Vine

So yesterday was my first time and as soon as i walked in the atmosphere was nothing but great vibes. The server that me and my fiancé had was michelle she was amazing, she had good recommendations for drinks and the food how can explain… It was the best dinner that ive had in a very long time i couldn’t of been any happier definitely have to come back and shout out to kirk the other server that got us seated quickly.

Nice upscale vibe. Great wine. Kinda of a hip, posh place. Small inside so gets loud but I’ve never tried the patio.

Wonderful experience top to bottom! All staff were very hospitable, bartender made excellent craft cocktails and was more than happy to transfer our bar tab.
Server was very experienced and knew menu extremely well. All food, specials and dessert were delicious!
No complaints and I can’t wait to go back!

My favorite restaurant in San Clemente. Staff, food, everyone there is awesome. Best bartender, and wait staff is top notch. The burger is better than most, and if you ever see a pork chop on special, don’t hesitate. Get there before 6 or after 8:30 and the bar should be easy. If you want a table in the dining room book well in advance. Seasonal menu updates keep it interesting, with an unwavering food quality. One word — Go.

Rarely do I willingly go to the same restaurant twice in a month. I crave variety. I take a different route home every day from work. I never order the same thing off a menu. I sit in a different chair every morning drinking coffee. I do go home to the same lovely woman every day but that’s where I draw the line. So, why do I come back to the same restaurant a month later? Well, it was so good the first time… I really wanted to check the inside dining experience instead of the patio… there are not that many highly rated spots in San Clemente… and it was equidistant between Huntington Beach and Carlsbad.
Another business dinner with one of my reps and our spouses do I knew this place is special. We were indeed seated inside this time. I really don’t like a cold ankle on my right side and hot left shoulder from the patio heater on a cool night. The inside was gorgeous. Exposed wood beams, hard floors, wine crate wall effects, chalkboard menus, subtle lighting, a happening bar, and a consistent temperature. Barbara took awesome care of us and we had another awesome dining experience.
Oysters on the half shell from Carlsbad and a beet/​crab salad were excellent. Fresh bread and tapenade and a Caesar salad opened the evening alongside a tasty cocktail of vodka, grapefruit juice, lime and mint. We moved to a couple of bottles of delicious Pinot noir which paired nicely with their enormous rib-​eye, and mashed potatoes. The table shared a mac n cheese and Brussels sprouts dish. My wife devoured the lamb shank and the other couple had both a special sea bass and a regular sea as from the menu. We all split a crème brûlée and an oatmeal cookie crumble. Every item we had was quite simply fantastic.
This is really one of my favorite restaurants… ever. From ambiance to service to food.

Really nice place, good service, good food, all my friends told me this place and tonight I came here with my boyfriend, we are both happy, we will be back

Blows… I’m from L A and these wanna be cool/​hipster spots crack me up. Server? O K. Food, cold, bland, o k. If you want o k? Give it Whirl… I warned ya though.

One of the best restaurants in Orange County!!! The service is spot on and the food is always fresh and comes out hot every time! The craft cocktails are very tasty and the wine list is exceptional. Having been coming here for about a year and it never disappoints!

A little confused why this place has so many good reviews. The service was friendly and fast (hence the 2 stars) but the food is not great and it’s also overpriced. We ordered the jidori chicken and the Mexicali burger. The chicken had decent flavor yet was a little dry but not worth $ 23. The burger was terrible … It was completely cold and the bun was bland. The only «Mexicali» thing about it was the grilled pepper on top of the burger. Definitely not worth $ 15. Also we ordered a $ 28 bottle of wine that turned out to be a $ 9 bottle at the store. But that just proves we are suckers!!!
Anyway we really were expecting this place to be amazing based on the reviews. But the prices of the food just isn’t justified by the quality. We will not be returning unfortunately.

Great upscale variety of food. I love the atmosphere and great service! The love potion #9 was my favorite cocktail. Intimate area, great for a date night!

Ambiance, great to walk around the streets after a big meal, they don’t rush you even though they know they have a full house and diners waiting behind you to get in. Nice wine selection and they keep the menu fresh! The chef is happy to accommodate slightly picky eaters (okay very picky eaters I can’t lie) and when I asked to grill the poached salmon they didn’t make a face… no problem! Dessert — only three on the menu, all fresh and delish!

Hands down worst service/​food I have ever had…
All food was served almost cold, waited over an hour for just two plates. Extremely over priced, for this fast-​food quality food. I’ve had better service at Burger King. Everything about this so called «restaurant» was awful. The steak was terrible, dry, and cold. I would never recommend this poor excuse of a restaurant to anybody.

I was highly disappointed in the service, starting from when you walk in. You’re made to think they will be with you in a moment, but it’s as if they are too busy to greet you. The entrees are over priced and inconsistent with the quality they serve. Nor is there much of a selection. Sad to say I will not be able to support this local spot again.

We never ate here because they put us on a list — which we were never called. When we came back to complain (2.5 hours later), the sweet brunette hostess was trying to be hospital, and seat us immediately… when she was literally cut-​off by some blond woman who had ZERO customer service experience. She literally lied to our faces telling us that we weren’t even there, after the other woman apologized for not calling us. The other woman refused to seat us and told us there was still a list at 9:20. Don’t bother.

Love the dining area but not a fan of the bar. Service is great. The main entrees good but the drinks and appetizers not matching the price. Overall is a good place to hang out with friends or for a dinner date.

We love Vine! Really 5 star restaurant.
Service is always extremely fantastic. We had halibut cheeks tonight and boy boy boy… Amazing. Brook remembered us from a few month ago. How not to love this restaurant. Just love love love!!!
Got to try thus fabulous place.

We were having a double date with a couple in San Diego. It was suggested we find a place about halfway in between so we decided on the San Clemente area. In looking at the available options through Unilocal! (2 – 3 $, alcohol, waiter service, credit cards, highest rated), Vine was at the top of the list. When Aaron E. gives it 5*, it’s a lock.
We made reservations on Open Table for 6:30 and we were on time. Parking is a hassle and they do not offer valet. Fortunately, my wife looked at their website and found that they offer free parking about 6 businesses away at Firts Team Real Estate. Ok, close enough, and no fear of tickets. It was cold a drizzly but not too bad as we made our way in. The hostess seemed perplexed that we were early as she had us down for 7pm. Hmmmm… I had the open table confirmation so this was on them. We did get seated immediately in their heated patio. I’m not a huge fan of a patio on a cold night. You are easier too far away form the heater and freeze or too close and get burned on the same part of your neck. Fortunately, it was pretty comfortable for all HD we were dressed appropriately.
Once seated, Brooke took great care of us the test of the evening. We ordered some of their craft cocktails and they were delicious. My wife had their version of a Manhattan and I had some bourbon drink with ginger beer and Chinese 5 spice. Both were outstanding. Doing our homework before we came in, we were able to get a sense of their most popular dishes and immediately ordered the glazed duck wings. They actually look like large chicken legs but there was no mistaking the duck flavor. Really meaty with a delicious honey glaze. That could be dinner right there. We also shared a large bowl of gourmet olives (perfectly delicious) and a sliced meat platter (so decadent). I’ve never had their version of sliced chorizo. Served cold and looking like sliced salami, it was just delightful, without being overly salted or spicy. Prosciutto, a couple of other meats, stone ground mustard, a few olives and pickles, a toast point… and the platter was devoured.
The main menu only had about 6 choices plus a special or two so this was no TGI Fridays or Cheesecake Factory. With the heavy appetizers I chose the Pork Schnitzel over the 22 oz. rib-​eye. Yeah, fried pork is not exactly light, right? A huge slab of thin pounded pork, breaded and fried to a light crispness served over spätzle and veggies. A large and delicious meal. Totally satisfying. My wife had the pork over noodles with mushrooms and I stole a few bites… really tasty as well. We pre-​ordered the chocolate soufflé which was served with a ball of fresh vanilla ice cream jammed in the middle upon serving.
A really delicious meal with exceptional understated service. No pressure to turn over the table, decent wine selection and not overly priced for the service and quality. Solid place.

Thank you Jesus for letting me have the opportunity to eat here.
This place is an absolute next level.
Perfect portion, perfect quality, perfect price, and perfect service makes this restaurant 5 star plus.

One of the best restaurants in San Clemente. Gabe, part owner and mixologist at the Vine home brews most of his own gin and whatever else he has decided to cook up. These are some of the best drinks and best presentation of a drink I have ever had. The vine has a very nice home feel to it but has this unique touch to the place because the men behind the vine really care about your experience there. The setting and atmosphere is always fun and you feel so welcome. The food there is also Amazing I’ve never had anything there that wasn’t delicious. My favorite is the fries! They are always fresh and so good! I could eat and drink here every weekend!
— Amazing drinks
— great food
— amazing atmosphere
— amazing service

I’m looking forward to trying Vine again. Haven’t tried it in 6 months. The mexacali burger used to be amazing then they switched owners /​chefs and ever since then the bun on the mexacali has been soggy and not grilled.
Every 6 months I go back if it isn’t good I wait 6 more months, if it’s good I’ll be a regular again. Hopefully it’s back to being the Bomb! If so I will review again.

Wow. Just wow. Everything we had was beyond amazing
The plating was so top notch. And my god the ravioli. So good

The restaurant I’ve been looking for since moving here. Inside is nondescript and Gastro-​pub casual. The food is very well presented and tastes even better. Some unique flavor combinations that absolutely nail it. High quality local ingredients. All adds up to incredible dining experience
Had
Pumpkin Ravioli — awesome
Endive and black kale salad — fantastic
Me: lamb shank — beautifully braised and accoutrement were perfect
Date: sea bass — perfection.
Dessert: chocolate soufflé — rich warm chocolate hug

OMG! If you’re a food/​drink junkie look no further! This place is a hidden gem! Best food & crafted cocktails I’ve had ever.
Let’s start with the duck wings, baked mac n cheese. It was to die for. My date was scared to try duck and she LOVED it. Such amazing flavor.
Then the cocktails! Gabe made the whole list and holy cannoli I don’t know who to give more props to, the 5 star chef or the 5 star mixologist. Not your average cock tails.
Main course was chicken in this amazing soft with tons of delicious veggies. But the braised beef cheek, I’ve never tasted something so tender & juicy in my life. My pallet has been forever changed.
We ended it all with crème brûlée which was insanely good, and these delicious shots the bartender made just for us.
The best part, everyone is really friendly and they know the menu very well. I was highly impressed as our waitress Brooke told us all the specials and everything on them without missing a beat. The whole place is super friendly, and for what you’re getting it’s very fairly priced. I was expecting double what we actually paid.
If you want your mind & taste buds blown, this place is a must. I’ll be back to spoil myself sooner than later! Thanks Vine!

Great location in SC — cozy interior with an informal bar and outdoor patio plus more formal dining room and wine cellar. White tablecloths and black cloth napkins. Service was professional and prompt with a floor manager who came to check on us a couple of times.
Prices were not outrageous at all. The priciest dish was the bone-​in ribeye at $ 38. I splurged on this for my birthday. Portion was massive — essentially two regular ribeye servings. Blue cheese mashed potatoes, crème fraîche horseradish sauce, bone marrow sauce, caramelized brussels sprouts and roasted carrots/​green beans. The dish was enormous, but everything was spot on. Cooked perfectly.
Appetizer of duck wings also delivered, great sweet and sour type sauce, crispy skin. Excellent all around.
Wife went for the pumpkin ravioli appetizer and clam/​rock shrimp couscous for a double appetizer equals entrée type of logic. Both outstanding.
Wine list was extensive, craft beer list also surprisingly nice with even a Pizza Port tap from next door.
Chocolate soufflé for dessert similarly delicious and cooked perfectly. It ended up being comped as a birthday gift — nice little perk.
Overall, wonderful birthday dinner here. Would certainly come back and probably not splurge so much. Going for just a burger and beer, you can get out of here more at the $$-level.

Chefs special Scallops: 3.5 stars
Scallops were a bit on the salty side but the sauce was yummy.
Great ambiance & great wine themed décor (all of the wine barrels & corks are put to good use.)

This is such a cute little spot in SC & I’m glad we stopped by and decided to skip out on the usual South of Nicks taco Tuesday plans.
So let’s talk about VINE! It’s a hidden little spot, very intimate, refined and has a very rustic vine bar feel! It would be a very cute date night spot! On one side they have a casual vine bar and in the other room is the quieter restaurant portion, & both are great. Been here before for drinks with my girl friends and decided to try their food this time. We all expected good things because the service and quality has always been good here from our past visits.
Two of us ordered the loup de mer sea bass and one got the snapper with curry couscous (special of the day). We also tried the fried green tomatoes with burrata cheese and it was all amaaaazing!!! The fish was perfectly cooked and flaky grilled to perfection with the sea bass. The roasted veggies and almonds were perfect with the sea bass. The snapper dish was a hit too, and was cooked similar to the bass. The curry couscous was the best! just so so yummy & perfect with the snapper.
Overall the drinks were strong (as usual), the food was so fresh & tasted great, and most of all the service was great! We will definitely be coming back. But just hope to get a seat by the bar next time because the restaurant gets very intimate and quiet at dinner and the crowds a bit older. It’s just not the place for much needed wined out girl talk on a Tuesday night with my besties!

Good food, great service, nice ambiance! Went here for our anniversary dinner and we were really glad we found this place!
Location
Relaxed and intimate in the dining room side. Nice date atmosphere. Parking can be a little challenging, but they have an arrangement with a couple parking lots after 5pm that are nearby.
Food
Crispy Duck Wings — Really good! Nice sized appetizer with 4 wings and a really tasty sauce.
Pork Schnitzel — Reminded me of a pork Katsu, the lemon sauce was really nice, I wish I had more of the sauce on top of the pork.
Lamb Shank — winning dish of the night. Very tender, falling off the bone with a very rich hearty flavor. The pickled vegetable salad on top was perfect to balance the richness of the lamb and sunchoke purée underneath.
Crème brûlée — so nice that they put so much fruit on top of it!
Service
Outstanding! Our server was Brook and she was excellent. Really helped us order with some timely suggestions, recommended a wine which paired much better than what we initially planned to order, and was attentive without ever being intrusive. Everyone working there was very nice and accommodating.
Definitely intend to go back!

Napa Valley dining comes to South County residents with a complete culinary and wine experience from a notable team of local experts.
As the farm to table revolution continues its march through the southland it was only a matter of time before San Clemente would realize a gastronomic gem such as Vine for itself. Vine is a unique dining experience in San Clem. The restaurant features its own garden and uses organic heirloom herbs, fruits, and vegetables in all of the dishes along with wonderfully inspired sauces, meats and cheeses. The restaurant also boasts an energetic and hungry young Executive Chef in Jared Cook of French 75 and The Crow Bar and Kitchen fame. Add a rustic, yet modern interior and supremely polished service and you have every ingredient needed for a wonderful meal.
The menu is nothing if not inventive and I found myself stymied for a final selection; everything seemed to peak my interest. Pork schnitzel with wild mushrooms? House made english pea & garlic confit ravioli? Maybe the Pheasant-​cognac sausage & wild boar bratwurst? I downed an entire Left Coast Brewery Trestles IPA trying to make up my mind and finally settled on the Grilled bone-​in Ribeye thanks for our waitresses recommendation.
She definitely pointed me in the right direction, there is no question about that.
The Grilled bone-​in Ribeye is a marbled 22 ounce monolith draped in a rich and savory Bernaise sauce. The flavor profile is divine thanks to the detectable smokiness from the grill in each delicate bite. The quality of the meat was unquestionable and the steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare temperature. Everything about this meal was satisfying and the tangy smoked blue cheese mashed potatoes acted as the perfect counterpart; a superb side. Garden fresh Maitake mushrooms and crisp young asparagus flanked the entrée. Bring your appetite if you are considering going this route, I could not finish it alone.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself at Vine and I am excited that South County is starting to develop a palette to support inspired Chefs and Mixologists. I cannot wait to get back soon with a group of friends and enjoy a family/​tapas style dinner so as to try as much of the menu as possible. If you are in the area, there is simply no reason not to try Jared Cook’s brand of farm to table.