The 1880s cigar district where the Cuban sandwich was invented. Brick streets, Spanish-tile balconies, the Columbia Restaurant since 1905 on East Seventh Avenue.
The Columbia Restaurant on East Seventh Avenue has plated 1905 Salad and Cuban sandwiches in Ybor City since 1905 and is Florida's oldest restaurant.
Signature: 1905 Salad, Cuban sandwich, Paella a la Valenciana, Spanish bean soup
Order: 1905 Salad tableside, Cuban sandwich with the house Cuban bread, and the Spanish bean soup.
Tip: Book the flamenco performance nights Monday through Saturday; the restaurant spans an entire city block with 15 dining rooms.
Madame Fortune in Ybor City runs Caribbean food and a vinyl record bar from a back room of Roast Deli and Bakery on East Seventh Avenue. The room fills.
Signature: Jerk chicken roti, Plantain tostones, Rum cake
Order: The jerk chicken roti plus a glass of rum punch, with the rum cake as the late finish.
Tip: Find the entrance through Roast Deli's back hallway; the HiFi parlour plays vinyl most nights and the back-patio seating fills first.
Madame Fortune in Ybor City runs Caribbean food and a vinyl record bar from a back room of Roast Deli and Bakery on East Seventh Avenue. The room fills.
Order: Jerk chicken roti plus a glass of rum punch and the rum cake.
Tip: Find the entrance through Roast Deli's back hallway; the HiFi parlour plays vinyl most nights.
Samurai Blue in Centro Ybor runs sushi rolls and Japanese plates with a busy weekend bar in the heart of Ybor City's nightlife corridor. A Tampa table.
Order: Samurai Blue specialty roll and the spicy tuna crispy rice.
Tip: Centro Ybor location is the bigger of the two; cocktails and sake until late.
Blind Tiger Cafe in Ybor City pulls specialty coffee with rotating single-origin beans, a quiet morning room and a strong brunch menu on weekends.
Signature drink: Single-origin espresso
Etto's on East Seventh in Ybor pours classic Cuban coffee, cafecito and cafe con leche for the Ybor walking crowd through the day. A steady neighborhood draw.
Signature drink: Cuban espresso colada
The Bricks on East Seventh Avenue runs a daytime cafe by morning and a cocktail bar by night, with the same Ybor brick-walled room across the day.
Signature drink: Espresso martini
La Segunda in Ybor City has baked Cuban bread daily since 1915, with 18,000-plus loaves a day and the palmetto frond baked into the top loaf for steam.
Worth the queue: Long Cuban bread with palmetto frond
Michelle Faedo's On the Go is the Faedo daughter's deviled crab food truck plus a small Ybor City counter, with three branches running the spicy recipe.
Worth the queue: Spicy deviled crab
Roast Deli and Bakery in Ybor runs morning pastries, sandwiches and coffee in the same building that houses Madame Fortune in the back room.
Worth the queue: Roasted vegetable sandwich
Blind Tiger Cafe and Roasters runs four Tampa cafes and roasts beans in Ybor City, with rotating single-origin coffees plus a focused espresso menu.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Colombia, Brazil
How they serve: Espresso, Pour over, Cold brew, Whole bean retail
Ybor City Society Wine Bar runs an Old World focused wine list with Spanish, Italian and French heavy by-the-glass options in a quiet Ybor side street.
Signature pour: Spanish Rioja flight
Wine focus: Old World wines by the glass
Food: Cheese and charcuterie
La Setima Club is Tampa's natural wine bar in a stylized 1,200 square-foot Ybor lounge with mid-century salvaged art and a Louisiana-inspired vegan kitchen.
Signature pour: Natural orange wine flight
Wine focus: Natural wines
Food: Louisiana-inspired vegan small plates
The Bricks on East Seventh runs a daytime cafe by morning and a cocktail bar by night, with the same Ybor brick-walled room across the day. Open.
Signature drink: Espresso martini
Food: Charcuterie
Blind Tiger in Ybor runs a cigar lounge and cocktail bar, with rotating whiskey, vintage spirits and a humidor of premium cigars. Walk-ins welcome at the bar.
Signature drink: Old Fashioned
Food: Cigars and small plates
Agave Social in Ybor runs Tampa's deepest tequila and mezcal collection, with smoky cocktails, Mexican small plates and a serious agave-flight program.
Signature drink: Tepache Margarita
Food: Mexican small plates
Rock Brothers in Ybor City runs a brewery taproom with rock and roll branded beers from collaborations across the music industry. Walk-ins welcome at the bar.
Signature drink: Rock Brothers IPA
Food: Pub food
Centro Asturiano in Ybor is one of the historic mutual-aid Spanish clubs from 1888, with a member-bar that serves the public on club nights for sangria.
Signature drink: Sangria de Centro
Food: Spanish small plates
The Castle in Ybor has run Tampa's goth, industrial and alternative dive bar since 1992, with a black-walled room and a no-frills cocktail menu.
Signature drink: Black Russian
Food: None
Michelle Faedo's On the Go runs the Faedo daughter's deviled crab food truck plus an Ybor counter, with three branches running the spicy Cuban recipe.
Try: Deviled crab
La Segunda's Ybor counter sells fresh Cuban sandwiches, guava pastelitos and quesitos all day, with the same 1915 Cuban bread base baked across the street.
Try: Cuban sandwich and pastelitos
Hispanic Club Cafe in Ybor runs a working Cuban breakfast counter with cafecito, Cuban toast and palomilla steak plates from the cigar-worker era.
Try: Cuban breakfast plates
Coppertail Brewing in a 100-year-old Ybor City warehouse brews free-dive IPAs and lagers, with a massive tasting room and a kitchen for food.
Tampa Bay Brewing in Ybor City runs 24 rotating taps with house-brewed beers and a kitchen with pizzas, with a second location in Westchase.
Rock Brothers in Ybor brews beers with rock and roll bands and music industry collaborations, with a tasting room next to Coppertail. The patio fills first.
Ybor City Saturday Market runs in Centennial Park every Saturday year-round, with 50+ vendors selling local produce, Cuban pastries and crafts.
Ybor City Night Market runs the third Friday of each month in Centennial Park, with 25+ food vendors and local artisans through the historic district.
Madame Fortune in Ybor City runs Caribbean brunch in a hidden room behind Roast Deli, with vinyl records playing and rum-forward brunch cocktails.
Order: Jerk chicken brunch plate plus rum punch.
Samurai Blue in Ybor City runs late-night sushi until 2am on Friday and Saturday, with a busy bar pulling the Seventh Avenue club crowd. A Tampa table.
Try: Samurai Blue specialty roll
The Castle in Ybor has Tampa's goth and industrial dive bar open until 3am since 1992, with a black-walled room and a no-frills cocktail menu.
Try: Black Russian
Agave Social in Ybor runs Tampa's deepest tequila and mezcal collection until 2am on weekends, with Mexican small plates and an agave flight program.
Try: Tequila flight and street tacos