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Columbia Restaurant
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Valet
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
9 reviews for Columbia Restaurant
This Columbia is located on the fourth floor of The Pier, St Petersburg's favorite wacky five story inverted pyramid. As others have mentioned the view of the bay is pretty impressive and is worth the visit. Unfortunately, the ambiance inside the restaurant much like the Pier itself is very 70 ish, and hasn't been updated in quite some time. It is certainly passable but just feels a little dated and stuffy as compared to a similar St Pete Spanish restaurant like Ceviche on Beach Drive that just feels more hip, young, and exciting.
As for the food it is a blend of Spanish and Cuban cuisines and is pretty solid. They have a good selection of tapas for apps or to form a meal out of. I enjoy starting off with their gazpacho soup which is such a refreshing way to start of a meal considering its a cold soup and Florida can be so hot. Why more places don't serve this is beyond me, perhaps folks don't appreciate the garlic? I am also particularly fond of their black bean cakes which are served with sour cream and guacamole. They are fried and have a nice mix of garlic and black bean flavors. In my opinion one thing missing from the tapas selections would be a mixed plate of jamon serrano and manchego cheese with some olives and bread as accompliments. Speaking of the bread the warm loaf of cuban bread they bring out is to die for. It is always served piping hot and is absolutely delicious. If you weren't careful you could completely spoil your appetite on just the bread.
They could take advantage of the poor economic climate and lure people in with a starving artist plate of just bread, and black beans and rice for next to nothing, and it would still be a great meal!
For mains I have enjoyed their seafood only Paella which is chock full of almost everything from the sea including clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, and squid and octopus. The other seafood dish that I have had there that has been very good is the Sea Bass "Bilbao" which is simple in its presentation mostly relying on the fish, wine, olive oil, and garlic to bring out all the wonderful flavours.
One of the best parts of the menu is that they new feature a special "vegetariano" section which has includes three mains to choose from including a very tasty stacked eggplant dish with Rioja infused tomato sauce and melted Spanish Tetilla cheese which has a unique soft buttery taste.
The wine list is heavily leaning towards Spanish reds, whites, and sparklings and offers many inexpensive bottles of great quality. The various sangrias they offer are all mixed table side for your added entertainment.
Overall, I have enjoyed my meals at this location of the Columbia along with their Clearwater and original Tampa/Ybor spot. While perhaps a little touristy, at least it doesn't rest on its laurels and continues to put out great tasting food.
5 for the view, 4 for the food, 3 for the service...so I think a 4 is fair.
My boss & I headed here for dinner one night during a customer visit per the customer's recommendation. It's easy to find (if you remember that there is both a 4th Street and a 4th Avenue). Parking is simple as well: $3 across the pier, and $4 for valet right at the restaurant. When we did get a bit turned around due to my inability to remember to write down St vs. Ave, a quick call to the restaurant got us back on our way very quickly.
We had no reservation, but on a Thursday night, it didn't seem like we needed one. The place was fairly empty at the 5 o'clock hour. We were quickly seated and met our very annoying and overselling waiter. He seemed impatient with our need to review the menu so thoroughly (it's a large menu!) and unhappy that we did not order more (two entrees, a bottle of water & a drink), but the portions are huge, so an entree was way more than I needed. When we asked for more time, he left us alone a ridiculously long time, despite our menus being closed on the table. After he took our orders, he promised he'd be back with bread shortly, but the bread didn't come until our food did. Luckily our food came out unbelievably quickly (only 10 minutes or so). My Chicken Salteado was good...maybe a bit on the bland side, but made to my specifications (no mushrooms). I would prefer mine with a few more veggies and a bit less chicken. There was easily about 2x the chicken as there were potatoes and veggies, but my guess is that's just how it always comes. My boss had the Palomilla and literally cleaned his plate so he must have been happy with it. Bread was warm and crusty. All in all, not a bad meal at all.
The view was definitely what made the trip worth it. From the 4th floor of that building, you have a beautiful view of the bay. We got to enjoy the sailing students sailing (or being towed) in as the sun went down for the evening. While the food isn't cheap, it was actually cheaper that what I expected when taking into consideration the view you were paying for.
I'm not sure I'd go back but I think it's a good "visit once" place. Perhaps their other locations have better service.
Like others say, 1905 salad is awesome. Really liked it. As far as other dished, they were okay. Waiter was waaaaay annoying and had to order tons of drinks to numb my hearing. View is awesome, so if you haave out of town guest they may apprecaite it.
We have gone to the Columbia several times, and each time I go I think I WILL like the entrees. Sorry...it just doesn't happen! I agree with other Yelpers who find the food too salty. I also find it uninspiring...
The 1905 Salad is, however, terrific, as is their freshly baked bread (ask for lots and lots of extra butter). From now on, I will simply order an Arnold Palmer Iced Tea and a small 1905 (bread is automatically included), and I will be in dining heaven!
One cannot ask for a better view of St. Pete. Definitely 5 stars for the location and view.
The food here is not as good as the original one in Ybor. I found some of the dishes (e.g., Surf and Turf - Filet and 3 prawns) to be too salty. My filet came out overcooked (i asked for medium-rare, but got medium-well) and looked like it had been sitting there for awhile. I asked the waiter for another filet that was cooked to my liking, and the 'new' one tasted pretty good, yet over-seasoned.
The guest that I was with had a Sonny's Delmonico (ribeye) that was overcooked as well. So if you go there, make sure to order medium-rare if you want a medium cooked steak.
Desserts are excellent here. Get the white chocolate bread pudding, Key Lime Pie, or the Flan.
The view is fan-tas-tic, however I thought the food was just okay. It seemed very salty to me, which is amazing because I love salt, and am often accused of using it a bit too liberally. The one exception was the 1905 salad, which is amazing. They actually print the recipe on their web site (thanks guys), so I will be making it at home!
On the fourth floor the the St. Petersburg Pier the view is second to none whether you sit facing downtown or bay side. Sangria is very good, the house paella is excellent. Probably the best black bean soup I've had. Wait staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and quick. Attire ranges from a dressy casual all the way up to formal. I'm sure they'd let you in with shorts flip-flops and a t-shirt (it is in somewhat of a touristy spot), but the atmosphere is more to the semi-formal side. As my dad says, great place for a first date.
Perfect for nice group dinners. The waterfront views are beautiful!! The black bean soup is amazing. Some of the main entrees are on the bland side. Again, I have to say that the black bean soup was amazing and that alone was enough to keep me satisfied. I am not sure how this compares with the original Tampa location/Ybor City location.
1905 salad was fantastic! The fish that you had was awesome. That was grouper. Alan did not like his mahi-mahi so he poached Brian's snapper. That doesn't sound good. Waitress was fired from The Waffle House #43! Don Cesar wine was tre mui.
