Gema

3.8 (255)

$31 to $50

Contemporary Mexican

110 S El Camino Real, San Clemente, CA 92672

About this restaurant

Charming
Fancy
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.

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Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Fine Dining
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
Phone number
(714) 640-9371
Website
http://www.Gemarestaurant.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
Juan Pablo Cruz

Location
110 S El Camino Real, San Clemente, CA 92672
Area
San Clemente
Cross street
El Camino Real and Del Mar
Parking Details
Street Parking
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Chalupas
duck enchilado, salsa tatemada, swiss chard mix, queso fresco, melipona vinaigrette
Lengua de Res
beef tongue, jalapeno broth, avocado, jardin mix, grasshopper salt
Calamar al Comal
chile manzano salsa, citrus reduction, chard broccoli, jicama
Ostiones Fundidos
half dozen oysters, chile mora, quesillo cheese, cream foam
Aguachile
seafood of the day, costeno aguachile, salicornia, worm salt
Camarones Flameados
grasshopper creme, charred heirloom tomato, corn croutons, macadamia dust, sorrel mix

Segundos

Pear Salad
farmers market greens, blood orange vinaigrette, house hibiscus cheese, castilla walnuts
Acelga Salad
rainbow swiss chard, lima beans, queso fresco, garlic vinaigrette, duck chicharron
Sopa de Tortilla
duck leg confit, chile mirasol broth, corn cake, celery leaves
Chile Relleno
hazelnut dust, quesillo cheese, huitlacoche, quail egg, tomato espuma
Cachetes de Ternero
veal cheeks, guajillo adobo, garbanzo beans, kale, red jalapenos
Quesadilla de Wagyu
wagyu steak, quesillo cheese, cambray onions, salsa quemada

Principales

Pescado a la Talla
wild branzino, cascabel salsa, citrus, salicornia, serrano rice
Tlalpeno de Mariscos
shellfish mix, chipotle broth, jardin vegetables, avocado
Tamal de Brocoli
banana leaf, garlic pipian, poblano rajas
Mole con Pato
duck breast, black mole, fennel puree, black mission figs
Birria de Res
prime short rib, corn cake, chile guajillo glaze, cambray onion confit, jardin mix
Wagyu Steak
A-7 American filet, scalloped potatoes, tamarindo adobo, purslane salad
Tomahawk Steak (To Share)
48oz prime cut, huitlacoche butter, scalloped potatoes, calabacitas, tamarindo adobo

Acompanamientos

Calabacitas
tatuma squash, heirloom tomato, duck chicharro
Serrano Rice
serrano infusion, garlic butter
Garbanzos
swiss chard stems, guajillo adobo, scallions
Artisan Heirloom Tortillas
yellow corn, blue corn, white corn, hoja santa

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at Gema.

3.8

(255)

3.6Food
4.0Service
4.1Ambience
3.4Value

Noise • Moderate

255 Reviews

OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego1 review
5.0
Dined on 9 March 2025
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
OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago / Illinois1 review
2.0
Dined on 9 March 2025
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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P
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!
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C
Caitlin Gold
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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L
Laura Gold
Orange County11 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
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l
lina Gold
Orange County24 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.
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R
Raul
Los Angeles2 reviews
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.
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C
Cheri Gold
Orange County25 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.
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C
Cindy
Orange County8 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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L
Lauren
Washington, D.C. Area2 reviews
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!
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Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Fine Dining
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
Phone number
(714) 640-9371
Website
http://www.Gemarestaurant.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
Juan Pablo Cruz

Location
110 S El Camino Real, San Clemente, CA 92672
Area
San Clemente
Cross street
El Camino Real and Del Mar
Parking Details
Street Parking
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

Gema

About this restaurant

Permanently Closed

There’s more to explore

Dining areas

Additional information

Menu

Primeros

Chalupas

Lengua de Res

Calamar al Comal

Ostiones Fundidos

Aguachile

Camarones Flameados

Segundos

Pear Salad

Acelga Salad

Sopa de Tortilla

Chile Relleno

Cachetes de Ternero

Quesadilla de Wagyu

Principales

Pescado a la Talla

Tlalpeno de Mariscos

Tamal de Brocoli

Mole con Pato

Birria de Res

Wagyu Steak

Tomahawk Steak (To Share)

Acompanamientos

Calabacitas

Serrano Rice

Garbanzos

Artisan Heirloom Tortillas

Reviews

Dining areas

Additional information

Permanently Closed