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

Pausa Bar & Cookery

4.7 (1940)
$31 to $50
Italian
223 E 4th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 61 times today

About this restaurant

  • Lively
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
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 1,940 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
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Pausa Bar & Cookery offers a memorable dining experience with "excellent service," diverse "housemade charcuterie," and an "exquisite" menu. Guests praise the "incredible food and wine experience" and "outstanding service." While noise levels can be high, the "amazing" pizzas and "delicious" dishes make it a favorite Italian spot in San Mateo.
1,940 Reviews

  1. Tony

    San Francisco Bay Area5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a fabulous meal at the bar. Our bartender, whom we’ve come to know, is really great. The menu continues to evolve and includes standard favorites and tasty seasonal additions. We are regulars and will continue to be.

    Is this helpful?

  2. William

    Mexico City1 review

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great experience at the bar! Tried a bunch of dishes from the HH menu + a few glasses of wine from the wine list! The risotto entree was amazing!

    Is this helpful?

  3. Kyle

    San Francisco Bay Area1 review

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Will be returning to try more menu items. I’ve had multiple recommendations from friends, and Pausa did not disappoint

    Is this helpful?

  4. Michelle

    San Francisco Bay Area4 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on June 30, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Good food but uneven wait times. Last night, we waited 45 minutes between a drink and our salad. A table of 6 after us and we only 2 had their food before us and finished and we barely got our pizza and seafood entree. Food good but wait time at 6pm feels unreasonable.

    Is this helpful?

  5. eli VIP

    New York City21 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 29, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The charcuterie was amazing. They cure all meats on the premises. The server was great about helping us choose our selections. The drinks were delicious although slightly expensive. We had a terrific meal.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Alby VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 28, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing service from our waiter Jason. Incredible food and wine experience - so much on the menu to explore. A real celebration of creativity and food that is extremely well done. Among the best I’ve had in the Bay

    Is this helpful?

  7. david

    San Francisco Bay Area1 review

    4.0

    Dined on June 25, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Order the wagyu steak- excellent. Pizza a little too soft for my palate this time , not sure what they changed but was better on my last visits Wine list is better now

    Is this helpful?

  8. Jasmine

    San Francisco Bay Area1 review

    3.0

    Dined on June 25, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    The pistachio pizza was kind of a fail. It was really sweet, big hard chunks of carrot, and the pizza was really sweet overall and not necessarily in a tasty way either. The ingredients in the melon salad were incredibly fresh, but the dish itself was a disappointment. The sauce was like a lemon bar but the ingredients together didn't really have a cohesive theme. The pasta was the only main dish that was appetizing. We got the truffle gnocchi which was tasty, but relatively dry and did not have much sauce on it. The focaccia bread was delicious, but overall a disappointing experience for the foods we ordered.

    Is this helpful?

  9. seikyee VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Very impressed with the place. Food was exquisite. Service attention without being overbearing. We had the pork main course - beautiful presentation. Wish the dessert menu would have more fruit items. Definitely going back.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Rai VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 17, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was amazing but service was outstanding. Tim took really good care of us, didn’t rush us, was very present and kind - exactly what I love to see in a waiter. Will definitely be back.

    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 1940 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

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 61 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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