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Columbia Restaurant - Ybor City, Tampa, FL
Award-winning

Columbia Restaurant - Ybor City

4.8 (17918)
$31 to $50
Spanish
2117 East 7th Avenue, Tampa, FL 33605

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 260 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
  • Neighborhood gem
The Columbia is Florida’s Oldest RestaurantSM, founded in Tampa's historic Ybor City in 1905. Family-owned and operated for 119 years, the restaurant has earned acclaim for old-world charm as well as for its award-winning Spanish/Cuban cuisine and wine list.

Open 365 days a year, including all holidays and serving lunch and dinner daily.

Casual attire is fine, but we don’t allow sleeveless shirts on men in the dining room.

Experience the Fire of Flamenco!
Flamenco Dance Shows: There is an $10 cover charge per person for guests over the age of 12.

Monday through Thursday dinner reservation times for the 7 p.m. show are 5:30, 6 or 6:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday dinner reservations for the 7 p.m. show are 5:30, 6 or 6:30 p.m. and for the 9:30 p.m. show, seatings are at 8:30 or 9 p.m.

Reservations for dinner and the show are required. Please call the restaurant to check availability for reservations.

Please call 813.248.4961 for flamenco show reservations.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Spanish, Cuban
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Daily 11:00 am–4:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (813) 248-4961
  • Website
    http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Geraldo Bayona
  • Catering
    We can help you with all your off-site catering needs. We offer a full line of catering options, including food, beverage and service. Our staff will coordinate all rental equipment, setup and service.
  • Private party facilities
    We offer private dining areas to host your banquet, business lunch, rehearsal dinner, wedding reception, party or group event.
  • Private party contact
    Our Private Event Coordinator: (813) 248-4961
  • Location
    2117 East 7th Avenue, Tampa, FL 33605
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Neighborhood
    Tampa
  • Cross street
    21st Street
  • Parking details
    Free parking on the street or in one of our two private lots either directly across the street from the restaurant or directly behind the building.
  • Entertainment
    Experience the Fire of Flamenco! Flamenco Dance Shows: There is a $10 cover charge per person for guests over the age of 12. Monday through Saturday dinner reservation times for the 7 p.m. shows are 5:30, 6 or 6:30 p.m. Dinner reservation times for the 9:30 p.m. show are 8:30 or 9 p.m.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Featured in

Private dining

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 17,918 people are saying

Columbia Restaurant - Ybor City reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.6Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Tampa / Central Florida West

    Most Booked

  • Tampa

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City offers a "great experience" with outstanding food, service, and a captivating ambiance rooted in history. Diners rave about the "amazing food," "impeccable service," and "authentic Cuban ambiance." Although some find it noisy, the lively atmosphere and historic charm make it a "must-visit" in Tampa.
17,918 Reviews

  1. Yolanda

    Tampa / Central Florida West3 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    Food was okay. Everyone appeared to enjoy their entree; the yellow rice was a little undercooked (crunchy with some bites). Baked shrimp was delicious.

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  2. Frances

    Vancouver / British Columbia9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Beautiful, elegant ambiance. The food was delightful - the crabcakes (Cakes de Cangrejo) were divine. The service was top-notch. Very elegant service! The reason we gave it 4 stars was that the Calamares Frito to us was normal. Maybe adding a sweet chili sauce, or sauteeing instead of deep-frying might make it more different. Again great portions. We dined mostly on the tapas which were fabulous and filling! The Columbia, Gem of the Ocean, CR Generations Tempranillo Cabernet Sauvignon were not to be missed! Excellent! We enjoyed having Leslie as our server. She was professional and cheerful. Lovely service! Thank you for a wonderful evening during our first visit to The Columbia. It was also so fun to tour the premises! Such a gorgeous building! Thank you!

    Is this helpful?

  3. Scott

    Philadelphia County5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Columbia Restaurant is a MUST VISIT!! It was our second time and the food is so excellent and wonderful service and ambience!!

    Is this helpful?

  4. Adele

    London15 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We did book and I am glad I did it was very busy. The service was outstanding. Some of the drinks did take a while to arrive. The food was delicious.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Dana

    Orlando / Central Florida East47 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    This was our first time visiting this iconic location. It was a birthday celebration and two of my guests were elderly. Upon arrival, we were greeted by several exceptionally unfriendly and dead pan hostesses. I have to say that they were borderline lifeless and off putting. No smiles or hellos. I explained my mother in law could not walk far or up stairs due to her health and the hostess rudely snapped at me “we aren’t going upstairs” as she walked away expecting us to follow. We found it very odd that we were seated in the very very very loud bar area where patrons were screaming loudly with two elderly guests. We couldn’t even hear ourselves to talk. We told the server that this was not the experience we were expected, she also dead panned walked off and then said they’d get us a new table. No smiles either or any form of hospitality. We were escorted to the side room with the beautiful fountain which was MUCH calmer. There, we sat for almost 25 minutes with no one coming over to greet us. When he did, our server wound up being a delight. He was very attentive and the food was very very good. We were not thrilled that the entrees came out seconds after we got our salads that we wanted to enjoy first. The table was jam packed with dishes which made it quite uncomfortable to eat with No appropriate pacing at all. All in all, I’m glad I can say we ate at this location but the hospitality and friendliness was non existent and we won’t be back.

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  6. Brenda

    Tampa / Central Florida West1 review

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful as usual. Great service for our large group.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Tara VIP

    Tampa / Central Florida West73 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was excellent, our server was wonderful and I very much appreciate the allergy menu and awareness! Great experience!

    Is this helpful?

  8. Michele

    Washington, D.C. Area9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Last minute decision to book lunch. Had a reservation within 30 minutes. Love the Columbia Restaurant - especially their Half and Half for lunch. Never disappointed.

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  9. OpenTable Diner

    Baja California1 review

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    5 stars – A Classic Done Right Stopped in for lunch and had the half-portion special Cuban sandwich with the 1905 salad — both were absolutely delicious. The portion size was perfect for the price, and the flavors were exactly what you'd hope for from an iconic spot like Columbia. I sat at the bar and had a few mojitos, which were expertly made with real sugar cane in the glass — perfectly balanced and refreshing. The bartender was friendly, attentive, and helpful with menu suggestions. Great atmosphere, great service, and a true taste of Tampa. Highly recommended.

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  10. Elliot

    Oklahoma City17 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our staff were incredible- professional, knowledgeable, and gracious. The food was delicious and iconic. The beautiful environment of the historic building was a great way to spend the evening.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Columbia Restaurant - Ybor City offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (813) 248-4961.

Columbia Restaurant - Ybor City is rated 4.8 stars by 17918 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Tampa / Central Florida West
  4. Tampa
  5. Tampa

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 260 times today
Google Map for Columbia Restaurant - Ybor City

2117 East 7th Avenue, Tampa, FL 33605

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Cross street
    21st Street
  • Neighborhood
    Tampa
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Daily 11:00 am–4:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Spanish, Cuban
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Free parking on the street or in one of our two private lots either directly across the street from the restaurant or directly behind the building.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Geraldo Bayona
  • Entertainment
    Experience the Fire of Flamenco! Flamenco Dance Shows: There is a $10 cover charge per person for guests over the age of 12. Monday through Saturday dinner reservation times for the 7 p.m. shows are 5:30, 6 or 6:30 p.m. Dinner reservation times for the 9:30 p.m. show are 8:30 or 9 p.m.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/
  • Phone number
    (813) 248-4961
  • Catering
    We can help you with all your off-site catering needs. We offer a full line of catering options, including food, beverage and service. Our staff will coordinate all rental equipment, setup and service.
  • Private party facilities
    We offer private dining areas to host your banquet, business lunch, rehearsal dinner, wedding reception, party or group event.
  • Private party contact
    Our Private Event Coordinator: (813) 248-4961

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