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!

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.

Absolutely great atmosphere for an intimate experience. If you miss this gem, you have missed one of best experiences of southern California.

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.

I don’t write restaurant reviews. I’m finishing another angel hair pasta special on their lunch menu. Best pasta and value I’ve had in this area since I moved here a year ago. I highly recommend supporting this local gem (short for Gemmels!) as they navigate the harbor renovation issues.

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, sauteed 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 sauteed 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 sauteed 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.

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 had a lovely dinner there with family while I was visiting in Laguna Niguel. The restaurant still had their Christmas lights & decor up which made it very cozy & festive. My Chicken Picatta was divine as were the other menu items my group ordered. I am devastated that this restaurant will be demolished with the new development.