Savor creative, vibrant flavors in this special pocket of Tampa Bay, Florida
From Cigar Boom to Culinary Gem: 10 Essential Spots in Ybor City

If you’ve just landed in Ybor City and find yourself craving an elevated experience, you can’t do better than Columbia Restaurant, Florida’s oldest restaurant and the world’s largest Spanish restaurant. The grand eatery that’s been serving Spanish and Cuban cuisine since 1905. Founded by Casimiro Hernandez, Sr., the business started as a humble, casual spot serving basic coffee and sandwiches to keep local cigar factory workers fueled for their shifts. After a series of expansions and partnerships with neighboring entrepreneurs, today the sprawling and architecturally grand restaurant occupies an entire block and features a dozen distinct, uniquely decorated dining rooms (including Tampa’s first air-conditioned dining room, the Don Quixote, opened in 1935). Tuck into the Original “1905” Salad, Crab Cakes de Cangrejo, and a fruity sangria. Tip: Plan to have dinner and enjoy a flamenco dance show and live music, offered Monday through Saturday evenings.

It’s impossible to imagine the perfect Cuban sandwich without crusty-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside bread. No one does it better than the master bakers at La Segunda Central Bakery, a location that’s been perfecting their technique since opening in Ybor City in 1915. Today, as when it was founded four generations ago, the team of bakers mixes and rolls out dough, covers each loaf with a freshly cut palmetto leaf (to ensure the signature split down the middle), and bakes it for 45 minutes. They have it down to a science, turning out 18,000 loaves every day. Score one packed with mojo-marinated pork, smoked ham, mustard, salami, Swiss cheese, and pickles for a Cuban sandwich experience you’ll not soon forget.

Looking for a place to fuel up with coffee, breakfast and pastries? Look no further than boutique Hotel Haya’s street-side cafe. Café Quiquiriqui (pronounced “kee-kee-ree-kee”) means “cock-a-doodle-doo” in Spanish, a nod to the wild roosters that have traditionally roamed the streets of Ybor City. Open since 2020, it’s become a favorite stop for those exploring this historic district. Order all-day breakfast and lunch dishes such as Cuban toast with guava jelly; “McPlanca” wrap with French toast, sausage, cheddar and bacon; or the roasted turkey BLT with garlic aioli. You can’t go wrong with a perfectly made cafe con leche or hibiscus tea, perfect for sipping at an outdoor cafe table. 

Ybor City’s cigar history is central to understanding its allure, and there’s no better place to get an overview than at J.C. Newman Cigar Co. Museum, the last operating cigar factory in the country. The company took over the 1910 El Reloj building, so named for its impressive six-story clock tower, in 1954, taking over from a previous cigar maker. Today guests can explore three floors packed with archival photos and memorabilia from the area’s rich history that earned it the “Cigar City” nickname and see cigar makers hand-roll the brand’s premium “The American” cigars (made from ingredients 100% sourced in the United States) and craft other varieties on hand-operated machines from the 1930s. Shop for some keepsakes at the on-site store. 

For a peek into the vibrant local community, add the Ybor City Saturday Market to your Tampa Bay itinerary. Founded in 2000 and located in historic Centennial Park, it’s the largest continually operating outdoor market in town, with more than 50 vendors. Sample treats such as coconut water and smoothies from the locally grown Coconut Bar, sweet Honeybell hybrid oranges from Tungett Produce and cookies, bars and bundt cakes from The Cake Crusader. Pick up spice blends and rubs from Dave's Devil Powder, functional handmade art from Pottery by Regina or welded-on permanent jewelry from Fine Spark. No matter your preferences, there’s something to tempt you to give your wallet a workout at this year-round market.

Craft brewery Coppertail Brewing Co. was founded in 2014 and the name was inspired by a tall tale by the founder’s then-5-year-old daughter about a sea monster named Coppertail that makes his home in Tampa Bay. The 2,000 barrels of fermentation space may be state-of-the art, but the tasting room is built with some serious historical gravitas. The bar features reclaimed wood from the Arturo Fuente building, built in 1902, where some of the city’s best cigars were produced. Now guests can order Coppertail brews from 20 taps and bites including sliders, tacos, pizza and more. If you’ve got your four-legged friend in tow, post up on the dog-friendly patio. Take a 30-minute behind-the-scenes tour of the brewing space and sample favorites such as Free Dive IPA, Night Swim Porter or Florida Special American Lager.

Explore historic Ybor City, once dubbed the "Cigar Capital of the World," where Arturo Fuente Jr. sells his family's renowned Dominican handmade cigars, including the Fuente Fuente OpusX, Casa Cuba, Hemingway, Don Carlos, and the Flor de Ybor City, among many other sought-after Fuente-made brands. Established in 1995 and spanning four generations, the Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Company provides a unique shopping experience in a charming casita (small house), evoking the early 1900s when Arturo Jr.'s legendary grandfather (Arturo Fuente) sold cigars from his own home. As the company celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2025, it continues to offer cigar enthusiasts a destination for premium cigars while preserving Tampa's rich cigar heritage.

Get in the “Cigar City” spirit at Sterling Cigar Lounge & Bar, a Ybor City nightlife staple. With a rooftop bar overlooking downtown’s bustling 7th Avenue. The knowledgeable staff can help guide guests through a robust offering of cigars from the on-site humidors including Arturo Fuente, J.C. Newman, Plasencia, Padrón and more. Pair the smokes with the lounge’s live music (Wednesday through Saturday nights) and creative cocktails (the Smoked Rum Fashioned and blood orange margarita are favorites). For guests who want to get in on the musical fun, the lounge offers the chance to play guitar and bass using silent headphones.

Though the name Blind Tiger was inspired by slang for a speakeasy, there’s nothing secret about this popular coffee shop and cafe in Ybor City. Founded in 2014 by local entrepreneur Roberto Torres, this Ybor City flagship location developed such a following that the brand now has seven outposts around Tampa. Caffeine-seekers love the nitro cold brew on tap, classic cortados and signatures such as the “Dirty Thaiger” with Thai iced tea, a double shot of espresso, condensed milk and cinnamon. Coffee and espresso beans are locally roasted at the brand’s roastery. Can’t get enough? Take home a bag of Día De Los Muertos, Mexico Chiapas, Pirate’s Plunder or the Florida Man blend from the retail area.

The groundwork for this popular cafe was laid when Cuban immigrant Santiago González settled his family in Ybor City in 1898. More than a century later, his great grandson Jesus Puerto had the inspiration to open a restaurant that both honored his Cuban roots and the Afro-Cuban spiritual influences that were precious to him. After an adventurous life working and volunteering around the world, in 2024, Puerto got back to his roots, setting up shop in Tampa’s Seminole Heights neighborhood, a few minutes away from Ybor City. Now, visitors will find Soul de Cuba Cafe, with its festive dining room and a curated musical mix of salsa tunes, Yoruba rhythms and jazz that create a perfect soundtrack for enjoying the menu. Perennial favorites include flaky empanadas, pan con lechon (mojo-marinated roast pork on Cuban bread with grilled onions, melted Swiss and mayo) and their spin on Tampa’s historic dish crab Shalah (blue crab in a spicy red sauce over pasta). Don’t sleep on the light-but-decadent strawberry tres leches cake. Want to keep the flavor party going? Take home some of the restaurant’s most crave-worthy products such as mango salsa, spicy mojo sauce or mojito cocktail mix.