Stella's

4.5

1283 Reviews

$31 to $50

Italian

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 28, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 14 times today

Neighborhood gem
Good for special occasions
Charming

Stella's is the embodiment of serious Italian cuisine - original recipes and techniques alongside the freshest organic products, housemade cheeses, and carefully selected Italian flavors. Stella's is the perfect place for friends and family to gather - be it at the bar with a chilled martini, an appetizer in the lounge, or dining alfresco while tasting your way through the wine list and menu. Whatever your pleasure or mood, Stella's can make it happen!

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Fine Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Italian, Seafood
Hours of operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–10:00 pm Happy Hour in Lounge Mon, Sun 2:30 pm–9:00 pm Tue–Sat 2:30 pm–7:00 pm
Phone number
(949) 234-1679
Website
http://www.stellasitalian.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Catering
Stella's provides full off-site catering for any event. Please call the restaurant for details.
Private party facilities
Our patio is available for private parties for lunch and dinner. A minimum number is required for a completely private affair depending on the day and time. The patio offers an ideal setting for Saturday and Sunday afternoon affairs as the restaurant is closed and the ocean views are spectacular. Please call for more information.

Location
17 Monarch Bay Plaza, Dana Point, CA 92629
Neighborhood
Dana Point / Monarch Beach
Cross street
PCH & Crown Valley Parkway
Parking details
We are in the shopping center and there is parking in front, on the South Side, and in the back of the restaurant.
Entertainment
We feature a live saxophonist Tuesday through Sunday.
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Popular dishes

Bruschetta al Pomodoro$8.00
Grilled brick-oven bread rubbed with garlic and topped with marinated tomatoes, fresh basil and extra-virgin olive oil
Tonno D'Stella$14.00
Sesame crusted ahi tuna served with wasabi, arugula and ginger cucumber slaw
Gamberi al Limone$14.00
Large shrimp sautéed with garlic, white wine & lemon butter sauce over creamy polenta
Calamari Fritti$14.00
Baby squid, lightly floured and deep fried, served with spicy tomato-basil and citrus aioli

Zuppa & Insalate

Minestrone Di Verdure$8.00
Fresh vegetable, bean and pasta soup
Mista Di Casa$8.00
Organic field greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, brick-oven croutons tossed with fresh basil tomato balsamic vinaigrette
Cesare$9.00
Hearts of romaine lettuce tossed with caesar dressing and croutons and topped with shaved reggiano
- Grilled Chicken Ceasar Salad$14.00
- Grilled Jumbo Shrimp Ceasar Salad$20.00
Caprese$9.00
Season's best tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and pesto
Zuppa D'Cippolle$8.00
Italian onion soup topped with brick-oven crouton and aged provolone
Caprino Di Lamponi$9.00
Organic mixed greens tossed with fresh raspberries and toasted almonds and goat cheese crumbles and raspberry vinaigrette

Pizza

Authentic Neapolitan-Style Pizza with a lightly charred thin crust from the wood burning brick oven. Toppings are from the finest and most fresh seasonal ingredients

Margherita$12.00
Vine ripened tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella
Bianca$13.00
Mozzarella, parmigiano reggiano, ricotta di bufala, garlic and extra virgin olive oil
Portabella$13.00
Grilled mushrooms, red onions, goat cheese, Italian parsley, mozzarella and tomato sauce
Astarita$13.00
Italian sweet sausage, house-made meatballs, imported salami, fresh oregano, mozzarella and tomato sauce

Serious Italian Pastas

Garlic Bread$5.00
Enjoy Wood-fired flatbread, roasted garlic, extra virgin olive oil and herbs
Capellini Checca$14.00
Angel hair pasta tossed with sautéed garlic, fresh basil and vine ripened tomatoes
Linguini Con Vongole O'Cozze$16.00
Linguini pasta tossed with fresh clams or mussels, steamed in garlic, olive oil and white wine sauce or marinara sauce
Penne Melanzane$14.00
Penne pasta with breaded eggplant, ricotta, tomatoes, garlic and marinara
Linguini Bolognese$15.00
Linguini pasta topped with Stella's famous meat sauce and house-made meatballs
Penne Con Pollo e Dragoncello$15.00
Penne pasta tossed with grilled chicken breast, sundried tomatoes in a tarragon cream sauce. (Recipe requested by Bon Appetit)
Capellini Con Salmone$19.00
Angel hair pasta tossed with morsels of wild salmon, sautéed with fresh garlic in a creamy pesto sauce
Ravioli Di Casa$15.00
Parmigiano reggiano, ricotta, mozzarella, Stella's meatball, tomato basil marinara
Penne Con Salsiccie e Rapini$14.00
Penne pasta tossed with Italian sweet sausage, broccoli rapini in a tomato basil marinara
Penne Con Porcini e Prosciutto$16.00
Penne pasta in spicy tomato-cream sauce, prosciutto, porcini mushrooms & rosemary

Secondi

Vitello Saltinbocca$19.00
Milk fed veal scaloppini topped with imported prosciutto & sage cooked in white wine & veal reduction
Vitello Piccata$19.00
Milk fed veal scaloppini sautéed with shallots, garlic, lemon, Pinot Grigio and capers
Pollo Parmigiana$15.00
Breaded and pounded boneless chicken breast, baked with marinara sauce, basil and mozzarella cheese, served with linguine marinara
Pollo Calabria$15.00
Sautéed boneless chicken breast topped with imported proscuitto, broccoli rapini, garlic and spicy marinara sauce
Melanzane alla Parmigiana$15.00
Thinly sliced eggplant, lightly coated, deep fried and layered with marinara, basil ricotta, mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano, baked to perfection

What 1,283 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.5Food
4.6Service
4.4Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Stella's offers a vibrant dining experience with "charming ambiance" and live saxophone music. Expect "delicious food" and attentive service, especially from staff like Ivan and Gage. The Italian menu is extensive, featuring standout seafood dishes. While some may find noise levels high and cocktails inconsistent, the friendly atmosphere and "wonderful staff" keep regulars returning.

1,283 Reviews

C
Cathy
Orange County
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
As usual, an excellent dinning experience. Everyone’s dish was delishious.
Is this helpful?
C
Carole
Los Angeles
18 reviews
4.0
18 reviews
Dined on December 21, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Lovely little Italian restaurant. Food was very good. Server was very good, although there was a mistake in the orders received, causing one of our party to not get the meal they ordered until 20 minutes after the rest of us were served. However, this was not the fault of the server, it was the fault of the establishment for having the music so loud that the server couldn't properly hear what was being ordered. She said she had asked them to turn it down, when we asked about it being so very loud early on. Sadly they didn't turn it down to the background music level that it should have been set at for a fine dining establishment. We effectively had to shout at each other all throughout the meal to be heard. Only at the very end when the restaurant was getting close to closing did they finally lower the level to the background music level that it should have been at all along. They did however comp us two desserts for our table to try to compensate for the wrong order being delivered initially, which was very nice. All of the food we had was quite good. A simple sound adjustment could have made this an outstanding experience.
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B
Barb
VIP
Orange County
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on December 18, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
STELLA'S is always wonderful, get the lobster ravioli !!
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P
Patricia
VIP
Orange County
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on December 1, 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 2
The service and welcome were terrible Have been at this restaurant and had a wonderful time however on this occasion it was awful Would not go back
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J
Jeffrey D
Los Angeles
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on November 29, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic place, great service and wonderful atmosphere! Great thanksgiving meal option too
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J
Joni
Orange County
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on November 28, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
This establishment never fails! We just love everything!!! Jamison and Gage always put a smile on our face! The food is just SO good and you can't beat the location. Plenty of parking, great staff, yummy food!!
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M
Mike
Orange County
11 reviews
5.0
11 reviews
Dined on November 28, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Incredible service from Gage, made the night memorable. His menu suggestions were right on.
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A
Ann
VIP
Orange County
6 reviews
4.0
6 reviews
Dined on November 20, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
This was our third visit to Stella’s. The food and service has been consistently quite good. The ambiance is charming. Unfortunately, the cocktails have been disappointing. We had to send back our drinks since the quality was poor.
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J
Judy
Orange County
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on November 15, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Love this place fabulous food and attentive service.
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L
Laraine
VIP
Los Angeles
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on November 15, 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 2
We (elderly seniors) made a reservation in the lounge for happy hour. When we arrived we were told that only the two high top tables were allowed for happy hour, which were taken. The only other option was the bar. We were served the happy hour menu in the lounge in the past. When we spoke to the manager, he could not offer any accommodation. In fact, he was rude.
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FAQs

Stella's does offer delivery in partnership with Postmates.

Stella's is rated 4.5 stars by 1283 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 28, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 14 times today

Order delivery or takeout

17 Monarch Bay Plaza, Dana Point, CA 92629

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross street
PCH & Crown Valley Parkway
Neighborhood
Dana Point / Monarch Beach
Hours of operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–10:00 pm Happy Hour in Lounge Mon, Sun 2:30 pm–9:00 pm Tue–Sat 2:30 pm–7:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Italian, Seafood
Dining style
Fine Dining
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
We are in the shopping center and there is parking in front, on the South Side, and in the back of the restaurant.
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Entertainment
We feature a live saxophonist Tuesday through Sunday.
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.stellasitalian.com/
Phone number
(949) 234-1679
Catering
Stella's provides full off-site catering for any event. Please call the restaurant for details.
Private party facilities
Our patio is available for private parties for lunch and dinner. A minimum number is required for a completely private affair depending on the day and time. The patio offers an ideal setting for Saturday and Sunday afternoon affairs as the restaurant is closed and the ocean views are spectacular. Please call for more information.

Stella's

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

Calamari Fritti

Cannoli

Ravioli di Casa

Primo

Bruschetta al Pomodoro$8.00

Tonno D'Stella$14.00

Gamberi al Limone$14.00

Calamari Fritti$14.00

Zuppa & Insalate

Minestrone Di Verdure$8.00

Mista Di Casa$8.00

Cesare$9.00

Caprese$9.00

Zuppa D'Cippolle$8.00

Caprino Di Lamponi$9.00

Pizza

Margherita$12.00

Bianca$13.00

Portabella$13.00

Astarita$13.00

Serious Italian Pastas

Garlic Bread$5.00

Capellini Checca$14.00

Linguini Con Vongole O'Cozze$16.00

Penne Melanzane$14.00

Linguini Bolognese$15.00

Penne Con Pollo e Dragoncello$15.00

Capellini Con Salmone$19.00

Ravioli Di Casa$15.00

Penne Con Salsiccie e Rapini$14.00

Penne Con Porcini e Prosciutto$16.00

Secondi

Vitello Saltinbocca$19.00

Vitello Piccata$19.00

Pollo Parmigiana$15.00

Pollo Calabria$15.00

Melanzane alla Parmigiana$15.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

Does Stella's offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Stella's restaurant rated?

Is Stella's currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information