Gemmell's Restaurant

We discovered Gemmell's last year in search of something new and different to us. First visit was lunch and we were soooooooo pleased we've been back 2X now for dinner. This visit was a birthday celebration. This place serves French food and this is what French food is supposed to taste like. Chicken Piccata is hands down the best we've tasted anywhere. The Spinach Salad is just that; spinach. No fancy cranberries, walnuts, cheese etc. Just spinach tossed in a light bacon dressing. Soups are amazing, but don't skip the Feuillette with asparagus.Lastly, save room for a souffle. They have Chocolate and Grand Marnier. Order these when they serve your entree as they take around 20 minutes.They are situated far away from the redevelopment going on at Dana Point Harbor, so don't let that deter you. Free parking, of course.

Don't Eat Here! We hadn't been there since covid. We went two days ago for Sunday Brunch. What a disappointment! Food has gone from tasty to terrible. The fresh fruit wasn't ripe. Mushroom soup lacked mushrooms and flavor. The beignets were beyond awful. They use to be good now they are undercooked and doughy.The coffee wasn't good. The eggs benefit tasted ok , but they were out of Canadian bacon and were tiny. Adding insult to injury, when we asked if we could change our untouched dessert crème Brule for the cheesecake, we were told by the server that the management refused to make the change and wanted us to pay for another dessert. Who does that?Lastly the men's bathroom has a giant gash in the wall. It seems that this restaurant has given up. Sadly it has gone from z4 stars to no stars! The young man who waited on us was very nice and and the terrible food and decision to not allow us trade our untouched dessert for the cheesecake wasn't his doing. we still gave him a 20% tip. The problem is very clearly with the Managment and the chef! Needless to say, we won't be there anytime soon.

Old world class!!!The menu and place may remind you of Europe. Lovely difference! People really care about you having a wonderful meal and visit!

Not our usual neighborhood- but when a trip to the outlets turns out to be a bust, we make up for it with an early-in-the-week date night. We got to see Dana Harbor with the Christmas decorations and lights and boy what a treat. We chose Gemmell's because of the decor and French-based menu. The restaurant was rather empty for being prime dinner time. It took a couple of minutes to get seated and overall I would say service was leisurely. We didn't care we were enjoying the evening. The steak was good, but meaculpa ordered medium. I believe in no steak beyond medium rare, but for some reason, I messed up today. The sauce was really tasty and the softened peppercorns gave a good bite. Wine, creme brule, smoked salmon, and espresso are all good, but the runaway star was the Chicken Elizabeth that Wifey ordered. The chicken was super tender and what made French cuisine was the sauces. Enjoyed ourselves and gave into the moment.

Had dinner here on 7/31/24 for the first time. We have been coming to Dana Point for years and never made it to this fabulous restaurant. Julian was our server and he is awesome. Very attentive and took care of us all night. Chef Byron came out to the table and greeted us, which was very nice of him.Dinner - Shrimp Scampi appetizer- cooked to perfection. So delish. I asked for more bread, just so I could dip in the sauce :-)Special of the night was Sauteed Halibut. Cooked to perfection. Served with rice and veggies. I believe the delicious sauce was Espagnole sauce.Chicken Piccata - on point, so good!Caesar SaladThanks again to Julian and to Chef Byron Gemmell, we will be returning each and every time we are in Dana Point!

The food is out of this world, delicious, crisp fresh green salad, or spinach salad , lobster bisque, Yum! Sweet sand dabs, shrimp pasta, fresh hot French rolls, butter so freshly baked. Where can you find such delicious food right here and it's healthy & fresh! Ambiance is perfect lighting, interesting & relaxing surroundings. Just flew into town and this is the first place we went to eat! Soooo enjoyable! Service was perfect!

We came in after watching the boat parade. A HIDDEN GEM! I think people walked by thinking it was closed, but it was warm, quiet and festive. My husband and I ordered a bottle of wine and soup, and let me tell you, the soup hit the spot. I ordered a potato leek soup that was on the specials and it was SO delicious. It's my first time here and our server Kevin was great. Brought us extra warm sourdough bread. Highly recommend!Okay so we also got the chocolate soufflé and it was sooo yummy. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Food has always been excellent and sensibly priced.We've come here for most of our birthdays for years and well as introduced friends to it by having them dine here with us.Decor and atmosphere is fine dining and relaxed respectively.NOTE: Presumably due to the massive redevelopment of Dana Point Harbor that's underway and with the expected demolition of all the remaining retail businesses later this year,Gemmell's has reduced their opening hours (according to a modified sign on the side window)Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - CLOSED ALL DAY (and evening)Friday, Saturday 11:00 AM - 10:00 PMSunday 11:00 AM - 9:00 PMTHANK YOU Chef Byron. We hope our paths will cross again

Location at the marina, easy parking, atmosphere is wonderful, Good food, good service, and good drinks. Owner / Chef is one good cook.

Insane it doesn't have better reviews. Grew up loving this place! Highly recommend if you love superbly cooked food and a cozy atmosphere. Be prepared to just sit and enjoy. This is not a fast food restaurant so don't expect quick, fast, and in a hurry.