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Family owned since 1905, the Columbia is the oldest restaurant in Florida and features a Cuban-Spanish menu. There are now 6 other state locations. The restaurant has been named an All-American Icon, One of 21 of the Most Legendary Restaurants, Favorite Romantic Restaurant, One of Florida’s Best Restaurants and to the Distinguished Restaurants of North America Hall of Fame and Florida Trend Golden Spoon Hall of Fame. Wine Spectator awarded its Best of Award of Excellence every year since 2004 for the extensive collection, especially Spanish wines. Other locations include the original in Tampa’s Ybor City, Sarasota, Celebration near Orlando, Clearwater/Sand Key, Tampa Bay History Center and Tampa Airport. Other brands: Ulele, Goody Goody.
Traditional Spanish restaurant, a branch of a long-standing local chain dating back to 1905.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 98 St George St, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Phone: (904) 824-3341
Website: https://www.columbiarestaurant.com/historic-district-st-augustine
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Historic District, St. Augustine | Columbia Restaurant
Named “One of Florida’s Top Restaurants” since 1967.
Columbia Restaurant: Home
For more than 120 years, the Columbia Restaurant has served Spanish-Cuban cuisine to the state of Florida, using family recipes and tradition.
Columbia Restaurant – St. Augustine – OpenTable
Augustine offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (904) 824-3341. How is Columbia Restaurant – St. Augustine restaurant rated?
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Reviews
Photos by Anette
We had a wonderful experience at Columbia Restaurant in St. Augustine. Planning the event was seamless from start to finish. The event coordinator was very responsive by email and stayed in frequent contact right up to the event, including a phone call to confirm details, which made everything feel organized and stress-free.
Our table for 20 was ready on time, and the service was excellent. The waitresses were attentive, friendly, and made sure our group was well taken care of throughout the evening.
We selected Option 2 from the set banquet menu, which included salad, fish, meat, and chicken entrées, along with flan and key lime pie for dessert. Every dish was delicious and absolutely worth the price. The portions, flavor, and presentation were all impressive.
We also really enjoyed the atmosphere; it was warm, lively, and perfect for a group celebration. A nice bonus is the upstairs bar, where guests can have drinks while waiting for the party to be seated.
Overall, Columbia Restaurant was an excellent choice for our event, and I would highly recommend it for both special occasions and group dining.
… moreOur table for 20 was ready on time, and the service was excellent. The waitresses were attentive, friendly, and made sure our group was well taken care of throughout the evening.
We selected Option 2 from the set banquet menu, which included salad, fish, meat, and chicken entrées, along with flan and key lime pie for dessert. Every dish was delicious and absolutely worth the price. The portions, flavor, and presentation were all impressive.
We also really enjoyed the atmosphere; it was warm, lively, and perfect for a group celebration. A nice bonus is the upstairs bar, where guests can have drinks while waiting for the party to be seated.
Overall, Columbia Restaurant was an excellent choice for our event, and I would highly recommend it for both special occasions and group dining.
noemi aylesworth
We throughly enjoyed every minute of our time at Columbia Restaurant. Staff were friendly and courteous. The drinks were great, the Cuban bread was served warm which was a nice touch, the stuffed mushroom appetizer was divine! The house signature 1905 salad is worth ordering, you won’t be disappointed! The waitress, Amber, was attentive and polite, probably the best waitress we have encountered dining out.
The main dishes had a lovely presentation. They were packed full of flavor that were outstanding! And a big thumbs up for the white chocolate bread pudding! 5 STARS! ⭐️
From beginning to end the meal was superb. And of course don’t forget to take in their gift shop. Thank you for a perfect dining experience!
… moreThe main dishes had a lovely presentation. They were packed full of flavor that were outstanding! And a big thumbs up for the white chocolate bread pudding! 5 STARS! ⭐️
From beginning to end the meal was superb. And of course don’t forget to take in their gift shop. Thank you for a perfect dining experience!
Stephen Thompson
We made reservations for the Flamenco show and it was a truly unique and fun experience. Our server was awesome in the show room. Can’t remember his name but was a California transplant and you could tell he cared about catering a great experience for his people. We ordered the 1905 salad, filet, and the seafood paella. It was all excellent. We ordered cocktails from the program and they were nice, including the Cuban old fashion. The RG Reserve was really nice and only available at The Columbia. My wife said the filet was great and she had one the night before at Bern’s. The paella was so loaded with seafood it was crazy. We wanted dessert but had zero room. The dancers were awesome entertainment. This is a must-do when visiting Tampa.
… moreAmir “Sebastian” Kiaee
Amazing experience, delicious food, great service. The cuban is spot on, not over priced. I would like to confidently say it is one of the best Cubans I had ever eaten. Please get the pitcher of mimosas, its a bamg for the buck and they put on a show table side! We will definitely be back for a visit hopefully in the near future.
… moreRobert Lee
Reservations recomended, especially for holidays.
I took my wife for a late lunch on Valentine’s day and we loved it! The restaurant is beautiful, clean and well maintained. The staff is friendly, helpful and attentive.
We were seated inside one of the dining rooms on the 3rd floor which overlooks St. Georges street. There is balcony seating available, not sure if it’s by request.
Server was prompt, food was prompt. We ordered some tapas, a Shrimp and Crabmeat Alcachofas with Cuban crackers & their delicious Stuffed Piquillo Peppers. Both were great, but the peppers were amazing and something I intend to order every visit.
The the Main entre, my wife and I split a Lechón Asado “1905” which had some wonderful marinated pork, beans, rice, yuca and sweet plantains. The pork was perfectly seasoned, tender and juicy. Everything was cooked to perfection.
We finished the mean with a cup of Cuban coffee, worth every drop.
This is a restaurant with a long history here in Florida and is worth a visit of you’re in the St. Augustine area.
… moreI took my wife for a late lunch on Valentine’s day and we loved it! The restaurant is beautiful, clean and well maintained. The staff is friendly, helpful and attentive.
We were seated inside one of the dining rooms on the 3rd floor which overlooks St. Georges street. There is balcony seating available, not sure if it’s by request.
Server was prompt, food was prompt. We ordered some tapas, a Shrimp and Crabmeat Alcachofas with Cuban crackers & their delicious Stuffed Piquillo Peppers. Both were great, but the peppers were amazing and something I intend to order every visit.
The the Main entre, my wife and I split a Lechón Asado “1905” which had some wonderful marinated pork, beans, rice, yuca and sweet plantains. The pork was perfectly seasoned, tender and juicy. Everything was cooked to perfection.
We finished the mean with a cup of Cuban coffee, worth every drop.
This is a restaurant with a long history here in Florida and is worth a visit of you’re in the St. Augustine area.
Dwellion Howard
WOW! Columbia Restaurant was outstanding! The facility was beautiful and the staff was outstanding. The food was scrumptious, too! My favorite was a simple side salad that was absolutely delicious! We had three tables with 11 to 13 diners each and everything was prepared and served on time and just right. A wonderful experience! This was our second visit to this restaurant.
… moreV
We stopped into Columbina for dinner and this place is beautiful. It has an old Spanish feel to it, with tall ceilings and beautiful features. We were greeted by a large Christmas tree and a very friendly staff member who guided us upstairs to our table. Diana, who was our server, then appeared and shared some info about the location as well as menu options. Everything looked so good that we were unsure of what to get some we started trying random items to share. Diana provided light conversation and followed up with us regularly.
The wine selection and drink selection were amazing. They had a broad selection of wines as well as mixed drinks that were all made to perfection. The wine pours are very large and the mojitos and tango mango were yummy.
The Mahi Mahi was very good filled with Spanish flavors. The bread was incredibly soft and fluffy and just melted in your mouth. Their Cuban steaks were marinated perfectly, and their rice was not dry and very fluffy.
Everything we had was very good and portion sizes were gigantic. Diana was not only knowledgeable about the foods but also knew a lot about their wine, and I just went down the list trying the various wines.
Thank you, Diana and Columbia Restaurant, for the great evening.
… moreThe wine selection and drink selection were amazing. They had a broad selection of wines as well as mixed drinks that were all made to perfection. The wine pours are very large and the mojitos and tango mango were yummy.
The Mahi Mahi was very good filled with Spanish flavors. The bread was incredibly soft and fluffy and just melted in your mouth. Their Cuban steaks were marinated perfectly, and their rice was not dry and very fluffy.
Everything we had was very good and portion sizes were gigantic. Diana was not only knowledgeable about the foods but also knew a lot about their wine, and I just went down the list trying the various wines.
Thank you, Diana and Columbia Restaurant, for the great evening.
Zee
I know it’s a historic place and glad we visited but the food was underwhelming (just like in most restaurants we ate in St Augustine). The performance of making sangria and the famous salad table side was appreciated, as it created the atmosphere. Our friends who ordered salad thought the cook forgot the meat but no it was there just not noticeable in the mount of iceberg lettuce!
We also had an eggplant entree (heavy on the tomato sauce) and croquettes (not bad).
The free bread with salted butter was the real star of the show and Sangria wasn’t bad just a bit weak.
… moreWe also had an eggplant entree (heavy on the tomato sauce) and croquettes (not bad).
The free bread with salted butter was the real star of the show and Sangria wasn’t bad just a bit weak.
Terri Nordstrom
Wow! To start Kyle was our waiter and was great, attentive, explained the menu and so pleasant. Everything we had was delicious, the bread was soft & crisp , even the butter was the best (and my friends know how much I love butter ). My husband had 1/2 Cuban and the 1905 salad-best salad ever. They make it at the table for you, I had Caesar salad with the special crab cakes (can’t remember their name on the menu). So delicious, sweet all crab meat…the best!! Then the Guava cream cheese pastry for desert , we shared it, great ending to a wonderful meal, crispy, flaky and not to sweet! Highly recommend eating here! 12/10⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
… moreLeyvis Pérez Pino
I rarely leave negative reviews, but my recent experience at Columbia Restaurant was incredibly disappointing, especially since we were there celebrating my birthday. We ordered their supposedly famous paella, and it was hands down the most horrific thing I have ever tasted. Where do I even begin?
The dish was a complete disaster. Several elements arrived ice-cold. The lobster tails were literally just empty shells used for decoration—there wasn’t a single bite of meat inside them. To make matters worse, with almost every bite, we crunched on grit and sand, making it glaringly obvious that the seafood hadn’t been washed properly. The scallops tasted fishy and far from fresh.
As for the rice, it was an overcooked, mushy, soggy mess. Anyone who knows real Spanish food knows that a proper paella must have the ‘socarrat’ (the crispy, caramelized rice at the bottom of the pan). This dish had absolutely none of that. There is nothing authentic or Spanish about this recipe; it felt like a lazy, overpriced tourist trap disguised as fine dining.
The only saving grace of the entire evening was our server, who was attentive, polite, and provided genuinely good service. However, no amount of good service can make up for food this poorly executed and inedible. Save your money and eat somewhere else.
… moreThe dish was a complete disaster. Several elements arrived ice-cold. The lobster tails were literally just empty shells used for decoration—there wasn’t a single bite of meat inside them. To make matters worse, with almost every bite, we crunched on grit and sand, making it glaringly obvious that the seafood hadn’t been washed properly. The scallops tasted fishy and far from fresh.
As for the rice, it was an overcooked, mushy, soggy mess. Anyone who knows real Spanish food knows that a proper paella must have the ‘socarrat’ (the crispy, caramelized rice at the bottom of the pan). This dish had absolutely none of that. There is nothing authentic or Spanish about this recipe; it felt like a lazy, overpriced tourist trap disguised as fine dining.
The only saving grace of the entire evening was our server, who was attentive, polite, and provided genuinely good service. However, no amount of good service can make up for food this poorly executed and inedible. Save your money and eat somewhere else.