Columbia Restaurant traces back to 1905, founded by a young Spanish-Cuban immigrant whose descendants still run the business five generations later. The Ybor City dining room is the original location, and the Columbia name has since grown to seven restaurants across Florida, each shaped by its own neighborhood while drawing on the same family recipes.
The menu is Spanish-Cuban, with paella, ropa vieja, and roast pork among the dishes diners return for, alongside tapas, a well-known Cuban sandwich, yellow rice, plantains, and shrimp. White chocolate bread pudding and flan are common ways to close a meal.
A flamenco performance runs on-site in Ybor City, and the wine program draws on one of the largest Spanish wine collections in the world, backed by the restaurant's own Vino Club. USA Today has called Columbia "one of America's most historic restaurants." The restaurant has been selected for the Michelin Guide in 2022, 2023, and 2024, and its ownership was named a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Restaurateur award in 2012.
The menu is Spanish-Cuban, with paella, ropa vieja, and roast pork among the dishes diners return for, alongside tapas, a well-known Cuban sandwich, yellow rice, plantains, and shrimp. White chocolate bread pudding and flan are common ways to close a meal.
A flamenco performance runs on-site in Ybor City, and the wine program draws on one of the largest Spanish wine collections in the world, backed by the restaurant's own Vino Club. USA Today has called Columbia "one of America's most historic restaurants." The restaurant has been selected for the Michelin Guide in 2022, 2023, and 2024, and its ownership was named a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Restaurateur award in 2012.