The history of this restaurant is incredible and our server was super informative with sharing fun facts about the place. It is massive inside and can fit 1700 people which is incredible. As for the food, it was really good, but not the best Colombian food my friends and I had. Some flavors were lacking just a bit, but the rice was excellent and the desserts were so satisfying. I would definitely get the paella and the flan.

We visited the restaurant with a group of friends that were visiting. It's a very lively and gorgeous location. We came without reservation and were told that we can be seated in 45 min but it was more like 10 min. All of us got a variety of different foods, everything was fresh and delicious. The server brought some complimentary soups to try, they were amazing. I got Grouper "Jimmy" (amazing!) and my husband tried their salmon, which they unwrap in front of you. Great place!

First visit to Ybor location, have been to others before. Sunday mid-day dining with a reservation. We were seated promptly. Not overly crowded or loud, there were multiple dining rooms. Enjoyed my Entree, next time would skip the side salad ($9 add on) and maybe try an appetizer instead.

Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City is a magical location, full of history, packed with flavor, and spread out across several dining rooms each possessing its own unique style.. My friend and I went to check out this restaurant, known for its reputation of having some of the most amazing Spanish-Cuban dishes in the southeast. There are at least 2 private parking lots outside for this establishment; however even with that, I couldn't find a spot and had to park on a side street at a meter. I walked over toward the restaurant and apparently turned into the wrong door... there are a few doors on the storefront, and I went into the one for the gift shop, packed full of beautiful Spanish-style pots and home decor. It was a beautiful shop, but I needed to get over to dinner. So further up the sidewalk I went, and I think ultimately it was the 4th door from where I had started. The service in here is very attentive, but they definitely give you space and room so as to not disrupt your table's conversation. Specifically, I'm citing our AMAZING server, Brittany... she was wonderful and patient as my friend of over 35 years and I were reuniting for the first time in person after not seeing each for a while. Brittany offered up a nice history of the restaurant, a high-level descriptive tour of each of the dining rooms, and was informative about the menu as my friend had specific dietary restrictions. I had the 1905 salad, and loved it. Although you have an option to substitute in some shrimp,go with the original ham as it perfectly completes the vinaigrette-dressing flavor for a perfectly balanced tangy / sweet / salty blend. My friend ordered the bean soup which was served over white rice. The complimentary bread is worth cheating on your diet... you won't regret it. I also got the white chocolate bread pudding for dessert... that was really really excellent, and was probably one of the best desserts I've ever had. It was served warm, and just melted in your mouth with a sweet (but not too sweet) warm wholesome flavor that just filled your soul with yumminess. If you've never been, you should go and be sure to 1) make reservations in advance, and 2) explore the different dining rooms as they're each very beautiful and offer up unique experiences separate from one another.

No one could tickle the ivories like Adela Hernandez Gonzmart, a child prodigy concert pianist, known as "Ybor's Matriarch" and "the gem of Ybor." She was also the granddaughter of the Columbia Restaurant's founder, Cuban Immigrant Casimiro Hernandez n, who opened what was then a small café bar in 1905. Adela and her husband Cesar nurtured The Columbia into a 1950s cultural hub, bringing in renowned Latin musical acts from all over the world. Flash forward to current stats: The Columbia Restaurant, in historic Ybor City, Florida, is the oldest restaurant in Florida, and the largest Spanish restaurant in the world. With 15 dining rooms, 250 kitchen workers, 52,000 square feet of hospitality and a full city-block footprint. Most importantly, the bar at the Columbia on 7th Avenue in Tampa is truly the happiest of happy places.

Five star decor, amazing service and good but not spectacular food. Nevertheless, a very good place for a birthday or special event -- so long as they are not a foodie.

Ordered: Red Sangria Pitcher (~$30): Sangre de Toro red blend with Torres 10 Brandy and fresh citrus juices, made table-side Original "1905" Salad with Turkey Side Salad (~$10): iceberg lettuce with julienne of turkey, Swiss cheese, tomato, olives, grated Romano cheese, Worcestershire sauce and their famous garlic dressing The Tapeo Sampler (~$45): Shrimp "Al Ajillo", Empanadas de Picadillo, and Ybor City Devil Crab Croquettes Paella Marinera (~$45): La Bomba Spanish rice, large prawns, shrimp, clams, mussels, scallops and calamares White Chocolate Bread Pudding (~$12): white chocolate, La Segunda Central Bakery Cuban bread, Sunny Florida Dairy milk and Florida eggs, topped with a rich Bacardi rum sauce Churros "Tres Amigos" (~$10): served with three sauces of rich, warm chocolate, caramel and guava Flan (~$8): Spanish caramel egg custard Aya's take: Columbia restaurant is an EXPERIENCE! It is the oldest and largest Spanish restaurant in the United States and as soon as you step in, you're teleported to the old days with the Spanish-style decor and ambiance. Although this place is massive, I highly recommend having a reservation as they were busy pretty much the whole time we were there. We started off with the Red Sangria Pitcher which was by far the best I've ever had. Truly unmatched. The pitcher was also enough to share among our party of 6 and I loved the table-side presentation of our waiter making it. The Original "1905" Salad with Turkey was surprisingly fresh, crisp, and nicely dressed. At the end of the day, it's a pretty simple salad but the famous garlic dressing makes it stand out. Even the Side Salad portion is quite big, so I recommend getting that instead of the regular size. The Tapeo Sampler was a great way to try a few tapas. They each had good, distinct flavors but honestly didn't stand out to me. The Shrimp "Al Ajillo" was my favorite but considering I was about to have a Paella filled with seafood, I could've easily skipped this. The Paella Marinera was LOADED with seafood. It was hard to not get some seafood in every bite, and I'm not complaining. It was super filling, the seafood was fresh, and it was well-seasoned! We decided to share 3 desserts, and I'm only going to talk about the White Chocolate Bread Pudding because that's the one you need to order. That one is absolute crack. Warm, sweet, and super satisfying. I could've eaten the whole thing but I was way too stuffed from the rest of the meal. My experience at Columbia Restaurant will probably be in my top 10 most memorable in 2024; there were some big hits, some small misses, but overall, an amazing time. Highly recommend!

We had a really pleasant experience at Columbia Restaurant, Ybor. It was late in the evening, the place was packed as usual and we were really hungry! We sat promptly at the bar, after finding ,oh my! Open seats!!! Yay!! We were greeted by the very friendly bartender, who took our order right away. We ordered a nice, cold bottle of Albarino wine from Spain. Cool! As appetizers, we shared the chicken croquettes and crab cakes. For the main meal, we shared Paella Valenciana. We finished our meal with espressos and churros! What a meal! If you want to experience great food and ambiance, you must try Columbia Restaurant! You will leave happy and satisfied!