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Interior - Stella's, Dana Point, CA

Stella's

4.2 (1397)
$31 to $50
Italian
17 Monarch Bay Plaza, Dana Point, CA 92629

Make a reservation

A photo of Stella's restaurant

Stella's

4.2
$31 to $50
Italian
Dana Point / Monarch Beach

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 6 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for scenic views
  • 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!

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
  • 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.
  • 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

Concierge
AI Beta

Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at Stella's.

4.2

4.2
(1397)
  • 4.3Food
  • 4.4Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 4.1Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Stella's offers a warm and welcoming atmosphere with a beautiful ocean view and live harp music, making it "a hidden local favorite." Guests rave about the "absolutely delicious" food and commend standout servers like Larry and Ivan. While occasional service hiccups occur, the overall dining experience remains "fabulous as always."
1,398 Reviews
  1. Ralf

    Vancouver16 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Tasty food and excellent service. Visiting from Canada but would always come back for this to be our “go to” Italian restaurant.

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  2. Pat

    Orange County3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent waiter and wait staff - very attentive - good music - and ambiance. Small venue - booth was intimate . Food was excellent - all the dishes were done to perfection - we did not have any complaints!

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  3. Fabiola Gold

    Chicago1 review

    5.0

    Dined on October 26, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent service all around! From the hostess to our server, busboys, and harpist, everyone was wonderful and welcoming. The food was absolutely delicious, and the entire experience was fantastic. Highly recommend!

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  4. Daniel Gold

    Orange County74 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on October 10, 2026

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

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  5. Maddy Gold

    Los Angeles8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on October 10, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great location! Ocean view! Ivan was super helpful with dinner selections. All were delicious. The music of the gentleman playing the harp synthesizer was a fun touch!

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  6. Paul

    Philadelphia1 review

    1.0

    Dined on October 7, 2026

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Their hours are posted as open until 9:00 pm. We made an open table reservation for 8:15. When we arrived an older gentlemen working behind the bar very rudely said “we’re closed”. We explained we had a reservation for 4 and had the email confirmation to prove it. He simply did not care. Horrendous customer service. We’ll never return. Luckily there was a steak and sushi place next door and they could not have been kinder. The Stella employee we encountered should stop in to Ichibiri next door for some customer service training!

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  7. Susie

    Orange County2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on October 5, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    What a Romantic Beauty of a restaurant. The Staff, the food, the live Harpist playing lovely music and the friendly atmosphere treating you like family. Next time we are in town we will dine here as our first choice.

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  8. Shari Gold

    Orange County31 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on October 4, 2026

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    First off it is super hot in there on warm days so take note. Our meal was delicious but I think our first batch of bread was leftover from another table. Yuck. Clearly an error somewhere. Other than that, we enjoyed our meals very much. The guitar player was great.

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  9. Angela

    Tallahassee4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on September 19, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The food is great! The waiter forgot our salad but paid for dessert. It’s was fine. The fettuccine Alfredo was delicious. No live music - nice and quiet dinner!

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  10. Nancy

    Orange County4 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on September 6, 2026

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The quality of the food has really gone down hill since we started going there 20 years ago. Horrible pasta dishes!!

    Is this helpful?

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
  • 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.
  • 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

FAQs

Expect the biggest crowds on Saturday evenings, reviewers say Stella’s can be jammed around 6:30, while mid‑day visits are often much quieter and better for calm conversation.

Stella’s feels like a cozy, old‑school Italian, white‑tablecloth dining with live harp or saxophone, an intimate interior, and a livelier lounge and covered patio for more animated evenings.

Smart casual, aim for polished but relaxed attire; many guests do dress up a touch for anniversaries and special occasions.

For a quieter visit, aim for mid‑day at Stella’s, guests say midday is calm and ideal for a relaxed meal; if you want value and a livelier bar scene, the Lounge’s posted Happy Hour (starting in the mid‑afternoon) is popular.

Stella’s has a main dining room plus a lounge/bar, and an enclosed/covered alfresco patio, the bar and a few tall tables are used for Happy Hour seating.

Yes, Stella’s is family‑friendly: the owner describes it as perfect for friends and family, guests report dining with children (one child loved the gnocchi), and larger family groups have been comfortably accommodated in the covered patio.

Stella's hours are: Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–9:00 pm; Fri, Sat 11:30 am–10:00 pm. Happy Hour is offered in the lounge.

Sunday is a great pick, guests specifically call out Sunday Happy Hour and enjoying the lounge scene there.

Portions tend to be generous, several guests note that entrees are quite large and happy-hour plates often leave leftovers.

Yes, Stella's is frequently chosen for anniversaries and special evenings, with live harp/sax, attentive service and an ocean-adjacent patio.

How FAQ content is generated

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Orange County
  4. South Orange County
  5. Dana Point / Monarch Beach

Make a reservation

A photo of Stella's restaurant

Stella's

4.2
$31 to $50
Italian
Dana Point / Monarch Beach

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 6 times today
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