I had a wonderful experience at The Cellar and was honestly surprised to see a negative review about a server's "attitude," because that was the complete opposite of what I witnessed. The owner has created an incredible space warm, intimate ambiance, an outstanding food menu, and one of the best wine selections I've seen in a long time. Everything felt thoughtful and elevated without being pretentious. Our server, Tatum was professional, attentive, and extremely patient. I happened to be seated nearby during an interaction with a group of women who were openly rude and condescending toward her from the start. Despite that, she remained calm, polite, and handled herself with grace. If anything, she showed remarkable composure under unnecessary pressure. Service jobs aren't easy, and it's disappointing when unfair situations get misrepresented online. Based on what I personally observed, Tatum did nothing but her job and did it well. Highly recommend The Cellar for the food, wine, atmosphere, and overall experience. We'll absolutely be back. read more

This was nothing short of an incredible brunch experience. We were sad there were no seats outdoors, but then were immediately appeased by the AMAZING vibe indoors with live music and a hilarious interactive musician. Our server was very nice and led us right by telling us to order the lavender latte and French toast. That was the best French toast I've ever had. The ceviche was also bomb. Everyone else had similarly great experiences with their food. Loved this and hope to be back someday. read more

The Cellar - Ceviche - Wine Bars Near Me - San Clemente, California

What a wonderful experience! My husband has been urging us to visit after moving back to San Clemente after 10 years, and I'm glad we finally did! It was a busy evening with Rabbi Blue, and what a performer, and a seemingly wonderful human. He and the band brought an infectious vibe that we will return for. Despite being super busy, our server was super efficient and effortlessly served all her tables. The charcuterie and cheese boards are extremely well prepared and expertly curated. Each meat or cheese had a perfect accoutrement and each was expertly described when delivered to the table (not that I remember all the details, but very impressive). The ribeye for main seemed simple but had incredible depth of flavour. read more

The Cellar - Menu - Wine Bars Near Me - San Clemente, California

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I loved this place! It's been on my watch list for a while. We went on a Saturday morning. No wait and the nice thing is its open seating; so you just find a table and the waitress comes up to you. We had prompt friendly service. The coffee/matcha was good nothing too special. But the breakfast burrito was so good! The ambiance sitting outside in the semi-shade on a beautiful day was so nice. Would love to return on a day they have music. read more

The Cellar - Wine Bars Near Me - San Clemente, California

We love The Cellar! Whether it's a quick iced latte pick me up (their housemade lavender caramel is divine) or a moody date night, their service and ambiance are definitely on top. I love bringing friends here for a cute gals night or just enjoying a solo date on the patio. They're so festive right now with all the cute decor but I love them year round! Always impeccable menu options and fantastic service. The carrot cake is delicious! Parking is along Del Mar and some back lots along the street. read more

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We came in for brunch and definitely would come back for a relaxed dinner or cocktail hour. The food was delicious and the Bloody Mary was one of the best! And all the staff were very friendly and helpful. read more

Such a great indoor/outdoor restaurant! We've been there 10+ times over the past two years, and it never disappoints. The staff is always super friendly, the food is consistently delicious, and they even allow dogs, which is such a huge plus! We'll definitely keep coming back. read more

Wow I absolutely loved this place! Parking is along the street and it can get busy so account for time to park. My friend& I had brunch so we sat outside which was so cute. Inside looked lovely as well. Service was fast & friendly. To drink I got the French 75 which was perfect, for appetizers we had the truffle popcorn which was one of the best I've had, for mains we got the burrata salad with salmon & the breakfast sandwich with sidewinder fries which were both excellent. Will definitely be coming back. read more

The Cellar - Truffle Popcorn - Wine Bars Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Cute little place for breakfast or lunch right in downtown San Clemente. We got mimosas for $12/each which was reasonably priced, and the chilaquilas were delicious and the perfect amount for the both of us to share. Service was great and we sat in the outside tables by the street. It was wonderful! read more

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Really good coffee! My go to spot before I get my hair done on Del Mar. I had no idea they had such a fabulous coffee bar until it was suggested. read more

Love this place! Adorable spot in San Clemente on Del Mar with indoor and outdoor seating. We tried a red wine flight, cheese board, gnocchi macaroni and cheese and burger. Everything was excellent, from the food to the service to the atmosphere. The prices were great too, I was actually surprised by how affordable the food was. An extensive wine and cheese list that is worthy of just a visit for that but a great menu for a nice lunch or dinner as well. Parking on Del Mar or around the back behind the businesses - 3 hours free. read more

The Cellar - Red wine flight and outdoor seating at the Cellar. - Wine Bars Near Me - San Clemente, California

Came here this am to try out this famous breakfast burrito just to be told only coffee and pastries are the only thing available. That breakfast doesn't start til 10am. When there is a sign at the door that's says breakfast starts at 8am and it is almost 9am. Sad! read more

OK the margarita was great and the Obama with mezcal was great but a margarita with mezcal is simply amazing! The burger was great! The Brussels sprouts, were amazing but that egg.. omg. ‍ The Mac n cheese was amazing! The fried chicken sandwich was so juicy! Everything was great! I hear brunch is amazing! Please go here! The service was great and the live music with the low lights set the mood and it was just amazing as well! read more

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We stumbled across this place as we were walking down the street. We are from Carlsbad and we were meeting our family from Orange County. I asked if they could fit 9 and the server, Cole, immediately said they could fit us and moved tables for us. The food was fabulous. We had brunch, Bloody Marys and mimosas. Cole was very attentive, brought my 70 year old mom a scone for her birthday when he heard she didn't eat chocolate. A great find for when we meet half way for celebrations! Thank you! read more

First time visit and I had the House Olives and the most delicious Cellar Burger with added sliced raw onion. The sandwich was 'mile-high' and my tastebuds were ecstaic first bite to last bige! Omigosh. I live in Vista but plan on enjoying another meal next week. Everyone in the senior group enjoyed whstever they ordered. read more

This restaurant was amazing and had great service and delicious breakfast options. We ordered the Classic Breakfast with perfectly cooked sunny side up eggs . We also ordered the chilaquiles which was surprisingly tasty satisfying every bite. Will definitely order again. The latte was also perfect not bitter and not too sweet. The lighting and decor is dark like a wine cellar playing great music under orange mood lights. read more

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Absolutely loved this place! Listen I have a unique perspective here I don't really like cheese...or at least I thought I didn't. I took my wife here because she loves cheese and who am I to deprive her of a good time at my expense. We loved it, I was particularly open minded for her that day and I didn't understand what I was missing. Their Prosciutto balsamic vinegar things were amazing, I mixed that with their signature triple cream bree with some of their honey on the bread, it was mind blowing. Now when we set up our board we bit their almonds in honey combo. I hated fig, but their fig jelly was excellent. I fancy myself a Caesar salad snob and it was very good. We will come back. read more

The Cellar - Caesar Salad - Wine Bars Near Me - San Clemente, California

Cute small spot by the beach. There's both indoor and outdoor seating. Everything is self seating and can get busy during peak business hours. Love that this spot is dog friendly too! I had the chance to try the sidewinder potatoes and the charcuterie board. Both were super tasty along with their wine and cocktail options. Service was lacking. It did take awhile to get water refilled or to even put additional food orders in. The kitchen does close and re-open by 3pm. Other than service, everything else was great. read more

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Priorities...natural wine, reverse osmosis water for the table and a good charcuterie board + olives. It's hard to find a spot that has natural wine, doesn't serve you tap water and add good food to that mix equals a win! I can't wait to go back and explore the menu. read more

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Food (5/5 stars): We went up to San Clemente and tried The Cellar, which has an extensive wine menu and great food options! Their burger tasted very "gourmet;" I loved the thickness and cook of the patty. Even though it just had the standard toppings, less was more in this case! We also tried The Lost Inferno, a Goonies-themed speakeasy, and highly recommend that as well! Experience (4/5 stars): * Price: it's quite pricey * Wait Time: it was pretty busy on a Saturday night, but minimal * Service: good * Parking: parking can be tough in downtown San Clemente * Ambiance: very modern and classy atmosphere read more

The Cellar - Wine Bars Near Me - San Clemente, California

seriously, an amazing burger. Also, the atmosphere is relaxing, the service is very nice as well I felt very well taken care of

I love the ambiance here, and the food is absolutely delicious. Cole, my server today, was one of the best I've ever had--excellent service, incredibly kind, and genuinely attentive. read more

We came in with high expectations and they were certainly met. The drinks were very good. The food came out hot and delicious and the ambiance is great. The service was solid and overall a good time in there. We'll definitely be back! read more

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Happy hour menu is excellent. Good portions and great prices. Food is made from scratch. Wonderful Chef! read more

Some friends and I came here for dinner over Valentines Day weekend and we loved our experience! The band playing was great, the wine was delicious, the ribeye was cooked to perfection, Peter and Kiana were so friendly. Highly recommend having dinner here! read more

The Cellar - Wine Bars Near Me - San Clemente, California

Absolutely love the cellar! The food is amazing, I always get the salmon Caesar salad or the salmon dinner entree. The wine is great but I love that they have a full bar. The aperol spritz's are perfect. This is a staple San Clemente restaurant! read more

More of a bar, than a restaurant. We ordered a Sancerre wine for me, house cab for my husband. The wine was great. Website advertised fried chicken sliders but apparently they no longer serve them. We advised they update their website as that was one of the reasons we went there. Ambiance was nice, a little loud but okay. If they were played any music, it must have been very soft, b/c all we heard was noise from the B-day party of six at the table down from us. Nice music would have been appreciated! We ordered the fried chicken sandwich and asked for a side of mayo at the time we ordered. We waited almost until the sandwich was cold before it was delivered to our table. Should not have been a problem. Caesar salad was mostly stalk not much leaf. Will go back for drinks but that's all. read more

Wow! What a night at the cellar! We had the kindest server tanner! The vibe inside is very relaxing and classy. And per our servers recommendation we got the ravioli and mac n cheese and he suggested the perfect wine pairing! Which also introduced me to my new favorite white wine, (Domaine de la meuliere)! This is a must try for date night very romantic, ambiance on point! Our server really made the experience special, will be coming back for my next wine recommendation. Thank you Tanner read more

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Super friendly service and really nice ambiance. Will for sure come back again for another visit

Great ambiance, live music in the evening the chicken flatbread was delicious. Staff is very friendly. Recommend if you're looking to relax after a long work day. read more

The Cellar - Chicken flatbread was delicious. - Wine Bars Near Me - San Clemente, California

Found ourselves stuck in San Clemente for an evening as there was an accident holding up the 5. So we took a nice little walk down Avenida Del Mar... after working up an appetite, we noticed a little wine bar and decided to give it a try. As we walked in, we had the impression that it was a little cafe, with fresh pastries and espresso, but then it opens into a full bar area with open seating inside and out -- high-tables, booths, bar seating inside, and outside there was a patio with tables. The had a nice wine menu, with everything from French, Italian and of course Californian reds, to South African and South American varieties. We had a Cali Cab, and a South African Pino. They were a little pricey (but not unexpected considering the location), but we watched our server uncork new bottles... and they were both great. I didn't see a kitchen, but it must have been back there somewhere because there was a full menu of appetizers and entrées. As we watched what others were ordering, it all looked good. Burgers, sandwiches, salads, pastas, and these crescent shaped fries that were like fancy potato wedges. The burrata was amazing! Served over arugula with berries and grilled baguette slices... the cheese was light and smooth and when combined with the fresh greens and lightly acidic dressing over some crunchy bread... wow. I could eat that all night! The "Mac n cheese" was a blend of delicious cheeses over well cooked pasta. Rich, and savory. I had the prime rib dip... really tender meat, melted swiss... and the au ju was perfect. We noticed there is a daily happy hour that we had just missed, but they have small bites and discounted drinks until 6. And then at 7 there's live music. The night we were in there was an artist on guitar/vocals, but there's a full baby grand in the bar so looks like it's a great place to enjoy some music with your drinks. Overall, we had a great experience here. Definitely recommend checking it out! read more

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You feel like you are in France! The food is superb. The wine is excellent. The setting is perfect. But the game changer is the people. Shout out to Cole. Highly recommend you go there. Inside and outside both great settings! read more

Three of us went to The Cellar Sunday to hear Rabbi Blue. We arrived at 10AM when he was scheduled to perform. We were warmly greeted and given a table. A young man took our order for 3 lavender/caramel lattes. After some time we were brought the coffees which tasted good, but no lavender caramel. Cole took over our table, apologized for the mistake and brought us 3 small cups with the lavender/caramel, he also corrected the check which was very thoughtful. We asked about Rabbi Blue and were told he starts at 11AM, not the advertised 10AM. No problem, we were going to order anyway. We ordered 2 breakfast burritos and a biscuits and gravy with eggs. All three orders tasted great, the burritos were sizeable and fully loaded. A little after 11AM Rabbi Blue was not there so we asked Cole when he would be starting. Cole apologized and told us he had called in and that he would not be performing this morning. Needless to say I was upset as we had waited many months to make this visit possible and it was my mothers 93 birthday. Well, what can you do! Cole was very sweet and brought over a large homemade chocolate chip cookie with a candle for my mom. That was extremely nice of this young man! The menu had lots to choose from and our food was tasty. The service, attentiveness, and kindness shown to us by Cole was off the charts excellent. This young man is a Unicorn! It is so rare to find a person who shows all the qualities of a first class server, you better hold on to him! read more

Excellent service, excellent sparkling rosé. Love their avocado toast and Kobe beef hamburger. So nice to sit on there outside patio with the ocean breeze. Love it!!! read more

Great ambiance, kind servers, occasionally fun live music. The food it worth writing about! Get the cheese board and travel the world of flavors! Such fun combinations. Burger is good, chicken sandwich is better, grilled cheese is not exceptional unless paired with their remarkable tomato soup. Have I mentioned we go back several times per year? Enjoy! read more

I love this place. The morning coffee and scones are my favorite! Great vibe and homemade pastries

If you love exceptional wine and perfectly paired cheeses, this restaurant and shop is a dream. Thoughtfully curated selections, knowledgeable staff, and a cozy, inviting atmosphere make every visit a delight. The food is INCREDIBLE. Whether you're a food, wine, and cheese connoisseur or just exploring, you'll find something special here. A true gem! read more

The Cellar - Wine Bars Near Me - San Clemente, California

Most of the people are really sweet and it's a fun place to be with nice lighting but the coffee is inconsistent and one specific worker is a little rude, which I don't think she means to be but yeah! read more

Great food and immaculate vibes. Made a pit stop in San Clemente for some grub and gave this gorgeous little rustic cafe right on the main drag a try. The service was quick and friendly and the vibe feels homey and small town. Sit outside and enjoy the southern California weather while sipping a latte. They have a great selection for brunch, But I go the chilaquiles which fully delivered on expectations. read more

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Cole was my bartender a nice guy with a good attitude. The place is really nice and quiet. Good music just to get away for an hour read more

The Cellar - Apple cider - Wine Bars Near Me - San Clemente, California