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    The Swingin' Door

    3.7 (587 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)

    The Swingin' Door Photos

    Business Info

    THE SWINGIN' DOOR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Karaoke
    Loud
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - The Swingin' Door

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    Bloody Mary
    Heather M.

    Perfect place to watch some sports and have a killer handmade Bloody Mary. I also ordered a "snack"- the fish bites!! It was a whole meal! Crispy beer- battered chunks of fish and fries!! All piping hot and perfectly crisp.

    guinness
    Sophia M.

    Authentic British pub - dim lighting, dark wood, walls covered in knick knacks and funny slogans. I've personally never tried the food but the fish and chips look good. Cocktails are basic and good for the price. My only complaint is the guinness - not the best pour and most notably, not in a proper glass.

    Scary that this is the owner of this establishment

    Came here on a Friday night expecting a "dueling pianos" experience... what I got instead felt like a full-on episode of Bar Rescue waiting to happen. The place was beyond packed--shoulder-to-shoulder chaos. Upstairs, where the pianos were supposed to be dueling, was just a jammed dance floor with zero sense of an actual piano show. If there were pianos involved, they were completely overshadowed by the crowd and noise. It felt more like a disorganized club night than anything close to what's advertised. The patio? Same story--completely packed and filled with heavy smoke. Not exactly what you expect (or want) for a night out in California. Then there was the crowd itself. I ended up talking to a couple people who openly said they weren't even 21. That alone made the whole place feel poorly run and honestly pretty uncomfortable. The layout doesn't help either--the bathroom is right next to the bar, so you're constantly hit with those lovely restroom aromas while trying to order a drink. Really kills the vibe. Speaking of drinks... overpriced and noticeably watered down. At one point I even overheard bar staff talking about rebottling, which--true or not--is not something you want to hear when you're paying premium prices. Service and management? Not great. The overall attitude felt cold and dismissive. The owner even had this "corner booth, watching everything" presence straight out of a mob movie, which would've been amusing if the rest of the experience wasn't already going downhill. It's honestly a shame. This spot used to have a solid reputation back when it was the Prince of Wales, but now it feels like it's coasting on nostalgia instead of delivering anything close to a quality experience. At this point, I half expected Jon Taffer to walk in, shut it down, and start yelling. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Would not recommend unless it is Jon Taffer or Law Enforcement. The owner isn't even English and is a hardcore Trump supporter so I can completely believe the price scamming others have reported. Total fraud and I have no clue how this place is even in business.

    Fish and chips
    Eric H.

    Came here for the fish and chips because of Kenji Lopez-Alt. Beer battered with a thicker but crispy shell. It's not the light airy style batter of other fish and chips. Fish is the catch of the day which today was haddock. Really delicious and on Mondays for lunch is on happy hour for $12 in June 2025 for two pieces of generously sized fish. Sat in the backyard garden with our infant enjoying the nice Spring day. Burger was solid too, chargrilled, and cooked medium rare on a 1/4 lb patty. Their homemade sauce on it is excellent. Onion rings were also crispy and tasty and the onion doesn't pull out. Service was attentive and fantastic, order at the bar. Great place for a casual lunch alone or with friends!

    Two piece dinner
    DANIEL W.

    Well unfortunately it's gone down hill the food is average the fish and chips small and over cooked so disappointed this use to be a go to place doing the season of lent

    Menus, event schedule
    Darlene M.

    Fun karaoke place every Wednesdays to Saturday nights 9:30 pm - 1:30 am. Here on a Saturday night & the place is pumping and good crowd as well.

    Beini L.

    Take out fish and chips and calamari. Very fresh fish. I like the chips too. The bar has a cool vibe.

    Irish slammer
    Rosita L.

    I wouldn't say I'm a regular, but I enjoy going to this place. Every time we went there is always good time. Although last time I went on Sunday, it was so quiet and very few people. Unfortunately, I have never tried their legendary fish and chips!!! I will submit another review once I tried it. We tried irish slammer and it was great! This place has many varieties of drinks, and their bartenders always know their stuff.

    Outdoor seating
    Annabelle R.

    I used to come here for the dueling pianos, but it was usually dead upstairs with more guests coming to enjoy the karaoke on the lower level. Visiting this past weekend, years later since the last time I was here, I learned that they no longer have dueling pianos, which I think was a good decision (as much as I love dueling pianos). Karaoke is still the big hit here (along with their fish and chips of course). But they also had live music in their outdoor patio in the back, which was good cuz it was way too crowded for comfort inside when we arrived around 10pm on a Saturday. We enjoyed the sounds of island music on the keyboard, guitar, and vocals, some Bob Marley, and unique renditions of late 90's rnb, just good vibes all around. The outdoor setting was casual and cozy with picnic tables and a few other seating options available. By 10:45pm, the indoor crowd had diminished to something more manageable and we had a much easier time getting seating and service inside, to stay a little while longer and enjoy the karaoke entertainment. It felt like your friendly neighborhood bar (standard service and decent drinks, not the strongest but good flavor) and karaoke seemingly all performed by regulars, some interesting characters coming up on stage. It was fine. I'd stick with the live music outside though if I had to choose. Overall the place is far from perfect, but it's still one of my favorite spots in San Mateo for some late-night drinks and entertainment.

    Comedy night at the swinging door
    Rimi K.

    Nightly karaoke. She'll British five. Apparently they serve food. I came for open mic on a Monday night. There was a lot of parking nearby on the street, parking, lots nearby especially for the evening time. Pretty safe area. My favorite thing about this place was the vibe. It was so British. I couldn't believe it. The bartender was amazing. She was so sweet and involved. Definitely coming back.

    Hazy Beer with fruity notes!! Yummy!!

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    1 year ago

    Excellent fish and chips- possibly best in Bay Area. Friendly service. We enjoyed a low key lunch in the back patio w my toddler.

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    The Swingin' Door Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Swingin' Door

    When does the bar do karaoke?

    As of 9/24/22, Wed-Sat from 9:30p-1:30a (source: I called. Answering to say you don't know adds nothing, why do it?)

    What time do they stop serving food on Fridays/Saturdays?

    Their web site states food 11am un til late night

    When is their happy hour?

    4-6PM half off food on the board

    Is the piano bar and dining open to adults under 21?

    It is a bar, therefore most likely you have to be 21 and older.

    What are the fish and chips like?

    We have the best fish and chips on the Peninsula and our award winning chef was chosen best fish and chip chef. We buy are fish every week so it’s fresh and tasty. The recipe for our beer batter produces a light crispy golden mouthwatering product.

    View All 9 Questions

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    Paddy Flynn's

    Paddy Flynn's

    4.1(112 reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $
    Locally owned & operated
    30 years in business

    Extremely terrible experience and it's only with one simple fixable thing: the bartender. The…read morebartender has a very bad attitude. One of the things that happened when I visited this bar was I asked for a simple lemonade. The reason was because I had a soccer game the next day and I didn't want to drink alcohol and I wanted to get some electrolytes in me. It would have been very simple for the bartender to just say, "I'm sorry we don't serve lemonade." Instead what he did is say I worked here 20 years and he never served lemonade and then kept scoffing at me. He kept saying this three times, walking back and forth, up until the point the patron next to me even said, "Don't worry about him." After that without even me talking to him, he said, "Who orders lemonade at an Irish pub?" Then without me saying anything, he said, "No one orders lemonade at an Irish pub." I was honestly just trying to get a drink and he made me feel very dumb. Overall if a patron asks you for a drink, it's very easy just to say, "I'm sorry we can't do that," but he kept making me feel like an idiot. I was also surprised they did not serve lemonade; that's a very simple request. He didn't offer any alternatives except for 7-Up, which I didn't really want but paid for anyway. I ended up not drinking it even after I paid for it and leaving the bar. I guess the bartender got what he wanted. He gave me a drink that was other than lemonade; he made me pay for it and I just left the bar unhappy. I would highly recommend against visiting this establishment, especially with the grumpy bartender. He is an older white Irish guy. I understand they might have your own customers at the bar but I think it costs nothing to treat patrons with respect and not tell them that they're stupid for asking for a drink. Overall I would not recommend this place at all. Very enforced error. Sad!

    In all my days bopping around the Peninsula and especially because I have family in Burlingame.. it…read morewas the first time I had ever stepped foot into Paddy Flynn's. Super impromptu meetup with a girlfriend, I said let's try out Paddy Flynn's. We got a Guiness (duh) and a gin and tonic. Bartender was no-nonsense. I expected it to be crowded due to the 49ers/Seahawks game, but we were able to grab a high top. It served its purpose and we were able to catch up over a drink. Crowd was mixed, and even some of the seemingly-random patrons knew each other. It's what you would expect from a pub. Dark. Lively. Straightforward. Will be back.

    Photos
    Paddy Flynn's - MONICA the bartender is the best! You have to try the Espresso Martini! Come by for the friendly ambiance and amazing drinks!

    MONICA the bartender is the best! You have to try the Espresso Martini! Come by for the friendly ambiance and amazing drinks!

    Paddy Flynn's
    Paddy Flynn's - Vodka diet coke

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    Vodka diet coke

    The Village Pub - Inside dining area.

    The Village Pub

    4.1(1.4k reviews)
    8.5 mi
    $$$$

    Last night we came to The Village Pub with my bosses for a send-off/appreciation dinner before I go…read moreon maternity leave, and it was truly such a memorable experience. Being our first Michelin-star dining experience, I can honestly say I would 100% recommend this place to anyone wanting to try their first Michelin restaurant or simply celebrate a special occasion with loved ones. The service was exceptional from start to finish, and the food was beyond what words can describe. For the price of the fixed menu, it was absolutely worth it. If you're considering adding supplements or an extra dish -- do it! Every bite was incredible and worth the experience. This dinner made such a special moment in my life even more memorable, and we will definitely be coming back again.

    4.5 stars We…read morecelebrated our anniversary dinner at The Village Pub and overall had an amazing experience. The food absolutely lived up to the reputation. Every dish was beautifully plated but, more importantly, actually delicious. You can tell there's real attention to detail in every course. The highlights for us were the perfectly cooked beef dish with the rich sauce and potato gratin, the risotto, the strawberry tart dessert, and honestly the bread service alone deserves recognition. Even the little sweets at the end felt special. Great wine selection too, which made it perfect for an anniversary dinner. Service was polished, attentive, and professional without feeling overly formal or uncomfortable. The only downside was the reservation/seating situation. We weren't able to get reservations and ended up seated outside on a pretty cold evening. Thankfully the heaters helped a lot, so it was still comfortable, but it did feel a little odd seeing the dining room only about half full while outdoor guests stayed outside. Also worth mentioning: this place is definitely pricey. Not somewhere we'd casually stop into on a random Tuesday. But for a special occasion like an anniversary, the overall experience, atmosphere, presentation, and quality made it feel worth it. We'd absolutely come back again -- just with reservations next time.

    Photos
    The Village Pub - Cinnamon rolls

    Cinnamon rolls

    The Village Pub - Chocolate soufflé

    Chocolate soufflé

    The Village Pub - Salmon egg benedict

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    Salmon egg benedict

    Duke of Edinburgh - Scotch Eggs

    Duke of Edinburgh

    3.6(663 reviews)
    21.5 mi
    $$

    We always have great service and food. Jackie is the best server. Very attentive without being…read moreoverly attentive. The fish and chips are good and the house salad is large. We've been coming here for years. Just to note- Thursdays is dart league night!

    I'm not from this area. The only reason why I came here was because it was within walking distance…read morefrom the hotel. I stayed at that hotel for 4 days. 2 of those days I came to this pub. First night was a Thursday. I ordered the fish and chips which were ok. Nothing spectacular. The scene was dead and there was maybe only 7-10 other people in the entire pub. Second night I came was on a Saturday. I only ordered drinks. There was a bigger crowd but barely, 15-20 people. Overall my opinion of this place is positive and yet I was disappointed that it wasn't better. It's in a great location. There's hotels and condominiums in the area all within walking distance. The atmosphere is great. The staff is awesome! It has so many positive aspects that should make it a regular hangout spot but for some reason it's failing. I'm giving it 5 stars because I feel it deserves better. People should give this place a shot. There is a dart board that is free to play which I think is awesome. A big patio area for large parties. The beer prices are very reasonable. Suggestion to the establishment: They have an AMI juke box, but on both nights the volume was turned down pretty low which kind of made me feel like I wasn't getting my money's worth. Turn it up!!! This place needs to figure out if it wants to be a restaurant that serves beer or be a bar that serves food. Personally I think it needs to realize that it needs to focus on being a bar. There's 15 other restaurants within walking distance from here and that food is 100 times better. This place should focus on getting the customers that leave those restaurants for after meal drinks.

    Photos
    Duke of Edinburgh - The bar

    The bar

    Duke of Edinburgh - Shepherd 's Pie

    Shepherd 's Pie

    Duke of Edinburgh - Shepherds Pie - $22

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    Shepherds Pie - $22

    The Swingin' Door - karaoke - Updated May 2026

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