Columbia Taverna in Great Yarmouth

TBH I wasn't expecting to enjoy going there as Greek is not really my thing. Turned out I was wrong and had a lovely meal. All the food for our party was tasty and the house red more than acceptable. Enough variety on the menu to cater for most tastes. Might even tempt me to make the trip to the coast again!

Great food ! Great atmosphere ! Great night !

Shared Saturday night with Tony & his staff enjoying a great Greek meal, tara, hummus, chargrilled lountza, followed by kleftico & a moussaka, would have loved to had tried the eton mess but just didn’t have room. Luckily we’d booked as very busy, staff all working hard.

Shocking service. Never actually got to order food. Was sat at a table and forgotten about so got up and walked out. Not before telling them though.

A brilliant place with great food, and looked after a party of 12 of us at very short notice. The t bone steak was amazing.

Good food but service very slow.

We had a beautiful meal tonight for our anniversary. The staff are all lovely and friendly. The food was amazing. We had the meze for two. We will be back soon. Thank you. 🥰

very tasty, well presented dishes.

We came for a work baby shower to this resturaunt and we were amazed! not only did we have a great time but the staff were so kind and the food was fantastic. Miss Unique staff could not reccomend this place enough. we will definately be going back. A big thankyou to all of the staff at columbia xx

Can’t fault a thing. Was all stunning from start to finish. Didn’t book but was accommodated wonderfully. Patè was delicious, Steak cooked to perfection as were the veggies. Thank You soo much!

We went for a birthday meal after reading some good reviews. Big mistake! We had been seated for about 20 minutes before we were even offered a drink. We ordered our food and it took at least 30 mins for the starters to arrive. We then waited another 30 minutes for the mains to arrive. We had asked for a serving of the special beans as an accompaniment but they never came. The stifado was not authentic and looked like it had been under a heat lamp for a while. The beef used was fatty which was very off putting. The lamb kebab was underwhelming and serving it on its own with nothing else on the plate made it look very basic. The side salads were served in little bowls with the majority of it lettuce. We did say that we'd been waiting for a long time and were told that they had been very busy. That is no excuse though as it started to die down when we got there. We were down at the far end of the restaurant so it felt like we were forgotten about. We didn't get offered a dessert menu but we had already decided we were going to leave. Sadly it put a dampener on the fact it was a birthday celebration. I certainly wouldn't recommend this restaurant.

What a waste of time and money! Service crap, food crap. Should have spend our hard earned money on a cheap burger on the front. Stay away and spend your money anywhere other than this place. Total rubbish!!!

Lovely cosy restaurant- with family feel, great experience, music and wonderful food. We left very full, after trying Greek meze, lamb keftiko and Nuggets- excellent authentic Greek taste, with attentive and personable service 😋 Do try if in Great Yarmouth

Absolutely fantastic food, service excellent will definitely go again

Sorry guys, poor food quality. They are using microwave 🤣 to make some food...disappointed not for these money's spend on there.

The worst experience ever. Some food most likely was bought from the supermarket and some reheated in the microwave. Taste terrible. Would never recommend

Good service, delicious food and reasonably priced.

We were really impressed with our first that we booked again that week. We ate Greek as I love Greek food, my partner had a fish dish witch she loved and I had beef stifado with rice and salad - the beef tasted very authentic - loved it so much I had it again on our second visit. Well done Toni your food is poli kala. Toni did us my favourite starter for our second visit - kolokithakia tiganita they were delicious 10/10 Toni!! Great atmosphere, friendly staff

Prob best place in Great Yarmouth I have been to, most reviews I write about Yarmouth are taken with bit off as it not the best area for food I’ve been. But this was good but a bit more seasoning on steak would have nailed it. All done well and best in Yarmouth. Very dark inside and good service.

Very nice place in a street parallel to the beach. Nice and fast welcome and service. I ate the leg of lamb, very tender and very tasty, served with a fresh salad. Olives and bread immediately on the table, a rare thing to find in the UK. For dessert I chose baklava, I like to try typical dishes which never disappoint. I had a great time.

What an absolute Gem this is! A family run old world feeling restaurant with warm connected service and a really reasonably priced menu. If I lived in Yarmouth I would be back again and again.

We had the meze and it was amazing, the food just kept coming. Lovely atmosphere, lovely service, lovely food.

Great atmosphere with quirky touches. The food came quickly even though it was extremely busy and was pipping hot. The lamb which two party members had was the star of the show, sides were great value for money and everything was cooked lovely. Would definitely recommend for anyone in the Norfolk area.

Just popped in for a drink with some Friends, their food looked great and they said it was spot on. If I was in the area again I'd definitely eat there.

My partner booked this restaurant as a surprise for me as he knows I love Greek cuisine, we had a very friendly and warm welcome from the lady who served us, we both decided to go for the meze it was fabulous and you got so much, it was very well presented and well timed as to when they brought the dishes out to the table, the quality was amazing and the price was very reasonable, we will definitely be coming back very soon.

Unfortunately, a poor visit this time round is certainly a lot worse than what we have experienced on previous visits. 5 people visited. Cost Inc drinks just short of £220. We were seated quickly, and around 5 mins later, we had our first drink order taken. It was around 20 minutes in before we had our order taken and then 30 minutes before our starters arrived. The slow service continued throughout the evening with our visit lasting 2 and a half hours. We were really hungry by the time the mains arrived. The staff seemed really friendly but also came across as a bit rushed. The starters were OK, but quite small for the price, hardly touching the sides. Rice was added to a starter, which was not stated on the menu. The person who ordered that dish does not like rice, so most of that went to waste. The main food was OK for some of our party but 2 people were left disappointed with the lamb kebabs. 3x lamb kebabs by themselves with sides to order separately - the food had been cooked nicely, but it seems as if it was left to go luke warm before being taken to the table. The choice of additional prawns on that dish (that you pay extra for) came at the expense of one of the kebabs, which seemed really poor value. We left a very small tip due to our really good previous visits, but this felt like we were being generous. The atmosphere, on the other hand , is really good. It's just a shame that we left disappointed. Sadly, we felt the need to complain at the time was unnecessary due to the fact that we were really hungry, having saved our appetite all day. Hopefully, things will improve once again, but until I have been told this, I'll be reluctant to return

What a gem of a place. Service was amazing. Food totally delicious. Can’t wait to go back again.

Friendly staff, great food, relaxed atmosphere.

Booked for an 80th birthday meal - the food and experience was fantastic. Lovely atmosphere and food - thank you for making his night very special.

Hadn't been here in a while and wasn't disappointed, we went full on Greek food and thoroughly enjoyed it. Food was excellent, service was great and the prices seemed quite reasonable for what we had. Couldn't really fault it.

Fantastic food and great service.

Everything was perfect the food the staff the ambiance the prices. A gem of a restaurant tucked away on a back street, well worth seeking out and paying a visit you won't be disappointed. I'm looking forward to my next trip to Great Yarmouth just to come back here.

Great little rustic Greek restaurant Reasonably priced good friendly service Will return

Have been dining here with my parents and family since I was 15 years old and now 54. Amazing food, great staff and service. I only get to visit odd times now that I live in Australia. If you've not been , it's one place to visit and enjoy the experience xx

Beautiful Food & Ambiance, as always.

All 5 stars, food is tasty and great value for money.

What a wonderful place, don't change the way you are doing things, it is a cut above the rest! Fantastic atmosphere, wonderful staff and welcome, and the food was delicious. We had King Prawn in Garlic Sauce starters, Rump Steak and Veal with Mushroom Sauce, it couldn't be faulted. Thank you for a great evening!!

Amazing experience food fabulous

38 years we have been dining and it hasn't changed one bit. Excellent service and food. Thank you Tony we had another lovely evening.

Been here a few times now,the food is to a very good standard and always good service,great atmosphere.

Lovely place , great ambience, even better food , and very lovely staff , have been twice now will definitely be back 👍

Excellent food as always. Rib eye steak and crab claws, delicious.

nice place, portion size was tiny

Great family Owened business restaurant, food was great. Definitely worth a try if you love Greek food

A real gem tucked away just one block from the seafront, exceptional food at a reasonable price backed up by friendly and attentive service.

We love it at The Columbia and so do my parents. Great food, well priced and lovely atmosphere. Thank you.

I've been there twice and it was not delicious.I call medium cook steak,it was well cook,hard to eat.

Fabulous food, lovely atmosphere, this gem of a restaurant never fails to deliver, would highly recommend, staff very attentive and friendly

Amazing food and the service was excellent as always. Our favourite Greek restaurant in Great Yarmouth!

My partner raves about this place. He always comes here when on holiday. So I was like "yeah... let's give it a go!" I've got to say 😙🤌👄 chefs kiss! The food was delicious, the service was very attentive (the best kind where they're not breathing down your neck) honestly will definitely be coming back if in the area again!!

Lovely Greek food and friendly staff... definitely recommend

Amazing food you will not be disappointed . outstanding friendly service, clean welcoming ,great choice of wines.

The worst places ive ever been rude staff and dirty place, tried to say we was unhappy with starters and wnded up with the chef shouting at us.

Excellent food and friendly staff providing first class service as usual.very busy evening but nothing was too much trouble.

Had a lovely evening meal. Food was excellent and great value for money. The staff were very helpful and friendly. Really enjoyed our visit. Will definitely visit again when back in the area.

Met and shown seating by pleasant staff. You know you have to wait I don't expect everything fast. The food was terrible totally bland & tasteless, nothing like we have had in Cyprus. Asked if we wanted a sweet said yes & got menu ... we sat there and sat there waiting in end gave up. I went and paid, said food was disappointing. And I must add ended up with a bad stomach. What a let down.

Lovely lovely food, the Meze was wonderful. Definitely going back.

Excellent, especially the veal!

We dined regularly before lockdown first visit since, I must say a bit disappointed. Ordered the halibut, not much there at all, think it must have been on a diet,I have had halibut fillets before but never as small ,and for £20 + chips and peas I considered it a bit of a rip off. Used to love this place but not anymore.

Wow, if good food is what you want, then this is the place for you. Food hot, service quick, and good value for an upmarket place to eat.

Great restaurant. It's a bit hidden away, but worth ferreting out. Greek food, done well, very friendly staff, and not hugely expensive. Whats not to like. Try it - you are unlikely to be disappointed.

I used to live in Great Yarmouth and remembered the Columbia Taverna from all those years ago. I booked last night on my recent visit with my partner and we had an amazing meal. The food the service and atmosphere was excellent. Such a lovely experience and we hope to visit again when we are next in Norfolk. Thanks Mike and Alison.

As always a great meal and excellent service. Really like this place. Friendlier place you will not find.

The meze is fantastic value for money, constant good service and excellent food (although halibut a bit overcooked) Thoroughly recommend, so pleased to find this in Great Yarmouth.

This was our 2nd visit to this wonderful gem of a taverna, the front of house ladies are so friendly, welcoming, professional, and are all round fantastic. The meals are delicious and the atmosphere is amazing..... there is not a single thing that would lower my experience here. We will definately be returning for many more meals and chats with the hosts; that feel more like friends. If i could score more that 10/10 i would.🙂 Highly recommend a visit to the Columbia Taverna.

We had Hummus and patè to start. That was alright to be honest. However the Vegetable Moussaka and the Beef Stifado was tasteless and clearly microwaved. We mentioned it to the staff who clearly didn’t care whatsoever. This is not the same establishment it used to be! Really really disappointed. Will never be returning! Avoid if you are looking for a quality meal.

We had Hummus and patè to start. That was alright to be honest. However the Vegetable Moussaka and the Beef Stifado was tasteless and clearly microwaved. We mentioned it to the staff who clearly didn’t care whatsoever. This is not the same establishment it used to be! Really really disappointed. Will never be returning! Avoid if you are looking for a quality meal

This is a lovely little place tucked down the back streets. The food was delicious. Service was great. We just turned up and they found us a table.

Staff was great but the food was very poor. For the price I was expecting a really nice meal. I had the lamb skewer plus chips and pita bread. Didn’t have any type of sauce to go with it so it was very dry. Wanted to charge me a starters price of £5.95 just to get some sauce that you would usual have on this type of meal. Tried to charge me £23 for a bottle of wine that said Morrisons on it. Starters was very dry. Decor is very old, still had happy birthday banners up from god knows how long ago. Such a shame because the last time I went here a few years back it was top notch. Place has lost its touch. Had better food from weatherspoons. Such a shame to say.

I’ve been visiting Great Yarmouth and a lot of people recommend me this place. My expectations were high but what a massive disappointment. First off all there was barely any vegetarian options, not even talking about vegan (don’t think there was any). Secondly the place looked like it really needs to be refurbished (old Poundland happy birthday signs on the walls really didn’t made the impression of fairly expensive restaurant, which prices on the menu was saying). Secondly we ordered a bottle of wine for £22 which said “Morrison’s Special” we felt really uncomfortable but had to send it back. Food was really average and DEFINITELY not worth the price. My boyfriend ordered kebab and wanted to get some sauce with it as it was only meat and salad. They said he can only order Tzatziki from the sides menu which was £6 (a bit overpriced for sauce or is it just me?) otherwise he can have ketchup or mayo. At the end we received very unclear handwritten bill which we analysed and realised they overcharged us! To sum up I think this place is below average and ridiculously overpriced. DO NOT RECOMMEND.

Lovely staff, so disappointed with food. My son had garlic chicken, we all laughed when it came out as two tiny breasts, looked like it came from a Sparrow, when both breasts cut, literally 4 mouth size pieces. Cauliflower cheese full of flavour it must have been the cheese, as we all found nothing had any flavour. We won’t go back again.

Had a great evening with friends and family would definitely make this one of my regular haunts.

The food has gone down hill . Went this week and very disappointed

Absolutely brilliant, very comfortable place to enjoy a meal. Really nice atmosphere, excellent service with a great menu.

Works Xmas lunch, food and service was lovely, as usual!

A well known restaurant in the area. Prawn cocktail starter tasty but on the small side and no brown bread served with it. Main was rib eye steak but not served with any trimmings and all sides, chips etc have to be purchased separately. The tables are quite close together so not the most intimate of places and can disrupt the tables conversation, when you are swept up in the conversation on the table next to you. Overall a nice evening because of the company, but not somewhere I would choose to rush back too.

Nice place, nice food....treat yourself and go here.

Lovely little traditional family run restaurant. Tasty food, friendly staff. Simple and great.

Food, service and staff are all 5 star . If you haven't been you haven't lived highly recommend 👌

Fantastic food and great staff. 1st time there celebrating our friends 50th anniversary, will definitely be going back

Amazing service, the staff made us feel really welcome with our 2 year old and they really made an effort to keep him happy. The wine was lovely, I had the lamb kleftico dish and it was cooked to perfection. Really good value for money. A quirky little place that you’d never know existed. Well worth a visit!

Lovely setting and decor throughout but way too expensive for the quality. Good attentive service but the overall quality of the food is a let down. Generally a good experience.

Lovely setting and decor throughout but way too expensive for the quality. Great attentive service but the overall quality of the food is a let down. Generally a good experience.

Haven't been here for a while can't imagine why,(pandemic in case you wondered) but it's still as good as ever, food is lovely and cooked to perfection all staff are attentive and helpful and I personally think its fairly priced will definitely be going back soon

Lovely friendly staff. Been coming with my partner for years and the steak is always the best! The garlic mushrooms are amazing! Cheesy Cauliflower is great too ! The atmosphere on a Saturday night is brilliant too always packed .

I've visited the Columbia tavern on multiple occasions and never had a problem, but this time will be the last visit I'm afraid. I had the lamb kleftiko and sauté potatoes and my son had the sirloin steak cooked m-w with a side of chips and peas. the kelftiko had no taste. the sirloin steak was asked to be cooked mw however when served it was RARE in fact BLUE. I am not one to moan but I had to send it back in which the lovely waitress took it back to be cooked more. however when she had asked the chef to be cooked more I had over heard him scream at her that she took the wrong steak to the wrong table and its her fault? however, we was the only table left to eat in which was impossible to take the wrong steak and I feel as though she was in blame for everything poor girl. the food is nothing to right home about as I've said I will not return.

This was my second visit to Columbia Toniponis Taverna. The first time I had the lamb kebabs which had been chargrilled to a medium. These were delicious. Tonight on my second visit I ordered the ribeye steak and chips. My steak was chargrilled to perfection, rare, as requested and absolutely delicious. I can wholeheartedly recommend this family run establishment.

went to colombia with a couple of friends" for my birthday celebration a few days back' food was good as always 😊 & service was impeccable 👌 the unfortunate thing was the way the manager spoke to his staff" I was totally horrified 😡 to...

I went for a meal with my family and was appalled by the way management were with there fellow staff you could hear how they were be littling there staff in a working environment which is unacceptable should treat there staff with more respect overall...

Sensational food as always, large table of 14 with the restaurant already busy, food all came out together and was superb, steak cooked to perfection, we had starters and a main with many drinks. great time =:0)

Staff are amazing Decore was really nice Food was below average. I am sure the Mosaka and shrimps were microwaved as they had zero flavour and the plates were super hot Garlic bread was a 10/10

Loved the meal And excellent service

OK food and not worth the money

Great food and great atmosphere. Staff all very polite and efficient. Big up Toni in the kitchen handling things.

Went out for a midweek treat... lovely place. Great food. Very well prepared. Good service. A mixed menu. With Veggie options. A good dessert menu. All in all a fantastic evening. First time we have been it will not be the last. Veggie moussaka and onion rings. Excellent.

Good food as always and service. Thank you.

All the staff were friendly, helpful and made you feel special. The service was super quick and the food was amazing, the quality was great we expected the bill to be very high but it wasn't. The atmosphere was cozy, friendly. The staff went above and beyond to make our visit special. Thanks will visit again.

I have been coming for 20 years and you never let me down thank you. Warm, good food fabulous service and makes me feel like I am in Cyprus

I was in Great Yarmouth for work for several days. Some locals recommended the place, and I wasn't disappointed. The food is lovely and reasonably proceed. The service is friendly and quick, and the surroundings are relaxed. The place is eccentric and generally just really...

We live in Great Yarmouth and have had a bad experience here before but thought we would give it another try... sadly. I ordered medium rare sirloin, which was overcooked. My friend ordered chicken piri piri skewers but the chicken was so overcooked they didn't...