As a native Floridian, I remembered a visit to the Columbia restaraunt when I was 5 years old. I always eat here when I visit Tampa. I have moved to Arkansas and cannot get enough when I visit. read more

The semester is ending. Our small group are separating and going in new directions. Some will return, some we may not see again. So where to go for a special celebration? Tampa's oldest and finest restaurant, The Columbia. Atmosphere - historic and beautiful. Service from Nick, our friendly and knowledgeable server, impeccable, intentional, making each of us feel special. The food - ten out of ten. Ten people and every need was met, every item well prepared with perfect timing. It was a great celebration, not rushed, just right. A night to remember with special thanks to Nick and the staff at the fabulous Columbia. read more

I was in Tampa this past week for work and finally made it over to the Columbia Restaurant for lunch on Friday. It was my first time ever stepping foot in the place, and honestly, I'm still buzzing from the experience. ​The Service was Next Level ​I have to give a massive shoutout to Tiffany and Bobby. They took care of me from start to finish and were just incredible. I had a mojito and the sangria and both drinks were spot on. You can tell when people actually enjoy what they do; they were so knowledgeable and went out of their way to make me feel at home. ​The Food (Holy Moly!) ​I stuck with the classics, and they did not disappoint: ​The 1905 Salad: I've heard people talk about this for years, and now I get the hype. It's a total game-changer. ​The Complete Cubana: Authentic, filling, and perfectly done. ​The Grand Tour ​The coolest part was getting to take a tour of the entire restaurant. One of the managers, Garrett, personally took me around, and he was fantastic. The place is massive and absolutely stunning--every room has its own history and vibe. It's clear that the management here, especially folks like Garrett, really know exactly what they're doing. From the host stand to the servers, everyone was so friendly and professional. ​It's rare to find a spot that actually lives up to the legend, but the Columbia absolutely does. If you're in Ybor, do yourself a favor and stop by. I'm already planning my next trip back! ​Score: 10/10. Great food, better people. read more

My husband took us here for Mother's Day brunch and it was fantastic! Our reservation was for 12:15, when we arrived the waiting space by the host stand was PACKED, there were even people waiting outside. Thankfully, we checked in and were seated within 5 mins of arriving. From the outside you don't really see how big this restaurant is, but on the inside it is so big and spacious and beautifully decorated. For how busy it was, it still felt like an intimate time with our family for lunch. I ordered the ropa vieja, it was delicious - highly recommend trying it. My mom ordered the empanadas and a soup (I can't remember which soup) - she enjoyed all of it. The kids menu has good options as well, especially for my picky eater. The service was phenomenal, our waitress was very nice and walked us through the menu. She was also very attentive the entire time and had a great attitude. We can't wait to go back! read more

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What can I say that hasn't been said by thousands already? Columbia is a "try before you die" restaurant! Famous for its size (1,700 capacity) and its age (it opened in 1905), Columbia is world-famous and well-known even by non-Floridians, such as myself. Thankfully, I was given the opportunity to dine here in March 2026 with a large group of friends before we left the next day for a cruise. I went off menu and ordered myself a Cubano sandwich ($15). Normally, the cubano is not available during the dinner service. This was very good and I can see why it is a must-try dish here. I shouldn't have caffeine after 2pm but I indulged myself and got a cafe con leche as my drink ($5). This was the only sort of disappointment of the evening. The espresso was nothing special and tasted of nothing. It took a while for us to get everything but there were 13 of us and our waitress worked very hard. I didn't order their famous salad, but I had a few bites of it, thanks to a friend, and LOVED it! The wait staff make it right in front of you as well. Fancy! The flamenco show was delightful, but it isn't free. 10 dollars are added to everyone's checks at the end. You "can't" record it or take pictures of it either, hence why I only grabbed one photo. The interior and the ambiance are a 10/10. I'm a nosy nelly, and love to people watch. I was so dang happy to be here and just observe everything and everyone for two hours. I was enchanted and enthralled the entire time the Tampa Bay Flamenco dancers performed. My mouth was agape and my jaw was on the floor. Service, as to be expected in a VERY popular high-end restaurant like this, was a 10/10. Our waitress, Ana, was very professional and provided us immaculate service. The waiters wear tuxes and suits, providing a very formal atmosphere. I noticed most of the waiters were older, which means that they probably have been working here for many years. I didn't buy anything from their gift shop - I didn't have a way to bring anything I bought home - but it looked good, well-stocked, and reasonably priced! I would absolutely love to come back to Columbia again! read more

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Columbia is a Tampa staple, must visit!! Once inside you are transported to another place, with ornate decor and warm lighting. The 1905 salad is one of a kind and made fresh tableside. Somehow the combo of ham, Swiss cheese, olives, tomato, and their signature garlic dressing just works!! They offer a great Cuban sandwich but may only be available on the lunch menu. Their main dishes such as the salmon aurora or the palomilla are full of flavor and large enough portions for leftovers. Service is always wonderful here, food comes out at a good pace even though they are always busy! Bonus that they offer free parking. read more

Columbia Restaurant - Salmon Aurora - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

What a treat! Had some work folks in town for a conference and they treated me to a nice dinner. The moment they picked Columbia, I said say less! I enjoyed the food so much that I forgot to get pics! We had their salad. So good! Their fresh bread and a slew of various tapas. To eat I got their Cannelloni de Langosta. Incredibly rich but delish! To drink we shared 2 pitchers of their white sangria. Infamous! Drank it down to the last drop. I'll definitely be back! read more

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So since my last visit last year - I have returned at least once a month! Helloooo it's become a favorite staple to have lunch with clients, coworkers or just friends! It has such a great atmosphere and each time that I go I get a different room so it feels like I'm dining at a different restaurant. I am a creature of habit so I'm almost always getting the same thing but last time I went we had the croquettas de pollo and deviled crabs! Delicious delicious! Just to update from my last visit: Parking - there's plenty in the front, the back and the streets as well. Reservations - Make them! The place gets packed during lunch and dinner. Night live dancers are a must see! Service: Off the charts! They are very attentive, quick on their feet and they make sure your dining experience is superb. So tip them well. Drinks are delicious especially the Sangria! Get it and thank me later! read more

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I would come here alone for the Bread Pudding. As I'm writing this I'm going to make reservations for next weekend, it's such a special treat. I went for a special occasion and the service did not disappoint and neither did the views into the overview of the restaurants second floor. The Boliche I highly recommend, a piece of beef simmered slowly in a savory tomato sauce & stuffed with a piece of Spanish chorizo in the middle. The dance show is totally worth the extra cost. This place is a staple and you cannot come to Tampa and at least not try the famous 1905 salad or at least take a bottle to go! read more

Columbia Restaurant - Bread Pudding - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

We come here every time we are in Ybor City, Tampa area, and we are never disappointed! This place is amazing! Best meal we've enjoyed in a long time. I love everything about this restaurant. I consider it Ybor City's national treasure. Everything is phenomenal. The food, the drinks, the ambience, the service. Truly, you can't go wrong coming here. We did the tapas: scallops, empanadas, pollo croquetas, and a bowl of the famous sopa. Everything was great. Don't forget to enjoy the delicious complimentary Cuban bread with lots of butter! Perfect for sopping up the delicious sopa. The drinks were great. I had three: classic mojito, sangria tinto, and cafè Cesar. All good. My favorite is always their mojito. No one in America does it better imo... definitely on par with Spain. Dessert was the guava turnover. It was good, but should be shared because it's basically diabetes on a plate. lol. Very sweet is an understatement. I preferred the boozy Cafè Cesar (Cuban coffee mixed with booze and topped with whipped cream and a cinnamon stick) nice ending to the meal. The kids ate their meal without complaints. This place is huge and prone to long waits. Make a reservation or plan ahead. You can always eat at the bar if you're in a pinch. They often have live music there and the bartenders look snazzy in their tuxedoes. It's a whole vibe. Enjoy!! read more

What better way to spend a Mother's Day that at the Columbia for dinner. The building itself is beautiful, it has so many intricate details. They are doing a very good job preserving the building and the rooms. After looking and looking at the menu for options, I choose the Stuffed Grouper. It was cook to Perfection, the passion fruit butter was delicious, and a served with yellow rice and vegetables. Of course I have to get the 1905 salad and some pressed La Segunda Cuban Bread. I made room for dessert, the white chocolate bread pudding was great!!! It was made with Cuban bread!!! It is not about the money; it is about the experience: The ambience, the place, the people who take care of you , and the quality of the food! Thanks for making my day very special! read more

Columbia Restaurant - White chocolate bread pudding - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Perfect in every sense of the word. The food is amazing and the mojitos are spectacular. Beautiful building with lots of history. I cannot wait to go back read more

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This restaurant has so much history, it's a must if you're in town! Great service! All the staff were so friendly! We had the 1905 salad, seafood cannelloni and pork shoulder. Too much dressing on the salad for my taste but great flavors. Lots and lots of lobster in the cannelloni! Pork was fall off the bone tender! We also had flan for dessert which was decent. The piano player was amazing, that was a fun bonus for dinner! read more

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We love Columbia and make it a point to visit whenever we are in a town with a location. The service is fantastic. The salad is the best around! I shared the paella with my daughter and it was still a generous portion (and delicious). All of the deserts were very good! I wish we had a location closer to me! Also cannot beat the sangria. The restaurant feels like you are in Spain. Can't say enough positive things. Make a reservation because it is always busy! read more

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We made reservations months in advance & met friends from NY here again this year. This has become our go to restaurant when we are in Tampa. There are several parking lots & many beautiful rooms in this huge restaurant. Six of us were seated at the Gonzmart family round table. Maria waited on us & she was informative & very personable. From the warm bread to the table side sangria & garlicy salad to the Cuban assorted plate & warm white chocolate bread pudding. Portions were huge, everything was delicious & I'm stuffed! Portions were enormous, prices, reasonable, and everything we tasted was exceptional. Six of us left very happy and very very full read more

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Columbia Restaurant feels less like a restaurant and more like stepping into a historical landmark in Spain. The building, the energy, the sense of history, it all pulls you in and makes you feel like you are somewhere important. You can tell that at one point in time the food probably matched that level. Now, not so much. I will say the black bean soup is still excellent, they absolutely get that right, but overall the flavor of the food could be so much better than what it is today. A lot of people, myself included, are not really going here for the food anyway. It is about the experience and being able to say you have "been there".. Just be ready for the waiter hierarchy ... because it is a thing. You will have multiple people serving your table, one for water, one for food, one ACTUAL server, and it can get confusing and a little annoying trying to figure out who is doing what. But that is part of it. You go, you take it all in, you get your photos... check that box. read more

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We had reservations at 1 on a Sunday. Reservations are highly recommended. This place was packed! We were sat about 10 minutes after checking in. Nick was our server. He was friendly and helpful with recommendations. Decided to start out with a pitcher of sangria since we had just completed dry January! Another one followed shortly after. Best sangria in Florida! We all ordered 1905 salad, empanadas and chicken. Everything was delicious! Service was stellar and we enjoyed our visit fully! read more

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planned a surprise birthday dinner for my wife at Columbia Restaurant in Ybor, and the entire team exceeded every expectation. From the start, they were incredibly thorough and helpful in coordinating all the details to make the surprise seamless. We had 18 guests in a private room, and everything was executed perfectly. The atmosphere was amazing--such a unique vibe with rich history--and the food and drinks were outstanding across the board. Every guest was beyond pleased. What really stood out was how accommodating and attentive the staff was throughout the evening. They made the experience feel special and stress-free. I couldn't be happier with how everything turned out--highly recommend for any special occasion. read more

We have eaten at thousands of restaurants since our first date in Phoenix back in 1970. It is extremely rare for us to walk away from a meal feeling like this place belongs in our top 10 of all time. Donna had read that this is the ultimate experience for Spanish food, and I agree. The service was, at all times, stellar. When they mixed our sangria tableside or created a salad in front of us, we felt like royalty. Donna had the Cuban sandwich with a side salad and I had the lobster stuffed canneloni. With its rich cheese sauce and generous lobster, I was a fan forever. There was just enough room to split an order of the key lime pie - my favorite dessert. Naturally, this was the best I'd ever tasted. This was our last big meal at the end of a long cruise, and it couldn't have been more perfect. read more

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This was my second time visiting this location and this visit completely chanced my experience. The first time I came, i liked it, but it didn't fully wow me, this time? So much better. The service was incredible from start to finish, attentive, warm and professional without feeling rushed. The food was very good. The caldo gallego was absolutely delicious, comforting, flavorful and perfectly seasoned. The paella a la Valenciana was a standout this time, fresh and full of well balanced flavors. Everything tasted thoughtfully prepared. The restaurant has a such pleasant atmosphere, it feels classic and full of history but is still lively and welcoming. Overall a really solid experience not quite five stars yet but definitely a place I'd return to again (especially for the caldo gallego) read more

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Definitely a tourist highlight! It is a HUGE place with lots of different rooms, balcones and private rooms. We walked in without reservations for lunch, but no problem, we were seated on the balcony in about 15'. This was an unplanned meal for us so we just ordered a couple of appetizers and drinks. The food was good. Unfortunately, our server Jose had a table downstairs and multiple tables upstairs, so it was hard to get his attention. Overall, a positive experience, the tile work outside is definitely "a Kodak moment!" read more

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Upon arriving in Tampa, everyone recommended that we go to the Columbia in historic Ybor City. The restaurant and building have been around since 1905. The menu shares photos and the story behind the family's generations of ownership, which adds to the experience. Service was very nice, and you could tell the staff takes pride in both the space and the food. As soon as you sit down, they bring an ample amount of Cuban bread, and it was perfectly crispy and fresh. My husband and I both ordered the half-and-half: half of a Cuban sandwich and half of the table-side salad. Unfortunately, the Cuban sandwich was a bit underwhelming for me (then again, I am partial to Miami's version of a Cuban, which is loaded with pickles and mustard.) The bread was too crunchy (maybe it was pressed and then just sat too long before they served it?), and there was only one very thin slice of pickle. Overall it lacked flavor. The salad, on the other hand, was excellent. The table-side preparation was fun to watch, and the homemade dressing was full of flavor. We arrived around 1:45 p.m. on a Tuesday, which we assumed would be an off time, but there was still a 30+ minute wait, with several people waiting in the lobby to be seated. read more

Columbia Restaurant - Half Cuban sandwich, half table side salad - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

We are out of towners and this place was recommended by some friends. It did not disappoint. As the reviews say reservations are a great start. This place was busy for a Monday night. They are also very accustomed to serving large quantities of people so trust the process. We arrived ahead of our reservation and went to the bar. That is a great start as wife says it was the best mojito she has had in her life. We were then pleasantly surprised when they sat us early. The food was amazing and good quantities. I also felt it was priced well for the value received. We had the seafood paella, beef empanadas and of course the 1905 salad. Everything we had was so amazing we had to get dessert. We elected for the white chocolate bread pudding. Again the quantity was good and it made it easy to share. Anytime we pass through Tampa this will certainly be on the list. read more

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A while back while visiting Tampa, I had two foodie goals. One of them is to dine at the 1905 Columbia Restaurant featuring Spanish and Cuban foods. This location at Ybor City is HUGE, at a full city block, 52,00 sq feet, seating up to 1,700 customers, in multiple large dining areas and private rooms. Tiled exteriors and interiors with a fountain and a glass ceiling make this restaurant charming, inviting, and elegant. Their menu is massive with photo images of the past and present. They even have a gift shop. Our skilled server is knowledgeable, clearly capable of handling tourists who ask for recommendations. The service is swift, and the food came out quickly. This was a very enjoyable meal. The Food: Original Cuban Sandwich and a cup of soup, $20 - 5 Stars This sandwich is a recipe from 1915 of the original "Mixto" sandwich, using bread from the 1915 La Segunda Bakery. (See separate view) This Cuban features the historical influences of the immigrants then. From the menu: "The Spanish brought the fine ham, the Sicilians the Genoa salami, the Cubans the mojo-marinated roast pork, the Germans and Jews the Swiss cheese, pickle and mustard." Biting into this sandwich is a taste of history, of hopes and dreams. This recipe is still a winner today. The flavors blend together like it was meant to be, complementing each other. Try the sandwich at least once. For the soup, we chose: Gazpacho Andalucia Menu: Spain's famous cold soup of purée of ripe tomatoes, green peppers, onions, cucumbers, and garlic. Topped tableside with finely diced vegetables (we skipped the toasted Cuban croutons). Our server recommended this soup, which is most excellent. It is light and refreshing. Very delicious. Mahi-Mahi Cubana, $22 - 5 Stars Menu: Grilled mahi-mahi fillet seasoned and topped with sautéed onions, mushrooms, green peppers and smothered with Swiss cheese on Cuban bread with plantain chips Mahi-mahi is an expensive fish at seafood restaurants, so I was pleasantly pleased to see it featured in a Cuban sandwich. Perfectly seasoned and seared, the fish held its own against the textures of the bread and the veggies, which speaks well of how the fish is prepared. Thumbs up. Scallops 'Casimiro', $24 - 5 Stars Menu: Large, fresh sea scallops baked in a clay casserole with lemon butter and topped with seasoned breadcrumbs and white wine Our server recommended this tapa, and she was spot-on. Then again, what could go wrong with scallops in butter and garlic? We devoured these scallops with the loaf of Cuban bread for the table and ate all the sauce. Yum! Ybor City Devil Crab Croquettes - 4.5 Stars Served with the restaurant's own spicy salsa picante sauce, these crab croquettes were created during the Great Depression with ingredients that were then inexpensive. Today, we appreciate blue crab meat, paprika, and garlic in Cuban breadcrumbs, and fried as an elevated tapa/appetizer. Though the blue crab is milder in taste, the overall flavor is memorable, especially with the hot sauce. This is the featured tapa that is also a must try at least once. read more

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Brought out of state family visiting us before the hockey game. The Ambiance is old Florida and the restaurant is beautiful. We were greeted and immediately seated as we had a reservation. From the greeter, to server to food runner - everyone is welcoming. We ordered the deviled crab tapas to start along with the warm Cuban bread. We then ordered the 1905 salad - it's a staple if you come to the restaurant. For the meal I ordered shrimp stuffed with blue crab - YUM! Highly recommend if you have never been - you must. This is one place that if you only have one night to experience something authentic - this is IT!! read more

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Yes , I did this restaurant before but that was the St. Augustine location . Ybor City is the OG ! Where Columbia was born . Has 14 Dining rooms and can serve up to 2,000 ppl at a time . And you need reservation! I lucked out and made it in without one . The surreal part , my Ropa Vieja dish tasted as good and fresh ! Served in a timely manner . The wait staff was as attentive . The craftsman ship, art , decorating each dining room is amazing . They have a gift shop , they sell the coffee they serve and the sangria mix . Yes i got both , again . read more

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How on earth did i miss writing a review for Columbia!? I went for dinner when i was in the tampa area end of November. It is highly recommended that you make reservations, cause this place is BUSY!! I knew i wanted some good cuban/spanish food while I was in Florida, and Columbia DID NOT disappoint!! We were seated within 10 minutes of checking in (and we checked in 15 minutes early...killed the time at the gift shop next door...dont forget to check that out too!) and our table was at the top of the stairs in the Don Quixote room. Little did i know, this restaurant is HUGE! 52,000 sqft huge and can seat 1700 customers! One could probably get lost if you weren't mindful. LOL Everything on the menu looked delicious and i had a hard time deciding what i wanted to order. My friend said we had to get the 1905 salad, so we ordered to start. I also knew i wanted an empanada so we ordered the Empanadas de Picadillo tapas. Both were delicious, but the Empanadas de Picadillo - OMG best empanada i have had in YEARS. Amazingly flakey. And the filling perfect! For my actual dinner, I ordered the Pollo Manchego. But when my actual dinner came out, i was honestly already full, but had to take at least a few bites to try it. The chicken was nice and tender and paired with the sundried tomatoes and yellow rice, it was a perfectly flavored bite! I'm a little sad that I live across the country so returning to Columbia is going to be a challenge, but I did buy a cookbook from the gift shop. So at least I can try to recreate the flavor experience at home. :) read more

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Great vibe, cool neighborhood, and very historical (literally the oldest restaurant in Florida). Decent prices too. The Cuban sandwich (what I ordered) was good but nothing spectacular. Still definitely worth a visit. read more

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1st time here and a delightful experience. We were told a 20-30 minute wait for a table ar around 1pm on a Sunday but were seated within 10 minutes. We were in the Don Quixote room I guess since there were mosaics and pictures of Don on the walls. The restaurant is huge and very pretty! Our server Amber was attentive and informative. We started with the corn and crab fritters which were light and fluffy and served with a honey mustard pineapple jam. I had the half Cuban sandwich with a side salad. The 1805 salad was prepared tableside, so fancy! My companion had the deep fried bacon wrapped shrimp. Both entrees were well prepared and tasty. Flan and a rum blueberry cheesecake rounded out the meal. Both were delicious. This place is a must do if you are in Ybor City. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience read more

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Had a welcoming visit at the Columbia restaurant location in Ybor City. Experienced an issue and John and his staff were quick to remedy it. Never had such outstanding service from management. Ambiance was nice, staff were lovely and the standouts for my lunch were the 1905 salad, fresh cuban bread and Guava pastry. Will definitely make a stop next time I'm in the area. read more

Columbia Restaurant - 1905 salad - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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I take every person here who comes to visit me in Tampa. The building is beautiful & historic & the food is absolutely delicious. I will be honest that the service is hit or miss (the only reason why I can't give it 5 stars.) it's still a must go if you haven't been. read more

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This restaurant was amazing! I love the history and the ambiance and the service; and the food was great too! I had the 1905 Salad, which is tossed at the table. My partner had the stuffed shrimp. Both were very good. Would recommend this huge restaurant for any special occasion. It wasn't inexpensive, but everything was really great! Also enjoyed the gift shop afterwards. Did I mention, the service was fantastic? Had a great time here and I want to go back! read more

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This restaurant is so hyped up due to its long history, ambiance, show, and solid food. The building is very distinctive and lines are still there even at 9pm. We managed to secure a reservation for the 9:30 pm show which lasted a pretty good length at ~40 minutes. During the show, they dim the lights so it was kind of hard to see what we are eating but at least they gave us a candle which helped with ambiance too! We tried the 1905 salad, stuffed grouper, paella, Cuban sandwich, Spanish soup, and bread pudding. Everything is decent (4/5). But I have had better elsewhere. The complimentary bread is really nice when hot though! Overall probably worth visiting at least once due to the cool neighborhood and a fun evening out. read more

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Came for a girlfriend's bday (we were a big crowd). Overall, had an incredible evening! Food was great, the dancers superb, and the restaurant itself was iconic. Service was only okay, which is why it's not a 5. read more

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This is the first nice dinner you have when you move or take a long vacation in Tampa. You let the waiter make recommendations and then you order at least 2 of those recommendations. I never order fish and he recommended a house favorite dish. I loved it. I didn't leave a single scrap on the plate when I was done. You order a mojito, a regular mojito, and then you just enjoy the ride. You'll order a second mojito in no time. It's the second best mojito I've ever had in my life. The ambiance and service is outstanding. The history of this restaurant is an experience alone. But please take my advice with the ordering. The servers know what they're talking about. Trust the process... read more

The restaurant is overrated in terms of food, particularly the "Cuban Sandwich," which is essentially a baguette with ham and cheese. You could easily make a better one at home. I also tried the chicken and a "Cuban" stew, but as a Latino, I suggest not expecting too much. The atmosphere was pretty dull, especially on a Monday. The highlight was the homemade "bolillo" or "hot bread"--delicious! read more

I'll start with the good.. The restaurant is gorgeous, and HUGE! It is the largest restaurant that I've been to, and I remember the 3 story Margaritaville in Vegas! The other positive is the level of service was outstanding. Unfortunately, that's where the positives end and I don't visit restaurants for ambiance nor service. I'm all about the food, and this was easily the worst Spanish food I've ever had. Honestly I should've known when I noticed more Cuban dishes than Spanish dishes on the menu. We avoided the Cuban dishes and ordered the devil crab croquettes, the stuffed mushrooms, the pincho mixto, and finally a Paella "Española". The croquettes reminded me of canned seafood found in Latin markets. They are typically packed in a tomato based sauce, and these croquettes tasted more like tomato and paprika than anything else. The Pincho mixto was bland, the mushrooms had decent flavor but there was no cheese to be found, and the Paella was absolutely awful. The paella had no seasoning, no socarrat, unopened clams, no sausage, overcooked chicken, and undercooked rice. This may be the oldest Spanish restaurant in the US, but I'd also wager it's the worst. read more

Columbia Restaurant - Menú cover - Spanish Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I had only visited the Columbia at St. Armand's Circle- the original is superior. Numerous dining rooms; I reserved the flamenco dance performance so we were up front. Service was excellent- our waiter made our sangria and 1905 salad at our table. Our paella was chock full of mussels, shrimp, scallops and craw fish in a spicy tomato base with spaghetti( strongly recommended). Their bread was great as well. Since it was my wife's birthday, we were served flan for dessert- a very filling meal. Food, service and ambiance were all excellent and enhanced the evening. Wish I had videos of the dancers who performed for about 20 minutes. Unfortunately, they requested no videos but the cover charge is worth it. You feel like you are in a cabaret. A special experience for a special occasion. read more

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The original Columbia Restaurant is Tampa's oldest restaurant. Its pride in tradition makes the experience fun, memorable, and entirely worth the visit. Even if you've been to another location, this is the one to visit. We loved everything we ate. Their famous salad was by far the best thing we ate: not too hammy, creamy, with umami flavors in every bite. My wife's stuffed shrimp were also exceptionally crabby. The Palomilla was also really good, although not as great as the shrimp and served slightly cold. And the flan was perfect. We reserved a table in the flamenco dancing show room. You need to make those reservations by calling. The show was great - dancers extremely talented. We loved it. The atmosphere is fun and over the top. Each room is special, you can't go wrong. Only negative is that our wait service was terrible. We waited a long time to get our drinks, the server forgot to bring one of us bread, the salad (which we told him we were ordering because it was served tableside) was not tossed tableside, and he never got us a second drink. Also our table had a printout of our reservation which apparently tracks your "lifetime spend" at the restaurant - we thought that was pretty weird. But I can forgive all that because I had such a great time. read more

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