soup. Overall it was pretty good flavor and not bland at all like the other reviewers wrote. For the main course, I got the crepe with chicken (mushrooms on the side) and the other item was the Sirloin steak cooked medium. At this point, I wasn't too hungry because the food took so. Dang. L o n g . Got the souflee to end. We were literally sitting in that restaurant for 3 hours, which sucked because we intentionally got here at 5:30 in order to look around at the little shops in the area. By the time we finished, it was so late and no one was open anymore so that was such a bummer. Overall, it was a very nice dinner with great ambiance. I just really don't like how they took forever to get out order, give us our food (even the bread took forever and they only gave us 2 at a time...), and finally the check. Water service was also lacking. Juan was a very good waiter, in the sense that he was interactive with us. But definitely wouldn't come back unless they improve their service. read more

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They surprised us by being open inside. We had an amazing dinner, wonderful service and friendly staff. It wasn't packed but busy for a Monday night. I had the special Oso Bucco and it was very tender and flavorful with fresh herb taste. My wife had the special Halibut with garlic sauce and it was excellent. My son had duck and it was perfectly tender with a delicious sauce and flambé banana. Everything was so good that we traded plates and finished each other's food. The hostess was kind and attentive as well as engaging. We finished with a delicious soufflé and cheesecake. Both were excellent. read more