
Italian cafe across from the San Clemente Pier serving breakfast, lunch, espresso, sandwiches, paninis, pizza, flatbreads, gelato, smoothies, chocolates and desserts. Gelato is made in house daily. Great ocean and sunset views from our outdoor patio. We also offer a large selection of beer and wine.
Hours
| Friday | 7 AM–8 PM |
| Saturday | 7 AM–8 PM |
| Sunday | 7 AM–7 PM |
| Monday | 7 AM–7 PM |
| Tuesday | 7 AM–7 PM |
| Wednesday | 7 AM–7 PM |
| Thursday | 7 AM–7 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 614 Avenida Victoria, San Clemente, CA 92672
Phone: (949) 218-7085
Website: http://www.caterinas.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Order: Order online
Photo Gallery
Related Web Results
Caterinas
Caterina’s Main Menu – ohbz.com
Caterina’s Gelato Bar (@caterinasgelato) · San Clemente, CA
Reviews
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.
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.