Best Neighborhood Gem Restaurants in San Clemente

Great food, great service and the ambience - amazing!!!!

A true gem, this tea house is a treasure beyond words. The staff are cheerfully present and accommodating, serving with utmost care while crafting the ultimate tea experience. The ambiance is festive and warm, with friends old and new meeting to share in a prized selection of teas. A timelessly classic experience whether celebrating the joy of a lazy afternoon or a once in a lifetime occasion.

Authentic Italian food! Excellent selection of wines by the glass, including some specials. The Calamari fritti was delicately breaded and not over-fried. I had the house made pappardelle with Buona Forchetta sauce - white with a splash of spicy marinara. A kick but not enough to be off-putting. I added sausage to my pasta at the suggestion of Simone, our lovely server. He was spot on with that add. A perfect flavor blend! Others have said portions were on the smaller side but this was an appropriate size and I could not finish it. To their credit, it was not drowning in sauce. It was an amazing dish. My husband had the tagliolini with truffle which tasted incredible. Huge depth of flavor from the truffles without being overwhelming. The only thing that I would have changed was the timing between appetizer and entree. I wanted to linger a little longer in this lovely spot. We can’t wait to go back.

Wow, what an incredible lunch experience at RAYA! First off, I have to rave about the service - everyone from the host to our servers made our first day at the Ritz Laguna so special. The staff was incredibly attentive and friendly, taking time to walk us through the menu and make great recommendations. You can tell they really care about making sure you have the best experience possible. The food was absolutely outstanding! We started with their guacamole with spicy crab which is a must-try - trust me, it's not your regular guac! The skirt steak was cooked perfectly and so flavorful, and those truffle fries on the side were addictively good. I went for the seafood enchiladas which were incredible, packed with fresh seafood. Even the kids' menu impressed us - my daughter loved her mac and cheese (and she's pretty picky!). The passion fruit mojitos were fantastic too - super refreshing and not too sweet. Perfect for a lunch with that amazing ocean view! The menu has tons of variety, and based on everything we tried, you really can't go wrong with whatever you choose. The staff's knowledge of every dish really helped us make great choices. We loved our lunch experience so much that we already booked dinner reservations for later this week! If you're staying at the Ritz or just in the area, definitely make RAYA a priority. The combination of incredible food, amazing service, and beautiful setting made it a highlight of our first day here. Worth every penny for such a special dining experience!

Had a lovely lunch with a great ocean view. The service was a bit slow and the noise level a bit too noisy, but overall, we enjoyed our visit.