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

Pausa Bar & Cookery

4.7 (1920)
$31 to $50
Italian
223 E 4th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401

Make a reservation

2 people
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
7:00 PM
Booked 54 times today

About this restaurant

  • Lively
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Hot spot
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

  • 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

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Menu

Pausa Bar & Cookery's menu was last updated on 2/2/2022.

View menu on restaurant's website

What 1,920 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
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Peninsula

    Hot spot

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Pausa Bar & Cookery delights with its "excellent service" and "amazing food." Known for its "unique and well-prepared menu," the restaurant offers standout charcuterie and "incredible" pizzas. The ambiance combines a lively atmosphere with attentive staff, ensuring a memorable dining experience. While the setting can be noisy, the overall "superb quality of food and service" shines through.
1,920 Reviews

  1. Jin

    San Francisco Bay Area9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The drinks, starters, pasta and entrees were superb! Our waiter was very knowledgeable about the ingredients used in each of the dishes. The 72 hour dough in the pizza…amazing! 👌🏼 Definitely will be coming back again and again.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Eilir

    San Francisco Bay Area1 review

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    good prices for great food, waiter helpful w/ dietary restrictions

    Is this helpful?

  3. Vivian VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area49 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I celebrated my friend's bday at Pausa last night. The place was lively. I have sat at the bar, chef's table. Our food, service were great! Katie took care of us. What impressed me the most was the timing. We did not feel rushed - dishes, drinks, refill appeared perfectly timed. We both look forward to future gatherings at Pausa.

    Is this helpful?

  4. mark

    San Francisco Bay Area10 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on May 15, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The setting is loud but nice; the food is average and expensive.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Cecelia VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area36 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 11, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Good food, fab service. Wish you were always open at lunch!

    Is this helpful?

  6. Tricia and Sean VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area22 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 11, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent service and meal, really enjoyed that there is music especially of that genre ! Made for a fun night !

    Is this helpful?

  7. Loretta

    San Francisco Bay Area2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on May 10, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is a great spot for fancy Italian food. There’s an especially excellent selection of cheeses, charcuterie meats (made in-house) and wines. You could make a meal just of that. The entrees are good but pricey. Individual pizzas near $40. Other entree options include squid ink pasta, braised short ribs (both delicious) and cod. Plating is impressive, with large (12x12) square plates that look hand-made.

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  8. Owen

    Unspecified1 review

    5.0

    Dined on May 6, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent, well crafted and well prepared menu with unique selections. Order anything on the menu and it will be wonderful. Madison our server was excellent. IF you have any dietary restrictions, just let them know. Great spritzers too

    Is this helpful?

  9. Brian

    Idaho1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 30, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a small business dinner and Pausa took care of us. We would return again.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Joyce VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area13 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Food and staff are always wonderful here! M’y go to place when this visit home.

    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 1920 OpenTable diners.

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

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. San Francisco Bay Area
  4. Peninsula
  5. San Mateo

Make a reservation

Booked 54 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
  • 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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