Ybor City Festivities

Last time, I took you on a virtual tour of Downtown Tampa. Today, I am going to focus on Ybor. First, let me make it clear that Ybor during the day, and Ybor at night are two entirely different things. Ybor at night is a scary place, and I do not urge anyone to visit. That is, unless you are a thrill-seeker, who might enjoy being robbed, hearing gunshots, or having your vehicle broken into. That being said, Ybor during the day is a fabulous city, filled with lots of history, and things to do. When you drive into Ybor, you will automatically get an old-time "Cuban" vibe. You will often see gentlemen hand-rolling cigars, chickens walking the streets, and small hole-in-the wall bars/restaurants, offering tasty Cuban cuisine. The Cuban sandwich is a staple in Tampa, especially Ybor City, and you can get one virtually anywhere in Ybor. The streets are brick, and a trolley runs through the city. 

One of the best restaurants in Ybor is Bernini's. It is an Italian restaurant, and let me tell you, it is phenomenal. I got a shrimp alfredo pasta, and the shrimp were giant. They were having a special that day, which was a chicken cordon Bleu, and that was simply to die for. they have $2 martinis most of the time, and the decor is simply beautiful.

Another delicious restaurant is The Columbia. This restaurant has been proudly serving delicious Cuban food to guests since 1905, and is a Florida icon. You simply have to stop here while in Ybor, even if it's just for a mojito, which is the best in florida! It is prepared with real sugar cane in each glass!! The decor to The Columbia is very intricate and beautiful, inside and out. The outside tiles are beautifully hand-painted, and well-maintained, to look exactly how they did in 1905. There is also a small gift shop, connected to the store, featuring the famous sangria pitcher, which customers can purchase. There is also a cookbook for sale,  which features some of The Columbia's famous recipes.

Centro Ybor is a very fun, and exciting place to visit, filled with shops, restaurants, bars, and more bars!!! While visiting there, I walked into a clothing store, where everything was under $20! A cool twist on this store, is that you can create your own t-shirts here for $12.99. You can't beat that. There are tons of quirky, fun stores to visit in Centro Ybor, and then stop and have a cocktail in between.

I have named a few hot spots to checkout in Ybor, but the possibilities are endless in this old city. Check it out, and have a blast....just make sure to high-tail it on out of there before dark!