El Siboney
Dining Room
The Hernandez/Gonzmart family opened the landmark Columbia Restaurant in Tampa's historic Ybor City in 1905. Today, it’s Florida’s Oldest Restaurant℠ and the world's largest Spanish restaurant.
Opening with a grand party on New Year’s Eve 1955, the Siboney Room once featured two fountains in addition to the room's many sculptures, paintings, tapestries and antiques. Bronze works dated to the 16th century. The stained glass was 300 years old, tracing its history to the early days of Spanish settlement in Cuba.
Flamenco dancing and musical performances have entertained Columbia Restaurant guests for decades. This ballroom once hosted an ice skating show.
Richard Gonzmart remembers countless nights at the Siboney, where his parents held court & walked the thin line between work & play: “Every Saturday was a celebration of life. It seemed like just routine to me. Everybody did it. The women would dress up in their finest gowns & chiffon & sequined dressed & gentlemen in tuxedos or black suits.”
Today, the Siboney Room hosts live flamenco performances