Upscale Italian fare in a supper-clubby setting with a full bar, live music & a twinkling terrace. Based on 255 reviews, the restaurant has received a rating of 4.5 stars. Price $$
✔️ Dine-in ✔️ Takeout ✔️ Delivery
Address:
17 Monarch Bay Plaza, Dana Point, CA 92629
Phone: (949) 234-1679
Social Profile: 
Hours
| Friday | 11:30 AM–10 PM |
| Saturday | 11:30 AM–10 PM |
| Sunday | 11:30 AM–9 PM |
| Monday
(Labor Day)
|
11:30 AM–9 PM
Hours might differ
|
| Tuesday | 11:30 AM–9 PM |
| Wednesday | 11:30 AM–9 PM |
| Thursday | 11:30 AM–9 PM |
Menu
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Menu Photos
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Order and Reservations
Reservations: opentable.com
Reviews
Elena Lyutik
Best Italian pizza I have ever had! The place is perfect for quiet weekend lunch , with ocean view. Try any wine from their “special list” – it is delicious and reach. Will come back definitely to try all their menu and wine. Love!
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Designing Women of Orange County
Such a great place! Good food and wine selection. Reminded us of our trip to Italy! Very quaint, relaxing and upscale feeling without upper end pricing. Also has a great happy hour from 3-7! Definitely catch them when they have musicians. Tommy Benson Duo was great tonight!
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Jim Jordan
Very enjoyable experience on a Thursday night with live music (just acoustic guitar and bass). Food for others in my party was 5 star, mine was fine but not spectacular. Service was attentive but not pushy. Almost European in feel which made it a relaxed dinner.
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Dave Eats
This pleace overlooks the oceans. The servers are nice attentive and very knowledgeable of their food. They have daily specials that range from gourmet pastas to seafood soups that will blow your mind. I had the seafood stew “Cioppino” it was the special of the day. However this place is a bit pricey and great date night spot so be ready to throw a few hundos around for this amazing place. It’s worth it. Cozy seats with pillows and full bar inside for those who like that setting
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Wayne Kimball, Jr.
We went off of a recommendation and weren’t disappointed. They have a small dining area near the bar and way more seating in a tented area in the back. We shared the crab cake with an arugula salad and was off to a great start! The crab cake wasn’t all breading and had good flavor. My wife had the lasagna with the split red and white sauce and she really enjoyed it. I had a spicy scallop pasta and was happy with the dish but it could always be spicier. For dessert we enjoyed the pistachio cheesecake and a chocolate pie. Both were good. We definitely finished strong. As far as the drinks, we brought in one of our favorite wines and was just charged a $20 corking fee. We chatted with the owner, Riccardo briefly and he has worked hard to produce and authentic and delicious product. The serving staff was also great. You can tell there are regulars and no surprise they keep coming back.
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Red Brown
Great place with ocean breezes and views. Live Jazz band on Thursdays with a great guitar and bass duo! Best smelling restaurant ever! Super friendly positive vibe from owner and staff.
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Anthony Sansone
We were really happy that we came to Stella’s during our short trip to the area. The ambiance was great with a great view of the ocean. Service was wonderful. And they had a live sax player playing music, which was nice entertainment. We ordered bruschetta and calamari to start. The lobster and shrimp ravioli was amazing (this was a special). We also got the chicken Parmesan, and the chicken was so tender. We were staying at the Ritz-Carlton down the street, and we honestly received more attentive service and had a better experience here then at the Ritz. Thanks Stella’s ☺️
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Mike Arzoumanian
Food was good, our waiter was great. Only one big complaint. We were there for my mom’s 82nd bday. We made reservations at 4pm to beat the rush and also to get a good table with a view. The restaurant was pretty much empty when we showed up and we were given a table in the bar area by the front door. My mom didn’t like it and asked for another in the other room that has an ocean view. The manager told my mom if we didn’t like the table we were given we could dine elsewhere. Totally blown away by that response and total lack of customer service skills, what a way to respond to such a simple request on a special occasion. So many better ways that could have been handled. We won’t be back any time soon.
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Laurana Thomas
I come here once a week for lunch with my mom. Great food and service. I order the minestrone soup and Ceasar salad with chicken, yum. Their pizza and pasta are wonderful too.
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G A U
A nice Father’s Day dinner at Stella’s. We ordered a bottle of Austin Hope to start with the eggplant appetizer and bread. My wife had a tequilla and club soda with limes. Jameson our waiter was very professional and listed the specials as well. I had a wonderful pasta dish with grilled chicken and my wife had the swordfish special. Such a delight.
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