Columbia Restaurant

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Florida's Oldest Restaurant, Still in the Family

The Columbia Restaurant began with a single act of faith. On December 17, 1903, Spanish-Cuban immigrant Casimiro Hernandez, Sr. helped open the Columbia Saloon in Tampa's Ybor City neighborhood. By 1905 it had become a full restaurant, and over the nearly 120 years since, it has grown to occupy an entire city block — today recognized as the largest Spanish restaurant in the world. USA Today called it "One of America's Most Historic Restaurants," and the recognition has never stopped.

What makes the Columbia genuinely rare is continuity. Casimiro's descendants — now in the fourth and fifth generations through Richard Gonzmart, Casey Gonzmart Sr., Casey Gonzmart Jr., and Andrea Gonzmart Williams — still own and operate every location. Andrea began working here at age 10. That kind of rootedness shows up directly on the plate.

The Food: Family Recipes, Not Interpretations

The Spanish-Cuban cuisine served here traces back to specific people and specific kitchens. The Spanish Bean Soup — garbanzo beans simmered with smoked ham, chorizo and potatoes — is Casimiro Hernandez Sr.'s original recipe, the dish most associated with the Columbia's identity. The Cuban Black Bean Soup follows grandmother Carmen Hernandez's preparation exactly, served over white rice with raw Spanish onions.

The Original "1905" Salad® is tossed tableside: iceberg lettuce, julienned baked ham, Swiss cheese, tomatoes, olives, Romano cheese and a garlic dressing that USA Today honored as one of the ten best salad experiences in the country. The ingredients themselves tell the immigration story of Ybor City — Romano cheese from the Sicilians, garlic dressing from Cuban roasting traditions, Florida tomatoes.

The Cuban Sandwich here is built on the original 1915 recipe: ham, mojo-marinated roast pork, Genoa salami, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard on bread from La Segunda Central Bakery, pressed to a crispy finish. Food & Wine Magazine named it the best sandwich in Florida. No mayo, no lettuce, no turkey — the proportions are deliberate and defended.

The tapas selection brings the Spanish side forward: Shrimp "Al Ajillo" sizzled in extra-virgin olive oil and fresh garlic, Croquetas de Jamón with béchamel and ham, and Calamares Fritos prepared from a recipe attributed to the restaurant's third chef, Miguel Bejines of Sevilla.

Wine, Flamenco, and an Evening That Earns Its Length

The Columbia holds one of the largest Spanish wine collections in the world, a distinction that earned it Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence. The Vino Club extends that commitment to guests who want to explore it further.

At the Ybor City location, evenings include a live flamenco show — not background entertainment, but a full performance that has been part of the Columbia experience for decades. Between the tableside salad preparation, the flamenco, and a wine list of this depth, dinner here is structured to take its time.

A City Block of Cuban and Spanish History

The address on East Seventh Avenue sits at the heart of what was once the cigar-rolling capital of the world. The Columbia didn't just survive that history — it absorbed it, and the Spanish-Cuban cuisine on every plate reflects the layered immigrant culture that built this neighborhood. Seven Florida locations now carry the name, but the original in Ybor City remains the anchor.