Columbia Restaurant
Spanish restaurant · Turman's East Ybor
2117 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Highlights
Florida's oldest restaurant serving Spanish-Cuban classics
Florida's oldest restaurant serving Spanish-Cuban classics
"A massive cultural icon, The Columbia resides in the Historic Ybor and rightfully so, as it was founded in 1905. Owned by the 4th and 5th generations, The Columbia has remained in the same family for over 110 years. Live jazz and flamenco shows, authentic Spanish food, and too many events to list, The Columbia Restaurant offers a truly in-depth experience. If you’re looking for a taste of history, culture, and an overall unforgettable trip, definitely stop by." - Harbr Co.
"The Columbia Restaurant in Tampa is the oldest restaurant in Florida and the largest Spanish restaurant in the world. It is renowned for its historic significance and for serving the 'Original Cuban Sandwich'. The restaurant has been a staple in the community since 1905, embodying a fusion of cultural flavors that represent the heritage of Ybor City." - Kevin Chau
"Tampa International Airport is a standout for many reasons (not least of which is the enormously Instagrammable mega-flamingo statue, Phoebe), but one of the best parts is that many of the city’s top restaurants have outposts on site—which comes in especially handy when I’m visiting my folks. In “Airside C,” Ulele (named for a perhaps apocryphal Tocobaga princess who reputedly saved a Spanish explorer, à la Pocahontas) serves gator tail and okra fries; Goody Goody is the reboot of a local 1920s burger shop known for its tomato-based secret sauce; and Cigar City Brewing was the first micro-brewery in North America to make beer at an airport. But if this is your first time in Tampa, you have to try Columbia Restaurant—Florida’s oldest restaurant, which opened its doors in 1905. The original location in the historic cigar-manufacturing district of Ybor City is a tile-covered Spanish Revival gem with live flamenco, but the airport location in Terminal E has quite a bit of character as well, thanks to a dark-wood bar, ornate chandeliers, and framed archival photos. There’s a full menu of Cuban and Spanish dishes, but if you’re a first-timer, I’d stick to a trio of Tampa-specific specialties: deviled crab croquettes, best served doused in hot sauce; the signature “1905” salad, which is loaded with shredded ham, Swiss cheese, and olives; and a pressed Cuban sandwich, which in the Tampa iteration includes Genoa salami as a nod to the city’s Italian immigrants. —Nicholas DeRenzo, contributing editor" - Michelle Baran
"If there’s one place you have to eat in Ybor City, Tampa’s Cuban food capitol, it’s Columbia Restaurant. The place spans a full city block and opened in 1905, making it the oldest restaurant in Florida. Inside, you’ll find Don Quixote murals, Seville tiles, and live flamenco shows, but it’s the food that really makes this place a classic. Try what may be Tampa’s earliest Cubano, or pick from chorizo-stuffed boliche and a paella loaded with scallops, pork, chicken, and calamari. Round out the meal with a pitcher of sangria and some white chocolate bread pudding made with Cuban bread from La Segunda." - cheryl rodewig
"Columbia Restaurant uses a Cuban sandwich recipe dating back to 1915, featuring Spanish ham, slow-cooked lechon, Swiss cheese, pickles, yellow mustard, and Genoa salami." - Carrie Honaker
