We ate there Christmas Day and the place was a zoo! We were seated at 7:45 and ordered drinks right away. That was the last of quick service. We got drinks about 15 minutes later. We ordered foot at that point. I order the 1905 salad and Al Ajillo Shrimp and my wife ordered the tomatoes. The salad was made at the table and I was a little surprised at the amount of dressing he was putting on it and sure enough it was drenched. The shrimp had to 50 count size and were not hot or tasty. The tomatoes were something different. A large plate of olive oil and tomatoes with a few onions. No taste at all. We finished dinner at 9:45, yes 2 hours for dinner. Needless to say we would not recommend this place. It is very historic but that is about it. OH, I almost forgot, the bread is to die for!!!!! it came warm and it was just the perfect texture and great taste. read more

This place is adorable and a Florida classic! The ambiance is spot on and you feel like you're going back in time. Love the Spanish decor! We came for lunch and started with a pitcher of Mojitos, which was made tableside. They were amazing, made even better by the sugarcane stick in it that you can chew on for extra flavor. It came with bread and the best butter ever, which was good because our food took over an hour to come out. We had the Cuban sandwich, 1905 salad, and Spanish bean soup - all the Columbia classics. Everything was pretty good! I thought the sandwich was a little dry, but other than that, no complaints. The 1/2 sandwich/salad was a very good portion size. Our meal took 1 hr 45 min from the time we sat down to leaving, so be prepared for a long lunch/dinner. Our waitress, Brittany, was really sweet and took good care of us. As far as food goes, I'd like to come back and try some other Spanish dishes. The Mojitos and bread (especially the butter) were the best part of the meal and we enjoyed the ambiance. We'll be back! read more

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Always fantastic. The service and food are excellent. Brooke was our server and did a great job. I ordered the shrimp and crab meat dip as an appetizer along with the grilled grouper, yellow rice and black beans. My wife chose the chicken and yellow rice. The grouper was delicious and rice cooked to perfection. For dessert it was flan and coffee con leche. Columbia never disappoints me. read more

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We have eaten at both of the other Columbia restaurants and have always had a five star experience. We would not recommend the St. Augustine location. Our waitress was rude and mostly non existent. Maybe a bad night for her but she made it an unpleasant dinner for us. Would not go back to this particular restaurant but the ones on Ybor City and Clearwater are excellent. read more

The food is amazing. The restaurant is beautiful and clean. The wait staff is extremely professional. Any time I get a chance to eat at The Columbia we take it!!! I highly recommend the Grouper Jimmy. read more

The Columbia - The Columbia in St. Augustine - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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Atmosphere and service were excellent. Food was probably not the best. Recommend to try it. read more

Had an amazing dinner with my husband to celebrate my birthday. The food is amazing, the atmosphere is beautiful and most of all the staff are fabulous. We had the pleasure of having Ms. Lexi and she was so friendly and bubbley and just made our entire night ! read more

Great food. Great service. Great experience! Do not miss out if you are in St. Augustine.

Service is slow. Food is ok. Maybe because we came on a Saturday. The kids macaroni and cheese is really bad though, my daughter took 1 pc and didn't even ate it anymore, they use a boxed kraft mac & cheese. Ambiance is nice though. I would not come back though. Price is for tourists but its ok. The salad and bread are good though. read more

Amazing service and food! We knew from previous visits that without a reservation, we would not be able to eat so we were prepared. We felt so bad for the myriad of families that were turned away that did not have reservations. The food and drinks were incredible, reminded us of my grandmother's homemade Ropa Vieja. Can not recommend this restaurant enough! read more

The Columbia - Table seating - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

We loved the 1905 salad prep and presentation. It tasted pretty good too. Main course was ok. I've had "grouper Jimmy" and I thought it was kinda plain and way too oily to my taste. Beautiful location, we enjoyed looking around at all of the portraits of generations of the family. read more

The Columbia - Grouper Jimmy topped with crab meat. No rice as requested - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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Make reservations! This place is popular so plan ahead. Food portions are large. Food was great, drinks were not that great and the staff were hit and miss. We celebrated a friend's birthday, it was everyone's first time and our servers seemed annoyed we had questions. read more

The Columbia - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

When coming to Columbia I always know it's going to be a great meal. The food is never...I mean never bad! EVERY TIME Columbia delivers quality food, service, and energy! Hands down my favorite place to take anyone out while in st Augustine and at any other location in Florida. Do yourself a favor and experience great Spanish cuisine! You won't regret it at all and will return whenever you're back in town! read more

I was really hoping for something else out of this place. Beautiful restaurant- great potential; however / the service not so great. Visited with the family... waiter took forever to take our order; even bringing something as simple as bread to the table. The food was ok; nothing out of the ordinary. The only great thing was the cup of beans. Also - when asked about the kids meals - to see if what was taking long; I was told that they coming out with the rest of the main courses; which I could understand since we didn't ask at first - but then everyone gets their main course and one of the kids meals is delayed. Just a pretty bad experience. Will not be returning here; it's a shame - it has a lot of potential. read more

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Fantastic sangria and paella. Our waiter recommended the Red Sangria, which was delicious. The Cuban Black Bean Soup and Columbia's Original "1905" Salad (the dressing is very good) were great starters. The Paella "a la Valenciana" was fantastic -- lots of seafood and chicken, and great flavor. The restaurant is huge, but definitely make a reservation. read more

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We had such a wonderful dining experience at Columbia Restaurant! The moment we walked in, we were struck by how beautiful and spacious the Spanish-style interior is. The menu is incredibly diverse with so many tempting choices, and everything is very reasonably priced. Portions are generous, and every dish we ordered was packed with flavor. We had the paella and the ropa vieja--both were absolutely delicious! And you cannot skip the famous 1905 Salad, made table-side, it was fresh and flavorful, and totally lived up to the hype--truly fantastic! Service was excellent--we never had an empty glass, and the staff made us feel genuinely welcomed. After our meal, we explored the charming gift shop, where you can pick up their signature salad dressing and cookbook. Fun fact: my husband gave me their cookbook 20 years ago, and I've made several recipes from it over the years--all winners! Definitely worth the visit! read more

I, my wife, and our entire family of 12 have dined many times at the Columbia restaurants....in Celebration, Tampa, St Armand's key, at least three times in St Augustine. Tonight's meal in St Augustine with our family of 12 did not resemble in any way the excellence we have been use to enjoying time after time. From the moment we were seated the waiter seemed to be rushing us to order and move along. We started with the traditional pitchers of red and white sangria......both were terrible....so sour and tart they were undrinkable....the waiter remade and now too sweet to be refreshing.....the waiter did not mix the sangrias in front of us as has been the practice...so I suspect that a poorer quality of wine and such was used, with no price adjustment. the 1905 salad was no longer special.....just an average salad....none of the classic taste from the worchester.....many of us ordered the snapper Adelita....and immediately all found that it was different, less tasty, and the piece of fish I had was so thick and tough I needed a knife to cut it.....the meal which is usually full of flavors was devoid of much and the fish dry and overcooked. Churros for dessert. Our family tradition at the Columbia.....churros over cooked and mediocre. We had looked forward to this being a special meal together for almost a year....and none of us left feeling much was special... Everybody stumbles now and then, so we will try again at one of the locations to verify if this is a downward trend.....or just a one time problem. read more

Amazing food! Beautiful venue! Would go again in a second. Service was great. Can't wait to check out their other locations around Tampa. read more

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My husband and I had a great dinner at the Columbia. The traditional restaurant has a classic and quaint Spanish ambience. The red wine sangria was refreshing and tasty. Our dishes were delicious. I ordered a seafood pasta, Fideua de Marisco, which was absolutely delicious. It was a very big serving which can easily be shared. My husband ordered the Lechon asado 1905, which everything on the plate was delicious, especially with the addition of the Colombian hot sauce. The service was average, our waiter was not very friendly or attentive. read more

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First greeted by the host staff and they were so sweet and quick to get us seated. Our waiter Oscar was so awesome to us and gave amazing service. The ambiance was so pretty with all its Latin flare. And when it comes down to the food I have had several dishes now and every time it is amazing. read more

We are from Tampa and visit both the OG in Ybor and the Sand Key locations regularly. Spending the holidays in Saint Augustine we thought.... why not?!? This location did not disappoint. We had a fantastic server, and the consistent dinner items we all love; Pollo Manchego, Yellow Rice, 1905 Salad, Crab and Grouper, oh so yummy Sangria. No room for dessert this trip. Next time, Saint Augustine! read more

my family and I vacation once a year in or around the Saint Augustine, Florida area. We go to the Columbia every time we visit. We've been doing it for several years. Every time we go, we are amazed. The atmosphere is great and the food has not changed over the years. It's still great and tasty and fresh as long as we can we will keep going back. If you're down in the Saint Augustine area make sure you visit this place you won't be disappointed. read more

Came here with family with dinner reservations at 7pm. We were sat down exactly at 7pm. Our server took a while to keep coming back to our table, but once we placed our food orders, it came out within 25-30 minutes. I ordered the ropa vieja with double rice. Food was delicious! I ordered a paloma on the side. Drink was strong, not too tart. The only thing I would complain about is that the seating arrangements inside the restaurant is too tight. read more

Over rated for food quality and drinks! Portions were excessive and no specials offered! Service was ok but waitress did not have a happy attitude! read more

I'm a mojito snob. I'm constantly on the lookout for the next great mojito. This restaurant's mojito was exceptional. I had the Bambino NY strip steak which I enjoyed, once I scraped off the dressing glaze that was too overpowering. The stuffed mushrooms that came with the steak was great as well. Mike, the bartender, did an awesome job tonight. The restaurant decor and ambiance was beautiful. read more

Leaving another review. I felt so upset at how they treated me and my husband and my family -- both the on-site manager and our server. There is no excuse for not serving us food for over 1.5 hours when we ordered 2 kids Cubans and a sandwich to split with my partner. There was never an apology or offer or how they could make things right. It felt like they just wanted us to leave with our kids. This place was so dismissive and I felt the coldness from that manager. I emailed the restaurant directly, which I've never done. The Vice President of Marketing responded to my email saying their "corporate chief of operations may reach and MAY discuss my visit for improved training." Well, that was 2 months ago and I'm still waiting for that call. This place needs a major overhaul and management training. I hope others avoid this place who don't fit the mold of who they think is worthy to be served and get any attention. At least don't bs us. It was such an upsetting experience and am just glad our kids were too young to fully understand the situation. To think this still happens in 2024 is truly upsetting. read more

So delicious and fabulous service! Miguel was great! Highly recommend the lobster lasagna and 1905 salad!

My wife and I came here for our "Babymoon", this place seats hundreds of people and customer service, quality of food and just sheer kindness doesn't suffer. My wife and I had 1905 Salad, crab cakes and empanadas and we loved it. I had a glass of the Don Cesar wine and I highly recommend it. Well done The Columbia, well done! read more

Stopped in for a quick snack. Had the Gazpacho. A stuffed pepper appetizer and a 1905 salad. We also had a pitcher of Mojitos. The mojitos were made table side as was the gazpacho. Everything was fantastic and we will be back read more

The Columbia - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

Very cute restaurant inside, multiple dining rooms all with interesting decor and paintings. Portions were kind of small for the price but had a lot of flavor. Each dish was about $30 and the dessert was $12. read more

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We were visiting St Augustine and surprised that we were able to get a reservation since I always hear it's a popular restaurant. Really cute inside and lots of space! Our waiter was very friendly and attentive. They give you hot Cuban bread with butter and it was so good! The food portions were pretty good. Tried their famous salad and it was delicious! Only complaint for being a Cuban restaurant wish the meals would include the black beans as I did not see one meal that included it other than the sampler. read more

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What a beautiful place. This old world ambience. We loved it. Our waitress Sara was a delight and helped guide our way with our menu choices. Everything we had was outstanding. We got a sampling of tapas with the scampi, the croquettes, and some grilled chicken and chorizo. We also had a great latte. Next time we are in the area we will be back. The little gift shop is great too and decently priced. read more

We celebrated my daughter's birthday here for the 2nd time in a row. Last year was wonderful, however, this year was spectacular! Bridgett was our server, and she was incredible, and our food was delicious! We have decided to make this a yearly tradition, along with visits in-between!!! read more

We made reservations to meet a friend visiting from Alaska and we wanted to see St Augustine and one of our favorite restaurants. The Columbia has a wonderful mix of location, history ambiance, excellent service and fabulous food. We started with Sangria and their famous 1905 salad and even though my friend isn't a "salad person " she absolutely raved about it! My husband had one of their chicken dishes and we shared some appetizers. Finished with coffee and the most divine breads pudding I've ever had! read more

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This was our first time dining at Columbia in St Augustine but there's no way it will be our last! The food was absolutely delicious and the service was exceptional! read more

Another great meal! Added more pictures. Tried the Spanish Bean Soup this time, which was rich and hearty but a tad salty. We also had the Gazpacho Andalucia which I heard was great. And the White Chocolate Bread Pudding with coffee, both of which are a perfect ending to another great meal! read more

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Cannot miss with 1902 salad. Great service, food & ambiance. Recommend reservations especially on weekends. Going for years ; has become pricey for value except salad and sangria worth it ! read more

We love coming to this restaurant when we visit St Augustine. The ambiance is so inviting and even though it's a good date night spot, it is still kid friendly. The service is good. The food is what we keep coming back for. The seafood cannelloni is so flavorful...definitely save your bread to dip in this sauce. The red snapper was also delicious. Love this place read more

The Columbia - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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I am a local and all of my friends who come to visit love to eat here and so do we. The food is expensive, but it is everywhere else in Saint Augustine. I have the 1905 salad with shrimp. Super delicious they will bring you extra Cuban bread when you ask for it at no additional charge the empanadas and chicken croquettes. The croquettes are very delicious but they are small nuggets here and overpriced for how many you get. The sangria is made of a table and so is a 1905 salad but our server Ana did everything so far away we could not enjoy the show, nor did she talk us through what she was doing. It is expected she do that at the table. We had a 1230 PM reservation. Ana did a great job serving but she was very mechanical and even though she had the server verbiage down -her eyes delivery told us she was actually sneering at us. Not sure why she was fake nice. Every time my fellow eaters asked for more bread she practically rolled her eyes. The oldest person in our group has eaten at 5 Columbia restaurants and recalled back to the 60s how superb the food was compared to today. Not that we have anything to compare to ourselves because we have only eaten at this one but my hubby is Hispanic and enjoys eating here. You can order bread to go to take home and heat from the service window on the dining room in the back. We ate in the solarium with the fountain and it is always beautiful. The staff works hard to ge Tupi in and out as fast as possible. We also had a birthday and the flan they brought out was delicious. Gladly Ana did not bring the singers and offered to take a photo for us like it seems all the servers do. My hubby ordered the think flank steak with onions and loved it. We got the white sangria and it was sooooooo good! read more

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Large, high-ceiling, two-story, Spanish-style building neatly ensconced in Saint Augustine's bustling Historic District. Plenty of space for large groups; however, I advise making a reservation. This is one of a string of family-owned Spanish restaurants found only in Florida. Starting in 1905 with their first location in Tampa's Ybor City, their 5th-generation, seasoned staff take justifiable pride in ensuring that you enjoy an unforgettable dining experience. Though you're bound to enjoy whatever you order, you owe it to yourself to start with their signature "1905" salad. As for desserts, their Key Lime pie is killer. And their Spanish flan is likely to be the finest you've ever had! read more