Amazing food! Chicken piccata is fantastic. Mushrooms for an appetizer are a must. We came here with a groupon and will definitely be back.

The food was very nice. The waiter we had was the most inattentive waiter I have ever experienced. This is an expensive place. He came up and said "Have you decided what you want? "Took our order and never came back until it was time for the bill. Never said Good evening, never checked how our food was, an extreme disappointment for such great food and nice ambiance. If he worked for me he would be out of a job. Depended on helpers to bring food to the table and clear it. read more

We had a Groupon for the 4-course prix fixe menu, and had a wonderful time for the price. Made a reservation beforehand, so it was only a few minutes wait while a cozy table on the "patio" was re-set. I was glad I'd Yelped before going, to be prepared for the slower European pace, but it was nice to forget about the clock and enjoy a luxurious meal & night out. Our server was Jeff, and while we felt the tiniest bit neglected at first (I think he was slammed with other tables), he warmed up later once he got out of the weeds, and was very gracious & friendly by the end. Water/bread/food runner/bus service was quick & attentive the whole time. Starters: We shared the champignons (mushrooms) which were delicious. Both the baby green & Caesar salads were serviceable, but nothing special. We were a little surprised/disappointed that there wasn't a more upscale Caesar preparation with real anchovies, etc. It was definitely the base model. Entrees: The chicken Provencale sounded good in the menu description, but we were both in the mood for steak. The NY strips were thinner than we expected, and even though mine was more on the medium-well side than the medium-rare I'd ordered, it was still more tender & flavorful than I expected, considering. (When I cut it open & saw almost no pink at all, I thought it was going to be shoe leather. But it turned out okay.) Sides-wise, beware of the garlic baby potatoes. They are GARLICKY to high heaven. To me, they were completely inedible & I had to bravely choke down the one bite I'd put in my mouth. Ugh. But I did like the tiny egg-shaped mystery-soufflee-surprise and the vegetables. Veggies were cooked but still crisp, as I like them...wish there had been more. (Should've swapped out the garlic bombs for more veggies.) Desserts: This was the best part of the night. I usually despise anything fake-orange flavored, including Grand Marnier, so I did an about-face when I saw Crepes Suzette on the menu, and headed straight to the creme brulee. We got one of each, though, so I gave the crepes a taste just to see...Lo & behold, they were DELICIOUS. (Who knew?!) The caramel sauce cut the orange-y tinge, and of course the French vanilla ice cream was rich & perfect. Crepes may've been a bit thick, but with enough caramel sauce on my fork, I was willing to overlook that. Creme brulee presentation was lovely, the flavor/consistency got the job done, but wasn't stellar. (Although when was the last time anyone had a stellar creme brulee? They tend to be just satisfactory, no?) Prix fixe includes one non-alc beverage each, so we had coffees with our dessert. Our self-selected glasses of red were both delicious. Overall, the meal/ambiance/service was solid, and worth the Groupon price, so I'm glad we went. But I don't think we'd pay full price to go back. read more

Went here last night with a groupon and the food was okay. The problem is the bill would have come out to $150 without our groupon and we didn't have any alcohol with our food (bill was still $125 when including tip). For that price I expect a lot better. The service was different when we told them we had a groupon primarily in the fact that the waiter basically took our order for all the courses at once and we rarely saw him after the fact (other tables he spent much more time with) but that didn't mean we received bad service. There was plenty of other wait staff who refilled our water regularly, picked up our plates immediately and were generally quite pleasant. Quick rundown: Appetizer: Escargot - not memorable pretty rubbery in a heavy sauce Soups: Lobster Bisque - nice flavor, but probably could have used a bit more salt French Onion soup - pretty bland Entrees: Rack of Lamb - the lamb was perfectly executed and was very good, favorite part of our meal Halibut (one of the specials for the night) - also pretty good, came with a nice sauce Although the proteins stood out on both of the entrees, the rest of the plate was a joke, basically steamed vegetables Dessert: Grand Marnier / Chocolate Liqueur soufle - so/so nothing stood out Creme Brulee - overly sweet although I did like how they had a good amount of fresh fruit on top which helped balance out the sweetness. Ultimate Decision: Not coming back, at this price point I need to be wowed and that was not the case. read more

Five star service and exceptional food. Everything is so delicious. We absolutely loved it. Used a Groupon and the menu is extensive. Usually the menus for Groupon is so limited but we were pleasantly surprised with the menu here. There were 3 options for apps, 4 options for salad, 8 options for dinner entree and 5 options for dessert. Well done guys! We will be back soon!!! read more

Came to this restaurant unexpectedly when walking around the area for boat parade. Decorating is excellent but food was okay. I had pate for appetizer (okay). Didn't like my scallops meal. I didn't like the flavor of the sauce. My husband's steak was good. Probably won't be back to this French restaurant. read more

Amazing French Onion Soup. Great wine selections. Quiet, quaint. Indoor patio is breezy and bright during the day, fireplace is cozy at night. Roasted duck is delish. Lamb chops are awesome. Crepes are perfect. read more

This is our favorite French restaurant in Southern California! We discovered it last time we were in Dana Point and came back for the delicious food on our wedding anniversary. Highly recommend! read more

First, the food was terrific, and the chef/owner was wonderful and came out to ask about the meal. Just 4 of us dining, not a large party; hated have to tell him about the service. Just a sample: After a LONG wait after seating, ordered bottle of wine for table and 1.Waitstaff brought wrong wine, waitress blamed host. 2. Forgot non-alcoholic drink for one person, had to ask twice. 3. Forgot salad dish for one person, finally brought when table was finished with first course. Claimed that patron had ordered with entree (not true), no apology. 4. One guest ordered French onion soup without a crouton. Waitress brought soup with a huge crouton in the bowl; when asked about it, she didn't apologize, just blamed another staff member. 5. Had to track down staff for any request--never present at table to check up on us. 6. Had to find waitress to order 2nd bottle of wine for table. 7. Split bill 50/50, cards were mixed up with wrong receipts for each card, to be discovered next morning. The FUBAR list was longer than the above, but by the end of the evening we all agreed that the service aspect was the most bizarre dining experience we'd ever encountered, and we were laughing about it. The manager/part-owner(Matthew) was not working that day (a Sunday early-evening), and there was clearly no front-office management or direction, and as stated, the food was excellent, just overshadowed by the (lack of) service and the quality once we got it. The restaurant, by the way, was about 1/2 to 2/3 occupied, and at the end the hostess claimed that she was "overwhelmed by all of the checks". A truly amazing experience, and we fell sorry for Mr. Gemmell, who reduced the check by 40% without us asking for any accommodation. read more

Most french restaurants seem to be a bit boring, outdated in decor, with overpriced, mediocre food. But, about a year ago, my wife and I, along with 2 friends, ate here, using a Groupon. We weren't expecting fine dining, but were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food and the good service. Fast forward a year and our friends called and said they had bought another Groupon and it was about to expire. We all remembered that our last experience here was better than expected, so we gave it another try. Seated in the front atrium area, we brought our own bottle of wine, but paid $20 for a corkage fee. Pretty steep, but justified it with the Groupon savings. Also, with a Groupon, you have to choose your food from a 'special' menu. Don't worry....there are good options. Service was spot on and the food was excellent. One of the best meals we've had in quite a while. Pate, mushroom soup, warm crusty bread, sirloin steak, chicken and mushroom crepes, poached salmon, creme brûlée, meyer lemon tart, and profiteroles....Wow! And, in true French tradition, the sauces were outstanding! Once again we were pleasantly surprised. Don't let the dated decor and quiet atmosphere fool you. Prices are a bit high, so dine here with a Groupon or other discount, if possible. So worth it. Highly recommended. read more

What a tragedy. What used to be a solid, unique French restaurant has gone to shambles. What used to be perfectly cooked and seasoned duck has now turned to an overcooked chicken leg. The rich lobster bisque is now bland tomato soup. The service which was personal and professional, now understaffed, overwhelmed, and inattentive. read more

We had a wonderful meal from appetizers to dessert. The food was excellent. The salads are crisp and cold and the entrees hot and delicious and then the desserts are homemade! I had pork in a sauce that was fantastic and heard rave reviews about the shrimp scampi from the next table. Reservations are helpful. I have eaten here before for lunch and enjoyed the outside patio. Last night the inside dining room was perfect! It is not large but has good atmosphere and service is excellent. Luckily we had reservations for 6pm because Gemmells was crowded by 6:30! read more

The poached salmon here is out of this world! Went there for a luncheon today with about thirty people.

Across the board mediocre. Service was impressively slow and the food didn't even come close to making up for it. I had a fillet mignon that was fatty and chewy. My jaw hurt after my meal. My girlfriend had the Chilean sea bass which the waiter told us was the best dish they had. If that was their piece de resistance, the chef should go back to culinary school. It was good... but not even close to what the waiter described. The wine wasn't even good enough to finish, but that was our fault for ordering it. All that being said, the waiter gave us a complimentary dessert since it was our anniversary. That doesn't make up for a bland $150 meal, but it did get them two stars instead of one. read more

Had a Groupon deal for a for course dinner for two. We started with the pate, which was excellent. Their French bread is served fresh and hot out of the oven. We each had Caesar salad which was also excellent. My chicken entree was tasty, but over-cooked. There was almost a carmalized crusting on the bottom. My wife's salmon was excellent though. Our desserts were very good which finished the meal nicely. If my chicken were as good as the rest of the dinner, they would have gotten that fifth star. read more

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Love this place! Hidden gem! Great service, so happy to come here on a romantic dinner date!

This place is a regular stop for our family. We go about 6 times a year and I always get the same thing, the Chicken Elizabeth, with a warm spinach salad or a bowl of French onion soup. It's just so good I can't bear to miss out on such a good meal. My husband gets the Pate, the crepes, or fish. They are always well seasoned and very flavorful. The chef here definitely knows what he is doing! Well today I branched out and got the Osso Bucco and WOW! Then I tasted my husband Veal Chop and double WOW! I am in heaven! Not only is the food here remarkably good, the service staff is friendly and attentive and we always have a great time. Parking here is easy, and you can dine in the main diningroom or on the patio where there is usually a cool breeze. If you like French food, I highly recommend stopping in. The food here just can't be beat. read more

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Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Thanks to Groupon (EVERYONE SHOULD SIGN UP), I treated myself to a $35 for $70 worth of food deal to Gemmell's. Knowing how expensive French food is and never having French food before, I jumped on this like a fat kid seeing some cake. I had the intention of coming here for dinner. I was thinking rack of lamb, filet mignon, french onion soup, souffle. However, I ended up going for a Sunday brunch, and it was worth it! For $34.95, you get fruit, beignets, an appetizer, and entree, and a dessert PLUS free-flowing champagne. -$2 if you don't want or can't have the champagne. The fruit was tasty. The beignets were more like donut holes with homemade caramel on top. Joe and I both got the lobster bisque which was awesome. I wanted to lick my bowl. The bread rolls were steamy hot and perfectly soft on the inside. I got the eggs benedict with shrimp which was delicious and creamy. Excellent hollandaise. Joe got the chicken and mushroom crepe which was very rich and yummy. We took home the cheesecake and chocolate cake, both of which were delicious and perfect with some coffee. The service was awesome. Our waiter was super nice and friendly and our champagne glasses never got less than half full. I expected the place to be dark and serious, but it felt more like it was family-owned and down to earth. We left full and satisfied and a perfect opportunity to walk around the harbor and burn off some calories :) read more

I am a seafood lover and this place some of my favorite seafood dishes so far! I've have eaten here more than once and the service is excellent. All the servers are friendly and attentive. The prices are very reasonable considering the fact that they are right on Dana Point Harbor and near the beach. I have tried a variety of dishes here including; French onion soup(which is cheesy, how it's supposed to be), salmon entree, lobster, excellent lobster bisque, juicy steak (with an awesome sauce)...and more... There are a lot of regulars here. That's because the service is great and the food gets better every time! read more

I loved this place! My hubs and I both had the puff pastry asparagus appetizer. Good but my hubs didn't like the sauce, I loved it but he said was too rich for him. We both had the Greek salads which were good. The dressing could have been a tiny bit more flavorful however. For our entrees I had the salmon and my hubs had steak. My fish was good, the portion was huge and my hubs said he liked his steak. For dessert I had the (what else for this chocoholic) chocolate cake and my hubs had the lemon tart. Both were good but the lemon tart was OUTSTANDING!!! If we both order desert we always get something different and then give each other half...that was great except that he didn't want to share his...it was THAT GOOD! My mouth still waters thinking about that lemon tart. If you have dinner here, I highly recommend that you try it. I loved the food here. The portions were large and the waitress and the busboy were quick and polite. Our waitress had a french accent and she was super nice and charming. She made sure we had a great experience here. I thought the restaurant was elegant as was the service, but then I 'm not a super fussy, high maintenance person. We were seated next to a faux fireplace which was nice. The restaurant looks like a small, family owned place. We had an outstanding meal here and I would not hesitate to return. read more

Decent food, fairly nice ambiance, and absolutely horrible service. We arrived with a party of 4 at 7:30pm and they pointed us to our table. Waited for 5 minutes before they brought our menus. Another 5 minutes later, they brought us butter, and 5 minutes after that, they brought bread. We waited about 10 minutes we ordered our food. We asked them for more bread, and it took them about 10 minutes to bring out bread, and they brought out 3 rolls for the 4 of us. We asked for more water, and it took them about 10 minutes just to refill the water. They didn't even bring bread the second time we asked for it. The soup and appetizers took about 20 minutes to arrive, and the main courses took about 20 minutes to arrive as well. My brother nearly burned himself on the plate because the waiter did not warn him the plate was hot. My mom asked the waiter a question and he answered, and then walked away as my mom was asking another question. Not once did the waiter drop by to ask how our food was or if we needed anything. He refilled our water once. After the dinner, we decided against desert because we figured we'd have to wait another hour in that place. Food was decent. The food lacked presentation, but I usually don't mind that much as long as it tastes good. My brother's duck was a little dry, but my scallops were good. The service ruined the dinner though. Maybe the service was so wondrously bad since 90% of their customers looked at least 70 years old... nevertheless, we left a pretty sad tip. Overall consensus: decent food, but not worth the terrible service unless you are retired and don't care. read more

Food was good but the service was not. It took over 2 hours for our food to arrive to our table. Our drinks were not refilled and looking around the restaurant most of the other customers felt the same way. We ended up missing the boat parade. read more

I have always loved this restaurant but I can't have wheat ,so I skip bread, but I asked the server Michelle I think her name is, I said In a sarcastic joke mode "I wish wheat less crepes," was so surprised that she said that their crepes are wheat less ,so I ordered the crepes I ate half of it and felt stomach cramps ,so I asked her what was the crepe made of I thought she would says something like eggs and almonds powder, instead she said just all propose flour .I almost fell of the seat, I can't believe that some person in the food industry did not know that all purpose flour is made out of wheat . I forced myself to turn my stomach,but I am pretty miserable, now I trusted this place so much,but I won't be able to eat there ,ever again. read more

We went to celebrate our Anniversary so my standards were high! Heard some good things about this local to us restaurant so decided to give it a try, since we also like French food. We couldn't have had a better meal with great friendly service. Their pâté is incredible, onion soup was the best we ever had and watch out for the deserts because they are also top notch. Not inexpensive but great five star restaurant read more

Charming and quaint restaurant with delicious food! They are open for lunch and dinner currently. Shame on people for giving one star due to not wearing a mask. However, restaurants are trying to stay in business, they are trying to survive due to the shutdowns of Covid 19. If you don't want to stay then order your food for take out. Sadly, People have lost consideration for businesses by thinking they are "food critics" and "Covid cops" on Yelp! Grow up! Your review should be to rate the food or service only! read more

Thanks to Group-on AND their service, this place earned a 1-star in my book. I came here for dinner with my mom with high expectations. I've had French food before and from what I've experienced at this restaurant, the food was horrible. The service was good--reason being that it was a slow tuesday night. I ordered the Roasted Duck and everything tasted so putrid besides the vegetables. My mom ordered the Sea Bass and though that tasted a little better, same putrid sort of base... It was unpleasant, to say the least :( Alone these dishes were EXPENSIVE so I'm just glad that Group-on saved us money that would've been wasted. If I ever had to go back though, I would skip out on dinner and probably check out their breakfast. I love French pastries and desserts. :) read more

This place is awful. We came here for a business luncheon and the food tasted microwaved and was cold. The restaurant itself was dead - to no surprise read more

We had a Groupon deal 4 course meal. I had the mushroom soup and steak, she had the salmon. The salmon was slightly over cooked to her taste, and the steak was quite good. The atmosphere was quite charming, and the service was excellent. I had the creme brûlée and she had the cheesecake for the desert course. They both were excellent - a great top-off to a very good meal. We were both completely stuffed (our problem, not theirs - well, maybe a little bit, since each course was very good!). This made it hard to finish our deserts! The Groupon deal made it extra easy on the pocket. I was very pleased, my date, a little less so. All in all, we both would come back again. read more

Fell in here on a Saturday night ~ 8:30 looking for something decent as we'd been on the road with our 2.5 y/o son most of the day. Restaurant was nearly empty so we asked if it would be OK for our little terror to come in and allow my wife & I to dine. They could not have been any nicer! Immediately brought my son a chocolate cake piece that covered a medium plate as well as bread so he could munch and we chose a 2010 Chablis that really showed off the vintage. Wine was not cheap but who would expect wine to be cheap at a restaurant in Dana Harbor? Wife was pretty much toast by the time we sat and she just had Lobster Bisque which she really liked. I had the best Dover sole I have had since moving out of NYC in the late 1980s! Really special fish and much appreciated. You go here order fish! Decor was totally Christmas and perhaps too kitschy but the food & hospitality more than made up for this. We would dine here frequently if we were locals and this place really deserves 4.5 stars but I don't think Yelp will let anyone add the 1/2 star. read more

This is an amazing place. I felt like I was in France but without the attitude. The food I was hands down as good as my mothers authentic French cooking. Worth every penny. The servers were attentive and gave us our space. It was a very relaxing leisurely dinning (not rushed like most restaurants). Traditional French dinning at it best Worth the drive and will DEFINITELY be back with my mother and family. read more

When you find a place you like you keep going back. I found Gimmell's years ago and whenever in the area I looked forward to another visit. Guess I will not be going back again. What a disappointment. I will say my soup was very good but downhill from there. The food was mediocre. The rolls were dry, crumbled in your hand and served without butter? The waiter, an older gent, I will give him the benefit of the doubt. There was a loud event in the main dining room and perhaps someone had gotten under his skin or they were short handed. I did not care for his attitude toward us. We tried being nice. If that is his norm all I can say is go take one shift waiting tables at a chain restaurant. Service was slow and all in all did not justify the price. read more

I'm sure I wrote a review and posted a photo of the interior right after visiting in the summer but since I can't find it here, I'm reposting a photo and review. I give it five stars for all-around perfection in ambiance, service and food. We came for an early dinner with a voucher. Our server/ hostess, was as helpful and gracious as any I've encountered. It could be because we dined early and it was not busy but it made a strong impression on us. We had prix fixe dinner that was outstanding. My previous missing review listed a lot of details about the meal. I just uploaded a photo so I wanted to link it with a review. read more

Gemmell's Restaurant - Our elegant table on the patio - French Near Me - Dana Point, California

Barbara is a dream. The food is fabulous. My favorite is the salmon. It is so romantic. I love eating at Gemmell's.

Sacre bleu I think we caught them on an off night! They were short servers so we were ignored for awhile. It took a little while for the service to get into gear. Once it did the service improved. The wild caught salmon was very good as were the salads preceding them. The lobster bisque was as good as advertised. The veal chops were hard to cut and to chew so we wouldn't recommend them. The chocolate soufflé is recommended! Very good. read more

Mmm I am still drooling over this meal 2 days later! My boyfriend and I came here last Friday night and used a Living Social deal that he had gotten which consisted of 1 appetizer to share, soup/salad for each of us, an entree for each of us, 2 desserts, and a drink each (excluding alcohol). I was just so pleased with everything from the service to the ambiance and the food. We were seated in the very back corner in a very private booth which made the meal and experience super romantic. I had a glass of wine, and they seemed to have a pretty good selection of different wines that were still reasonably priced. To eat we had -- -- asparagus puff pastry appetizer - delicious! -- mushroom soup - so creamy and yummy...I didn't want to stop eating this! -- steak with vegetables and potatoes - this steak was just so beautifully cooked and juicy - and the sauce it came with was to DIE FOR. I ate up every last bite even though I was already stuffed -- both desserts, the vanilla creme brulee and the crepe suzette, were outstanding. I was so floored by how good they were. the ice cream that came with the crepe ended up taking on some of the orange flavor of the liqueur and became unbelievably good...I just can't say enough how good this was! Finally, what really pushed the experience over the edge for me, was how kind the staff was. The woman who was serving us brought us wonderful chilled champagne for free at the end of our meal, just to make a romantic night even better! I would definitely come back! read more

The french food here is so so, but the servers are nice. we had: Pate---it was good, but the toast that went with it was cold and was not from a bagguette. French Onion Soup---it was alright, not memorable. Lobster Bisque---you can definitely taste the lobster tail in the soup, however, there weren't any pieces of lobster within. Duck breast---tender, but not memorable. Filet Mignon---not that memorable. creme brulee--not memorable at all. Bottle of wine from Bordeaux---great, but it's over priced because you can only order a bottle from this restaurant. Our bill was over a hundred dollars, for the price of this restaurant, I expected a lot more, the atmosphere here is definitely for an older crowd (55+). Probably wouldn't come back again. read more

Wow!!! Just got home from having dinner and this was one of the best meals my family and I have ever heard. We dine out out quite often and the food here was amazing. We felt the service was fantastic and we've never been given so much attention from any other restaurant before. I had the filet mignon and it was so tender! The sides were great and french onion soup was great. We are a very picky family when it comes to dining out but this will be a restaurant our familywill continue to eat at. One of the things I didn't like was that the parking lot can get pretty full other than that the experience couldn't have been better. Particulary in South Orange County, you find mostly chain restaurants and it'sgreat when you find these niche restaurants with such great food and service.I would highly recommend Gemmell's! read more

I ordered from doordash and they accepted the order and a half hour later Gemmell's cancelled my order. Reason is "Gemmell's is unable to full fill your order". Really? So why did they accept the order and they wait a half hour later to notify me. Really bad customer service! read more

First time visit and very much disappointed. French... not really, more a cross over to Italian, and not great, pretty mediocre. No French atmosphere to speak of except for a couple of Eiffel Tower posters. But the worst of it it was the service, waited way too long for everything, from drinks, to food, to the bill. I will never go back again, not worth the $$$ read more

Went here with 3 friends for lunch yesterday to celebrate a birthday. My friend had called to make a reservation and let them know it was a special day. When we got there, there was only one table with two people and us. We sat for at least 15 minutes and never saw our waiter. My friend got up and found some menus and saw the waiter on the phone. It was at least another 10 minutes till he came out to the other occupied table and tried really hard not to look at us. As he walked by, we asked him to please bring us some water which he did several minutes later and took our order. They have a really nice, reasonably priced lunch menu and the food was absolutely delicious. However, he brought my friend the wrong food. No apologies. She just kept what he brought fearing we would never hear from him again otherwise. Finally, he was bringing the bill and the friend who made the reservation asked, "Don't you do anything special for a birthday?" He mumbled something and then came back with a piece of pie for sharing. I would have given 5 stars for food but our server - Julian - was just terrible. Too bad. read more