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Pausa Bar & Cookery, San Mateo, CA
Award-winning

Pausa Bar & Cookery

4.7
4.7
1837 Reviews
$31 to $50
Italian

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 46 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Good for business meals
  • Lively
Pausa, a bar and cookery in San Mateo, calls for guests to take a recess from life and enjoy a dining experience that transports them to a place of leisure. With a strong focus on modern Italian, our menu will consist of house-made pasta, wood-fired pizza, wood-fired grill, and house-cured meats. Our friendly and knowledgeable team will ensure your pause is a memorable one.

We are now taking reservations for our patio tables, bar, and indoor tables. As we practice social distancing with our new limited floor plan, we ask that you and your guests limit your dining to 2 hours to accommodate all reservations.

When checking table availability, if outdoor seating is not an option to select, then your reservation will be for an indoor table as the outdoor may be booked.

Thank you for understanding.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Farm-to-table, Contemporary Italian
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Mon–Thu 4:30 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–9:30 pm Sun 4:00 pm–8:30 pm
  • Phone number
    (650) 375-0818
  • Website
    http://www.pausasanmateo.com/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive chef
    Andrea Giuliani
  • Private party facilities
    Bolle Room: Outfitted with elegant drapes and a skylight, the Bolle Room is a great destination for memorable events Chef's Table: Enjoy our Chef's Table with a front-row view of our open kitchen and dough room. Set in the heart of our restaurant, your dinner will be unlike any in recent memory.
  • Location
    223 E 4th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2023
    2. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2022
  • Neighborhood
    San Mateo
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Entertainment
    Enjoy Pausa's full menu in our bar or dining room until midnight on Thursdays through Saturdays. Book a private dinner or cocktail reception in our 'Bolle Room' for late night parties.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Chef's Table, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access

Featured in

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 1,837 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.1Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Pausa Bar & Cookery is a vibrant dining spot in San Mateo offering "amazing food" and "impeccable service" in a lively atmosphere. Guests rave about the "delicious and creative" Italian dishes, especially the pizzas and charcuterie. While the noise level can be high, the restaurant's warm ambiance and attentive staff make it a "gem" worth visiting.

1,837 Reviews

  1. Margarita

    San Francisco

    5 reviews

    4.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Dinner was very good. The music is played at a very high volume that conversation was difficult. We asked the hostess to have the music lower a bit and her response was; let me ask the manager. Volume was not lowered; we then asked our waiter and he immediately made the miracle of listening g to the request. Definitely too high of music volume.

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  2. Vivekananda

    New York City

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 16, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This restaurant was a great little find. Great food, great staff and ambience. Really cute little find.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Tricia

    San Francisco

    1 review

    vip
    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 11, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food and atmosphere! Friendly service - the charcuterie boards are out of this world!

    Is this helpful?

  4. susana

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 10, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had a great experience here with my teenage godchildren. It is an adult atmosphere, but the for options were good for adults and teens. They also serve mocktails

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  5. Lorie

    San Francisco

    1 review

    vip
    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 9, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Absolutely amazing! The food was delicious and the service was on point!

    Is this helpful?

  6. Annette

    San Francisco

    5 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on November 8, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food and lots of choices on the menu. The charturerie is a must.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Roy

    San Francisco

    5 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on November 3, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Greta food and service. Had a really fun night with a different take on Italian. Parents loved it as well.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Sarah

    Chicago

    2 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 2, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The restaurant was beautiful and our waiter was great! Overall the food was just ok though and felt really expensive for what it was. I’m not sure that we’ll be back, but it was an ok experience.

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  9. CC6213

    San Francisco

    11 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on November 2, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    As usual, they were extremely busy on Friday’s night. The food & service were excellent. The tables around us were celebrating either their birthday or anniversary. I have been there many times already. Will definitely go back again.

    Is this helpful?

  10. julia

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 1, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    One of our fave spots on the peninsula! The owner Steve is wonderful and always delivers! The food! The cocktails!! The vibe! Thankful we have this option in San Mateo!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Pausa Bar & Cookery offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (650) 375-0818.

Pausa Bar & Cookery is rated 4.7 stars by 1837 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 46 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Pausa Bar & Cookery

223 E 4th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2023
    2. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2022
  • Neighborhood
    San Mateo
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Mon–Thu 4:30 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–9:30 pm Sun 4:00 pm–8:30 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Farm-to-table, Contemporary Italian
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Andrea Giuliani
  • Entertainment
    Enjoy Pausa's full menu in our bar or dining room until midnight on Thursdays through Saturdays. Book a private dinner or cocktail reception in our 'Bolle Room' for late night parties.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Chef's Table, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access
  • Website
    http://www.pausasanmateo.com/
  • Phone number
    (650) 375-0818
  • Private party facilities
    Bolle Room: Outfitted with elegant drapes and a skylight, the Bolle Room is a great destination for memorable events Chef's Table: Enjoy our Chef's Table with a front-row view of our open kitchen and dough room. Set in the heart of our restaurant, your dinner will be unlike any in recent memory.

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