Best restaurants near me in San Mateo, CA

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965 restaurants available nearby

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A photo of Central Park Bistro restaurant

1. Central Park Bistro

4.6

Exceptional(1738)

$$$$Price: Expensive

• American • San Mateo

Booked 19 times today

Central Park Bistro is a 100 seat contemporary restaurant in downtown San Mateo featuring fresh seasonal American cuisine by Chef Ricardo Garcia, in the $15-$45 range. We offer a carefully chosen eclectic Wine Spectator award-winning wine list. Central Park Bistro is an affordable sophisticated, fun dining experience. Relax and unwind with a house specialty cocktail at our wonderful Martini Bar. We also have several intimate private dining rooms perfect for that corporate presentation business meeting, wedding rehearsal dinner, retirement/anniversary dinner, or any special function you may have in mind. Check out our private wine cellar room which seats up to 8 people for that extra special dining experience.For reservations larger than 12 or for private functions please contact the restaurant directly.

A photo of Pausa Bar & Cookery restaurant

2. Pausa Bar & Cookery

4.7

Exceptional(1922)

$$$$Price: Expensive

• Italian • San Mateo

Booked 41 times today

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.

A photo of Vespucci Ristorante Italiano restaurant

3. Vespucci Ristorante Italiano

4.8

Exceptional(874)

$$$$Price: Expensive

• Italian • San Mateo

Booked 1 time today

Please consider:*Kitchen closes at 8:30pm, we place last order at 8:15pm and we don’t accept any reservation after 8:00pm*Being a small restaurant, it is crucial for us to know in advance if the number of guests in your party changes, or you want to change the time, or you are planning to not come at all. Please avoid to just not show up, but kindly call to inform us, it will be much appreciated. If we don’t hear from you, we will re-assign the table after 15 minutes. If you need to increase the number of guests on a reservation made through Open Table, please call the restaurant.*We don’t take groups larger than 10 people on Fridays and Saturdays. *About birthday celebrations : we don’t have a free dessert policy, if you order one from our dessert chart, we will bring it to the table with the candle. You can also bring your own cake, our cutting fee is $3 per person.*Corkage fee is $25 per bottle.*We don't longer offer outdoor seating, only indoor dining and take out.

4. Izakaya Ginji

4.7

Exceptional(235)

$$$$Price: Expensive

• Japanese • San Mateo

Booked 6 times today

Izakaya Ginji, located in downtown San Mateo, is a Japanese gastropub specializing in Yakitori and tapas style dishes. Izakaya Ginji also has a vast selection of rare Sake and unique Beers. For Japanese spirits, the restaurant also offers a variety of Shochu.We have 10minutes grace period. Please call us if you are running later than 10 minutes after your reservation time.Due to limited seating, dining is limited to 2hours until further notice.Please be sure to include your children or your service animal as a head count for accurate reservation!Also, we are now taking reservations for our INDOOR TABLE ONLY. ***We will NOT accommodate any requests for outdoor patio seating. Reservations are strictly for INDOOR ONLY*** We will be NOT allowing any outside food and drinks. We look forward to providing you with an authentic Japanese dining experience .

A photo of The Barrel Bistro & Wine Bar restaurant

5. The Barrel Bistro & Wine Bar

4.3

Awesome(420)

$$$$Price: Moderate

• French American • San Mateo

Booked 13 times today

The Barrel Bistro and Wine Bar welcomes everyone with selective wines selection and many pairings superbly with a wide variety of cuisine. With selective cheeses and charcutiers, hundreds of different wines, seafood,and meats.The Barrel Bistro&Wine Bar attracts colleagues for a drink after work, business dinners, a quick bite or drink before a show, late night revelers, families for Sunday brunch and more.

6. Sapore Express

4.4

Awesome(18)

$$$$Price: Moderate

• Italian • San Mateo

Booked 1 time today

Sapore Italiano opened on Burlingame Avenue, Ca in 2001 and has been a family favorite for over 19 years. Home-made pasta in rich sauces made with the finest quality ingredients has made Sapore Italiano a success and now we bring you a fast, casual dining experience with the same taste and quality Sapore is known for. Sapore Express offers the best of what our flagship restaurant has to offer in a casual dining experience that is fast-paced. At Sapore Express, you won’t sacrifice quality for price and you won’t have to choose between taste and time. Ciao-- and see you at Sapore Express in San Mateo!

7. Avenida

4.7

Exceptional(303)

$$$$Price: Expensive

• Filipino • San Mateo

Booked 13 times today

Avenida Modern Filipino Restaurant and Bar was inspired by the dynamic lifestyle of Avenida Rizal, one of the main thoroughfares in the Old Manila during the pre and post World War II era. It was named after the Philippine National Hero, Jose Rizal.For decades, Avenida Rizal was a melting pot as well as the mecca for entertainment and dining in the Philippines.Being the center of Old Manila’s social life, Avenida Rizal was also famous for its Art Deco as well as its theaters and opera house where performing arts lovers came to watch zarzuelas, vaudeville acts and stage plays. The theaters were designed by very well respected architects who were later honored as National Artists.Avenida Restaurant would like to pay homage to the glory days of the Old Manila.

A photo of Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ - San Mateo, CA | Downtown (Central Park) restaurant

8. Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ - San Mateo, CA | Downtown (Central Park)

4.7

Exceptional(766)

$$$$Price: Expensive

• Japanese • San Mateo

Booked 22 times today

Founded in Tokyo in 1996, Gyu-Kaku has become the world’s #1 Japanese BBQ brand! Thanks to our devoted fans we have reached over 700 locations worldwide. Each day, hundreds of thousands of people gather around the table-top smokeless grill, a centerpiece of our dining concept, enjoying selections of premium meats, just off the grill, and other freshly prepared foods from our kitchens, inspiring laughter, conversation, and a magical dining experience.Our authentic yakiniku (grilled barbeque) dining experience crowns you the chef. Share a variety of delicious appetizers and premium cooked meats over a flaming grill, paired with Japanese sake, frosty cold beers, or other alcoholic and non-alcoholic options of your choice. We're the perfect spot to enjoy time with friends and family, organize an office party, or to spend quality time with your significant other! Before you go, don't forget to taste our best-seller Harami Skirt Steak or Prime Kalbi Short Rib among other must-try dishes!

A photo of Amour Amour Wine Bar & Tapas restaurant

9. Amour Amour Wine Bar & Tapas

4.7

Exceptional(133)

$$$$Price: Moderate

• Tapas / Small Plates • San Mateo

Booked 4 times today

Amour Amour celebrates 10 years anniversary with the relaxed lifestyle, where small plates, good drinks and a cozy and tranquil atmosphere are all part of the experience. Guests can start with the sachet de prosciutto wrapped with goat cheese, fig jam, almonds and herbes de Provence for an introduction to Amour Amour’s culinary French and Spanish style. Popular hot tapas options include the Spanish seafood paella and Spanish meatballs in a sauce consisting of tomato, nutmeg and paprika, The roasted patatas bravas with spicy tomato aioli is another favorite. Amour Amour’s cold tapas plates, such as the Oregano octopus, capers , or the burrata capresse , are flavorful and refreshing ,squid ink paella . For a sweet bite, enjoy the tropical coconut panna cotta with mango puree. Be sure to wash your meal down with a house-made sangria. Bon appetit !!!Family owned and operated !

10. Urban Momo

5.0

Exceptional(1)

$$$$Price: Moderate

• Nepalese • San Mateo

Booked 1 time today

Our Chefs perfected the recipes over several years of cooking at various restaurants across Nepal, in the Himalayas during expeditions and around the world. It is a taste that Nepalese would reminisce about when they think about authentic food back in Nepal; a taste that takes you back home! All the spices and proportions are from the secret recipe that originated by improvising the traditional recipe over several years.

Dining near San Mateo, CA at a glance

Updated on 6/2/2025

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From verified diners like you

A
Adriana
Querétaro •6 reviews
5.0
Dined 3 days ago
All that we were offered was delicious, the gnocchi where not as we spected, but the rest was extraordinary, the drinks very good
More info
Pausa Bar & CookeryPrice: Expensive• Italian• San Mateo
•
4.7
R
RobVIP
San Francisco Bay Area •16 reviews
5.0
Dined 5 days ago
I'm a huge fan of this restaurant. Definitely my top 3 on the Peninsula. I had the octopus starter - which is THE best in the Bay Area - followed by the crab ravioli. The wine list is superb and fairly priced. Great place for two or 20 people. I've never been disappointed. Business or pleasure, Georgio does a fantastic job.
More info
Central Park BistroPrice: Expensive• American• San Mateo
•
4.6
A
Abdülrahman
San Francisco Bay Area •2 reviews
5.0
Dined 5 days ago
Everything was very nice, the food and cocktails were great, thank you
More info
The Barrel Bistro & Wine BarPrice: Moderate• French American• San Mateo
•
4.3
E
Elizabeth
San Francisco Bay Area •13 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 8, 2025
It was our wedding anniversary celebration and it was our first time dining at Vespucci Ristorante Italiano. We like the ambiance of the restaurant, it’s beautifully decorated. We ordered Rose & Chianti Arco for our anniversary toast. And for our appetizers ~ Arugula salad & Calamari Fritti and for our entree ~ Spaghetti Alla Carbon & Rigatoni Al Salmone, it all tasted delicious! And for our dessert we shared Torta Al Ciocolato and it was scrumptious, so decadent. We highly recommend this restaurant and our server Manuela was friendly, attentive and provided us with excellent service. Thank you for making our evening special.
More info
Vespucci Ristorante ItalianoPrice: Expensive• Italian• San Mateo
•
4.8
B
Ben
San Francisco Bay Area •6 reviews
5.0
Dined on Feb 20, 2025
A good restaurant. Good food with good value. Service is excellent.
More info
Izakaya GinjiPrice: Expensive• Japanese• San Mateo
•
4.7

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Best restaurants near me in San Mateo, CA

Price

Cuisine

Top Rated

Dining Options

Seating Options

Award-winning

Accessibility

965 restaurants available nearby

1. Central Park Bistro

2. Pausa Bar & Cookery

3. Vespucci Ristorante Italiano

4. Izakaya Ginji

5. The Barrel Bistro & Wine Bar

6. Sapore Express

7. Avenida

8. Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ - San Mateo, CA | Downtown (Central Park)

9. Amour Amour Wine Bar & Tapas

10. Urban Momo

Dining near San Mateo, CA at a glance

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