Their Happy Hour is so welcoming. Their cocktails are a must try. We will be back.

We had a wonderful time. Service was great, music was lovely. My big complaint is that it says "Vegan options" on the advertising here, but there are none available as a heads up! I would LOVE if they could add gluten free liquor or a vegan wine--just something for more inclusivity! Even a seltzer or something. My friends loved their meal though, and, again, we loved our server SO much! Also... there is no "ocean view". Just a parking lot! read more

Stella's Italian - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

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If cozy coastal dining was the goal, Stella's Italian definitely hit the mark. The interior was small and intimate, but it became clear that the larger enclosed patio with its heaters, fireplace, and live music was the true focal point of the restaurant. And once you catch the partial ocean view from their patio, the whole experience suddenly feels a bit more elevated and fancy. THE FOOD. - Calamari. Lightly crisp on the outside and tender inside, offering a clean, mild flavor that complimented nicely with its dipping sauces. - Filet Mignon. The steak was succulent and cooked perfectly medium, though the seasoning leaned a bit on the gentle side. However, the spinach swung the other direction with noticeable saltiness. The potatoes were good though. Overall, this dish didn't quite come together for me. - Short Ribs (Menu Special). The short ribs were rich, tender, and full of deep, comforting flavors. The creamy polenta and buttery roasted vegetables made perfect companions, adding both warmth and balance to each bite. Recommend trying this out. THE DRINK. - Catena Malbec. Mildly sweet with notes of red berries, offering a smooth, relaxed finish that paired well with the heartier dishes. THE PARKING. Free surface lot parking. Easy, convenient, and refreshingly drama-free. No circling, no stress. THE VERDICT. A charming spot with great ambiance and dishes - especially those short ribs. Yes, we'd come back to dive deeper into their Italian menu next time. read more

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Honestly, this is a pretty chill spot. I was next-door on a job, figured I'd stop in. The bartenders were very attentive and drinks were great. I didn't have any food, but I actually plan to come back to try the crabcakes. I was there for almost an hour until I realized that there's an ocean view on the other side of the restaurant. Definitely worth coming back to check out. The regulars definitely spoke well of this place, that's what makes me want to come back read more

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Stella's never misses. Incredible service and even better food. A great atmosphere to match. Sit on the patio and get an ocean view read more

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We came sooo hungry, I only took one picture! The service is very warm and inviting. We sat on the patio and actually had an ocean view. The sax player adds a wonderful atmosphere to the experience We shared a pizza which was delicious and a couple salads as well as the grilled fish special which was delicious and plenty for two!! Our waiter Gage was very attentive and fun!! read more

Stella's Italian - Seafood special - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

It is rare to find a great restaurant that has a great view. That is Stella's. Also the experience is elevated when there is great service. the servers are consistent and attentive. Happy hour is excellent but can be crowded. I think they are busier at dinner than lunch. I believe they have entertainment but tbh I have no idea what the schedule is. I primarily stick to a seafood salad special. It is great and just the right size for me. read more

Stella's Italian - Seafood salad - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

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A lovely Italian neighborhood restaurant. Located in Dana Point across from Salt Creek in the Gelson's shopping center. Live music, beautiful Italian restaurant with Italian dishes. We just paid for a light bite this evening of wine, pizza and a beautiful Caesar salad. Everything was fresh and lovely as always read more

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Our Valentine's Day experience at Stella's was extremely disappointing. Before our visit, the host called twice to confirm our reservation and specifically stated that it would be an ocean front view, which was the main reason we chose this restaurant for such a special occasion. When we arrived, that arrangement was suddenly changed at the last minute with no clear explanation or real effort to honor what had already been confirmed. Although our assigned server was sweet and attentive and did their best, the rest of the service was very unprofessional. One of the other servers who is bald behaved in a way that was completely inappropriate and made the environment uncomfortable, especially for Valentine's Day and in a restaurant setting. Between the reservation issue and the overall lack of professionalism, the experience was frustrating and far from what we expected. Aside from our server's kindness, nothing stood out positively, and this is not a place I would recommend, especially for a special occasion. read more

Stella's Italian - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Best service, staff was great - food was a tad pricey but tasty. We got two pizzas a. Pollo picatta, lobster ravioli and glass of rose. The lobster ravioli had a great sauce but w chopped up shrimp, that was giving shrimpflatiion! I don't understand why they wouldn't just add a few shrimp to the entree- rather than add cut up shrimp to the sauce feels kinda cheap- but it was still pretty good! read more

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Food here is so good, I forget to check in on Yelp sometimes. Still one of my favorite Italian restaurants to this day making it worth the drive to Dana Point. Service is always great as usual and the views from the patio are always perfect on a sunny day. If you're stuck on choosing an appetizer, I recommend ordering the calamari. The batter is light and crispy without being drenched in oil and the squid is perfectly cooked without being too chewy. All the entrees here are delicious, my go to is usually a pizza or the vongole with the white wine sauce. Make sure to ask for some bread to scoop up all the delicious sauce that is underneath the pasta. read more

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I order a chopped salad which is soo good. I had it deliverd. There's no way this is a full salad order. It used to fit in a large bowl. Now it doesn't even fill up a small nowl. It's pretty disappointing read more

Stella's Italian - You can see the bottom of the container. I haven't eaten anything. It's 4oz of lettuce with 3/8oz in salami. What am i paying for? - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

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What I love about this place is it is old style classy traditional Italian restaurant. The white linens and arched seating with ocean views. Came in for lunch with my friend and had a great conversation in a calm and relaxing atmosphere. There was no rush to get us out and the food was great. They offer pizza to pasta and a nice selection of wine and cocktails. Hidden gem and great service. read more

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Came here last week for a light weekday lunch. Sean is super amazing!! The food, view, music, service....its what fine dining is supposed to be. I will definitely return!! read more

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The ambiance was cute, quaint, cozy and pleasant. The service was impeccable. Our server on 12/13/25 was so nice, informative, gave you great attendance, made sure everything was well done and even notified us about an allergy I have with a soup ingredient before putting it in. My mom and I split the Cesar chicken salad which was some of the best chicken we've ever had. Plus a side of asparagus which were nice and crisp. All around a great place to go with amazing service. We will be back only next time my mom want to try their pizza which looks authentic and delicious as it was passing by. read more

Great food. Wonderful ambiance. And such nice servers. Especially Mario the Bartender. So experienced. Makes so many drinks from scratch. The best happy hour in Dana Point in my opinion! read more

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Their service, ambience and food are wonderful. Have had several meals there and have not been disappointed. Always clean too.

The service is great, the ambiance with live music is fantastic, the food is good and the dessert is delicious! We'll be back

We ordered a pasta dish to go, and they forgot an ingredient and one of the other ingredients that was advertised in the pasta was hardly noticeable. We were highly disappointed as we had heard such good reviews in the past. the serving size was not worth the price. read more

Bomb little spot right up from the beach and ocean view Food was good and people were friendly would definitely come again read more

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Great Italian restaurant with amazing food and ocean view!!! Highly recommend if you are looking for an authentic restaurant in Dana point read more

Everything they say about this place is true. Classy, great food, polished service. A must order is the brick oven lasagna made with three meats (pork, veal and beef) and covered with red sauce on one half and white on the other. Pizzas and garlic bread are another plus. read more

Stella's Italian - Brick-Oven Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

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This restaurant happens to be a favorite of my in-laws. When they summer here they go quite a few times and we had extended family in so we took a large group. They were able to accommodate us out in the covered patio area as well as multiple forms of payments. Everybody at the table ordered something different, including the eggplant Parmesan, chicken, Parmesan, meatball, chicken, penne, tarragon, and seafood, combo platter, etc. The server was super friendly and helpful. He made a lot of recommendations. The one little thing that we caught was, he did make a recommendation for house bread, but also mentioned garlic bread but no one at the table realized that was an extra charge of $12. I wouldn't say sneaky but nobody caught it except for me and I just let it go. Beverage refills were kept up. I had the tarragon cream sauce with penne and chicken, which is actually pretty delicious. I can't remember what it's called. Located by the Gelson's. Plenty of parking out front. Prices are a little higher than normal IMO. I guess this would be elevated Italian. read more

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Beautiful ambiance! Our server was very knowledgeable & helpful with meal suggestions. It was our first time there, & we will definitely be back. read more

Normally I don't like to leave negative reviews about any restaurant that I go to, but it seems that this restaurant has changed. I met some friends there and was hungry! Couldn't wait for the pizza. Our server was impeccable - he actually offered me a Happy Hour price on my martini and the pizza. I just had an issue with the pizza. It had a soggy crust! I thought maybe the fresh tomatoes wilted it but I don't think so. Anyway, I took it home and thought if I reheated in my oven it might make it crispy. No!! Didn't happen. I usually love this place but now not so sure. Plus my favorite bartender Mike went elsewhere and he was a definite asset to Stella's. The service and servers are top notch. Just improve the food. read more

In fairness to Stella's restaurant, I want to provide an update. I was eventually contacted by Jameson, the restaurant manager. He was very polite, listened carefully, and was very apologetic. What struck me was he did not seem surprised by the conversation, which makes me believe this was not the first complaint received about "Sean". Jameson did offer to send a gift card for a future dinner, which I politely declined. read more

I'm sorry, but this place is awful. I took a chance reading the reviews, but I now realize that those couldn't have been real. I don't know how a wood brick oven pizza can not be good. Pizza Hut definitely better....and I do not like Pizza Hut. I'm sorry, but it's just the truth. In addition to simply not being good, my delivery was super late, small, expensive, and cold. Awful experience. I gave it a shot. Never again. read more

Stella's did not disappoint, we had the best experience on Christmas Eve. The service (thank you Larry) the music and the food was outstanding! One of our better Xmas Eve meals and we have been to some pretty high end restaurants over the years and Stella's ranks number one for overall excellence. Thank you, Stella's! read more

Beautiful meal tonight for a first time at Stella's! Meal was terrific and service was awesome our waiter was Ivan and loved how attentive he was. Couldn't have asked for a more enjoyable meal celebrating a couple birthdays and loved the music as well. read more

Stella's Italian - Birthday Dessert - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Super cute restaurant! Love the vibes and ambience. Service is wonderful! The food is usually great but unfortunately, my risotto was undercooked / hard. That specific night I was dining with a large group of 10 so maybe that's why the food wasn't as good... definitely recommend for dates nights though! Will be back to try more dishes. read more

Stella's Italian - Short rib with truffle risotto. - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

I couldn't wait to try this place; however, it was not what I expected. Food was bland, garlic bread was cold, and service was not the best. The ambiance was cozy and elegant and the musician was a nice touch so that's why I'm being a little forgiving. read more

The ambiance was great. Saxophone player and all. They sat the 2 of us for a reservation on time on a Friday nite. They gave us 1 menu. After that no one showed up. Tables around us were getting service. No one paid us any attention. We tried to catch the eyes of couple of servers. Didn't work. 25 minutes and we left. Not even a glass of water. Pathetic. We should have brought food from home and eaten there. read more

We love the ambiance, exceptional service and the authentic food. We will definitely come back next time. read more

Stella's Italian - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

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All around not great. We had reservations on a Saturday night. We arrived about 20 minutes before our reservation, however 2 of our party of 4 wee arriving a little later. However we checked in and were told our table was on the sidewalk outside of the dentists office next door and we could sit down. We waited a few minutes for the other 2 in our party to show up, but decided to sit when they texted us and told us they were less than 5 minutes away. The hostess then walks out and brings us 1 menu and 1 wine list. I expected her to come out with the additional 3 menus when the rest of our party arrived, but she never did. Our server, who seemed as if he had just woken up from a nap arrived and takes our order. But had to come back to the table on at least 2 occasions to confirm our order. Our food arrives, and it was very sub-par. 2 of us got the spaghetti bolognese, and it was TERRIBLE. The meatballs were obviously non homemade.... They were clearly purchased frozen and were like 2 hard little golf balls sitting on my pasta. The sauce tasted very bland. The lasagna had burned pasta noodles in the bottom and seemed to have the consistency of something that was cooked previously and the. Frozen and then reheated in a microwave Really a nice looking restaurant from what we saw from outside the dentists office, but the food and service was just awful! read more

Called to order pick up and Jamison was super nice with answering my questions and taking my order. The order (5x pizzas) were ready in 20 minutes. The portobello pizza was the favorite of the 3 pizzas I ordered. The pizzas were pretty good. However one of the pizzas were super burnt (dark/black) on the crust. It was still packed and given to me. I only found out after I came home and was disappointed at the quality control from the restaurant. read more

Stella's Italian - Pizza Portobello - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

Super friendly and accommodating staff! Our server was great, gave nice recommendations and made sure our food was as ordered! The location is nice, it's away from the more touristy and busy parts of Laguna or Dana Point, located in a shopping center, but get a table in the enclosed side patio and you'll get a nice breeze and partial ocean views. Food was delicious, the servers were great, we'll definitely return! read more

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Outstanding food. Service was top-notch and welcoming. The atmosphere was amazing with the saxophone player taking requests. Beautiful views of the ocean as well! read more

Used to be my go to Italian. Used to rave about this place. Drove 22 miles 1 way to enjoy their food. however, today... eggplant parm rate zero!!!! Eggplant tasted frozen, not a cohesive dish, salty. Yes, bread was good. Asked for parm packet & got pre- packaged & it was overly salty. Staff very courteous. Beautiful ambiance. But never again........they charge less, but you get mostly canned sauce, frozen, slapped together meal. didn't feel the love!! read more

Parking: easy parking. Plenty of parking. Host: immediate, no issue with seating. Ambience: there is a life saxophone player, which is the signature of the place. I loved it. The player actually asked if the sound is too loud or not. I found it perfectly fine. If you find it loud. He will lower the volume. Service: The server was available immediately. Kept on checking on us. Courteous. Available throughout the time (I was here on weekday, and keep reading) Food: We had a party of 4 adults and 1 kid. Ordered plenty of food. Only one which was not 'above 5/10' but my wife and I have been to many, many Italian restaurants around the States so our 'ranking standard' is much higher. That still means the rest of the foods were super delicious. Minor complaint: more like a mishaps, we ordered Tiramisu to go but the order was never placed and when we went back to the hotel, I called and let them know and I was told that it was not on the bill and it was not charged; therefore we did not have the dessert to go (the server missed it) Comments: ask the host to slow down in taking orders and making sure all orders are placed. Perspective: We are locals (Southern Californians) and have dined at Michelin-starred places so our expectation is much higher. This place is still a great to place to check out. read more

Loved the patio - 99 degrees inland but breezy 75 overlooking ocean at Stella's. Very helpful service by Mike and Pablo. Excellent portobello ‍ pizza, raspberry and chopped salads, lasagna, eggplant Parma and tiramisu. Grant the 6 month old was a big fan too. read more

Stella's Italian - Italian Near Me - Dana Point, California

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