Award-winning

Pausa Bar & Cookery

4.7

1886 Reviews

$31 to $50

Italian

Make a booking

2 people

18 Mar 2025

19:00

Booked 51 times today

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 4:30 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–9:30 pm Sun 4:00 pm–8:30 pm
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Public Lot
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Andrea Giuliani

Featured in

50 San Francisco Restaurants to Connect In For Mother's Day

What 1,886 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
4.5Ambience
4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Diners' Choice Awards

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.

1,886 Reviews

MG
MaryG VIP
Minneapolis15 reviews
5.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Did spritz happy hour, outstanding service, Hugo Spritz and Margarita Pizza delicious.
Is this helpful?
Q
Quinton
San Francisco3 reviews
5.0
Dined 3 days 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?
M
Marcelo VIP
San Francisco6 reviews
5.0
Dined 5 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?
J
Jessica VIP
Los Angeles4 reviews
5.0
Dined on 9 March 2025
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
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A
Alina VIP
San Francisco17 reviews
5.0
Dined on 9 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Delicious food, great service and atmosphere! Cannot wait to come back.
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k
kendra
San Francisco5 reviews
5.0
Dined on 8 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
One of our favorite places to eat in San Mateo. They usually have excellent wait staff and of course the food is amazing.
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MB
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?
OT
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?
B
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.
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C
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.
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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 1886 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people

18 Mar 2025

19:00

Booked 51 times today

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 4:30 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–9:30 pm Sun 4:00 pm–8:30 pm
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Public Lot
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Andrea Giuliani

Featured in

50 San Francisco Restaurants to Connect In For Mother's Day

Pausa Bar & Cookery

Make a booking

Additional information

Featured in

50 San Francisco Restaurants to Connect In For Mother's Day

Menu

What 1,886 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Diners' Choice Awards

Review summary

FAQs

Does Pausa Bar & Cookery offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Pausa Bar & Cookery restaurant rated?

Is Pausa Bar & Cookery currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Additional information

Featured in

50 San Francisco Restaurants to Connect In For Mother's Day