Columbia Restaurant, Tampa

After walking through the Ybor City Historic District, you may find yourself working up an appetite. If that鈥檚 the case, there鈥檚 no better option than stopping by the historic Columbia Restaurant. Columbia is a Florida-based chain with locations in Tampa, Sarasota, Orlando, Clearwater, and St. Augustine 鈥� but the Ybor City restaurant is the original, in continuous operation since 1905. It holds the distinction of being Florida鈥檚 oldest restaurant.

Columbia has been recognized as one of America鈥檚 most historic restaurants and among Florida鈥檚 best. Southern Living magazine even named it one of their favorite romantic dining spots. It goes without saying that the food is spectacular 鈥� a showcase of classic Spanish and Cuban cuisine. Their tapas, salads, and Cuban sandwiches are among the most popular choices.

The Hernandez Gonzmart family opened the restaurant, and it has remained a family-run operation ever since. The recipes have changed little over the years, though the clientele has evolved 鈥� from cigar workers just off their shifts to celebrities, loyal locals, and visiting tourists. The restaurant has grown from a modest 60-seat caf茅 into a world-class dining destination.

For the full experience, plan your visit around one of their Flamenco dinner shows, held on Friday and Saturday nights at 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. The restaurant is open 365 days a year, and reservations are always recommended.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Tampa. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "911爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Sight Name: Columbia Restaurant
Sight Location: Tampa, USA (See walking tours in Tampa)
Sight Type: Food/Drink
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Ybor City Historic District Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Tampa, Florida

Create Your Own Walk in Tampa

Creating your own self-guided walk in Tampa is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Tampa Downtown Walking Tour

The City of Tampa sits at the head of what is now known as Tampa Bay. It is Florida鈥檚 third-largest city and its largest shipping port. Native Americans lived around the Bay almost 2,000 years ago, long before Spanish explorers 鈥渄iscovered鈥� the area. Even when the Spanish conquistadors arrived, they didn鈥檛 stay in Florida long. There was no gold, and the native inhabitants fought them off.... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.2 Km or 2 Miles

Ybor City Historic District Walking Tour

They say, where there鈥檚 smoke, there鈥檚 Ybor City... Indeed, this historic district, located just northeast of downtown Tampa, is a neighborhood where they've been rolling cigars for over a century. Its name comes from Vicente Martinez-Ybor, a Spanish cigar manufacturer who relocated his operations from Key West to Tampa in 1885, seeking better transportation access and a more favorable... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles

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