First time there to celebrate my son's birthday. Everything was great, food and service. Our waiter was very attentive. They also accommodate gluten free.
Debbie
Our sever totally missed the mark. From the way they handled a spilled drink, to the coursing of our items, the wrong check dropped. When I am spending $300 for a meal not including gratuity I have an expectation for service. This was not it. I definitely will not be back and do not recommend
Tyler
The quality of everything is pretty excellent for the price - always a huge fan every time I go, top quality food and service without the Michelin star price tag. Unique blend of choices and ingredients too.
Ken
Pausa is a gem. The house-made charcuterie was outstanding—especially the finocchiona and salame al parmigiano—and the crab and shrimp ravioli was both generous and delicious. The attention to detail in every dish was clear, from the texture of the handmade pastas to the perfectly balanced flavors in the wood-fired pizza. Cocktails were bright and creative (don't skip the spritz options), and the service was warm, professional, and attentive without being intrusive. You can tell the staff takes pride in what they do. The ambiance strikes the right balance between upscale and comfortable—perfect for a special evening or a relaxed date night. Bonus points for the open dough room and charcuterie display, which added a fun behind-the-scenes touch. Pausa lives up to the hype. Can't wait to return.
Heidi
The fun experience of choosing house-made salumi and Italian cheeses for our personalized appetizer board was a lovely way to start the meal. The cocktails were delicious as well. My locally caught Ling Cod was perfectly prepared with an incredible sauce beneath it. I devoured it! All that said, our server was one of the best we've had - EVER. He elevated our experience by blending into the background when we didn't need help and stepping quietly to our table to refill wine glasses and offer suggestions when we were ready. Thank you Pausa, for employing such an incredible staff member like Gian Carlo who helped us curate an amazing meal and served up an evening that the 6 of us will remember for a long time. You can be sure that we will let our friends know about Pausa!
allen
Outrageously expensive. $32 for a small pizza. $18 for a cocktail. $20 for a salad. That said one pizza and a salad fed 2. The food was very good. The inside noise level was so high we chose to eat outside in the wind and cold. I'd look for another place next time I'm in San Mateo
Michelle
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.
eli
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.
Alby
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
Jasmine
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.
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.
Rai
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.
Sonny Mujumdar
Great food. We got great service from the hostess upfront to the server. The most amazing Wagyu short rib that’s slow cooked for 48 hours. The tumminia flour and mint tagliatelle was another success. The Squid Ink Linguine was okay…I’ve had better. The cheese board, bread, and other stuff was decent too. Excellent place for an occasion. We went on Father’s Day.
Ange
The food and cocktails are always amazing, it's a more upscale ambiance but still fun and great for groups.
Will
Nice place in san mateo. Bartenders were very nice.. meatballs were still raw and the pizza needed to be cooked longer. Overall, it was good.
First time there to celebrate my son's birthday. Everything was great, food and service. Our waiter was very attentive. They also accommodate gluten free.
Our sever totally missed the mark. From the way they handled a spilled drink, to the coursing of our items, the wrong check dropped. When I am spending $300 for a meal not including gratuity I have an expectation for service. This was not it. I definitely will not be back and do not recommend
The quality of everything is pretty excellent for the price - always a huge fan every time I go, top quality food and service without the Michelin star price tag. Unique blend of choices and ingredients too.
Pausa is a gem. The house-made charcuterie was outstanding—especially the finocchiona and salame al parmigiano—and the crab and shrimp ravioli was both generous and delicious. The attention to detail in every dish was clear, from the texture of the handmade pastas to the perfectly balanced flavors in the wood-fired pizza. Cocktails were bright and creative (don't skip the spritz options), and the service was warm, professional, and attentive without being intrusive. You can tell the staff takes pride in what they do. The ambiance strikes the right balance between upscale and comfortable—perfect for a special evening or a relaxed date night. Bonus points for the open dough room and charcuterie display, which added a fun behind-the-scenes touch. Pausa lives up to the hype. Can't wait to return.
The fun experience of choosing house-made salumi and Italian cheeses for our personalized appetizer board was a lovely way to start the meal. The cocktails were delicious as well. My locally caught Ling Cod was perfectly prepared with an incredible sauce beneath it. I devoured it! All that said, our server was one of the best we've had - EVER. He elevated our experience by blending into the background when we didn't need help and stepping quietly to our table to refill wine glasses and offer suggestions when we were ready. Thank you Pausa, for employing such an incredible staff member like Gian Carlo who helped us curate an amazing meal and served up an evening that the 6 of us will remember for a long time. You can be sure that we will let our friends know about Pausa!
Outrageously expensive. $32 for a small pizza. $18 for a cocktail. $20 for a salad. That said one pizza and a salad fed 2. The food was very good. The inside noise level was so high we chose to eat outside in the wind and cold. I'd look for another place next time I'm in San Mateo
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.
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.
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
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.
Restaurantji Recommends
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.
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.
Great food. We got great service from the hostess upfront to the server. The most amazing Wagyu short rib that’s slow cooked for 48 hours. The tumminia flour and mint tagliatelle was another success. The Squid Ink Linguine was okay…I’ve had better. The cheese board, bread, and other stuff was decent too. Excellent place for an occasion. We went on Father’s Day.
The food and cocktails are always amazing, it's a more upscale ambiance but still fun and great for groups.
Nice place in san mateo. Bartenders were very nice.. meatballs were still raw and the pizza needed to be cooked longer. Overall, it was good.
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