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Gema, San Clemente, CA

Gema

4.2
4.2
254 Reviews
$31 to $50
Contemporary Mexican

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2 people
19:00
Booked 5 times today
  • Innovative
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Good for special occasions
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.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary Mexican, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service, Organic
  • Hours of Operation
    GEMA Fri, Sat 17:00–22:00 La Libreria Thu–Sun 18:00–00:00
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Juan Pablo Cruz

What 254 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.2
4.2 based on recent ratings
  • 4.2Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 3.7Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Orange County

    Innovative

  • South Orange County

    Innovative

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Gema offers an exceptional dining experience with "phenomenal food" and a creative, elevated menu that stands out in San Clemente. Guests rave about the "amazing" service, "imaginative" dishes, and "beautiful presentation." While it may be "on the expensive side," it is deemed "worth it for a special occasion" and is highly recommended for food enthusiasts.

254 Reviews
  1. OpenTable Diner

    San Diego1 review

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I took my girlfriend here for a bday celebration dinner & also had the chance to go next door for the mezcal speakloud which was also amazing. It was a beautiful experience through and through.

    1 person found this helpful

  2. OpenTable Diner VIP

    Chicago1 review

    2.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Disappointment. We had to wait 15 mins to be seated from the reservation time. The menus came out 10 mins after that and the food another 30 mins after that. The food was luke warm to cool and very little flavor. The waiter was basically working the whole restaurant by himself and friendly. The portions were small and the pricing was way too high. The pork dish was a pass. The birria dish was not savory. Confusing menu. Should’ve gone to tried and true South of Nicks.

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  3. Patton

    Orange County1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our server was amazing! It was busy because of Valentine’s Day, but my boyfriend and I had a great time. We will definitely be coming back!

    Is this helpful?

  4. Caitlin VIP

    Orange County2 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    Staff was nice, food took really long to come out and was lukewarm when it did. Husband sent back the filet mignon because it was very tough and chewy. Salad was pretty bland.

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  5. Laura

    Orange County10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 7 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Outstanding experience at Gema. Food, cocktails and service were 5 star

    Is this helpful?

  6. lina

    Orange County22 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 2 February 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    food is tastily presented but some dishes did not quite achieve the palate satisfaction yet.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Raul

    Los Angeles1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 2 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    One of the best restaurants in South County. Delicious food, awesome service and great ambiance. It is my go to place when taking guests out to dinner.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Cheri VIP

    Orange County19 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 1 February 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    After reading some other reviews about their steak, we were excited to try Gema, but overall, it was a disappointment. The first and second courses came together, Tostadas and two whole Langoustines that delivered two small bites each after removing the shells. They didn't have the reviewed Tomahawk steak on the menu, so we opted for the Wagyu Filet. It was the worst filet we've ever had in a restaurant, tough and barely edible. We mentioned it to our waiter, Luca, and he seemed surprised when we asked the provider of their Wagyu. We split the steak and left over half. Tough meat happens sometimes, but when you tell the server there's an issue, it should be addressed with the kitchen. The flavor profiles of some of their dishes were interesting and new but we don't think we'll be going back.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Cindy VIP

    Orange County7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 1 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 1
    Food was extraordinary. Server was wonderful and so engaged. Restaurant was uncomfortably cold.

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  10. Lauren

    Washington DC1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 26 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
     wonderful, wonderful dining experience with artistry menu…  elevated mexican!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Gema is rated 4.2 stars by 254 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
Booked 5 times today
Google Map for Gema

110 S El Camino Real, San Clemente, CA 92672

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary Mexican, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service, Organic
  • Hours of Operation
    GEMA Fri, Sat 17:00–22:00 La Libreria Thu–Sun 18:00–00:00
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Juan Pablo Cruz
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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