The film earned strong reviews when it was first released. Vincent Canby described it as "effortlessly witty" and "effervescent" in his "New York Times" review. He concluded, "I hope that "Pauline at the Beach" will win new admirers for Mr. Rohmer, one of the most original and elegant film makers at work today in any country...Mr. Rohmer's works could not exist in any other form. Their particular character would float off any printed page. They combine images, language, action and cinematic narrative fluidity to create a kind of cinema that no one else has ever done before. "Pauline at the Beach" is another rare Rohmer treat."