Plan your next Business Meeting, Company Retreat, Banquet, Family Dinner, Wedding Reception, Bridal Luncheon, or Holiday Gathering in San Clemente. Our private meeting and dining rooms are a perfect setting for casual or formal gatherings and business meetings. Relax in the Dining Room, the full service bar, or on the two patios, or have lunch or dinner and drinks before or after your gathering. The Blue Danube's private meeting / dining rooms make an ideal location for a small company retreat or family reunion. Each room features HDTV setup, Internet Access and Sound. We also have room outside where we can close off a portion of the parking facilites for trade shows, car shows, technology shows, fashions shows, and other large events. In door we can seat 300+ people and have 8,000 square feet. Out door there is more, including two patio areas. We also have a full service bar and two kitchens, dance floors.

Wedding / Reception Banquet Services: Planning on a wedding in San Clemente? The Blue Danube has that perfect atmosphere for your Rehearsal Dinner, Reception or Bridesmaid luncheon, or any special event with seating small groups and to up to 300 inside as well as two outdoor seating areas).The Blue Danube also offers catering and banquet services for larger events.  We may suggest the perfect sites for large events for large meetings or breathtaking ocean views in romantic settings. In the Old City Plaza is a Wedding Dress, Tuxido, and formalware bridal store. We also have a Tailor Shop, and a Spa and Facial boutique. The owner of the Blue Danube is also a famous concert pianist that for special occasions will play for your party.

Our banquet management team, have extensive special event experience. They will attend to every detail to ensure your gathering or meeting is a memorable and productive experience.  We may provide assistance with menu selections, audio/ visual equipment arrangements, or planning local excursions to local attractions.

Before or after your gathering, enjoy interesting and varied shopping at the Old City Plaza located in down town san clemente right next to the main access to the beach Avenida Palizada.

Call and Make Your Reservation Today! Phone: (949)218-5186

"One of the most romantic restaurants and very best food in San Clemente"
- Sunpost, Jan 23, 2004


SPRING 2007 Costa D'Oro Magazine

The historical Spanish colonial plaza in which the Blue Danube is located dates back to early San Clemente when Ole Hansen was building his Spanish Village by the Sea. Originally it was the site of the jail and fire station. After that followed a series of restaurants. Then, in 2002, Chris Toufanpour and his wife Parvin arrived in San Clemente from Austria via New Jersey. The couple rescued the by now somewhat dilapidated 8500 square foot site. After two years of amazing renovation the Blue Danube opened. Decor was rustic with touches of elegance. But the Toufanpour's kept renovating. Two more fireplaces were added along with the beautiful wedding chapel and a new banquet room. Two jail cells were converted into unique private dining rooms, a large patio gained two bars and was enclosed in custom wrought iron.

The journey has been like watching a butterfly emerge. Now the Blue Danube has become quite elegant with a few rustic touches like the exposed beam ceiling. And still the metamorphosis continues unabated. Eight custom stained panels have been delivered. They are in the style of Viennese artist Gustov Klimt whose work is featured on the menu and the wall. They are being installed along the main entrance facing the plaza.

There are many additional interesting touches besides banquet friendly size and unique decor. Executive Chef Ali possesses thirty years of experience in Orange County at such places as the original Newport 17 and Chez Carrie. The newest staff addition is Neil Wallace with twenty-one years experience as the food & beverage manager of the Queen Marry. Chris was a concert pianist in Austria so the sound system is outstanding and the musical entertainment from jazz to classical is always well chosen, of high quality and at the appropriate volume. There is live entertainment almost every night. George, the Italian hunk, plays guitar and croons love songs on Friday and the concert guitarist Ricardo from Chile dazzles on Saturday. Then there is the Las Vegas Review and Dinner Mystery Theater. All this and prices are amazingly low!

The continental menu includes Austrian schnitzels, Hungarian Goulash, French Chicken or veal Cordon Bleu, Duck a la Orange, Chicken Marsala, Peppersteak and Filet Mignon. These long time favorites are being expanded to include more seafood and other entrees.

The Blue Danube Cafe next door to the main facility is newly opened for lunch inside or on the patio. Prices are also amazingly reasonable, starting at $5.90. Half a dozen lunch salads range from Chicken Breast $7.90 to Grilled Salmon $10.90. Soup & Salad combinations range from $7 to $8. Two of my favorite pasta dishes are the Blue Danube anytime are Spinach Ravioli with sundried tomato sauce and Spaghetti Bolonaise $8.90 lunch, $11.90 dinner. Miscellaneous European entrees include German Bratwurst $7.90 with fries & sauerkraut, roasted pork loin as Schweinsbraten and Chicken Marsala.

Dessert crepes offer a variety of fillings and toppings involving fresh fruit, hot chocolate, almonds, brandy and fresh whipped cream. Austrian Iced Coffee involves hot espresso and rich ice cream topped with whipped cream. For extra kick, add a splash of your favorite liquor.

The wine list contains some interesting European selections and is reasonably priced with many available by the glass at $5-$7. Outstanding German beers, some on draft. Martinis $7. Full bar. Outside patio.

Mystery & Murder Dinner theater (prix fixe menu approximately $59) on alternating Saturday nights is a blast for a full evening of entertainment. The constantly changing plot features local professional actors.

The Las Vegas Show & Dance Review is scheduled to open May 12th with three shows nightly on Saturdays starting at 10:00. Call for reservation details.

Twice weekly dance classes followed by an evening of "clubbing" commence in April. Open mike night is weekly. Call for expanding live entertainment schedules. Dancing.

Easter features regular menu & specials. Mother's Day 5 course prix fixe menu. Exit 5 freeway at Palizada towards the Ocean. Just below Camino Real.

Restaurant Review: The Blue Danube

By Christina Scannapiego

Hall Around Town: At Last! Finally Finished Blue Danube Brightest Jewel in Town...

John Hall's column.

This started out to be a rave review and update on the classic old Plaza Theater after our latest visit to the Palm Springs Follies. But you know about the best laid plans. I got sidetracked because after we got back from the Spa last Thursday evening at 7 p.m., I drove Toni by the Blue Danube so she could finalize plans with Kris and Parvin Toufanpour for her annual San Clemente Lawn Bowling Club banquet March 12 in the "new" pride of Old City Plaza.

Incidentally, the Surfrider Foundation will be delighted to know our chartered bus got us back to the Sears-Big Lots parking lot in just two hours--mainly because we were able to use the 241 toll road at least part of the way, shortcutting from Carona to Irvine. Otherwise, the 10, 60, 91, 55 and 5 were their usual glued-up bumper-to-bumper rush hour horrors that would have meant maybe five hours of stalled agony in the traffic.

Maybe later for the Follies. The show was as terrific as ever. But my latest look at Toufanpour's own folly was a revelation and you've got to hear about it. Kris has been working on and refurbishing the landmark eatery for at least six years now, and it's at last complete – bigger and brighter even than the original long ago Fish Tale that in the 80s was the most popular hot spot for lunch or dinner in the entire area. The miracle Kris promised in the beginning when he bought the beat up and closed "half" restaurant that was the last straw Sand Bar has become a glowing reality.

While Toni worked over her banquet menu with Parvin, Kris showed me around again. Besides the main dining room and cocktail lounge, there are three to four intimate dining rooms and a second bar on the "other side" of the wall that no longer exists, plus a completely redone outdoor luncheon patio on the Miramar side of the building and the two refurbished historic jail cells for small dinner groups of up to eight per colorful cell.

He also handed me one of the new promotion cards he just had printed to retell his story. "Now open daily for lunch, Happy Hour & Dinner. Special Three Course Lunch only $9.95 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Happy Hour every day from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. $5 martinis, $3 imported draft beer per pint, Sampler $4.95 with one bar drink. Sunday brunch $9.95 or $15.95 with free flowing Mimosa or Champagne." The other side of the card tells the rest of the story. "International cuisine and cocktail lounge. A true mix of elegant European Cuisine from France, Italy, Hungaria, Austria and Germany. Private parties for up to 300 guests."

No kidding, it's all there. The most spectacular and romantic touch of class in all of Orange County – soft lighting, fire places, beautiful white linen table settings in every room and classic paintings on the wall. Plus the glorious menu, including Parvin's homemade apple strudel and Schweinsbraten pork roast.

What a change for the historic Plaza, which now even has a new name, switching from Old City Plaza to City Yard. Of course, City Yard has been a longtime merry-go-round of constant changes. The eatery next door to the Blue Danube that once was Le Cordon Rouge Bakery and then Adele's Cafe is now the Hollywood Cafe specializing in barbecue. There are two more restaurants in the Yard – the Los Pattios burrito palace and New Mandarin Garden, giving visitors to the square an option of European, Mexican, Asian or Hollywood BBQ in the midst of the small shops.

They all share the same entrance at 111 West Palizada just off El Camino Real. The Blue Danube's menu has been a standout from the start. When Taste Bud, whoever he or she may have been, was doing restaurant reviews for the paper, old TB gave Kris a flat-out five stars for exceptional food in a January 2004 rave notice. Now the surroundings are all five star exceptional as well.

What a journey for the building that began life as the city's first firehouse and first jail. After an update I did on the Yard two years ago, Deidra Hill emailed me some of her memories. "The enclosure connected to the police and fire departments was owned by the City of San Clemente, and that was where the various City departments kept their equipment and supplies as well as repair and maintenance workshops," she wrote.

"I remember going there as a small child on a school field trip. We toured the fire house and jail and were shown everything going on in the yard, even a special machine that wrapped new bristles around the street sweeper's big drum. In the 50s there was a tremendous amount of building going on in town. You could hear the builders hammering away all day. Then the fire house siren would sound and all the hammering would stop while the volunteers left their job sites to man the truck as it took off to fight the fire.

In the afternoon when the hammering stopped, we knew our dads would be coming home soon."

We'll keep our eyes on him and you better as well. He still has a piano in the dining room, so we'll be listening too. Hooray and congrats, to shout the least...