Columbia Restaurant - SandKey - Clearwater, FL

Columbia Restaurant - SandKey

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Address:
1241 Gulf Blvd
Clearwater, FL 33767

Neighborhood:
Clearwater

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Cuisine:
Spanish

Price: $30 and under

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Columbia Restaurant - SandKey Details

Dining Style: Casual Dining
Website: http://columbiarestaurant.com
Email: colsand@columbiarestaurant.com
Phone: (727) 596-8400
Hours of Operation: Lunch: Daily 11:30am - 4:00pm Dinner: Daily 4:00pm - 10:00pm
Payment Options: AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Cuisine: Spanish, Latin / Spanish, Cuban
Dress Code: Casual Dress
Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
Additional Details: Bar/Lounge, Beer, Full Bar, Gluten-free Menu, Non-Smoking Area, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Smoking Area, Takeout, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
Private Party Facilities: For groups, we offer areas to host your rehearsal dinner, wedding reception, party, or group event. Choose from our banquet menu or let us customize your menu for that special occasion. Our waterfront Mediterranean-style dining room is filled with hand-painted Spanish tiles and family heirlooms, specially selected to create an old-world charm and ambiance that lend an atmosphere of warmth and elegance to any gathering.
Private Party Contact: Lee Michaud (727) 596-8400
Entertainment: After your meal, stroll the boardwalk along the Intracoastal waterway behind The Columbia that connects to the Shoppes on Sand Key. Be sure to make time for a visit to Caladesi Island, home of the #1 Beach in North America. Dr. Stephen Leatherman, aka Dr. Beach, announced Caladesi Island State Park as having the best beach in America again in 2008.
Special Events & Promotions: Although online reservations may not be available, we are still taking reservations through the restaurant. Traditional Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings: $21.95 adults $5.95 kids under 10. Our complete dinner menu is also available all day.

Getting there

Parking: Public Lot
Parking Details: Free parking in our parking lot.

A word from Columbia Restaurant - SandKey

Waterfront dining at its finest! Family-owned & operated for over 100 years, Columbia has earned acclaim for its old-world charm & award-winning Spanish/Cuban cuisine & wine list. Join us for century-old family recipes like Paella "a la Valenciana," Filet Mignon "Columbia," & fresh seafood… specialties. Sample a fine Spanish wine like Torres, Montecillo or Campillo. Don’t miss Columbia’s Original “1905” Salad®, named “One of America’s Top 10 Best Salads” by USA Today -- The only restaurant in Florida to be named. Whether you choose a table looking out onto the radiant blue waters of the Intracoastal Waterway from the Mediterranean dining room, or experience the casual atmosphere from our outdoor deck on the water, you can enjoy the cuisine that has consistently been voted Tampa Bay's Favorite. We are a sister to the Columbia in Tampa's Ybor City, founded in 1905. Children's menu available. Open 365-days a year, including all holidays.Continued

Foodspotting photos

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Awards voted by OpenTable diners

Diners' Choice WinnerBest Overall
Diners' Choice WinnerBest Ambiance
Diners' Choice WinnerBest Service

Diner Reviews

"The steaks were average. The prices elevated. Forced to use Valet parking."
Dined on 3/7/2014
"Excellent cuban food. My friend from Tampa recommended eating here and we loved it. Highly recommend the pitcher of Mojitos. Maybe even better than my homemade ones with my home grown mint. Cannot wait to return."
Dined on 6/28/2013
"This was our first time at Columbia, we were celebrating a birthday and each of the five of us loved our meals. The ambiance was energetic and lively and the choices on the menu were many, it was hard to decide. We sat in the dining room which was very pretty, next time we want to try the bar or veranda. we will definitely come back when we are in the area again Best key lime pie ever!!"
Dined on 2/24/2014
"There is a large parking lot for the shopping center, but every spot was full and there is no valet. While my husband waited in the car, I went in to ask the hostess for parking suggestions and she just said "parking is difficult here". No help at all! We circulated for ten minutes before grabbing a spot. The outdoor seating looked wonderful, but it was a brisk evening and there were no heaters outdoors, so we sat indoors - the bad indoor acoustics made conversation impossible. It was irritatingly loud. Other patrons seemed to be getting good service, but our waiter didn't even refill our water - not once! Fortunately, the food was great! I had the veggie sampler and my husband raved about his lobster cannelloni. But we won't return."
Dined on 3/4/2014
"Had heard about this restaurant from several people as a "must". We thought it very ordinary. As an example, the mojitos were tasteless. The food was not bad, but we did not find it exceptional in any way."
Dined on 3/3/2014
"If you love seafood, Cuban and Spanish food, this is the place to go. I'm sure the other menu options are also good but we only had seafood dishes and gazpacho. The gazpacho was one of the best we have tried. 2 of us had the trio of tapas as we couldn't narrow down the choices. 2 trios was a little bit too much food for just 2 of us. We would order the trip again as everything we tried was superb. One of us also had the pompano with crab, which was said to be the best ever. Everyone was willing to go back to the same restaurant the next night!"
Dined on 3/1/2014
"What we THOUGHT we were ordering is not what we received. It may have been a combination of a difficult to read menu, waiter's translation, busy atmosphere. Next time we will ask for recommendations, verify what we are ordering, and verify before we start to eat. We will also order a pitcher of sangria. It looked wonderful. Wish we would have known to order it!"
Dined on 3/2/2014
"Food was good but the 1 1/2 hour wait for our entre was unacceptable and then one of the meals had to be sent back as it was cold. We probably wont be coming back."
Dined on 3/2/2014
"Food and ambiance were outstanding. Service we received from Yohan was also outstanding. We loved every minute we were there. That is why we return time and time again when we visit Redington Shores."
Dined on 3/2/2014
"My husband and I were celebrating our anniversary. Someone at the office mentioned he'd been to the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City and recommended it. It was just pure luck that there was a Columbia Restaurant right next door to our hotel in Clearwater Beach. I don't usually go for "Mexican", but my husband likes it. This was not a "Mexican" restaurant. It was Spanish. There is a difference. It was fine dining in a casual atmosphere. I had salmon and crab cooked in parchment paper with tomatoes and asparagus. My husband had paella but with beef and pork. We both LOVED our meals. I told my husband I don't think I've ever eaten a better meal in a restaurant before. I would highly, highly recommend it even if you don't like "Mexican" food."
Dined on 3/1/2014
"We four all chose something different and it was all delicious. If i could cite one thing that was less than perfect, it was the portion sizes which were far too large. It is uncomfortable for me to waste so much delicious food and we were not in a position to take leftovers home. Reduce the amount served and keep the quality. The two Columbia restaurants we have visited are without equal."
Dined on 3/1/2014
"We live local and enjoy Columbia and when friends visit a must go to place."
Dined on 2/28/2014
"We had several people recommend Columbia. After all the conversations with folks we had great expectations all of which were exceeded !!!"
Dined on 2/27/2014
"The Columbia in Clearwater Beach was an outstanding dining experience from the soups, to the paella to the flan and churros! We loved it all. We enjoyed sitting in one of the banquette seats for the four of us, but the noise level of the room made conversation between the two men at either end very difficult. We didn't want to shout--the table next to us was already doing that. Sherri was an outstanding waitress--took great care of us!"
Dined on 2/27/2014
"Wait staff and food was great. Hostess were not friendly. We arrived about an hour before our reservation and asked politely if we could be seated early. The dining room was almost completely empty but they were unable to seat us up until the time of our reservation."
Dined on 2/27/2014
"It was the perfect place to Celebrate our 35th Wedding Anniversary. James, our server, was terrific. We sat outside overllookng the water. Food was great and the ambiance was terific. We will definately return."
Dined on 2/25/2014
"Plan to go on a day you can enjoy outdoor dining. The view is beautiful and most of the deck covered so you don't have to be in the sun. The menu is Spanish/Cuban inspired and the food is very good. Our server was friendly and attentive. We try to eat here whenever we come to the Tampa area."
Dined on 2/22/2014
"We are expats from the area and always go to the Columbia when we return to the area. All dishes are exceptional; we love the grouper a la russa, paella, and soups. This should be n your list for the week."
Dined on 2/23/2014
"Great dining experience. Wonderful atmosphere on the water. The aroma made your mouth water."
Dined on 2/23/2014
"We get to Clearwater once a year. Typically we get to the Columbia one time for a special dinner. It is our favorite place. This time we decided to go all out. We ate dinner there the first night. Dessert there the second night. And did dinner the third night too. Just couldn't get enough of the place. Serve, food, location --- ALL PERFECT!"
Dined on 2/19/2014
"Appetizers were good , Sangrias was very good, I ordered the crab stuffed shrimp and my wife ordered the pasta stiffed with lobster. Her meal was fine nothing great and very little lobster. My meal the shrimp were so salty that I could not finish it. When I told the waitress her response was well WHY DIDN' T YOU TELL ME SOONER, so she brings the bill over and leaves it on the table and never informs the manager that I was unhappy.I asked another waiter to get the manager. He comes over and I told him to tell the chef the shrimp was to salty.. he says Why didn't you tell me earlier? then he said my plate was empty!!! and it was not, it was my wife's plate."
Dined on 2/21/2014
"When we arrived at the Columbia we realized there were not any sunset tables due to the restaurant being on the est side of Gulf Blvd as was requested. The noise level is very high due to tall ceilings. One cannot have a conversation with each other because it is too loud around you. Our waiter was busy with a ten top and three 2 top tables including us. My mojitos were great but were very slow in getting to our table. Food is excellent! You feel like you are in Spain and or Cuba. The restaurant fills up Quickly after 5pm."
Dined on 2/17/2014
"Love everything about this place - from staff to dessert. Take out of state visitors for special dinner, never unhappy. Love the special salad, hot bread, entrees and desserts. A little noisy but that's part of the whole experience."
Dined on 2/21/2014
"the famous 1905 salad was soggy, soups and hot dishes were luke warm. had to send the soup back for reheating. all the food lacked significant spice. suspect menu has been "spiced down" for ohio taste buds"
Dined on 2/19/2014
"The food, as usual is outstanding. Just as high quality as found in the Ybor restaurant. Service is very professional. We have introduced the Columbia to many visiting guests and neighbors. All were impressed as well. We shall be returning often."
Dined on 2/18/2014
"We always enjoy the Columbia, where ever the location but this Clearwater Sand Key location is particularly pretty. The view is great and the staff is always professional and timely. I recommend this for Sunday get togethers and any special occasion. Food is fresh and hot when you get it. The only thing is am not keen on any of the desserts but that works for my waistline, so no biggy."
Dined on 2/16/2014
"Nice place, busy and obvoiusly popular. We decided on Columbia because of my love for Spanish tapas and Paella. Tapas were just average, although crabcake was excellent. We were sorely dissappointed with the paella, some sort of variation they have come up with but far from traditional, more like rice with some sort of sauce on it and a little skimpy on the meat and seafood. One person in our party did order steak and said it was good. They have lots of selections on there menu other than spanish, so maybe try your luck there, but if you are looking for a great spanish tapa or paella experience look elsewhere."
Dined on 2/17/2014
"Residents of the Tampa Bay area know the Colombia can be counted on for great Spanish food, at all it's three or four locations. Great food, Great service, Pleasant staff I am a particular fan of the various fish dishes done Russa style."
Dined on 2/14/2014
"Columbia has excellent Cuban dishes as well as some signature ones. Their 1905 Salad is not to be missed and their gazpacho is amazing - both prepared tableside for an extra flourish! Great service and fun place with a nice view. Rained when we went but outdoors would be lovely. Highly recommend."
Dined on 2/12/2014
"as usual, we had an excellant meal, and our waiter, James, was outstanding."
Dined on 2/14/2014
"The food was alright, but the service was terrible. Our server was nowhere to be found for most of the night. We were there for about 2.5 hours and our server came to the table a total of four times. I was unpleasantly surprised after hearing such great things about the restaurant."
Dined on 2/15/2014
"Good experience and food, but found the prices a little high"
Dined on 2/13/2014
"Decor and atmosphere is nice; would've liked a waterside table (as requested on Open Table several weeks ago) but c'est la vie on Valentine's Day. Our server Juan was very good -- friendly and attentive. The food, however, was only adequate. I had the eggplant riojolo (sp?), which was a weak version of its Italian counterpart, eggplant parmigiana. My wife had surf and turf. The stuffed lobster tail was very good but her steak was quite under-cooked. She ordered medium but got medium rare, leaning toward outright rare. Overall, a good experience but nothing overly special."
Dined on 2/14/2014
"I made reservations a few months in advance for Valentines Day at the Columbia in Clearwater as I have experiences the Columbia in Tampa and absolutely loved the entire experience. When we got there they sat us in the bar area near an outside door not to mention it was kind of chilly out. We didn't complain or asked to move cause we just enjoyed each other's company and made the best out of the experience. But my question is why make reservations then cause they didn't appear that busy. Excellent service and food and we ended up having a good time."
Dined on 2/14/2014
"It's a wee bit pricey - $12 for not great calamari - but seafood entrees were terrific. If you're looking for genuine Spanish, can't go wrong here. Service was outstanding."
Dined on 2/13/2014
"the yellow rice was cold and lumpy. a birthday cake was ordered ahead of time, and waiter and others did not know about it, so had to take 4 slices of key lime pie. the place is extremely noisey, not conclusive to table conversation. this was our first time at this location, and will not reurn. we will return to thier original resturant in YBOR City. no comparison"
Dined on 2/13/2014
"Excellent and interesting food, great service, nice ambience, wide choice of wine and beer not normally found at your average restaurant. This was our first visit. We will definitely come back."
Dined on 2/9/2014
"Everything was good. Nothing really special but an enjoyable dinner. They make sangria and salad table side which is an interesting touch but neither is particularly outstanding. A decent place for an ok meal at average prices."
Dined on 2/9/2014
"We were celebrating two birthdays and because of the time of year chose to go in between lunch and dinner hours. Therefore, along with a reservation, had no problem being seated. Juan told us he was a fairly new waiter at the Columbia but proved himself to be very competent and able to perform to the standards I expect at the Columbia. We had a very pleasant afternoon and a tasty meal."
Dined on 2/9/2014
"We were received warmly by the host and seated at our table promptly. Table for two with a water view. James, our waiter, was prompt attentive knowledgeable. Dining room filled up quickly. We never felt ignored and never searched for our waiter. Food was as advertised, spanish / american fare, fresh and tasty. Recommend the paella. Next time in Clearwater we will visit again."
Dined on 2/10/2014

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