For those not in the know, tapas come to us from Spain.  They are small plates meant for sharing.  When you go to a tapas restaurant, the intent should be to order several plates and share it all.  The typical menu is divided like this: preserves (nuts, fish, olives), cold plates (roasted veggies, salads, chilled meats), hot plates (cooked proteins, fried dishes, etc), desserts.  Ondo's menu also has a section dedicated to Spanish sandwiches, which look interesting.

Now, let me start off by saying that I might have had a bit of bias going into this review.  The 9th Door has been around for years, and they serve truly authentic tapas in a plush, inviting atmosphere, not to mention their awesome happy hour.  I was really excited to try Ondo's though, because it's closer to home and has a decidedly different menu from 9th Door, while still keeping to traditional Spanish tapas.  Right away, I loved the space - it is down from the street, tastfully decorated and inviting, wtih high ceilings and soft grey tones.

We decided that 5280 Restaurant Week would be the perfect time to try Ondo's, as the menu allows you to try your choice of eight dishes from a limited menu handpicked by the chef.  The starter plates we chose were roasted veggies with a red pepper and walnut puree, spinish & pinenut croquettes and a Spanish version of fish and chips.  The veggies were tasty, the croquettes were bland and tasted exactly like spinach dip in a crusty shell, but the fish was to DIE FOR.  The most delicate, flaky fried fish I've ever tried and no fishy smell to go with it.

Next came squid paella, dyed with it's own ink.  I was pleasantly surprised by this dish, as I am not a seafood person.  The rice was savory and delicious, and the small pieces of squid were not chewy in texture at all.  The beef tenderloin with blue cheese sauce was perfectly cooked and the pork cheeks in wine gravy were quite tender and flavorful.

For dessert, a deep chocolate mousee with white chocolate on top and a vanilla bean ice cream with coconut macaroons.  Both were good, although I would say the ice cream was definitely the highlight in the sweets department.

Overall, the quality of the food was in line with what you would expect in Cherry Creek and the plates were the size you'd expect for tapas.  I was left with a lingering disappointment, however, that took a day to put my finger on: it just doesn't stand up to The 9th Door.  It just left me empty, both literally and figuratively.  We were both hungry an hour after the meal; none of the starters were substantial enough to help us fill up, and the wow factor just wasn't there, outside of the the fish dish.  For the steep pricing tapas demands, I want an experience, which Ondo's sadly did not deliver.