The Columbia was an ideal place to visit for lunch in St Augustine. It is located on the famous George Street which is a prime location that you can't miss. The indoor atrium is absolutely beautiful and each room is filled with unique artifcats and beautiful cuban decor. We were seated in an open, greenhouse like atrium with a water fountain. Starting out with a pitcher of red sangria was the move! You can choose between red or white sangria- we decided to go with the classic red sangria which you can't go wrong with. The waiter makes the sangria fresh tableside. I love how each glass has an assortment of fresh fruit inside prior to pouring. The pitcher pours about 5ish glasses which is perfect for sharing with friends! The sangria was hands down the best sangria I've ever had. I would totally go back just for the sangria. Each person was provided with a complimentary half loaf of cuban bread and butter. Now this cuban bread was something else. Fresh, soft, warm.... It was an absolute dream. The butter was just as good. We also decided to go with the famous 1905 salad. The salad was also made at the table; we were able to watch our waiter add romano cheese and dressing. Normally, it's supposed to be for 2 people, but our waiter was able to accommodate our party of 4 and portion it out for each of us. The salad was refreshing and flavorful. I loved that it came with ham & swiss cheese and the olives added a nice, salty flavor. The salad dressing was amazing in itself. After everything that we ordered, we were pretty full. I decided to share a cuban sandwich with my friend. It was eh, not my favorite. I've definitely had a better cuban sandwich before. It was just too meaty and the pork flavor was too overpowering for my liking. The sandwich also came with plaintain chips which were good. The sandwich was pretty large, so if you're not that hungry then you can definitely share it. There are so many different entrees and classic cuban dishes that I would love to try next time. I highly recommend The Columbia if you're visiting St Augustine. It was the perfect restaurant to relax while you're on vacation. I will definitely come back when I return to St Augustine! read more

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Location and ambiance were beautiful. The fountains and decor are so clean and beautiful and intricate. The food was so delicious, the 1905 salad is to die for, the black bean soup was so flavorful and the rice was cooked perfectly. The lechon was so flavorful and moist. Everything was so tasty and fresh. Alexis (from the Bahamas) was our server and she was so wonderful. She was so friendly and warm. She was very knowledgeable about the menu and made our visit extra memorable and special. Can't wait to return! read more

Food was very good. We had the Paella with seafood, lechón with yuca, black beans and yellow rice. And the 105 salad which was excellent. What we could have avoided was the waitress. Brittany had a bad hair day. Never refilled our water glasses (first rule as my husband was a waiter for over 25 years). We asked about Shrimp Al ajillo and it had a lot of garlic. She answered well everything here has garlic!! I guess at a Spanish restaurant yes..everything has garlic. Not a helpful answer. I watched her making the salad at other tables and she was explaining the steps. Not at our table. We must have ticked her off God knows what for. We should have let it show in our tipping but we didn't. Also let the hostess know , but we didn't. We'll return but stay away from this lady!! read more

Always a great meal! Crystal was an excellent server too. We sat at the bar and she put up with our antics for a good 2 hours. It's a can't miss in St A read more

The Columbia - 1905 salad - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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Definitely advise making a reservation. We made one for 7pm the week before and when we arrived at 6:55 we were told they were running behind on reservations.. we were seated around 7:30. Service was excellent after that, especially for the business volume. My tops recs: the salad- crazy that a restaurant so raved about everyone says the salad BUT ITS TRUE and the bread pudding. My most favorite bread pudding I've had yet. We did the sampler entree and it was okay. Nothing stood out on the plate for me, but was well enough. I did learn I'm not a fan of Colombian style empanadas though. The blue crab croquettes were a yummy appetizer along with the shrimp and crab dip read more

The Columbia - White chocolate bread pudding - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

Went there on a Saturday afternoon with a reservation. We were seated right away. nice area and table. The waitress took our drink order. Came back and took our dinner order. She said the bread would be right out. Waited a bit. I went to the restroom. Dinner was on the table when I returned. i had requested no rice, of course there was half a plate of rice. One of my friends had cold food that should have been hot. Did not get bread as promised. Our waitress did not deliver the food. We looked high and low for the waitress. Never saw her. I was really surprised how focused the staff was. No one would look at you when they passed my table. Found a manager. He helped out. By that time we needed water as well. The manager got us bread, reordered the hot dish and brought water. The waitress did come back, apologizing for the rice I got , said it was the kitchens fault, and the other issues. Everyone at the table said the food was meh. It was ok, nothing special. The whole experience was disappointing. Not sure why but, I had high expectations. read more

This is, hands down, the best dining experience I have EVER had. If I could give this place 6 stars, I WOULD. My boyfriend and I attended the restaurant (with a reservation) on Valentines' Day. The manager Juan and waitress Amber were incredibly attentive. The upstairs area had the perfect lighting, and there was a nice amount of noise-- enough so that you knew people were chatting, but it wasn't overwhelmingly loud. The sangria was so delightfully fruity and had the right proportion of alcohol. The 1905 salad was absolutely delectable. The Worcestershire sauce really enlivened the dish, and the juxtaposition of the cheese and iceberg lettuce... it was absolutely phenomenal. I ordered the Pompano and my boyfriend ordered the Paella-- both uniquely delicious! The Pompano had artichoke, Parmesan, and the Spanish yellow rice was so scrumptious I couldn't stop eating! Our desserts were also immaculate.... The white chocolate bread pudding was unlike anything else I've ever had! The silky texture of the white chocolate coupled with the semi crunch bread... and a hint of rum! The chocolate mousse on chocolate sueno was to die for. Honestly, we'll probably come here for our wedding. This was a fantastic dining experience! The manager also made an extra effort to make our dinner lovely. I believe I might have mentioned to them that that I had high hopes for the cuisine, so they really treated us like family. read more

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Service was excellent. Food was even better. Lots of space for dining. Salads were very good and tossed right at the table. Portions were large, plenty to take home. read more

Wow! I had kinda given up on any expectation of excellent service in Florida, but this spot knocked it out of the park. Wait staff was excellent, very impressed. Food was great! You have to try the salad, it seems basic but it is incredible. read more

Service was excellent! I had the Cannelloni de Langosta which was good but super rich just to have as a stand alone meal. My personal favorite Pollo Manchego which was really good, chicken was super juicy and paired well with the sauce. Love the ambiance of the restaurant too and a must visit especially for historic Saint Augustine. I would recommend to make a reservation because this place is always very crowded:) read more

The Columbia - Cannelloni de Langosta - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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Birthday dinner of choice for my husband. This is in the middle of Olde Town. Definitely one of the most touristy areas of St Augustine. We were lucky and got a quieter night in town though (Monday). I would still highly recommend making a reservation as walk-ins could be in for a wait. . Honestly, one of the best parts is the fresh bread and butter that they bring out to start. I could have made a meal entirely from that. We had the Paella and the Mahi Mahi Varadero for our entrees. The paella is creamy (some prefer the crunchier type), and packed with seafood and chicken. I think my husband dreams of this when we're not here, and it did not disappoint this time. My Mahi was delicious! The breading was crunchy and flavorful. I'm not a huge fan of citrus sauces, but theirs is good. The fish was so meaty. Cooked well, but not dry. For his birthday they gave hubs a card and a free flan. One of the best flan I've had. Perfect texture and not too overly sweet. Another lovely night at Columbia. read more

The Columbia - mahi Mahi Varadero - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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I love the ambiance of The Columbia restaurant. Been there a few times and I usually love it but this last visit was a little disappointing. The service was not great: our waiter was super nice but forgot a few items and got some things wrong. Timing was fine. We didn't feel rushed nor did we feel ignored. The food was good but the bread was cold and hard. Disappointing because the bread is usually nice and hot and fresh. I know it's silly but the bread and butter are one of my favorite things about Columbia. Overall not my best visit but I will return again and hope this was just a fluke. read more

The Ambiance is without words Fantastic, it is So Beautiful inside it makes you feel like you are in Columbia. The service was beyond word FANTASTIC! Our server was Sheila S. She was very attentive and extremely kind. And, the food was really Fantastic we had the sampler platter which was definitely more than enough but, so Authentic and amazingly DELICIOUS. You definitely can not go wrong with anything on the menu. FANTASTIC! read more

We recently had our group for dinner and our experience is definitely worth coming back. Though the restaurant was packed to the brim (A Valentine's Day Weekend), the service was quick and amazing. We we're seated at the second floor within a few minutes of our arrival. Our waitress greeted us and offered drinks. I ordered Paella "a la Valenciana "and Palomilla. The seafood ingredients of the Paella was fresh and delectable. They cooked the Palomilla (a beefsteak main course) the way we liked it. Got Spanish Coffee after the meal. For me Overall Food rating is 5 star. The service is excellent (Tia and Kathy). They always make sure our table is ok,making sure we're enjoying our orders and if we needed drinks. The ambiance and decor of this restaurant looks historic and you feel you're in Spanish Art Deco colonial style full of nostalgic photos and memorabilia. 2 thumbs up! Worth to pay a visit when in St Augustine. read more

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Spanish!!!! Yes! I wanted true Spanish food and the Tapeo met and exceeds my expectations. The crab croquetas were divine. So flavorful and yet not in a Latin American way. Highly recommend. And the architecture was very Spanish with a beautiful fountain and tiles. So fun! read more

I was so excited to try the Columbia for the first time this week! I've attempted to eat here on several occasions however they were always so busy and without reservations it was impossible. So we made reservations;) Our server was outstanding! She was friendly and made sure we were well taken care of right down to boxing our leftovers for us. Before our meal we were each served a small loaf of Cuban bread and butter. I do not eat many carbs especially bread, but I ate nearly the entire loaf. Well worth the carb intake! We all had the 1905 side salad. Our server prepared the salad in a large bowl on a cart by our table and then served us. How cool! The salad was outstanding! It included ham, green olives, tomatoes and fresh grated Romano cheese. I ordered the crab stuffed baked grouper with broccolini and rice and peas. I was extremely happy with my menu choice. The grouper was cooked perfectly and the crab was lump meat and was deliscious. I highly recommend this entree! I'm not a fan of broccoli or broccolini, but it was okay. And I ate a little of the rice and peas. I'm not a huge rice fan either lol. Next time I will ask if I can substitute one of the sides for something else. Also I wasn't impressed with the white sangria. But I cannot wait to go back to the Columbia and try a new menu item. read more

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Loved it! We made reservations for our group about a month in advance While we had dinner around 6:30 on a weeknight the restaurant didn't appear too busy we were on the 2nd floor just our group! We loved it. Found out they've had the 2nd floor closed while they get back up on staff Rebecca was our server and she was authentically friendly, and helpful. Toward the end of our night our pace got slow but we thought due to a large private party in the room down the hall The food Empanadas were a hit. I basically could make these a meal The 1905 salad was crisp, cool and tangy. Martinis and other signature drinks were enjoyed The portions are huge and the food all was delightful. If I return to st Aug, The Columbia will be on our list again! My teenage son loves it so much he bought the cookbook. With his own money. (That is saying something!) He and his 10yr old sister have already made us a meal at home. Sooo glad to have the 1905 salad whenever we want! read more

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We celebrated our children's wedding day with dinner. We were warmly greeted and they accommodated our party of seven with everyone stopping by with good wishes for the couple. Bridget was amazingly attentive with us while still ensuring all her other tables were also taken care of. We thoroughly enjoyed sampling quite a few if their tasty dishes and agreed it was a win! We want to thank all the staff for creating an enjoyable environment to add to the momentous day. read more

The Columbia - Wedding dinner at The Columbia Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

Finding a parking space is the only downside to going here. They have a parking lot behind the restaurant, but it does fill up quickly. We only had to wait a couple minutes for our table, though! Service was so friendly, helpful, and attentive. The servers help you work through the menu if you're torn on what to order. The food is amazing, especially the 1905 salad! Really neat place, I highly recommend walking around so you can look at all the history, art and portraits. read more

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First off this place is great! Second y'all please make a reservation at the start of the day! DON'T EXPECT SPECIAL TREATMENT KAREN. They're a busy restaurant and they take very good care of their customers!! Our waitress was amazing and very attentive thank you queen. Food wise I have what me and my family got down below. I got the La Completa Cubana which is a beautiful combo of everything!! I tried yuca for the first time! The meat and empanadas done perfectly! All members said meat was cooked to perfection. Ambiance was amazing, if you're ADHD you'll love looking around this place! read more

The Columbia - La El Cuban, stuffed shrimp on left, shrimp 1905 salad, and grouper meal - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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The restaurant is beautiful and large with several dining rooms on different levels you can dine in. It has an old world interior. We were seated promptly. We ordered the sangria and I can say that I've never tasted anything like that before, and I've been ordering it for 20 years. It was terrible! To sum it up: screw top wine meets lime. The tapas were delicious. However, the palomila was not appetizing. My spouse describes it as chopped onion on beef jerky. If you go, stick to tapas and name brand wine. read more

Got invited here to meet some family in town for dinner. I had heard of The Columbia but never been. We had reservations and were called right on time. The outside has a nice fountain to wait around. The decor and atmosphere are super nice. Let me say that the restaurant lives up to the hype and then some. Our server, Jonah, was absolutely phenomenal! We had great cocktails and also had a great experience. I had Pete's Manhattan and it was well made as was the classic Old Fashioned. The 1905 salad is everything they say it is. I had to taste the Spanish Bean Soup and I wish I had a gallon of it! For my entree I had the Pompano en Papillot which was the best fish dish I have ever eaten. Everyone in our party raved about their dishes. Reviews can vary but for me, I was still talking about this meal the next day. Try The Columbia if you are in St Augustine! read more

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The Columbia in St Augustine is a beautiful old building that has been kept up for generations. The Spanish Cuban cuisine is very similar in preparation and presentation to the original restaurant in Ybor City. The service provided by Oscar was outstanding. read more

Been going over 30 years and still one of my favorites. Menu has changed a little but can't go wrong with anything. Croquettes amazing, salad amazing, black beans, Spanish bean soup all fantastic. Favorite drinks are the sangria and margarita on the rocks. May want to get hot sauce from gift shop and seasoning shaker to take home. read more

The Columbia - 1905 Salad and margarita - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

I'm shocked this isn't 5 stars, easily the best overall experience I've had at a restaurant. The drinks were handmade and fresh. The food was authentic and beyond delicious. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Atmosphere is unique and comfortable. A must stop read more

The waitress Danica was charming and attentive. The food was tasty. However, the place is loud and busy and chaotic. There is nothing fine dining about this place. Be prepared! read more

Mile was awesome ! Good drinks, good fooood !! Service was fantastic, 5 stars for sure!

We had a great experience in Old Saint Augustine! I wanted to take my wife to experience some authentic Cuban food, we heard about the restaurant and it didn't disappoint us. The drinks were great and flowing, the food was seasoned well, the service was great, only bad that was us having to sit in the bar area, make sure you make a reservation this place is always super packed read more

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Parking lot in back free first 2 hours with validation. Really beautiful and large restaurant. It is Cuban-Spanish decent and generational owned. We shared the empanadas which are made with ground beef and Cuban spices & it is super juicy and delicious. We also shared the Cuban sandwich which was really good, but best of all was the Cuban bread they serve warm with butter. read more

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Our waiter was outstanding. Food was delicious but portions were ginormous. It's easy to get carried away with the bread but save room for the food. read more

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We love everything about The Columbia. Kenny in the parking lot always greets you with a smile. Our waitress June was the absolute best. It was my birthday and the whole staff and management sang Happy Birthday to me (plus gave me some complimentary flan). We have our favorites every time....black beans/rice, 1905 salad, and Cuban sandwiches. The staff is always friendly. This is the best! read more

The restaurant keeps a traditional look and it's in a great location. But, I found the food not very good. We ordered tapas and we just expected more. They have traditional Cuban dishes along with their core Spanish food menu. read more

This restaurant was absolutely beautiful Very busy so make sure you have a reservation. Very busy on a Sunday and it was a holiday weekend. Service was nice and the food was well seasoned. The drinks were strong too. Great experience. read more

The Columbia - Stuffed shrimp rice and veggies - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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Thank you Columbia and Sarah H for a memorable and delicious evening as first time guests at Columbia. Attentive, fun, and personable service. Fresh, hot food with amazing flavors! A wonderful night out. Thank you. Tom and Wendy read more

The seafood paella was bomb!!! Sangria was also so good. it tastes like juice!!! Service was awesome. Brittnay was really friendly and got me a flan for my bday! read more

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Cool restaurant with fun energy and vibe. Greeted at the door by a surly hostess. Told it would be an hour wait so I went on OpenTable and got an immediate reservation (not sure how that happened). Started with the fried calamari. It was overcooked, too salty, and only came with a creamy sauce. We got the waitress to bring out a marinara sauce from the back which helped, but everything was fried away to nothing. For the entrée, I had the paella and it was pretty good. read more

We had the empanada with beef, raisins, olives. It was good. The Cuban sandwich was very tasty. The star of the show was our waitress who did a table side presentation of the 1905 salad. The salad was delicious. There is a gift shop inside the establishment where I purchased a cookbook, some of the dressing for the salad, sangria mix, and a ceramic vessel for the sangria. The restaurant was clean and parking was very convenient. It was not noisy and there was music in the background. Beautiful city and very peaceful. read more

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The Cuban Sandwich was just okay, I have had better at many places in Florida. The Spanish Bean soup was just okay.. i didn't love it, I didn't hate it. The highlight of the meal was the house salad and the red wine sangria. The table also had empanadas , calamari. But they were nothing special. The place really shines with the friendly and attentive staff and the decor. read more

INCREDIBLE! Amazing, flavorful food that was well worth the price! The service was quick and friendly as well. The decor was absolutely stunning. The whole restaurant was colorful and elegant. Though it got quite loud in the restaurant and the sound echoed quite a bit, I didn't mind much because I was too focused on eating my delicious meal. Had to grab some hot sauce and seasoning from the gift shop afterwards; looking forward to using it at home! read more

The Columbia - Tapas Sampler with Croquetas de Pollo, Champiñones Rellenos, and Shrimp "Al Ajillo" - Spanish Near Me - St Augustine, Florida

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Top to bottom, excellent experience here. Several generations involved in running this place and it shows. Beautifully preserved building. Super friendly and patient server. Had a great Estrella draft beer. Everything we ate was awesome: chicken manchego; my wife and i did the tapas 2 seafood/1 regular combo: the scallops, black bean croquettes, and calamari "steak" were perfect. Relatively affordable. Go there. read more