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Gema, San Clemente, CA

Gema

4.3
4.3
242 Reviews
$31 to $50
Contemporary Mexican

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Experiences are available.
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Good for special occasions
  • Innovative
With a moody Mexico City vibe & modern dining room, Gema has an intimate neighborhood feel & buzzy bar scene. Our scratch-made kitchen highlights the finest Mexican ingredients & the countries staples of corn, chiles & regional cheeses .Our craft cocktail program changes with the season & features house-made syrups & fresh daily juiced citrus. Our bar hosts over 100 bottles of Mexico's finest small batch Mezcals which can be enjoyed in a flight or purchased by bottle and housed for your convenience inour Mezcal Liabrary. Our wines are brought in from Valle de Guadaulape and offer an amazing taste into the emerging Baja wine region. Gema celebrates the vast & sophisticated cuisine of Mexico, its people & its culture. We are proud to serve authentic Mexican cuisine that moves beyond the stereotypical bean and rice culture often associatedwith Mexican eateries. We hope you join us at Gema to experience the true palate of Mexican dining.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary Mexican, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service, Organic
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Thu, Sun 17:00–21:00 Fri, Sat 17:00–22:00 La Libreria Thu–Sun 18:00–00:00
  • Phone number
    (714) 640-9371
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Juan Pablo Cruz

Experiences

  • End of Year Dinner

    US$150.00 per person

    Prepaid

    31 Dec 2024 only
    With a moody Mexico City vibe & modern dining room, Gema has an intimate neighborhood feel and buzzy bar scene. Our scratch-made kitchen highlights the finest Mexican ingredients and showcases the true palate of Mexican dining. Sit back, relax, sip some mezcal and allow our team to ensure your evening becomes the most pleasant way to end 2024! Reservations are set at $125 pp with a curated 4-course pre-fixe dining menu & complimentary champagne toast. Hand crafted cocktails, mezcal pairings & wine pairings will be available to enhance your experience & can be selected & purchased upon arrival. * Please indicate vegetarian/allergies in reservation notes * * There is no vegan option for this experience.
    End of Year Dinner photo

What 242 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.3
4.3 based on recent ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 3.9Value

NoiseModerate

Diners' Choice Awards

  • Orange County

    Innovative

  • Orange County

    Contemporary Mexican

  • South Orange County

    Innovative

  • South Orange County

    Romantic

  • South Orange County

    Good for special occasions

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Gema in San Clemente offers a "fantastic culinary experience" with inventive Mexican cuisine and an open-air ambiance. The menu is "innovative and beyond delicious," featuring standout dishes like the halibut ceviche and Tlayuda. While some guests note long waits and high prices, the "knowledgeable staff" and "awesome cocktails" make it a must-try destination.

242 Reviews
  1. Matteo Romano

    Orange County

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on 8 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Incredible food made by scratch. The flavors and textures of the food were so unique and so delicious! Cocktails and wine all from Mexico. Entire staff is so passionate about the food!

    1 person found this helpful

  2. Nikki

    VIP

    Palm Springs

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 24 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our dinner was more than a meal; it was an experience. The flavors and presentation will both be remembered. The ambiance was beautiful, and the service was next level. Lucca was attentive, helpful, knowledgeable, and passionate about the food. Can't wait to return!

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  3. Darren

    VIP

    Los Angeles

    4 reviews

    1.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 23 November 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    Our server was really good, I want to make that clear. Reason for my poor rating was we waited almost 90 minutes for our food to finally just ask them to make it To Go as we weren’t willing to sit there any longer as we had a 2 year old with us and spending 90 minutes in a restaurant waiting for our food was too much to ask.

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  4. Laurie

    Orange County

    22 reviews

    2.0

    22 reviews

    Dined on 23 November 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I’m amazed at all the great reviews. We ordered six different things on this menu, and all four of us agreed that the flavors just weren’t there. The food is way overpriced and our swordfish was cold. The service was really good, but it didn’t make up for the mediocre food. Save your money and go somewhere else .

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  5. Debra

    VIP

    Orange County

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on 17 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Excellent service & food as well’ But wine choices are debatable— Only one Mexican Chardonnay available & not good!

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  6. Eric

    Orange County

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 19 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Gema is quite possibly the best fine Mexican restaurant in San Clemente. The food options are gluten free, the fish and meat are delicious & fresh, the wine and tequila selection is top notch without the top line price! Definitely recommend Gema for an evening out with family and friends.

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  7. Steve

    VIP

    Orange County

    24 reviews

    5.0

    24 reviews

    Dined on 18 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Wonderful food! Especially for those tired of Mexican street food being treated as real Mexican dinner food. This is the kind of great food that you get it at high-quality restaurants in Mexico. Real nice serving staff too. 

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  8. Joshua

    VIP

    Orange County

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 28 September 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    San Clemente is truly fortunate to have Gema, a refreshing departure from the usual South of Nick's Mexican fare. It’s a treat for the senses, offering inventive flavors and fresh, vibrant ingredients that bring something excitingly different to the table. Gema is a hidden gem that deserves far more buzz in South Orange County's food scene—impressive in every way and absolutely worth the visit for anyone seeking a delicious, novel dining experience.

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  9. Linda

    VIP

    Orange County

    263 reviews

    5.0

    263 reviews

    Dined on 22 September 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Service is always amazing & personal. They do take their time to explain each item but I don’t mind it here. We have tried most items & never had a bad meal. A little pricy but value is there

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  10. Peter

    VIP

    Alabama

    35 reviews

    5.0

    35 reviews

    Dined on 22 September 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great place to eat! Yellow Tail tostadas were amazing! The ceviche is incredible too! Honestly…best margaritas I have ever had….one with tequila and one with mezcal! Very classy place. Will go again and HIGHLY recommend.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Gema is rated 4.3 stars by 242 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Gema

110 S El Camino Real, San Clemente, CA 92672

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    El Camino Real and Del Mar
  • Area
    San Clemente
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Thu, Sun 17:00–21:00 Fri, Sat 17:00–22:00 La Libreria Thu–Sun 18:00–00:00
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary Mexican, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service, Organic
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Juan Pablo Cruz
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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