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

Pausa Bar & Cookery

4.7
4.7
1884 Reviews
$31 to $50
Italian

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 59 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Hot spot
  • Good for groups
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.

Additional information

  • Location
    223 E 4th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2023
    2. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2022
  • Phone number
    (650) 375-0818
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Farm-to-table, Contemporary Italian
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Mon–Thu 16:30–21:00 Fri, Sat 16:00–21:30 Sun 16:00–20:30
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Andrea Giuliani

Featured in

Private dining

Menu

Pausa Bar & Cookery's menu was last updated 2022-02-02.

View menu on restaurant's website

What 1,884 people are saying

Pausa Bar & Cookery reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

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
  • 4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Peninsula

    Hot spot

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Pausa Bar & Cookery offers "consistently good, quality food" in a vibrant atmosphere. Patrons praise the "fabulous wine and cocktails" and "attentive staff." The menu, celebrated for its "innovative Italian dishes," leaves a lasting impression. Ideal for special occasions, guests often return for the "excellent service" and delightful dining experience.

1,884 Reviews

  1. Quinton

    San Francisco3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Love this restaurant, we sat at the bar and everyone was attentive and friendly. We’ve been here a couple times and the food and atmosphere is on point.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Marcelo VIP

    San Francisco6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food and even better service! Highly recommended.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Jessica VIP

    Los Angeles4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great experience. Food was unique and excellent. Service was above and beyond. I would absolutely return

    Is this helpful?

  4. Alina VIP

    San Francisco17 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Delicious food, great service and atmosphere! Cannot wait to come back.

    Is this helpful?

  5. MichelleB

    San Francisco17 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on 7 March 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Horrible front desk person. So unfriendly and not accommodating or hey welcomed to Pausa!

    Is this helpful?

  6. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco19 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 2 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had a great dining experience, food was top notch and service even better.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Boris

    San Francisco15 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 1 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    This place is hoping. It is a little pricey, but quality of the food and service is superb.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Carmen

    San Francisco1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 26 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Standly was outstanding—a great guy! He was patient, friendly, and highly professional.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Parker VIP

    Denver5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 22 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Pausa is one of the best Italian spots on the peninsula.

    Is this helpful?

  10. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco6 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 20 February 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    I do like this restaurant and come here regularly. (We need more restaurants in downtown san mateo with this great vibe! )My experience recently was very frustrating however. I inadvertently made a reservation for four instead of two. They were quite booked that night and then would not seat me at a table, even though I made a reservation a week prior because of that mistake. I was forced to sit at the bar with client. 

    1 person found 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 1884 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 59 times today
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
  • Phone number
    (650) 375-0818
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Farm-to-table, Contemporary Italian
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Mon–Thu 16:30–21:00 Fri, Sat 16:00–21:30 Sun 16:00–20:30
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Andrea Giuliani

Featured in

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