Gemmell's Restaurant

We needed a spot to meet that was about halfway between Long Beach and San Diego. Dana Point is always nice, and I picked Gemmell's based on some of the comments.
WOW...
The outside of the restaurant isn't very impressive, but the meal was fantastic.
I started with the escargots - the menu says it best - "Farm raised Helix snails, sautéed with garlic, shallots, mushrooms and diced ham, in a rich burgundy sauce". Outstanding - the snails were tasty, and the burgundy sauce with the finely diced pieces of ham, mushrooms, garlic, and shallots was amazing. It will be hard to go back to plain butter escargots after this.
My wife had the Chef Byron's smoked salmon appetizer - lots of thinly-sliced salmon with capers, lemon, and toast points. I had a bite and it was very tasty. The toast points were very light and airy - almost like biting into foam.
My sister and I also shared the pate canard - also with toast points and aspic. Delicious!

For our salad course, I had the wilted spinach - baby spinach leaves in a flambeed bacon dressing. WOW - we all agreed that I won that round. The spinach and dressing was rich and flavorful.
My wife had the lobster bisque and said it was the best she had tasted. I tasted it and agreed that it was truly rich and full of lobster flavor. My sister passed on the salad/soup course - saving room for dessert later.

For our main courses, I had the scallops. From the menu - "Eastern Sea Scallops sautéed in Garlic champagne butter sauce, vegetables and rice". The garlic champagne butter sauce perfectly accented the scallops, and the rice gave a break to the richness of the scallops and sauce.
My wife had the chicken crepe (chicken and mushrooms sauteed and wrapped in a crepe) and I think I will have that next time - it had a great flavor and texture. The crepe texture with the chicken and mushroom pieces was a perfect mix.
My sister had the "Chicken Elizabeth" - from the menu - "Fresh Tender chicken breast sautéed with artichoke hearts, garlic and gulf shrimp, In a citrus chardonnay sauce vegetables and rice". Another winner.

Finally, for dessert, my wife had the Creme Brulee - served in a large ramekin with artistically arranged strawberries and blueberries. Again, she raved about the flavor. I had the blueberry tart, and my sister had the Meyer lemon tart - both were delicious and not too heavy.

Prices were quite reasonable (actually lower than we would have expected for the quality of the food and the presentation).

We are already planning on coming back. Even though it is an hour's drive from our home in San Diego, it is definitely worth the trip.
This may be one of the best French restaurants in Southern California.

This is a true gem. It’s a small, family business. The food is absolutely amazing. The service is normally super, but on the rare occasion, it can be slow when too busy. Julian is a mainstay and at times a one man show; having been there for years; offering wonderful libations and service.
Normally, it is pretty mellow and not a problem.
The ambiance is special. I love it. GenXer’s, Millennials and Boomers alike will feel as if they stepped back to the 80’s. A hip, “happening” place it is not. Everything else about it obviates any need for scene!

Really a very nice place for French food. Not many of those left. They're all taco restaurants now. Over Christmas the decorations are gorgeous. It is worth coming in and going to the tiny bar and having a drink just look at the decorations.

this wonderful restaurant hosted my wife's birthday party. We couldn't ask for more beautiful environment. The staff were so accommodating. And the food was amazing. Will definitely be back and once again wanted to thank them for helping us create such a wonderful memory.

Went for dinner and had a great time at Gemell's. Beautiful restaurant and ambient atmosphere. Pleasant French music. Prices are great for a restaurant like this. Or food was FANTASTIC. We had a 4 course dinner for 2. My husband preferred potato leek soup and said it was the best soup he had ever eaten in the restaurant. I also liked a lot my cream of mushroom soup. The presentation of the dishes is very interesting and cute. Steak was well cooked and so was the fish. I was blown away by the presentation of the duck patte appetizer (see the photos).Dessert was fantastic and I loved my cappuccino! We will be back for sure.

Oh my it was wonderful. We celebrated a friends birthday today. Service great and food delicious. I had the Eggs Benedict, others had: fish, crêpes, and salmon. Three of us took food to go. Two said mushroom soup is the best. Will be back soon.

Very good food nothing is over seasoned or too salty. Lunch portions are much bigger than expected and everything was cooked perfectly, down to the vegetables that are served. Prices are also very good considering it's located right next to the beach.

I loved the rack of lamb, had the escargot for an appetizers. Loved the experience

Fine dining by the Gemmells. No relation ;).
A little on the spendy side but the meals were great. Quiet and intimate restaurant. We both had steaks; the Filet and New York. 10/10 would eat at again on date night. Not really for kids....

We had an incredible lunch there, starting with hot dinner rolls and finishing with a delicious Grand Marnier souffle. We felt as if we were in Europe.

The place is quaint and pleasant. The staff was efficient and courteous. The GM Barbara was also very attentive and made it a point to double check on our food and overall experience. The food was delivered in a timely, but unrushed manner and it was excellent. The French onion soup is one of the best I have ever had. The food gras,which is not always available was very well prepared and was delicious. The entrees (steak, and fish special ) were also excellent. Overall it was a great dining experience.

Don’t come hungry. The wait for a nice table ‘outside’ on a Sunday morning is long, but worth it! My eggs Benedict were bomb! Looking forward to trying more things next time.

Side note: They also had the game on, for those of you sports fans 😎

It’s a place where time flows differently - you can just enjoy your food, music, company and forget to hurry up or stress out.

Wow! Just wow! Some of the best drinks, appetizers, food, and deserts EVER! Their food is fresh and made to order. We have NEVER had such an amazing dining experience! The service was impeccable. This will definitely be our to go to in the future! I highly suggest not to try the chain restaurants. This place will leave you in pure bliss. Thank you!!!!

Great food and service. This place has been here for years but is wonderful

I love coming here for the food and excellent service. It's a small and quaint restaurant and could not be any better.

We ate at Gemelli's the first night we stayed in Dana point and went back every night for our 4 day trip! We never do that! But this traditional French restaurant had everything: amazing food cooked perfectly, a quiet & lovely covered patio with views of the cliffs (if not the noisy/busy harbor everyone else was packed into) thoughtful & attentive service from Kevin every night, and charming French music from days gone to provide just the right ambience.

We've lived and travelled all over including the French countryside & this place had the feel of a family business that's been around in a place for a long time the way restaurants are in Europe: because they add the right touches to add to local foods & enjoy giving customers a special evening.

We had escargot every night both ways, so good! The duck was amazing. And we couldn't get over the Sand Dabs, a perfect light juicy flaky crispy deliciousness! And EVERYTHING had the perfect sauce as good French cuisine should!

Thank you Gemmell's for making our trip very special!

Absolutely fabulous food! The ambience is peaceful, but nothing beats the food. French cuisine is my favorite and this just hits every mark for me. I might actually be addicted to the poached salmon by now and the French onion soup is literal perfection. Can’t get enough!

Fantastic food! Ive been here many time over the last few years and loved each one. The owner is a wonderful woman along with Julian who served us on many accounts. I highly recommend the New York Steak with the peppercorn sauce. It's delicious and the veggies are superb. If you want an incredible meal come here!

Enjoyed Bastille Day at Gemmell's Restaurant! Loved the souffle