Founded 1565: Spanish Colonial St. Augustine

The city was founded by the Spanish in 1565. The food remembers.

St. Augustine’s Spanish heritage runs deeper than the architecture. The city spent over 200 years as a Spanish colonial capital, and that culinary tradition has never fully left. You won’t find better Spanish food in Florida.

Columbia Restaurant

The Columbia is the restaurant in St. Augustine for Spanish cuisine – and it doesn’t disappoint. The 1905 recipes are the real thing: Cuban bread, the 1905 Salad prepared tableside, the Cuban sandwich done properly, and the ropa vieja that reminds you why this is a tradition worth preserving. Flamenco dancers perform on weekend evenings, and the dining room has the kind of atmosphere that makes a meal feel like an occasion. Reservations are essential on weekends.

This is not a tourist trap. It is a genuinely excellent restaurant that happens to be on St. George Street. The Columbia in Tampa opened in 1905 and this St. Augustine location maintains the same standards.

Spanish Bakery and Cafe

The Spanish Bakery on St. George Street is the more casual, historically accurate option. Operating in a reconstructed 18th-century building, it serves empanadas, bread, and simple Spanish colonial-era food. Not a full restaurant – more of a quick-service heritage food experience – but genuinely interesting for the history alone. The empanadas are good.

Casa de Vino 57

Casa de Vino offers historical wine tours focused on St. Augustine’s British period, pairing wine tasting with local history in a way that feels less touristy than most wine experiences in the city. A different take on the Spanish and colonial food and wine tradition.

The Spanish Culinary Heritage

Beyond dedicated Spanish restaurants, St. Augustine’s Cuban and Caribbean culinary influences show up across the broader restaurant scene. The city’s proximity to Miami and its Cuban community means you’ll find Cuban sandwiches, plantains, and black beans done well in several non-Spanish-specific restaurants throughout the historic district.