Casa’s Restaurant Spotlight of the Week:
Columbia Restaurant
411 St. Armands Circle
Sarasota, FL 34236
941.388.3987
[email protected]
The Columbia Restaurant- A Florida Tradition Since 1905.
- Distinguished Restaurants of North America (DiRoNA) Award of Excellence
- Named One of America’s Most Historic Restaurants by USA Today
- Golden Spoon: One of the Top 25 Restaurants in Florida – Florida Trend
- Best of Award of Excellence for Spectacular Wine List Selection – Wine Spectator
- “If you cherish your palate, visit the Columbia.” – Southern Living
- “The Cuban sandwiches are melty masterpieces, the ‘1905’ Salad, a citywide obsession.” – “Every Day with Rachael Ray”
- All-American Icon and Fine Dining Hall of Fame – Nation’s Restaurant News
- Florida’s Oldest Restaurant℠ and Largest Spanish Restaurant in the World – Florida House Resolution 9013
- Our Favorite Romantic Restaurant – Southern Living
About This Location
“Tampa may have the original Columbia (Florida’s oldest restaurant, opened in 1905), but Sarasota has the prettiest. Huge windows connect the hand-painted tile dining room to a sprawling covered patio. This space marries the intimacy of the indoors with the fresh air outside. The menu spotlights Spanish fare – paella packed with fresh clams, shrimp, and mussels; bean soup with chorizo; hot Cuban bread. Everything goes well with a pitcher of fresh sangria. If you go before mid-May, you can still order fresh stone crabs – chilled, steamed, or broiled with Latin spices.” – Southern Living
“Warm, crusty Cuban bread slathered with butter, the garlicky goodness of “1905” Salad and Spanish bean soup flavored with chewy bits of chorizo – that’s Columbia’s signature lunch, and they have been dishing it up since 1905. Aromatic dishes on the dinner menu feature traditional favorites of Spain and Cuba, offering tender pork, chicken and rice, fresh fish and shellfish. Entrees are served while still steaming and enhanced by overflowing pitchers of fresh, fruity sangria. Business people bring clients here for lunch and families celebrate milestones within these pretty tiled walls. Enjoy lunch or dinner at this restaurant known for its strong traditions and inimitable style.” – St. Armands Magazine
The Columbia Restaurant Sarasota is on St. Armands Circle, with easy access to Interstate 75. Relax in one of our Mediterranean style dining rooms or enjoy an outdoor table on the patio while sampling our award-winning Spanish/Cuban cuisine.
Here you can sample a taste of fresh seafood from the Gulf of Mexico, along with century-old family recipes such as Paella “a la Valenciana,” Red Snapper “Alicante,” Pompano en Papillot, Roast Pork “A la Cubana” and Filet Mignon “Chacho.”
Enjoy lunch or dinner while surrounded by St. Armands paradise of lush tropical landscaping that creates an international atmosphere of friendly warmth, enduring elegance and timeless style. Columbia Sarasota opened in 1959 and is now the oldest restaurant in Sarasota. After your meal, stroll around the circle that resembles an elegant European market with bright tropical landscaping. It is home to more than 130 shops that pamper customers from all over the world.
