Columbia - Nowatney

Simply the best dining experience we've had anywhere in a long time. Impeccable service. A menu that had so many intriguing choices that it was hard to make a decision... and well prepared, delicious food that fulfilled that promise. The best Sangria this side of the Atlantic. And a charming, old-world atmosphere. Make a reservation ahead of time. If you're in Tampa you don't want to miss it.

I found this business on Yelp while visiting Ybor City. It had good reviews and the food looked good so we dined in for lunch. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and was pretty busy for a Wednesday. We did not have to wait for a table and were seated right away. There were several tables inside the spacious restaurant. The servers were dressed very nicely in their black tie attire. Our Server, Luisa M, was not personable, was very short, and not pleasant to us at all. I overheard another server ask the patrons if it was their first time when they replied yes she explained the history of the restaurant engaged them. Luisa only asked what we wanted to drink and came back to take our order. Honestly she messed up the experience for us which is the reason for the lower review since the food was good. After we placed our order we were given bread and butter. The bread was served warm and was soft. I ordered the combo de Cuba. My meal consisted of two types of pork, beans, rice, plantains, yuca, and empanadas. It was filling and I had leftovers after I ate. The beans could have used some seasoning the yuca and empanadas were not my favorite part of the meal. The churros were also good and soft. The caramel was my favorite dipping sauce. The chocolate was my least favorite.

Tons of different Spanish and Cuban dishes, and the interior feels super immersive. Service was top notch. Paella had good flavor, but I wish there was more rice, parsley instead of peas, and fattier (chorizo) instead of lean pork. Also it had less shellfish than I expected.

It's like a bag of salt must have exploded in the kitchen. I ordered the combo plate(forget the name) so that I could try several items. My first bite was the empanada and that seemed a bit salty. Then I worked around the plate and every single item including the beans and rice were heavily over salted, to the point I could barely eat 20% of my plate. Luckily the bread they served was delicious and because I was obviously still hungry I ordered a bread pudding. Overall it was good, but I had to remove the entire top portion because the burn it. I had two others taste it and they agreed, can't eat the top. Strangest bread pudding that I have ever ordered, but again, the rest of it was tasty. Service was excellent. The building is very cool, but in the end we all go to eat and I can't eat food overloaded with salt. It's unfortunate.

The oldest restaurant in Florida! Pretty cool on that point alone. Make reservations or you either will wait 30-45 minutes or get turned away at the door. I watched first hand how they literally just don't have enough staff since the pandemic to pack the place to full capacity. 1901 salad is a must. Cuban sandwich was second only to Versailles in Miami. Paella is excellent and worth the wait. Bread Pudding OMG phenomenal. Enjoy! and certainly enjoy the scenery, the place is pretty stunning.