Mom and I think that we have dined at Trapeze before, quite a few years ago, but we aren't positively sure. Our most recent visit was on Monday night, April 28, 2025. I made reservations for our party of eight for 6:30 PM via OpenTable. Easy peasy. Adding a few extra minutes to our travel time for finding street parking, we arrived just in time. No other tables were occupied, inside nor outside at the front patio. The venue, a warm space with dramatic lighting, was very clean and tidy during our visit. Trapeze's menu offers Italian fare with Mediterranean and Californian nuances. Upon seating, we were served baskets of complimentary bread accompanied with a unique red thick dipping oil which Peter enjoyed so much that he asked for more. The servers happily gave us extra servings. In addition to cocktails, wine, and coffee drinks, below are what we ordered for dinner: Lemon Citrus and Avocado Salad ($13) - I believe that Mom ordered this and found it to be light and refreshing. Ahi Tuna Tartar ($20) - I think that Peter and Mara shared this and ate it all up. I didn't hear any comments on it, though. Beet Salad ($14) - A very nice salad with generous slices of red and yellow beets and goat cheese. For an additional $12, Auntie Marissa added Salmon to her salad and had it as her main dish which filled her up. Grilled Polenta Cake ($12) - Auntie Marissa found this starter to be rich and filling. She said that Pal would really like it. Penne Con Pomodora E Melanzane ($20) - DJ was not very impressed by this bowl of pasta and eggplant, unfortunately. Paella Valencia ($32) - Uncle Danny is not a big seafood eater, but he was very pleased with this Spanish rice dish. Grilled Filet Mignon ($50) - Yum! This was my order and I loved it. Duck Ragu ($26) - Peter did not seem as enthusiastic about this pasta dish as he did with the complimentary red dipping oil for the baskets of bread. Penne Al Forno ($26) - Mom ordered this and thought that it was good. Classic Italian Tiramisu ($12) - This was served to me on the house, topped with a lit candle for my birthday. Everyone enjoyed sharing it. Bread Pudding ($13) - Ok, according to DJ. Trio of French Mini-Chocolate Beignets ($12) - These round beignets were like light donut holes filled with chocolate. They were nice, especially with the side of whipped cream and sliced strawberries. Service was excellently friendly, accommodating, and attentive. Although DJ didn't think highly of Trapeze Restaurant, Mom and I were delighted by the dinner and would return with pleasure. read more

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The food here is okay, but the service is very disappointing. We came with our one-year-old daughter on a Friday evening and asked for an outdoor table with the heater on. It took over 10 minutes just to get the heater turned on, and the waiter only approached us twice, once to take our order and once to bring the food. While eating, they turned off the heater, forcing us to finish our meal in the cold. When we asked for the check, the staff suddenly became polite, clearly more interested in getting a tip. Good food, but poor service. I won't be coming back. read more

Trapeze Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Burlingame, California

Had a fun group dinner here. Service was great and we all enjoyed our food and drinks. Cioppino - pretty different than other versions I've had. The stew base seems like it had a bit of creaminess to it (maybe dairy added?) and there were veggies in the stew as well which I have never had in cioppino before. I appreciated the vegetables though and thought the dish was very tasty! Appetizers are pretty small - avoid the burrata app in the winter. Tomatoes are not Ina Eason and it really shows read more

Trapeze Restaurant - Cioppino - Italian Near Me - Burlingame, California

1/7/24 Zach and I decided to try out Trapeze in Burlingame for dinner. We made a reservation for 7pm. We got a parking spot about 1 block away. In my opinion, Trapeze is a great place for date night; the dim lighting and chill atmosphere sets the mood up for a romantic dinner. Here's what we got: - Grilled filet mignon (his) - Lemon pepper linguine (mine) - grilled polenta cake (mine) - crab cake (his) While we waited for the appetizers to come, our server gave us some warmed bread with a dipping sauce. Not too long after, the crab cake and the polenta cake arrived. The cakes were hot and smelled great. The polenta cake definitely tastes better than it looks! It was creamy, and a little salty. The crab cake has a slight crunch to it on the outside. The entrees came out in 15 minutes. Zach commented that his filet was cooked perfectly. My pasta dish had a good amount of seafood: 2 big shrimps, 3 chunks of salmon, clams and small scallops. The pasta was buttery and lemony with a good amount of sauce. All the staff there are super friendly and polite. We will definitely come back :) read more

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Trapeze is a very good Italian restaurant in the beautiful city of Burlingame. It was my son's birthday and after searching on yelp, he picked Trapese. It was nice they were able to accommodate our party of 10. The workers were very friendly. We all enjoyed our dishes. My son and his godfather loved the ribeye steak. I tried a bite and it was delicious. My dish was the Cioppino. It was good. I wish it had more seafood like crab and muscles. It was still good. It was also very nice that even though we were a large group, our food came out quickly. They gave my son a complimentary dessert with a candle. Nice food, nice restaurant and great service. read more

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*AVOID TRAPEZE ITALIAN RESTAURANT IN SAN MATEO AT ALL COSTS!* I'm writing this review as a warning to others after having the most horrific dining experience of my life at Trapeze Italian Restaurant in San Mateo. The evening started with high hopes, but quickly turned into a nightmare that left me traumatized and, quite literally, sick to my stomach. I ordered the carpaccio as an appetizer, which arrived promptly, but looked lackluster and uninspiring. The paella, which I was really looking forward to, took an inordinate amount of time to arrive, and when it did, it was a sorry excuse for a dish that's supposed to be a staple of Italian cuisine. The rice was overcooked, the seafood was rubbery, and the flavors were dull and unbalanced. But the real horror show began when I started to feel the effects of food poisoning. I'm talking vomiting, diarrhea, the whole nine yards. It was like my body was rebelling against the toxic waste that Trapeze had the audacity to serve me. And if that wasn't enough, the service was abysmal. Our server seemed completely disinterested in our experience, and when I politely brought the hair I found in my paella to her attention, she rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath. I asked to speak to a manager, but of course, none was available. The cherry on top of this disaster was when I received a dismissive and insincere apology from the restaurant, along with a paltry offer of a discount on my next visit. Are you kidding me? I wouldn't set foot in that dump again if you paid me. In conclusion, Trapeze Italian Restaurant in San Mateo is a culinary cesspool that serves subpar food with a side of food poisoning and rude service. Save your taste buds, your stomach, and your sanity by avoiding this place like the plague. *RATING: -10/10* *WILL I RETURN?* Not if you paid me. *RECOMMENDATION:* Avoid Trapeze Italian Restaurant in San Mateo at all costs. Instead, try one of the many other excellent Italian restaurants in the area that actually care about serving good food and providing decent service. read more

Trapeze Restaurant - Paella - Italian Near Me - Burlingame, California

I came to this place for lunch with my friend on Saturday. I booked this place before I went but you can just walk in for lunch, it's usually pretty open. I was really impressed with The staff are really sweet here and they are so kind and polite. In terms of the food, they gave us free bread that was amazing with a garlic spread. I shared a starter, Calamari and Paella with my friend and it was more than enough! I feel like there could be more calamari and less fried veggies and the paella was really big but the flavors are great! Overall a great experience but recommend coming here for dinner! read more

Trapeze Restaurant - Paella Valencia - Italian Near Me - Burlingame, California

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We had a late business lunch so the restaurant was pretty quiet. The environment was nice and the server checked in on us often. The food was good though I wasn't impressed with the grilled shrimp. read more

Trapeze Restaurant - Caesar Salad with grilled prawns - Italian Near Me - Burlingame, California

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Delicious food, great service, and gluten free friendly! Walking into the restaurant, it's very cozy and welcoming. One of the people in my group does not eat gluten. She asked about the gluten free pasta and they said that they boil it in separate water. Great to know for any gluten free people out there!! I have to put this out there because this really speaks to their service: Like I said previously, one of the people in my group does not eat gluten. The server noticed that she was not eating any appetizers. Without saying a word, he brought over to her a plate of cut up carrots and cucumbers so she can have her own appetizer. He really went above and beyond. Appetizers -calamari and crab cakes: 3/5 stars, The calamari batter was thicker than we liked and the crab cake was just okay. We did like how the calamari had some veggies as well. -burrata: 4/5 stars, If you are a burrata fan, definitely recommend this dish. -spring roll Philly cheesesteak: 5/5 stars, To our surprise, this was the best appetizer. The meat was tender and the egg roll was super crispy. Would order again. Entrees 4/5 stars for all the entrees. We had a variety of pasta, salad, and fish. Everything was sooooo good. Portions are fair sized as well. I can't wait to come here again. If you're on Burlingame avenue, do not pass up on this place! read more

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Wonderful hospitality. Made you feel right at home. Food was good. Wine was better. Definitely a solid Italian restaurant. Thanks! read more

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I was invited to lunch at Trapeze with workmates. This is an old traditional Italian American restaurant with classy service. If you're looking for a quiet place to have a long meal, Trapeze might be the environment you're looking for. There's a new garage just down the street if you're having trouble finding parking. I started with the Queen Bramble Martini $12 -- good amount of alcohol, slightly sweet. We shared a bunch of appetizers. I don't have all the pics but we ordered: Gamberetti prawns with tomato $16 Crab cake $20 Fried calamari $17 Prosciutto wrapped asparagus $16 I had the cioppino $28 as my main dish and it was a good amount of seafood but I would say a rather light entree that needed supplementing. For dessert, the classic tiramisu $9 was delicious and I wish I had a bigger slice! Food was good but it's kind of typical Italian Americana with standard Burlingame prices, which is a little high for what seems like a lot of bread and pasta. It's nice to be treated to lunch but I don't know if I would choose Trapeze on my own. read more

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Nice restaurant with excellent service. I really liked the huge salads. Tried the duck ragu and chicken piccata. Both were very good and went well with a glass of wine. Check in on yelp and get 10 percent off. Definitely consider this restaurant if you're in the area. read more

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Reservation for 8 to celebrate a birthday. The interior is nice and roomy. Our table was ready when we got there. Once seated, we ordered drinks and appetizers and they were decent; they were served within a reasonable time; however, we waited an hour for our dinner, which was unacceptable. Our server didn't even come by to update us or at least apologize for the long wait. I ordered the salmon, while others in our table ordered pasta. The salmon was very moist, but very salty. Others in my table enjoyed their pasta dishes. I'm giving them 3.5 since they compensated the long wait with free desserts. (Bread pudding). read more

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Came here to celebrate a birthday. We had a 6:30 reservations for 6 people. Our table was ready for us. Very nice interior. The food is a good 3.5 and the service is a 4/5. We ordered drinks and appetizers. The fried calamari was very good but the prosciutto wrapped grill asparagus was not worth the price but it was good. Only 2 asparagus wrapped for $18! The bread with the tomato-garlic dip was delicious. We ordered 2 Lemon-Pepper Linguines. When we ordered the Lemon-Pepper Linguine, we were told that there was no clams today, which we said okay but I don't think they gave another seafood to replace the missing clams? The entree was decent. Also ordered Fettucine Con Pollo and Penne Al Forno... pastas were good. The Paella Valencia also missing clams but this dish was still tasty and very flavorful. Enjoyed the Paella Valencia! The disappointment was the expensive Grilled Rib Eye that was asked to be cooked med-rare. It came med-well done almost no pink which to me is well done! We should have asked for it to be returned to the kitchen! Overall the atmosphere is nice, good service, food is okay. I'd probably give it a 3-1/2 star restaurant. read more

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Back again. Same great food and great service. There are several Italian restaurants around this area and this is definitely worthy of putting this on your dinner plans. read more

Trapeze Restaurant - Penne Al Forno - Italian Near Me - Burlingame, California

So sad to say that service did not meet expectations for our big party. We were seated in the back room for large parties and since it was next to an open door / window, there were flies lingering overhead of us. Our server resolved this issue then our dinner went on. The food was good but the service was lacking. Our server was trying to keep up, but being it a busy night, things were missed: incorrect food served, food came out late, having to ask for water and soda refills multiple times. Perhaps on slower nights things are different and service is better but during our visit, we wished for more. read more

Always excellent service and food. The portions are just right and the bread is *chef's kiss* nice and warm. I ordered the chicken citrus avocado salad and it's very good. Philly cheese steak spring roll appetizer cause I felt adventurous today and I was not disappointed. read more

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I had wanted to come here for such a long time and I'm glad I finally did! This is a cozy restaurant in downtown Burlingame. They offer both French and Italian cuisine. I was amazed at how huge the paella dish was (although my favorite is still Teleferic in Palo Alto). It easily could've been enough for two people. My friend had the lobster ravioli and I was impressed that it came with large shrimp as well. I'd like to come back and try more things. The servers seem to have worked there for a long time and are friendly. My water glass never went empty and they brought us bread on request. I would recommend making a reservation because it is small but in an intimate way. Look forward to going back! read more

Trapeze Restaurant - Lobster Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Burlingame, California

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Ambiance- Service Food - Ok We're curious to try this Italian style restaurant. It was good but I guess it's mostly adult type of food as it serves wine - people coming in after office. We had our usual, trying calamari on each places we go. We also had wings and the tomatoes/burrata drizzled with light balsamic. read more

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We had a great dinner here on Monday night. The service was friendly and really attentive. They brought out bread before the appetizers came. They presented all the appetizers at once making a very nice array of dishes. After we were done with the yummy apps, they cleared our plates and dishes, and made sure the table was ready for our entrees. We had Burrata Cheese with Tomatoes and Beef Carpaccio for starters. Both were really good. Our son had the Roasted Shrimp for his dinner and he very much enjoyed it. Then two of us shared the Cioppino and Penne Al Forno with Gluten Free Pasta. The seafood was fresh with a nice selection of seafood items and the red broth of the Cioppino was delicious. It had a flavor different than we've had in other Cioppinos which was really good. The pasta had good size pieces of chicken and sausage, and the sauce was very tasty. The portion sizes of both the appetizers and entrees were all great. I started my evening with a Dirty Ketel Martini Up. It was made just right. We also had wine with dinner. They offered a good wine selection. The ambiance was very comfortable with nice lighting. We sat at a corner table and had a good view of the restaurant. My son enjoyed the abstract artwork donning the walls. He kept himself busy coming up with ideas of what the art depicted. It was a wonderful meal. read more

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I'd say it's pretty decent. Sorry about the crazy lady that beat up your live band tho. Other than that, the food was absolutely fantastic. it made me AND my wife happy. So happy we got married. i think. keep up the good work guys. read more

My daughter is an expert at finding good restaurants on yelp. I was visiting from out of town for work and she found this gem. We are Italian so I am pretty particular about finding restaurants with good Italian food. This place was phenomenal. Not only was the staff very attentive and kind, but the food was amazing. I had the lemon garlic, seafood pasta, and my daughter had the Gorgonzola gnocchi and filet mignon. We also had the carpaccio to start and our waiter brought us amazing tiramisu at the end of the meal. The food was all fresh and super flavorful. I would definitely go back here if I was visiting again. read more

Trapeze Restaurant - Gnocchi with fillet - Italian Near Me - Burlingame, California

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We sat outdoors and were the only customers there because they just opened. It took them an hour to make one chicken alfredo pasta. What's even worse is that the pasta was extremely bland. We ordered beef carpaccio and fried calamari as appetizers. The fried calamari was very oily and needed more seasoning, but thankfully the beef carpaccio was decent. Overall, it's insane how long we had to wait for our main course which again was just one pasta. I would not recommend at all. read more

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We came here on a Monday the food was absolutely delicious. The staff is very friendly and catered to all our request. Love come here. My second time. Definitely come here again. Thank you Jacob! read more

Came for a weekend lunch and there was no wait with plenty of outdoor seatings. Ordered the lemon linguine and steak. I was surprised that I was able to finished the whole linguine, it didn't make me bloated or anything and the portion was just right and quite flavorful. The linguine was cooked perfectly, not tough to chew with good texture. I think I'll come back again for the pasta. read more

Trapeze Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Burlingame, California

Delicious! A great fusion between French and Italian food, Trapeze offers some very unique dishes at reasonable prices that are very hard to come by elsewhere in the Bay Area! Made a reservation right on Yelp to come in for dinner on a Saturday. We were seated right away, and ordered some drinks. We ordered the bone marrow for the appetizer, and grilled lamb chops and a paella for the mains. The bone marrow was savory and fatty, but not too heavy. Very delightful! The grilled lamb chops were tender and honestly, I was very surprised at how good they were. The veggies were your standard veggies with a bit of char. The paella was also delicious! Filled with a good amount of seafood and nice flavor. Not too mushy and just the right amount of saltiness. Would definitely come back here and recommend to friends who are looking for a nice restaurant to dine at! read more

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Came here today a group of 6 girls for 2 birthdays. Our server Yakup wasn't welcoming whatsoever, very abrasive and not at all friendly. Our bread sauce sat there for a good 40 minutes before he brought us bread in which we had to ask for 3 times. His vibe was off, almost had a chauvinistic behavior towards us women. The place was DEAD. The other friendly server was helping the large party and Yakup was only helping our table. We had zero customer service. None whatsoever. He would come clear things and reach in front of our faces without saying anything like "excuse me or pardon" . He never once asked how anything was or if we wanted another cocktail. He didn't seem to care and now I know why. The place already added in a 20% tip for the worst service you could ask for. Now I know why this short squat abrupt man didn't bother, because he didn't have to. I wouldn't return if you paid me to. Plenty other spots in Burlingame to eat at that provides better food and service. Live and learn. Food was good minus the tiny salads....but horrible service. 2 stars in total for this spot. read more

In an effort to try all the French restaurants in the area, I found Trapeze to be a lovely spot for a semi-fancier meal. The calamari was fried so perfectly! My brother had the steak and it was very tender (medium-rare). I had the branzino and as a lover of fish, I found it very well cooked and seasoned perfectly. I would have liked slightly more toppings on the arugula as I ended up with leftover arugula but that's just a personal preference. The dish itself was very satisfying. Now about the lamb chops, I found it very tasty and I especially loved the side of vegetables. My dad ordered this and due to his dentures, he felt the lamb was too tough. Upon asking our waiter, we found out that they trim the fat off the lamb chops which results in a slightly tougher cut of meat. This is fine with me since I have a preference for leaner cuts but for my Dad, he felt it was too difficult to eat. After sharing this feedback with the waiter/staff, our bill arrived with the lamb chops omitted. We were pleasantly shocked! The staff member said, and I quote -- "I cannot ask you to pay for something you did not like." Customer service here is beyond excellent, they really do mean it when they say they will take care of you. I will come here again to try other menu items soon. Thank you very much to the staff at Trapeze for a lovely first-time experience! read more

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I was passing through Palo Alto and had a business dinner. We had the outdoor seating which is much nicer, and it is by a quiet road, so great for a dinner. We had salad for starters and then salmon and filet for the main course. The food is well-prepared and delicious. They have a great wine list with a good selection. Overall, a very enjoyable experience. read more

I got stood up on a blind date (tears). I stayed to eat and drink my embarrassment away. I ordered lemon-pepper linguine, and it was YUM - totally forgot that I got stood up . The staff here turned my night around with the candlelit crème brûlée to cheer me up. how sweet and thoughtful Will def come back for a real date! read more

Trapeze Restaurant - Crème brûlée - Italian Near Me - Burlingame, California

Can't review b/c we didn't actually eat there. 7P reservation, ignored til 7:40. Just some smiles and "poor me" looks from the hostess. Eventually seated in the back room with 12 other tables, none of whom had been served yet. Left and got a pizza. A "sorry" would have made all the difference. read more

Trapeze, for years, has consistently been one of the best restaurants in Burlingame. My family and I had many memorable and fantastic meals there and we were so sorry to hear it closed. Does anyone know why? read more

Surprised that I haven't tried this place sooner. Honestly came by because my partner and I always end up lagging on figuring out what's for dinner. I bust open open table to see what's going on and voila! 1000 points for trapeze and they had some times that worked for us. Everything we ordered was good. The fettuccine con pollo was my favorite. read more

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Loved the service. They were on top of everything and super kind and mindful. They recommended a delicious wine with our pastas. I got the Lemon-Linguine Seafood Pasta. The clams and seafood were so fantastic! I ate every bite :) my sister got the chicken Alfredo, I got a bite and it was super creamy and flavorful as well. My sister didnt finish her chicken but I ate some pieces. Ordered tiramisu and a chocolate caramel lava cake for dessert. As full as we were, we still finished the desserts. They were so delicious! Would definitely come back again. Owner and servers were great, friendly, and the interior was nicely decorated. Highly recommend! Will come back soon read more

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Great staff, really. I will say I ordered the Alfredo and got the other penne dish when they served, but it was so good I didn't say anything about it. They let us chill most of the night even as we were the only ones after 8:30. Everything looked clean, including the restrooms. Definitely the best Italian I've had in Burlingame. read more

First time here - good selection of pasta and non pasta entrees. The chicken Alfredo and penne al forno were both excellent. Thanks- will definitely come back. read more

Friday lunch date with the hubs and he chose Trapeze. Arrived around noon and there were plenty of tables open. One server working the front so it took a minute to get his attention to get a table. After looking at some pictures via Yelp and reading the description of the dishes, we decided on: 1) Carpaccio- thinly sliced pieces of beef that melt in your mouth. The arugula, Parmesan and capers balanced the flavors nicely. 2) Prosciutto salad - quite a few slices of prosciutto on the bottom of the salad. Love the flavors of the arugula combined with the dressing and fruit. Just wish there was more of it. 3) Grilled Rib Eye Steak sandwich - fries were hot and crispy. The sandwich was also very good. The steak was tender so didn't have any issues with eating this sandwich. 4) Tiramisu - of course had to have dessert and coffee. The tiramisu was good - not too sweet and there was a hint of cinnamon. 5) Chocolate Lava cake - hubs was looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, the cake was dry and there was no "lava" in the center of the cake. He was, sadly, disappointed with this one. Overall, we had a nice lunch date and service was pretty good. Although only one server, he did check on us often. read more

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Solid place in downtown Burlingame for date night and casual dinners. They have an extensive wine list and would definitely recommend looking at their wine list. The beer and cocktail offerings arent as extensive but they do have a bar to make other drinks. Crab appetizers were delicious! The crab cakes were a little moist to touch, but a treat to eat. The shrimp appetizer (forgot the name) was also great. The shrimp were meaty and the sauce was superb with the lightly toasted bread. For the entree, I got the lobster ravioli. Classic sauce smothering decently sized ravioli. No complaints and an easy dish to fall back on if you can't decide. Dessert, I went for the classic tiramisu. Only note here was that the dessert had ice crystals in some bites here and there, which tells me the dessert was frozen. Not great, but I let it slide. Also got to try the bottle of red wine (Prisoner), which was quite good. Everyone in my table enjoyed the wine! read more

Error! This review is for Barrel Bistro and Wine Bar in San Mateo. Sorry, can't see how to fix this Server was incredible - wish I could recall her name. She made us feel she was genuinely glad we were there. Made my husband's bday dinner that much more enjoyable. Food was great too. read more

Trapeze Restaurant - Carpaccio- very good - Italian Near Me - Burlingame, California

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Very good food with a variety of options with shareable appetizers, salads, pastas, and entrees. I've been here a few times. On my most recent trip, we had the prosciutto wrapped asparagus with burrata cheese. It's delicious. This place also serves soft slices of bread reminiscent of Foccacia texture that is very good. The salmon served with mashed potatoes and vegetables is excellent, with the fish cooked perfectly and tenderly. Just know there are very very limited options for anyone who is a vegan. Otherwise it is fine for everyone else. Nice interior and professional service. I will return but without any vegans in tow. read more