Caterina's

Sara Clayton

Love coming here!! They’re always nice to me, they have bomb flavors, and they have pretty pink umbrellas out front where you can sit and see the ocean and sunset. I love doing a beach walk and on the way back to the car, stopping for their gelato. The wife is always super sweet, I always feel super welcome, and the store is clean and cute. 💗💕💗🌸🌸

Cassandra Macedo

Ordered a iced strawberry matcha with oat milk 10/10 highly recommend! Also ordered a banana smoothie is very flavorful! It was very beautiful! Definitely worth stopping by! Very great customer service!! 💯💯💯

CJ Smith

I love stopping in here for the amazing Gelato and a home made toasted Vegetarian sandwich. Still my favorite place in all of San Clemente to visit and that’s saying a lot considering my family moved to San Clemente in 1956. The owners are super friendly and the views are awesome from the patio. You can see the San Clemente sunsets perfectly while enjoying a nice meal from the patio or a fresh cup of gourmet style coffee with some homemade gelato. Also, there’s a bunch of healthy lunch options if you’re a vegetarian 🌱 The avocado toast is amazing and worth a try. One of my favorite spots to hang out and enjoy the beautiful ocean view. 😋

Mark Kirven

I enjoyed the salted caramel lattes I had from this place and the pastries. Not sure why it has a low rating on here I liked this place.

Lex Houseman

Lots of FILLING Vegan and Vegetarian options. I highly recommend this place, and will likely stop back by tomorrow to try a different plant based bite. From avo toast, to burritos, to pizza there are so many yummy options friendly to all diets.

Jon Lewis

Brought my girlfriend here for Sunday brunch. Wasn't crowded early Sunday morning. We enjoyed our breakfast on the outside patio and we picked out some treats for later from the display case.

Menu is really varied, great breakfast and GF options. They get a bad rap but generally not too crowded, good portions and delicious! I have not experienced bad service

This is a wonderful little café with a direct view of the sea — you can literally sit and enjoy your meal while looking at the ocean. The food is delicious, prices are very reasonable, and the service is warm and friendly. The whole place has a very cozy, pleasant vibe. The only small downside is that there’s no restroom on-site, but there's a public restroom just across the street at the beach, so it’s not a big issue. Highly recommend this spot, especially for breakfast — their coffee is perfect to start the day!

Had lunch at Caterinas today and was really impressed!!! I've enjoyed their yummy Avocado toast for brunch or the authentically Italian gelato before but had never eaten lunch there. The hubster and I had the Italian Sub and the Turkey Avo Panini, respectively. Both were mouthwateringly Deee-lish!!!! I mean as good as the best deli sandwich you've had since your last trip to NYC!! Seriously!! Added bonus was the ocean peeping through the palms. Try it...you won't be sorry.

Lisa MacKenzie

Menu is really varied, great breakfast and GF options. They get a bad rap but generally not too crowded, good portions and delicious! I have not experienced bad service

Kristin Korkunis

Had lunch at Caterinas today and was really impressed!!! I've enjoyed their yummy Avocado toast for brunch or the authentically Italian gelato before but had never eaten lunch there. The hubster and I had the Italian Sub and the Turkey Avo Panini, respectively. Both were mouthwateringly Deee-lish!!!! I mean as good as the best deli sandwich you've had since your last trip to NYC!! Seriously!! Added bonus was the ocean peeping through the palms. Try it...you won't be sorry.

Arcady Levitanus

This is a wonderful little café with a direct view of the sea — you can literally sit and enjoy your meal while looking at the ocean. The food is delicious, prices are very reasonable, and the service is warm and friendly. The whole place has a very cozy, pleasant vibe. The only small downside is that there’s no restroom on-site, but there's a public restroom just across the street at the beach, so it’s not a big issue. Highly recommend this spot, especially for breakfast — their coffee is perfect to start the day!

We ordered the Coconut Caramel and their Creme Brulee lattes as well as Stella's Breakfast Tacos and the Turkey & Avo Panini Sandwich. The coconut caramel was to sweet, the staff fixed it without any addtl charges. The creme brulee was ok. The Stella Tacos tasted bland, needs something added to it. The Turkey & Avo sandwich was over the top. They went over the top with the avacados. Plenty of seating. Parking available for a fee nearby. Nice view of the beach across the street. Place was clean. They have a good option of ice cream and chocolates.

gc ortiz

We ordered the Coconut Caramel and their Creme Brulee lattes as well as Stella's Breakfast Tacos and the Turkey & Avo Panini Sandwich. The coconut caramel was to sweet, the staff fixed it without any addtl charges. The creme brulee was ok. The Stella Tacos tasted bland, needs something added to it. The Turkey & Avo sandwich was over the top. They went over the top with the avacados. Plenty of seating. Parking available for a fee nearby. Nice view of the beach across the street. Place was clean. They have a good option of ice cream and chocolates.

I went to this place Caterina's in San Clemente. Three stars. That's right in the middle: not terrible, not amazing. Just... there. Like my high school GPA. So about the service... yeah, I get what everyone's saying about it. It's not great. The waitress looked at me like I was speaking a different language, and I was just asking where the bathroom was. I mean, I do mumble sometimes. My girlfriend says I sound like I'm talking through a broken speaker to at a drive-thru. Just kidding. I don’t have a girlfriend. But anyway back to Caterina’s whose name reminds me of a Russian chick that married the guy who first owned the place when it was called “Sal’s”… The thing is, they're in this perfect location in San Clemente, so they don't really need to improve. It's like when you're the only gas station for 50 miles. You can be rude to everybody because what are they gonna do push their car home? The outdoor seating though, that was really nice. I sat out there for a while just watching people walk by. Some guy walked past with a parrot on his shoulder. Just a regular Tuesday in San Clemente I guess. In Mexico, I’m pretty sure that would make him a drug dealer. They have this selection of mochas that's pretty impressive. I tried one with some kind of hazelnut thing in it. It was good. Not "text your mom about it" good, but definitely "nod your head while you're drinking it" good. The big issue is they don't have Wi-Fi. In 2025. I asked the waiter about it, and he looked at me like I'd asked if I could borrow his teleportation booth. He said, "No, we want people to connect with each other." Which is a nice thought, but I was alone, so I just connected with my phone data plan instead. Burned through like half my monthly allowance looking at pictures of men wearing parrots. So yeah, three stars. Would I go back? Probably. Would I remember I've been there before until I saw the man with the parrot? Probably not.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

It’s a nice place to sit and relax, but the service was okay. The chocolates were tasty but don’t think they’re in house.

Tina C

It’s a nice place to sit and relax, but the service was okay. The chocolates were tasty but don’t think they’re in house.

NICK MENNELL

I went to this place Caterina's in San Clemente. Three stars. That's right in the middle: not terrible, not amazing. Just... there. Like my high school GPA. So about the service... yeah, I get what everyone's saying about it. It's not great. The waitress looked at me like I was speaking a different language, and I was just asking where the bathroom was. I mean, I do mumble sometimes. My girlfriend says I sound like I'm talking through a broken speaker to at a drive-thru. Just kidding. I don’t have a girlfriend. But anyway back to Caterina’s whose name reminds me of a Russian chick that married the guy who first owned the place when it was called “Sal’s”… The thing is, they're in this perfect location in San Clemente, so they don't really need to improve. It's like when you're the only gas station for 50 miles. You can be rude to everybody because what are they gonna do push their car home? The outdoor seating though, that was really nice. I sat out there for a while just watching people walk by. Some guy walked past with a parrot on his shoulder. Just a regular Tuesday in San Clemente I guess. In Mexico, I’m pretty sure that would make him a drug dealer. They have this selection of mochas that's pretty impressive. I tried one with some kind of hazelnut thing in it. It was good. Not "text your mom about it" good, but definitely "nod your head while you're drinking it" good. The big issue is they don't have Wi-Fi. In 2025. I asked the waiter about it, and he looked at me like I'd asked if I could borrow his teleportation booth. He said, "No, we want people to connect with each other." Which is a nice thought, but I was alone, so I just connected with my phone data plan instead. Burned through like half my monthly allowance looking at pictures of men wearing parrots. So yeah, three stars. Would I go back? Probably. Would I remember I've been there before until I saw the man with the parrot? Probably not.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Very good vegan pastries, but overpriced. Old lady is very rude. Don’t expect to sit on the patio with anything bought from somewhere else. We were the only two customers sitting in the patio and we got kicked out for having coffee from next door. Somebody needs behavior health. :c

We went in to grab pastries and bottled water for quick calories so the teens could keep surfing. The lady yelled at the boys who were looking at the menu outside because they had surfboards, no big deal, they moved of course. I ordered brought them their food on the street and went back in to wait for the bagel. When it was ready she told me I couldn’t sit outside because I had a coffee from another cafe. Didn’t matter that we spent $35. Seemed so unnecessarily rude, had she been polite I’d have just finished the coffee and sat but it was too inhospitable.

Tracy Miller

We went in to grab pastries and bottled water for quick calories so the teens could keep surfing. The lady yelled at the boys who were looking at the menu outside because they had surfboards, no big deal, they moved of course. I ordered brought them their food on the street and went back in to wait for the bagel. When it was ready she told me I couldn’t sit outside because I had a coffee from another cafe. Didn’t matter that we spent $35. Seemed so unnecessarily rude, had she been polite I’d have just finished the coffee and sat but it was too inhospitable.

Giovanni Rodriguez

Very good vegan pastries, but overpriced. Old lady is very rude. Don’t expect to sit on the patio with anything bought from somewhere else. We were the only two customers sitting in the patio and we got kicked out for having coffee from next door. Somebody needs behavior health. :c

⭐️ 1 star — HORRIBLE DISGUSTING ALMOST DISCRIMINATORY RIDICULOUS Disrespectful, unwelcoming, and wildly overpriced I stopped at Caterina’s Caffee on the San Clemente Pier planning to grab gelato/ice cream while waiting for my wife and child to arrive. I sat at an outdoor table, pulled out my MacBook Air, and connected to my own personal hotspot (not their Wi-Fi) so I could get a little work done while I waited. Within moments, the owner approached and told me I “can’t use a laptop here.” Not politely. Not professionally. Not like a business that appreciates customers. The tone was abrupt, hostile, and unnecessarily rude — like I was doing something wrong simply by sitting quietly at an outdoor table, minding my own business. To be clear: I wasn’t taking up a whole section, I wasn’t being loud, I wasn’t bothering anyone, and I wasn’t asking for anything free. I was literally waiting for my family and trying to be productive for a few minutes. If there’s a “no laptop” policy, fine — but then post it clearly and communicate it with basic decency. The way this was handled felt like I was being singled out and treated with contempt. The overall vibe was shockingly unwelcoming — the kind of place that makes you feel like customers are a nuisance instead of the reason the business exists. For a pier café where people naturally sit, wait, and relax, this makes zero sense. And then the pricing… outrageous. I’ve seen expensive tourist spots, but this was next level. $27 for ice cream/gelato is not “premium,” it’s just excessive — especially when the service and attitude are this bad. If you’re going to charge luxury prices, you need to deliver luxury hospitality. This was the opposite. Bottom line: Beautiful location, but the experience was unpleasant enough that I won’t return. If you value friendly service, basic respect, and reasonable pricing, I’d strongly suggest taking your money somewhere else on the pier.

While we sitting at an outdoor table next to a public bench(as shown in this pic), Not the patio area with the pink umbrellas). While we are deciding what we want to order from this store later. A man ran out approaching and rudely telling my husband and my 4yo child to move and sit on the bench next to the table. The way he spoke to us was not polite and disrespectful. Which made the situation very uncomfortable. If there is a policy that certain which tables are reserved for customers only. There is certainly understandable. However, the way it was talked to us was unprofessional. The experience was unpleasant and let my child and us feeing unwelcome.

The staff was very nice, the atmosphere and location was AMAZING, however…. the food was AWFUL. Maybe they have good deserts but I spent 24$ on a 12 inch pinch and it was the worst pizza I had in my life. Visually it was very sad and underwhelming and the flavor was also not good. The worst part was how my jaw was getting sore from chewing my pizza dough so hard because it was SO chewy. Awful, I would definitely NOT recommend the Margarita Pizza.

Cute beachside café and gelato/coffee bar. Good food and Gelato. Unfortunately staff is unable to accept cash if change is required and there is no signage indicating this. Would love to rate higher but this is a deal breaker for me. I was basically forced to pay with a card. Visitors be advised, owners please correct with a clearer policy or signage.

WebWorks Agency

⭐️ 1 star — HORRIBLE DISGUSTING ALMOST DISCRIMINATORY RIDICULOUS Disrespectful, unwelcoming, and wildly overpriced I stopped at Caterina’s Caffee on the San Clemente Pier planning to grab gelato/ice cream while waiting for my wife and child to arrive. I sat at an outdoor table, pulled out my MacBook Air, and connected to my own personal hotspot (not their Wi-Fi) so I could get a little work done while I waited. Within moments, the owner approached and told me I “can’t use a laptop here.” Not politely. Not professionally. Not like a business that appreciates customers. The tone was abrupt, hostile, and unnecessarily rude — like I was doing something wrong simply by sitting quietly at an outdoor table, minding my own business. To be clear: I wasn’t taking up a whole section, I wasn’t being loud, I wasn’t bothering anyone, and I wasn’t asking for anything free. I was literally waiting for my family and trying to be productive for a few minutes. If there’s a “no laptop” policy, fine — but then post it clearly and communicate it with basic decency. The way this was handled felt like I was being singled out and treated with contempt. The overall vibe was shockingly unwelcoming — the kind of place that makes you feel like customers are a nuisance instead of the reason the business exists. For a pier café where people naturally sit, wait, and relax, this makes zero sense. And then the pricing… outrageous. I’ve seen expensive tourist spots, but this was next level. $27 for ice cream/gelato is not “premium,” it’s just excessive — especially when the service and attitude are this bad. If you’re going to charge luxury prices, you need to deliver luxury hospitality. This was the opposite. Bottom line: Beautiful location, but the experience was unpleasant enough that I won’t return. If you value friendly service, basic respect, and reasonable pricing, I’d strongly suggest taking your money somewhere else on the pier.

Michelle Trudeau

The staff was very nice, the atmosphere and location was AMAZING, however…. the food was AWFUL. Maybe they have good deserts but I spent 24$ on a 12 inch pinch and it was the worst pizza I had in my life. Visually it was very sad and underwhelming and the flavor was also not good. The worst part was how my jaw was getting sore from chewing my pizza dough so hard because it was SO chewy. Awful, I would definitely NOT recommend the Margarita Pizza.

MrMardoober

Cute beachside café and gelato/coffee bar. Good food and Gelato. Unfortunately staff is unable to accept cash if change is required and there is no signage indicating this. Would love to rate higher but this is a deal breaker for me. I was basically forced to pay with a card. Visitors be advised, owners please correct with a clearer policy or signage.

Emiliano Abate

I wish I had read the reviews before ordering. I got the breakfast burrito, and unfortunately it was disappointing. It had clearly just been reheated in the microwave and didn’t taste fresh at all. For the price, it really wasn’t worth it—I would have been better off grabbing something from a gas station.