San Mateo Private Dining: Best Restaurants with Private Rooms in Silicon Valley, CA
San Mateo is a great food neighborhood if you’re looking to host a private dining event. There are a multitude of cuisines and dining styles offered by restaurants in this area, and our list today is going to represent the diversity of options in this area.
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Why Trust Us?
We are experts in private dining including San Mateo, CA. We’ve been creating unique and personalized dining experiences for our clients since 2011. We have cultivated meaningful relationships with private dining restaurants all over Silicon Valley and are uniquely suited to recommend restaurants with private rooms because we work with so many of these restaurants!
Best Restaurants with Private Rooms in San Mateo
1. Avital’s Interactive Meal
If you want to take your private dining experience to the next level, booking a Silicon Valley Interactive Meal with us will get you there! You will select one of the best private dining rooms in San Mateo (from our vast network of vetted partners), where you’ll enjoy a four-course menu and three beverage pairings.
But what makes it really unique is that we’ll entertain your guests with three interactive experiences throughout the meal. We will teach them to shake up a signature cocktail, stoke their competitive side with food and drink trivia, and end the night with a flavor-tripping experience. We specialize in creating customized menus and experiences tailored to each private dining event, ensuring your group enjoys a unique and memorable occasion. We can accommodate groups of any size for any occasion.
2. Vespucci Ristorante
Vespucci Ristorante is one of our favorite San Mateo restaurants with private rooms, because they work with you to create a personalized menu for your event, and have the capacity to seat up to 50 guests. The private dining space is laid out like a formal Italian restaurant with white and black table dressings, cloth napkins, and large wine glasses to ensure you can fully enjoy their robust wine list. It is the kind of place that appeals to people of a certain generation as its decor harkens back to the way fine dining used to be, without being inaccessible to those who prefer to dine without a required sports jacket.
Best for: Bridal parties, baby showers, and family events.
3. Central Park Bistro
Central Park Bistro has two fabulous private dining spaces. The Gardenia can accommodate up to 34 guests, and the Orchid Room can seat 18. The rooms can be combined to seat up to 60, or you can request a whole restaurant buyout for up to 120 guests. They offer lunch and dinner menus where they can serve a two, three, four, or five-course meal, or you can elect to do a cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres passed around. Diners rave about their wood-oven pizzas, so be sure those make an appearance on the menu you end up curating for your event.
Best for: Corporate dining, anniversary parties, and wedding rehearsal dinners.
4. Pausa
Pausa has multiple warm and inviting private dining spaces that are great for many kinds of big group dining events. The Bolle Room is a lush space that can accommodate up to 38 guests, and it can be combined with the open, bright Middle Room to seat up to 70 diners. They offer menus for family-style dining, plated dinner service, or passed-around platters for a cocktail reception, making this an extremely adaptable venue for all your private dining needs. They have a brilliant selection of salumi (cured meats) and formaggi (cheese) to start your party out with, so be sure to inquire about what selection of these offerings can be curated to act as an amuse bouche to be enjoyed as guests meander in.
Best for: Family celebrations and cool corporate events.
5. Sushi Yoshizumi
This is a unique option for private dining in San Mateo CA, because a full restaurant buyout only entails filling 9 seats! This authentic omakase experience serving Edomae-style sushi is a one-man operation that has garnered a Michelin Guide recommendation. Chef Akira Yoshizumi utilizes wild-caught fish imported from Japan to serve an authentic, no-frills menu of, in his words, “basically only fish and rice.” This is an experience worthy of only the most distinguished foodies or expats missing the flavors of home.
Best for: Impressing VIP clients or treating a group of sushi-purists to the best night of their lives.
6. Espetus San Mateo
Espetus is a Brazilian steakhouse, and if you’ve never dined this way before, you should be prepared to see massive slabs and skewers of meat being paraded around all night, as well as a cold bar of salads, sides, and sauces to accompany the main event. They can accommodate groups of up to 34 in their upscale private dining room. This style of dining makes for a really engaging dining experience because guests can keep flagging down their favorite cuts of meat all night, ensuring that everyone will walk out full and satisfied.
Best for: Family reunions and sending your meat-loving friends straight to Nirvana.
7. All Spice
All Spice has made its home in a charming historical cottage built in San Mateo in 1906. This picturesque dining spot can accommodate groups of 18 in their private dining room and groups of up to 40 for a full buyout. They offer 3+ course dining menus for these events and are happy to tailor what’s on the menu to best fit the goals of your event and the tastes of your guests. They also offer a small but mighty wine, beer, and cider list so you can keep your event sufficiently liquored up and happy all night long.
Best for: Chic corporate events, wedding rehearsal dinners, and anniversary parties.
8. La Lantern
La Lantern is a cozy Italian restaurant with an intimate private dining room for 15-20 guests. They also offer a restaurant buyout option for groups of up to 80 and are flexible and attentive when it comes to planning your event. The menu is stacked with all your favorite classic Italian dishes, and some diners say La Lantern serves the best Tiramisu in town! This private dining restaurant is a real crowd pleaser, and the charming Italian hospitality makes for an enjoyable experience every time you go.
Best for: Family events, graduation parties, and baby showers.
9. Rise Woodfire Pizza & Rottisserie
Rose Woodfire Pizza & Rottisserie is a perfect blend of upscale ambiance and unpretentious comfort. They offer three private dining options and a full restaurant buyout that can accommodate up to 222 seated guests. The Train Car Room can seat 36 guests, the Grand Main Dining Room can seat 48 plus another 18 at the bar, and the All-Seasons Covered Patio can seat 120. The patio also comes equipped with its own private bar and offers great views of San Mateo, making it a very appealing option for private dining.
They also offer versatile ways to dine with a Family-Style menu, a Plated-Dinner Menu, a “Mix and Mingle” menu for cocktail receptions, and an “Executive Feast” for events where you need to pull out all the stops and impress big spenders.
Best for: Birthday parties and casual corporate events.
10. Flores
Flores is a colorful Mexican restaurant with two intimate private dining rooms. One room can seat groups of up to 10, and the other can take care of parties of 11-18 people. These private rooms are bright and spacious with hanging lights and extensive greenery. They offer a prefix breakfast, lunch, dinner, and reception-style menus with food served buffet style, which is perfect for this kind of cuisine. You can choose between dishes like citrusy slow-roasted Carnitas, zesty vegetarian chili relleno, and spicy chicken enchiladas for the entrée portion, and add on delicious appetizers and sides to create a feast of epic proportions for your guests to enjoy.
Best for: Birthdays and other festive occasions.
More Private Dining Options in Silicon Valley
We’re experts in Silicon Valley private dining. We can help you find the best restaurant for your event, plus we offer interactive experiences across the region. Select your city below to find a curated guide for your next dining experience.
Private Dining Palo Alto
Enjoy hot bowls of flavorful pho in style at Tamarine, or an intimate group meal of authentic Indian cuisine at Rooh.
Private Dining San Jose
Throw a huge bash for groups of up to 200 at Meso Modern Mediterranean, or bring VIP clients for a decadent meal in Le Papillon’s wine cellar.
Private Dining Menlo Park
Menlo Park has great restaurants for dining on local and fresh Californian cuisine, like Madera in the Rose Sand Hill Hotel.
Private Dining Burlingame
Burlingame is home to some great Italian, like Stella and Rise Pizzeria, plus a great vegan restaurant called Twelvemonth.
Private Dining Redwood City
Share savory bites in LV Mar’s modern private rooms or eat an intimate meal with 4-6 guests at Ranzan.
Private Dining San Mateo
San Mateo has eclectic private dining options like the all-seasons patio at Rise Woodfire Pizza & Rotisserie or the 9-seat restaurant buyout at Sushi Yoshizumi.
Private Dining Mountain View
Take VIP clients to Chez TJ for an unforgettable French meal, or enjoy the casual outdoor space at Steins Beer Garden & Restaurant with your best friends.
Book Your Private Dining Event with Avital
There are plenty of fabulous restaurants with private rooms in San Mateo. Whether you are looking for a casual spot for a team lunch or a high end restaurant to impress clients, this list has you covered. At the end of the day, it’s about what cuisine, ambiance, and vibe you want the experience to have.
If private dining seems like it could be a little dry, you should liven things up by booking an Interactive Meal with us here at Avital Food & Drink Experiences! We have been cultivating memorable, seamless, private dining experiences since 2011 and would love to help you create the private dining event you’re dreaming of. Let us take the wheel so you can sit back and enjoy your big day!
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