<PAGE>
Exhibit 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Amendment No. 1 to
the Registration Statement on Form S-4 of Greater Bay Bancorp our report dated
May 18, 2000 relating to the consolidated financial statements, which appears in
Greater Bay Bancorp's Current Report on Form 8-K dated May 18, 2000. We also
consent to the incorporation by reference of our report dated July 25, 2000
relating to the supplemental consolidated financial statements, which appears in
the Current Report on Form 8-K filed July 26, 2000. We also consent to the
references to us under the headings "Experts" and "Selected Historical and Pro
Forma Financial Data" in such Registration Statement.
/s/PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
San Francisco, California
August 8, 2000
