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I was blown away by this place when it opened. The food was amazing and the staff was attentive and friendly. It has gradually gone down hill. The paella is dreadfully bland and dry, and the Chicken Burrito is just strange. My favorite desserts have vanished from the menu. I will have to admit that the Mixto Ceviche is still incredibly delicious and unique (although once there was an undercooked shrimp in mine!).

Had lunch here. Went in by accident. The place has a south American flavor to it, and the decor is done in that style. Very attentive service, FANTASTIC food, and really good prices (i think luch for 2 was 35 bucks with dessert). Would greatly recommend.

I live and work in the neighborhood and find this place to be a welcome addition. In fact, I have gone there at least once weekly since it opened and have been pleased every time. The ingredients are fresh and the flavor combinations are delightful. Their avocado salad - pretty much a block of avocado garnished with frisee, manchego cheese, and pepitas - is lovely. Not enough of as a stand alone salad, but adding shrimp brings the total price to $11 (plus tax & tip) - a great deal for lunch in the neighborhood. In fact, it is one of the few places in FiDi that have a lunch menu with lower prices than their dinner menu. It's a great value all around, especially their happy hour from 3 to 7pm. Creative drinks with fresh ingredients (there is freshly chopped fruit in various bowls on the bar for these specialty cocktails) for half off (making it $5 to $6 per drink). This is definitely my favorite place in the neighborhood - and, believe me, I've been to them all - and I highly recommend it!

This is my second time at onda in a month and I will say that the overall experience was fantastic. The food was superb, very different flavors from the usual south american restaurant i've been too, from spicy to sweet to crunch...The bass ceviche is a must try, fresh and tasty, but my favorite was the crab salad with papaya and arepa. we also ordered the special parillada, great value, $19 for 1 person and could feed 2. Drinks are also fun and creative. I set at the bar and the bartender explained to me the history of pisco sour which i was very skeptical to try, but my friend was brave enough to order it, i had a taste and orderer 1 myself... creamy, well balanced, just great...Wine list is also cool, i recognized lots of spanish wines i love, too bad my friends were more into the cocktails then the wines. The service was attentive and fun, the music was fun also, they had live tango music, and let me tell you, the vibe was incredible and sexy. Will be back with more people, Dale Onda !

I read rave reviews of this place from Zagat's, NYPost and others. From the positive descriptive reviews, upbeat website and a friend of a friend having his birthday celebration at this venue, I chose it purposely to have dinner with the girls. The booth we sat in was fine and roomy except for the music that was obnoxiously blaring overhead. The extreme loudness of the music was SO inapproriate for dinner. The server who was new and in training had to strain to hear us and I practically shouted my meal selections. The Pisco sour and Mojito(w/ no sugar cane)was mediocre. The two small dishes ordered, Hamachi tartar and the lamb rolled in soft tortilla w/ arugula was decent. A friend's paella was too salty. The other two companions' meal were forgettable. Written description of the dessert was interesting in the menu but did not live up to the palate's expectation. The desserts were totally uninspiring. Basil ice cream was really whipped cream absent of taste or whiff of basil. The typical warm molten chocolate was alright. There was too much money spent in this place for blase food and mediocre experience. I hope the new waitstaff conveys to the owners and/or chefs the negative blunt opinion that was shared when asked about the food. We shall never return to this restaurant again!

Food was not cooked to specifications. Salads are a joke! They look more like a garnished appetizer dish. Beers were not properly chilled. And the service was sloooooooow. For what i paid, i expected much better. So disappointing.

Creatively appointed with a soothing atmosphere with wonderful South American instrumental music in the background, this new restaurant on the block is a winner. Friendly and attentive staff, delicately seasoned food, drink specials, and a welcoming attitude make it easy to keep coming back. And note: They now serve lunch too.