My daughters had been looking forward to visiting this gelato shop for years because it’s such a cute place. Unfortunately, our experience was incredibly disappointing.
We spent $50 on gelato for our family. After we finished, my 8-year-old son was thirsty and nervously asked for a cup of tap water. I reassured him that it wouldn’t be a problem. Instead, he came back embarrassed after being told they only sold bottled water for $3 each (room-temperature Kirkland bottled water).
I went to speak with the employee who appeared to be the manager. He told me they were not required by law to provide my child with a cup of tap water, so we ended up paying the $3. I then politely asked the woman behind him, who appeared to be the owner, if she was in fact the owner. She refused to answer me. After I asked multiple times, her only response was to silently bat her eyes rather than engage in any conversation.
To make matters worse, our children later told us that while they were sitting at our table after finishing their gelato, another employee approached them and scolded them for sitting there because they “weren’t customers”—until another staff member corrected the mistake by explaining they had just finished their gelato.
The entire experience reflected a complete lack of customer service and hospitality. It wasn’t about the $3 bottle of water—it was about how an 8-year-old child was treated and how management handled a simple request. A little kindness and basic courtesy would have gone a long way.
For those interested, I’ve attached information regarding California’s “upon request” policy for providing tap water to paying customers. Regardless of the legal interpretation, this situation could have been handled with much more professionalism and compassion.
Based on our experience, I can’t recommend this business. I sincerely hope ownership takes customer service more seriously in the future.
Andrey 994
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August 01, 2026
We visited Caterina’s yesterday and spent a good amount of money on coffee, gelato, and food. We enjoyed it enough to come back the next day.
Today we came with four adults and two children. The kids had ice cream from another shop, and we simply wanted to sit them in the shade while we ordered from Caterina’s again. The young employees were very polite and told us it was okay. However, an older woman, who appeared to be the owner or manager, and another man came over and rudely told us we had to leave because of the outside ice cream. We explained that we were about to place another order, but they didn’t care and insisted that we leave.
We understand that businesses can have a policy against outside food, but there is no excuse for treating returning customers this way, especially families with young children.
We left and went to Bear Coast Coffee, where we received a warm welcome, much better coffee, and excellent customer service.
I do not recommend Caterina’s. There are far better places in San Clemente that actually appreciate their customers. We will never return
WebWorks Agency
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January 31, 2026
⭐️ 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.
AMG
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June 11, 2026
A short walk from the busy corner store is Caterina’s. It is a quiet and cozy place to be. We tried the gelato, medium, double flavors of coconut 🥥 and others. They do samples before you pick. It’s flavorful and home made! Support local!
gc ortiz
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January 09, 2026
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.
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My daughters had been looking forward to visiting this gelato shop for years because it’s such a cute place. Unfortunately, our experience was incredibly disappointing. We spent $50 on gelato for our family. After we finished, my 8-year-old son was thirsty and nervously asked for a cup of tap water. I reassured him that it wouldn’t be a problem. Instead, he came back embarrassed after being told they only sold bottled water for $3 each (room-temperature Kirkland bottled water). I went to speak with the employee who appeared to be the manager. He told me they were not required by law to provide my child with a cup of tap water, so we ended up paying the $3. I then politely asked the woman behind him, who appeared to be the owner, if she was in fact the owner. She refused to answer me. After I asked multiple times, her only response was to silently bat her eyes rather than engage in any conversation. To make matters worse, our children later told us that while they were sitting at our table after finishing their gelato, another employee approached them and scolded them for sitting there because they “weren’t customers”—until another staff member corrected the mistake by explaining they had just finished their gelato. The entire experience reflected a complete lack of customer service and hospitality. It wasn’t about the $3 bottle of water—it was about how an 8-year-old child was treated and how management handled a simple request. A little kindness and basic courtesy would have gone a long way. For those interested, I’ve attached information regarding California’s “upon request” policy for providing tap water to paying customers. Regardless of the legal interpretation, this situation could have been handled with much more professionalism and compassion. Based on our experience, I can’t recommend this business. I sincerely hope ownership takes customer service more seriously in the future.
We visited Caterina’s yesterday and spent a good amount of money on coffee, gelato, and food. We enjoyed it enough to come back the next day. Today we came with four adults and two children. The kids had ice cream from another shop, and we simply wanted to sit them in the shade while we ordered from Caterina’s again. The young employees were very polite and told us it was okay. However, an older woman, who appeared to be the owner or manager, and another man came over and rudely told us we had to leave because of the outside ice cream. We explained that we were about to place another order, but they didn’t care and insisted that we leave. We understand that businesses can have a policy against outside food, but there is no excuse for treating returning customers this way, especially families with young children. We left and went to Bear Coast Coffee, where we received a warm welcome, much better coffee, and excellent customer service. I do not recommend Caterina’s. There are far better places in San Clemente that actually appreciate their customers. We will never return
⭐️ 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.
A short walk from the busy corner store is Caterina’s. It is a quiet and cozy place to be. We tried the gelato, medium, double flavors of coconut 🥥 and others. They do samples before you pick. It’s flavorful and home made! Support local!
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.