Dono

Came here on a Friday evening after work. We got there at 6 PM. Place was pretty empty but quickly started filling in. By the time we left the place was full and lively. The back door patio is roomy And so well constructed that you cannot tell that you're in the parking lot. The indoor is esthetically pleasing and beautiful. Food was good and drinks were greater. Definitely get the escabeche. The paella Was a little salty But nothing a good strong drink won't help wash down. Don't skip it. You can skip the mil hojas but get the cheesecake!! I took away one star because the female staffers were a bit arrogant. Our guy waiter was definitely Nice, But he never explained the dishes when he brought them out. The menu doesn't specify all the flavors going into the dish so it would have been helpful for the wait staff to tell us what exactly went into each dish. For example, the escabeche had this yummy pink paste at the bottom.. no clue what it was. I think the chefs deserve a little more credit and the wait staff should give it by presenting properly. Would definitely visit again and hopefully the staff is a bit friendlier

I’ll keep it concise as to make this review useful without going off on a tangent. TL;DR This is a lovely place and will become a hit in the LA food scene very soon! Lots of positives and room for some improvement. I’ll definitely be coming back. My faves : we’ve been missing a good Spanish restaurant on the westside and the group behind the masterpiece that is FIA did a wonderful job with the food here at Dono. Hat tip to the chef(s). I’ve dined in Andalusia, Spain and the food here was reminiscent of that. Dreamy ambiance even on the outside patio in the converted parking lot. The service staff was kind and friendly and were working hard. This is where improvement can take place and I know it will! My not so faves: the service was definitely super slow. I had to ask for water after 20 mins of being seated and this continued throughout the evening. The food came out at a great pace after ordering; I just wish the dishes were introduced better. I have quite a range when it comes to food knowledge but even I needed a little tutorial for all the delish and unique combinations ;) My recs: the croquetas bacaloa, jamon iberico, yellowtail escabeche (a must), herloom tomato toast (so simple but compliments the charcuterie choices), grilled shrimp (TOTAL MUST), the butcher cut steak was super tender and the asparagus was such a surprising explosion of flavor! Enjoy!

Great addition to Santa Monica, replacing Gramercy with a high end boho chic style and vibe. This place comes form their great right door neighbors Fia. Well put together menu and amazing cocktails. Great place to hang out and spend time.

came here for Tapas happy hour was really great!@ there jarmon is very fresh and good not the store package kinds like at whole foods!! the menu didn't say but one of the jarmon was a little more because the brand is premium so its not 3 for 25 in the price because there's a little extra. also it seems like some things changed on the menu I didn't see all the sangria drinks they had but I'll still come again to try some wine next time!!

This new restaurant is a gem! Cozy atmosphere, great service (Thank you Angel!) and the most mouth watering Lamb Tagine! There’s a lemony gin cocktail that was divine too. The sangria cocktails are delicious but very sweet. Loved this place and recommend it!

Every dish we had was great. Great new Tapas addition to Santa Monica. The four of us shared every dish and each one was terrific. We loved the cheese and chacutere to start. Great variety and the both the cheese selection and meats were wonderful. Then we shared the lamb meatballs, the wagyu sliders were so good we ordered them twice, the grilled shrimp were spectacular, we also loved the wood grilled butchers steak and i almost forgot the yellow excabeche. Actually, i dont think you can wrong ordering anything here. But the warm churros at the end were hands down the best anywhere in the world. Also the servers are friendly and helpful and we loved the wine selection which was a delicious Tempranio for us. Can't wait to go back!

Had the WONDERFUL fortune of 'accidently' finding this place last night. Even tho we didn't have a reservation we were able to be seated at the bar. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of the delicious Gem salad, Branzino, and cheesecake we dined on...but it was all DELICIOUS! Probably the best part of the evening was the outstanding service we received from the staff behind the bar....Diamond, Savanah, and Robert were extremely welcoming and attentive during our meal. I highly recommend this spot. (Side note...the hostess at the door could have been a bit friendlier but that didn't didn't impact our overall experience) I would definitely eat here again ❤️

Dono is a gem in Santa Monica. The staff are friendly and the food is outstanding. We ordered the pardon peppers, short rib bomba, Jamon & Leonora cheese board, and the seafood paella. Each dish was delicious! We’ll definitely be back for more!

Great place for dinner and a date night! Ambiance is very pleasant inside; personally I didn't like the patio, it lacks coziness. Food was quite delicious - every dish had its own unique touch! Butternut squash and sweet potato were especially great! Steak was served with blue cheese which perfectly complemented the flavors, and was well executed. Highly recommend.

Made a reservation and came here on a Saturday for a late brunch with some girlfriends. Good for loud small groups of people. The food was quite good and the 'all you can drink' for 2 hours deal is very worth it. My personal favorite meal was the Sea Food Paella. Definitely enough for two people. I did take off a star and was hesitating to take off two. Firstly, we ordered our meals and all meals come with a soup and salad we had been casually drinking and waiting for almost 45 minutes until we asked. Our waitress forgot and so we got all of our soups, salad, and entrees at the same time. Way too much food at one time. Couldn't even enjoy the appetizers. Also, the sun in this location is nearly unbearable. Fair skinned patrons beware! sun coverage is extremely limited - plus a lot of flies which was annoying. Lastly the entrance is hard to find. I walked into the building s it is my first time there. Employees look at me and just walk by. Eventually it got so uncomfortable I just waited outside for my friends. Overall, 3.5 out of 5. I was mildly disappointed as my girlfriends really "hyped" Dono up. Plus, it was rather pricey. $75 - 100 per person

My friend and I decided to try Dono after seeing their menu on DineLA and we tried to get a reservation ahead of time, but there weren't any available on our desired night. We decided to walk-in and were completely surprised when it was practically empty inside, so we were sat immediately. Our waiter was fantastic and gave my friend recommendations and samples of their red wines. He was attentive and always checking in on our dining experience. We ordered: - the tuna tartare - shared a meal off the DineLA menu which included their house olives, yellowtail, tandoori chicken, and their cheesecake with pineapple compote. - we also received an order of squash blossoms for free since they made extra Everything was delicious and so fresh. Our favorites were the yellowtail dish and tandoori chicken. The item we didn't like as much was the squash blossoms due to the dense and overpowering amount of goat cheese in it. Other than that, I will definitely be back again for Dono's food!

Dono is a Spanish restaurant that opened about a month ago in Santa Monica. It's the third restaurant of the Greco Entertainment Group; restaurant owner Michael Greco also owns Fia and Fia Steak which are all on the same block on Wilshire Bl/25th St. Valet and limited meter street parking available. Indoor and outdoor seating, kid and dog friendly. Have visited a few times now during late afternoon/early evening and sat at their outdoor patio, which is accessible via the valet parking lot. Service from the hosts, waitress and servers was amiable, accommodating and attentive. The menu offers Spanish cuisine with a modern twist, mostly tapas, which are smaller, appetizer portions of foods. Have traveled extensively to Spain: Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, Majorca and the island of Tenerife. So I wanted to try this restaurant's version of some of the typical dishes. And all the plates of food we ordered Tapas All Delicioso. The sangria was a lighter version than usual and was refreshing with a thin watermelon slice salud! For Spanish tapas and drinks, with a California modern twist, Dono is a lively fun worthy visit, especially during Happy Hour! Olé!!

Chill atmosphere at the outside patio, I like that there's plenty of space between tables. Enjoyed everything here - my favorites are the truffle queso fundido, seafood paella, and burnt basque cheesecake with pineapple compote. The paella looks big but it's really not that overwhelming if you have a few people. Valet parking only and it's $15....

So happy to finally have Spanish food back in the neighborhood! We stopped by a little after 5 on a Friday night to check out the scene. They have a nice spacious patio out back and there weren't too many people, so we decided to give it a try. So glad we did! The food was amazing. They do have a happy hour menu so make sure to take advantage of that if you get there before 6. Spanish olives: I have never liked olives except when they're Spanish olives. These were good. Child loved them. Squash blossoms, goat cheese, jamón, honey: This was the only dish I wouldn't get again. It had a gamey taste, more like lamb than ham, which was too bad, because the crispness of the coating and the accompanying sauce were perfect. Steamed mussels, white wine, garlic, grilled bread: Well executed. We all loved. Wagyu burger, manchego cheese, chorizo: Large and juicy with perfectly complementary toppings. I'm not generally a burger fan but you don't want to miss this. Manchego-stuffed bacon-wrapped dates: This is a must get - the perfect balance between savory and sweet. Their version might be better than AOC's. Burnt Basque cheesecake, pineapple compote: Very good, though the texture was not quite as good as Pasjoli's - it was a little mealy as opposed to creamy and smooth. Still, the pineapple compote was perfection and I would be willing to get it again. Service was very good, especially in the beginning before it got busy. The only slight snafu was that we were charged regular menu prices instead of happy hour prices on a few items, and it took quite a while to bring the corrected bill. The bathrooms have been redone since the last iteration of this location - now they are light and bright, have paper towels instead of hand dryers, and once you exit the bathroom the hallway door that leads to the patio is left open, so you don't need to touch any door handles on your way back to the patio, which is great for these pandemic times. Child declared she would come back 100,000 times. While I don't know if it will be quite that often, I'm sure we will be back :)

My friend and I came last night and I have to say, it is a GORGEOUS space. However, we weren't too impressed by the food. We ordered- Drinks: Cafe Expres- Super unique! like an aeperol spritz but with espresso Cortador de Niebla- a little too sweet in my opinion Espresso martinis- classic, these always hit home Food: Short rib bomba- probably our favorite, the ribs were super tender, and the sauce has a nice flavor to it. Decent size, too! Mushroom Escabeche- Basically grilled mushrooms on a (kinda burnt) piece of toast. I wasn't sure what to think of this, was pretty bland and the bread was burnt Wood grilled butcher's steak- This was different, we enjoyed the cheese and toppings on the steak but nothing extraordinary Basque cheesecake- loved the pineapple on top! this was a good dessert The ambience is great and I think Dono has a lot of potential, but I was slightly disappointed by the food.

All I can say is WOW -- what a fantastic new restaurant in the neighborhood! Two of us stopped in Friday and were excited to try as much as possible on the menu. We arrived right on time for our reservation and were promptly led to our seats. The inside of the this place is the perfect balance of chic and classy. Dimmed lights, clean white accents and beautiful artwork adorn the walls. The portion sizes and value here are quite generous for being a tapas-forward restaurant. If you're afraid about paying too much for tiny single bites of food rest assured you will leave full and satisfied. Most dishes would have easily been enough for 3-4 people. Mezcal Mist Cocktail - balanced, not too sweet and a really beautiful presentation. Jamon Serrano Potato Chips - the meat was melt in your mouth and the chips perfectly thin and crispy. Simple and satisfying. Yellowtail Escabeche - fresh fish, great flavors and truly unique. Truffle Queso with shaved truffle add-on - the bread was perfection and the cheese was delicious. This is a heavy one so plan accordingly if you don't want to fill yourself up! Croquetas Jamon - one of our favorite dishes of the night. These are decent sized and came 4 per serving. Grilled Octopus - some of the best I've ever had. If we hadn't ordered such an insane amount of food we would have asked for another plate of this. So good. Jamon & Manchego Board - a generous serving with all kinds fixings. Really enjoyed the mango jam it was served with. Chicken Liver - this was one of the most unique chicken livers I've tasted. The nuts created an amazing mouth feel over the perfectly charred bread. Margarita - a unique take on a classic. Loved the hints of yellow bell pepper. Bougie Patatas - this was elevated comfort food at its best. Loved the crème fraiche and caviar. Really unique flavor profile. Seafood Paella - definitely a signature dish and absolutely mind-blowing. The rice was perfectly cooked and seasoned and the wide variety of seafoods were really something else. Portion was huge. Don't miss this one. Desserts - we ended up with the burnt cheesecake, churros and Pastel de nata. All three were as good as desserts get. The pastry chef here is killing it. Overall we definitely went way overboard ordering for the two of us but regret nothing! The staff, servers and valet were friendly and knowledgeable from top to bottom making the entire experience quite impressive. Shout out to the GM Nick for really taking care of us and making sure we were happy throughout. If you are looking for unique flavors, great service and an impressive evening out in LA, Dono is a must-try.

The outdoor patio at Dono is lovely and a perfect place for a warm summer evening. The heirloom tomato toast was really fresh and bright in flavors. We ordered some liver toast that was a bit too strong in flavor. We would have preferred if the brava tots were a bit crispier. Overall food was okay but a few dishes were a tad salty for my preference. Cured meats and cheese Croquetas Jamón 11 Bougie Brava Tots, Creme Fraiche, Caviar 19 Squash Blossoms, Goat Cheese, Jamón, Honey 22 Heirloom Tomato Toast, Garlic Spread, Herbs 14 Short Rib Croquetas, Pepper Sauce, Aioli 19 Wood Grilled Butcher's Cut Steak, Romesco, Spanish Blue Cheese, Onions 35 Burnt Basque Cheesecake, Pineapple Compote 10 Churros, Chocolate Sauce, Caramel Sauce 10

Came here for their new all inclusive brunch and it's the Bomb! My friend's bday and reserved a table for 2 on Sunday brunch. Apparently they only have their outdoor area opened as their inside is being renovated. This brunch service for Sat& Sun is new. They have street parking (metered) free on Sunday and valet. The brunch service is $49 inclusive with soup and salad for the table and many bottomless alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks included. It seems a little steep at a glance but it's well worth it. Soup: cold tomato soup - very nicely done and light. Great starter Salad: Romaine lettuce with pomegranate seed, cheese, mandarin orange in light vinaigrette dressing - very yummy. Drinks: I originally ordered a Sangria Rojo - it was good but WAY STRONG. SO I ordered an orange juice (freshly squeezed and oh so sweet -I ended up having 2 and could've asked for more). Then I got a watermelon refresher which is so cool. There are other choices and great flavors too Entree: Many choices on the menu but I chose the Seafood Paella. Very savory. Large chunks of squid and good sized muscles with prawns. It also comes in a seafood broth sauce on the side. In the end, got to take half of it home. All in all great service from the host to the waitress. I think they are locally and trying to expand. You can see the sincerity of how they love the food and so proud of their product. Not too busy on a Sunday brunch. Hope they thrive!

Cute spot for a date, especially the outdoor patio. We unfortunately went the day it rained but the staff was kind enough to place us inside. The restaurant was slammed and seemed understaffed. After moving indoors, we had to flag someone down to be our server but eventually they figured that out and we received amazing service. We were impressed by the presentation and flavor of all dishes, though it was a tad on the salty side. Drinks were solid. Oh and after 8 on a Saturday is a whole different vibe. There's a live DJ and the crowd turns up while folks are still having dinner so if looking to take a date and hear what they're saying, wrap up by 7:45 and join the party at 8!

I came here with my girlfriend last night for dessert! They have a really cute patio area with heaters -- perfect for a date night! I've heard a lot about the pastry chef at this restaurant and Danielle didn't disappoint! We ordered the churros with cinnamon ice cream and burnt basque cheesecake. The churros were super crispy on the outside and nice and fluffy on the inside. Make sure to order the homemade cinnamon ice cream with this, it really adds to the dish! The burnt basque cheesecake was light and creamy. Drinks are also really good! All the wines are from Spain and the Blanca sangria was great (it's slightly on the sweeter side).

Great vibe! Fun fancy cocktails! Wonderfully tasty tapas! Noise level? Too loud! On the expensive side. My friend and I walked in on a Friday evening at 6:30pm when it was empty, thinking we could be seated immediately, but since we didn't have reservations, we were only allowed to sit at the bar. This is a GOOD THING! Robert, the bartender was very nice and suggested food items for us and the way he made the cocktails were Instagram worthy! I ordered the ALL THE SMOKE and if you like Makers Mark, you might enjoy this drink. The cocktail is mixed in a smoke infused with cherry wood bottle, before pouring over a large ice cube in a glass, and then the glass rim is lightly rubbed with an orange rind. ($18) We also watched a SOL TRAIN cocktail being made ( for two) in a disco ball ($36) Food: Bacon wrapped dates were delicious, although they arrived looking burnt. They were not burnt and the combination is superb. Mushroom Toast: very yummy, savory Lamb Meatballs: If you like lamb, you will love this dish! The sauce that comes with it is so tasty. Cod with potatoes with a squid ink tartar sauce: Fish and chips! The chef is from the UK and knows how to make Fish and Chips! The twist is the squid ink tartar sauce, which is heavenly! The only reason why I am not giving Dono 5 stars is the noise level. My friend and I were not able to have a conversation. Next time I want to come during Happy Hour!

Bougie Patatas are a bowl of tater tots with a sprinkle of caviar on it. Vibe is super cool in there. Loud, dark, sexy. Food was forgettable. We got charcuterie, tater tots, octopus, and one more thing. I forgot what it was, see? We ordered one cocktail that's was divine, rojo sour. Then one cocktail with red bull in it cuz I was feeling sleepy. It did the job. Parking as easy to find on the street on a Thursday night.

We're so happy that a spontaneous date night and hankering for Spanish tapas led us here! They opened recently but so far are doing things right. We turned up on a Thursday night. They had a DJ and the vibe was pretty good. Ok let's start with some cocktails, we had the Margarita and Cortador de Niebla. Both were good but the ice to cocktail ratio was a bit off. Too much ice for both. For food, everything was delicious! We tried: Croquetas Jamón - finally not just a potato ball, you can actually taste the jamón. Very good! Manchego Stuffed Wrapped Bacon Dates- small serving,more on the sweet side but still delightful! Yellow-Tail Escabeche, star of the show and definitely our favorite! Short Rib Bomba, 4/5 Truffle Queso Fundido , good, but be warned it's VERY rich and heavy. For dessert, the pastel de nata was not your traditional Portuguese pastel de nata. This was on the firmer side and can definitely taste the saffron. Not my favorite. Burnt basque cheesecake, sooo good. Definitely save space for this!

Came here on a Friday night dinner date with my girlfriends. We made reservations the day of and it was pretty easy to do so online (Resy). We walked there from our apartment and were warmly greeted by the staff at the front desk. We had a great first impression! However, I felt like the service wasn't the best? Some things rubbed off the wrong way. My drink order wasn't taken after my girlfriends ordered theirs and he just walked away. When we ordered the cheeseboard we were asking about some items we ordered and he didn't inform us the cheese we chose was blue cheese... could have been worth mentioning since we asked more about it ;__;. Additionally, we ordered 4 dishes in total for us to share, but he was kinda pushy on suggesting we order 3-4 dishes by person by saying "that's how the chef recommends it" I was pretty full after what we ordered, so I couldn't imagine eating more too. However, the food and the ambiance are both spot on. Price is a little bit on the higher end, but in my opinion is worth the quality food served. I absolutely loved the spicy fried cauliflower with the aoili below. The toast on the cheeseboard was perfectly toasted and I loved the quality of the meats we chose. The calamari bun was a little bit harder to chew for my liking since these style of buns are popular in my culture. But lastly the fish and potatoes were very subpar. It felt like a regular fish and chips except the potato was not crispy haha. I would recommend only the cauliflower and cheese board and probably other dishes on the menu to try. The cocktails were great! I got the dono with tequila which was super refreshing with a lil tequila punch. Not sure if I would come back with the misses of some foods and the lack of service, but it was worth a try!

I'm always looking for new Spanish tapas restaurants, so when I saw that Dono opened, I had to try it. I went for an early-ish dinner with my 1-year-old and the place was fairly empty. I expected to be in and out in 30-45 minutes tops given what I planned to order and the fair amount of servers there compared to guests. With a baby, time is of the essence and I did not expect there to be an issue. I would also think that the servers would see me alone with a baby and hustle things along. Instead I felt really ignored and forgotten about. I ordered the heirloom tomato toast, ham croquettes, a Spanish Shandy, and Jamon Serrano and cheese. I also planned to order a cheesecake but given that it took over an hour to get all of those items and settle my check I canceled the dessert order. No one there was especially friendly except the first gentleman who took my drink order and the hostess. I interacted with about 6 people in total. They didn't seem to have a flow down among the team, so the service was really bad and didn't feel particularly welcoming. Even though half of my order was on happy hour, my bill was still $60. Which is fine when you're getting good food, and the food was good. That said, good food + great service is what brings people back, and with such a competitive market like LA, you need both. Service was seriously lacking. This said, I was on the fence between a three and a four because the ambience is beautiful. The outdoor space is very lovely and the outside bar is charming. From the looks of it, The indoor bar is swanky but lovely and offers a different vibe. It all depends on what you're looking for and when you're there I suppose. I would recommend this place for a girls' night or a date night. I say this, and recommend trying this place despite the above, because I know not everyone cares about slow service (this is a Spanish restaurant after all ;)) and I observed the servers giving couples and girl groups a lot more attention than me and my baby. And it's Spanish tapas so, that's an automatic star in and of itself.

The fia group has done it again. Amazing Spanish tapas! The cocktails are next level!! Highly recommend the margarita if you like a lil kick of spice. Definitely going back to try the paella

I enjoyed all the cocktails and dishes that we ordered. Our server Angel, took care of us the entire night. You can order from their Tapas menu or you can order a main dish. It's outdoor seating so you get to enjoy the fresh air while you are eating. You can park on the street or do valet for $15. It is a bit pricey but at least you have a backup. I'll definitely come back and try their other dishes.

Everything from the aesthetic Himalayan Pink Salt color scheme to the unique Squash Blossom Tapas made for an unforgettable dining experience. Special thanks to Laura, who took wonderful care of us! Her passion and deep knowledge of the cuisine brought the dishes to life. 100% revisiting the place!

Chef Brendan Collins knocks it out of the park again with this Spanish Tapas restaurant in Santa Monica.!! The setting is Al fresco, the wait staff are attentive and super polite but not overbearing. You won't be disappointed!!

It's been a very long time since I've posted a restaurant review, so long that I lost my Yelp Elite status. However, I'm coming out of retirement to let people know what transpired during our friends dinner this evening. First, I made a Resy reservation and asked for the inside dining room. We were seated outside. Secondly, their outdoor patio flooring was slick as it was faux wood so upon returning from the restroom, I slid and landed on my behind on their stairs leading up to the outdoor patio seating. Lastly, as the nightcap for the evening, we asked for a shot of vodka for the road. What was served was a meager portion of nothingness that paled in comparison to what Mastro's/The Penthouse served to its refined and well to do patrons on Canon Drive where not only are guests served with a hefty martini and are left with a full shaker with a full serving of their vodka martini, all for the low price of $30. Though our service was impeccable and the food was delicious, I cannot recommend Dono as an outing for anybody who is refined and expects the very best. This place is beneath patrons with virtuous standards and demand for transparency. Dono is a DO NOT and I will tell everybody I know not to visit. P.S. it looks like we were overcharged for the paella and the chicken based on what's on their website!!

Our server was nice and the place was cute (we sat outside) but it was one of the worst meals I've ever had - my drink was a huge block of ice and 3 sips of alcohol - paella was extraordinarily salty and dry - all of the other things we ordered were very underwhelming We left hungry and disappointed $500 dollars later. I had hoped for so much better. I will say the yellow tail ceviche thing had wonderful fresh flavors, that was the best thing we had, but don't think well be going back

I really wanted to like this place, because it is so hard to find a good Spanish place, sadly this was not it. 3 of us came here one Tuesday to Tapas Tuesday. Even though it was supposed to be a deal the tapas portions were just too tiny for the price and did not taste great (and why would you ruin croquetas?). After taking a sip of my friend's sangria i went with the red wine special, since the sangria was a sweet mess. When I ordered a second glass of the red wine on tapas tuesday special, it did not taste like the same wine. The final cherry on top was when I snuck out to order a burnt cheesecake as a surprise for my friends birthday. The other waitress then came over to our table and asked if we want dessert, then said nevermind- i just remembered you already ordered some. Great. What was not great was the burnt cheesecake (not even close to anything in the Basque country). The search for a Spanish place in LA continues...

Here we go: When we first got here we noticed the dining experience is located outdoors on the patio. It has a nice relaxed ambiance. The mushroom queso fundio was tasty. The grilled octopus & latkes also very tasty. The octopus has a great crisp and the latkes were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Perfect texture. The paella had a variety of seafood. Also done very well with the flavors. My husband was disappointed because it didn't have the socarrat, which is the crispy crust at the bottom they are known to have and it's difficult to achieve. I also got bit up by mosquitoes. Not there fault, just be aware. I had about 7 bites and my hand is swollen. We've dined at many places in LA and the customer service just wasn't up to par. It took a bit to get our waters, the pacing a bit slow, and a bit of waiting. I think the staff is very kind just the dining experience can be worked on. We weren't wowed. So we wouldn't come back or tell our friends they must come here. If you want to give it a try then see for yourself. Hope you have a better experience!

Fantastic food, service, and atmosphere. Went here on a Sunday night for a friend's birthday with a large group and had the best time. The food is unbelievably delicious. Everything we had was superb. - The yellowtail melts in your mouth and has a rich sauce that makes you want to lick the plate afterward. -The ham croquettas were different than the traditional ones I've had in Spain but our table couldn't get enough of them (picture only shows half of what was originally in the plate LOL). -The charcuterie board was the perfect starter with many different meat options but I do wish they had more types of cheese - The piri piri chicken OMG. the chicken was beyond tender, covered in a rich spicy piri piri sauce on top of some kind of refreshing creamy corn salad that again we could not eat enough - also tried the seafood paella which was perfectly cooked and flavorful with lots of fresh seafood on top (the octopus and shrimp were my favorite) Best of all was the staff. They were kind, patient, attentive, and funny and made our celebration even better. So excited this restaurant opened up in the neighborhood, it's the new spot for a super cute date night or celebration. And can't wait to go back and try their bottomless mimosa brunch!!

I can't recommend this place enough. I've probably gone about ten times--and it's only been open for a few weeks. Originally, my logic for getting tapas is that eating at a local restaurant is worlds cheaper than flying to Spain. I would happily settle for food that's not as good as in Spain because, well, I'm just driving ten minutes to get to it. But the food at Dono beats the tapas in Spain. And I've had a lot of tapas in Spain. Then there's the cocktails. Yum. The staff is incredibly friendly and accommodating. The indoor space is nice, but the outdoor patio is super cute. And their happy hour is beyond awesome. I've taken several friends there because it makes me look good when I turn people on to great places.

Every dish we had was great. Great new Tapas addition to Santa Monica. The four of us shared every dish and each one was terrific. We loved the cheese and chacutere to start. Great variety and the both the cheese selection and meats were wonderful. Then we shared the lamb meatballs, the wagyu sliders were so good we ordered them twice, the grilled shrimp were spectacular, we also loved the wood grilled butchers steak and i almost forgot the yellow excabeche. Actually, i dont think you can wrong ordering anything here. I am sure I left something out but the warm churros at the end were hands down the best anywhere in the world. Also the servers are friendly and helpful and we loved the wine selection which was a delicious Tempranio for us. Can't wait to go back and check out everything else!

Holy moly. Best tapas on the west side. Every segment of the menu just rocks: apps, cocktails, wine, tapas, dessert, charcuterie, paella... OMG. SO GOOD. Clara is the best server I've ever had. She had off-menu suggestions based on her experiences in Spain and dang son. 11/10 stars.

The pictures do not do the food Justice everything was amazing !!! This place is right next to Fia they share the same parking. I was extremely happy with everything here ! The service was also amazing ! The server and I believe the owner or manager ( I didn't ask) but his name was Nick came by to check on us a few times ! Everyone was so attentive and friendly! We sat in the patio outside but the inside is super cute as well! I would definitely recommend this place :)

We had dinner during the soft opening. There were the typical small opening issues (white wine not chilled, some cocktail ingredients unavailable, and wine list without prices for bottles) but overall, it was fantastic and once the opening nits are resolved, it will be great. We ordered bacon wrapped dates, padron peppers and romesco, albondigas (meatballs), whole sea bass, paella, squash blossoms, patatas bravas, and the basque cheesecake, along with several cocktails and wine. There wasn't a dish we ordered that we wouldn't jump to order again. Really knocked it out of the park food wise. Our cocktails were also delicious. Our server, Chase, was knowledgeable, professional, and personal. Managers stopped by to check on us, too. Overall, they are off to a great start and we will definitely be back.

For tapas this place costs wayyyy tooooo much. Each tapas is almost a price of a full meal. Me and my boyfriend had the paella ($75) which they said was for 2 people but I am not sure if it's just me but that was not enough for 2 people. We also order the wagyu burger which is small but delicious, the brocollini which was ok, and the anchovies which we didn't like much. Wine $20 and It's $15 to valet since we found no parking so all in we were over $175 and still left hungry.

Had an awesome dinner here this past weekend. Started with HH (4-6p) and stayed for a few more dishes. Everything we tried was exceptional, creative puree's. Tuna tartare in piquollo peppers was divine, warm olives, yellowtail was a fave, had the anchovies too which I'm personally not an anchovy person but they were raw on a sugar cracker and delish. Our server Clara was on pointe, gave excellent recommendations. Small miss was the sangria it's served w a watermelon slice which is a bit too large, just needs a minor adjustment. Price point is upper end but not as pricy as Fia next door. Cannot wait to return! This space has struggled over the last years, they did an awesome job with the remodel and I hope it works out long term!

On a second visit, the music is too loud. I had to lean in to hear my friend. The floors are concrete, so there is nothing to absorb noise. I assume is that they want to attract the under-30 crowd. I think they want to make it "cluby", since they have an area to the rear with sofas. It looks uncomfortable, since it is too close to the kitchen and bathroom. The bar only has 10 seats so no "scene". They need to extend the length of the bar if they want to create a vibe. On the positive side, Topher is an excellent server. I would request his section. It makes a difference.

This new Spanish restaurant is a welcome addition to Santa Monica and the west side. They have incredibly delicious, authentically Spanish tapas - love the happy hour specials, which are loaded with a plentiful assortment of food and drink options. The Watermelon Sangria is a favorite refreshment, particularly for a hot day. Convenient, adjacent valet, parking lot and street,metered parking abounds. The service is great too! I can't wait to try the Paella as fall and winter approach -and come with an appetite since the paella is a shared dish.

Beautiful interior. Great loungy music. Nice food presentation but they still have a long way to make their creative dishes also taste better. Almost every dish we got was too salty. The shrimp was delicious but it was sooooo so salty that we had to sip some water after every bite. Their potato totes that they replaces on the menu for the patatas bravas (usually simple and yet delicious authentic Spanish side dish) was also very salty, not crispy enough and too soft. The dates wrapped bacon were really good. Croquetas were also salty and not crispy enough on the outside.

A great new neighborhood spot! I really enjoyed the patio ambience here with the market lights. We ordered a few tapas, white wine, and dessert. Everything was excellent. I'm excited to see them grow.

Great new place, please keep up with a good service and food, we will support local with pleasure local business

Dono go here 1) croquetas were cold inside, not made fresh 2) potatoes not crispy, also cold/under cooked inside 3) squash blossoms have some type of curdled sauce inside 4) steak requested medium - arrived well done

I don't usually Yelp, but when I do... Best Spanish food I've had outside of Spain. 10/10

Food was a bit underwhelming but the drinks are great an I really liked the fish & chips. The interior is very comfortable and the new outdoor patio is nice as well.

Dono what happened the night we went. Was hopeful to try this new restaurant. Our bacon wrapped dates were burned and the brava tots had a weird fishy taste. We came here to celebrate our anniversary and we were a little sad with our experience

This is a very specific type of feedback. The food here was delicious. But the experience and bordering on negligence of this restaurant? Concerning. We dined here Labor Day weekend. One of the things we ordered: squash blossoms. As we began taking bites my friend stopped mid-bite and said "I think those are walnuts". She is allergic. Now luckily she is not epi-pen allergic at the contact, but an allergy that led to swelling for her for days after. Walnuts are not a listed ingredient on the menu. We informed our waiter, who unfortunately was overwhelmed by another table complaining incessantly about late food, who confirmed there were in fact walnuts in the dish and offered an uncomfortable apology. We explicitly told her that we were worried about other people who have worse allergies and this ingredient literally being left unlisted. The rest of the meal was uneventful, but we never got any follow up from our sever or any other staff about the allergy concern. We then reached out to the restaurant directly via email and they literally never responded and on their online menu still don't have walnuts listed as an ingredient???????? I don't know, but hopefully this review will at the very least prompt the restaurant to include a MAJOR allergen on their menu. Also, didn't post this review for a whole month because was trying to give them an opportunity to respond, but here we are.

A TOUCH OF CLASS ! My wife and I were up Santa Monica for a weekend getaway to celebrate our wedding anniversary on June 17th. We planned for this months ago and had a 6pm dinner reservation at Fia Restaurant on Friday...our anniversary ! However we had heard that the dynamic duo of restaurant maestro Michael Greco and Super Chef Brendan Collins ( Fia Restaurant & Fia Steak ) had their hands on another site very close by....Dono. And it just so happens that Dono opened it's doors a couple of weeks ago. We just had to check it out so we came here for HAPPY HOUR on Friday before our 6pm dinner reservation at Fia Restaurant. IT WAS GREAT ! My wife jumped online and made a dinner reservation for 6pm on Saturday. After a big afternoon touring The Getty Center we arrived early and left our car with the valet attendant in the Dono / Fia valet parking lot. A very sweet hostess named Raina welcomed us warmly and showed us to our table on the beautiful outdoor patio. Patrick the GM came to our table and wished us all the best ! Within a very short time Joey our server came by to look after us. We love the vibe here....classy and relaxed. Straight off the bat I asked Joey for a BrewDog "Hazy Jane" Hazy IPA ( I enjoyed one the previous evening ) and glasses of water. A friendly sommelier popped by and offered us glasses of Prosecco...my wife declined ( non-drinker ) but I happily accepted. Hey we were still celebrating our wedding anniversary ! Being new to Spanish / Tapas cuisine we asked Joey for some menu suggestions. We chose 4 items from the TAPAS & TUNA menus...1 x GRILLED SHRIMP ( Pickled Onion, Garlic, Pimenton ), 1 x ALBONDIGAS ( Cucumber, Yoghurt, Mint ), 1 x SHORT RIB BOMBA ( Pepper Sauce, Aioli ) and 1 x YELLOWTAIL ESCABECHE ( Radish, Cilantro, Jalapeño ). My ice cold hazy IPA tasted delightfully fruity ! The outdoor patio was filling up quickly..lively atmosphere with fun music amping gently. The Grilled Shrimp hit our table first and tasted extremely good. Next came the Albondigas...full of rich flavor. And then the Short Rib Bomba ( our fav ) arrived which tasted totally delicious. Last on our list to come out was the Yellowtail Escabeche which had an avalanche of incredible flavor. WE LOVED THEM ALL ! Our best option on the dessert menu was the BURNT BASQUE CHEESECAKE ( Pineapple Compote ) which tasted like a New York Cheesecake and then some...the Pineapple Compote added a surprisingly good flavor contrast. The cool vibe, the wonderful service and the inspired dishes by Michelin Rated Chef Brendan Collins made our dinner visit a TOTAL WINNER !

This is a place to avoid. It has complete contempt for its customers. I ordered a single shot of Johnny Walker Blue. They charged $150 for it (not a typo) and insisted that was a fair price. If you go online and see what a full bottle costs, you will see that charging $150 for a single shot is ridiculous. They did not have it listed on their cocktail menu. So there was no warning about the outrageous surcharge. This shows such contempt for the customer. I did not try their food and I do not plan on doing so.

I DONO how to tell you, but FINALLY I found another restaurant that I can say, " I'LL BE BACK!" it's been quite a while for me to say that and as a last minute find, it was so worth every bite! Foodie friend and I love to eat, we have no shame either, sometimes I'm ready to ask for two tables, just for each of us. We started with the squash blossoms, who doesn't like anything with goat cheese and honey. Followed by the cheese & charcuterie board. Let me remind you, I work at a cheese & wine store, so cheese & meat I can eat all the time, but when Clara ( our awesome sweet server), explained the charcuterie of the meat, we had to try it. Manchego is always the way to go! By the time I was bloated by the salt from the meat and cheese, here we go with the lamb shank with cous cous. OH!! BOY!, no more room to eat. But of course dessert. Basque, burnt cheesecake- light and fluffy and tasty! Cocktails are for sure just to come back. I ordered a Paloma, fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, makes it refreshing and I had to ask, was there really any alcohol, since it was smooth and tasty! 15 minutes later.. Yep, there was my vodka. ( always get Paloma with Vodka). As far it is from where I live, it's worth the drive. Can't wait to try the rest of the menu. Very Soon!

Wow! My daughter has always wanted to do a bottomless brunch in LA. Dono has the best! The menu is amazing. Perfect Saturday! Clara was fantastic. Her pronunciations of all the dishes makes you feel as though you have escaped to Spain for brunch as she gives her descriptions highlighting her favorite dishes on this outstanding menu! I enjoyed the atmosphere, food and especially our service! Best brunch in LA. I would rather be here than anywhere else in LA on a Saturday afternoon. Time with my daughter and how happy she was too was the ! For sure. :)

Great Spanish food, we have missed quality Spanish cuisine on the west side since Bar Pintxo closed in the pandemic. All seating is currently outdoor on a patio, highly recommend all plates being shared. The Tapas were really good, and the Jamon plate was classic, while the wine list is very Spanish. Our server Clara (from Madrid) guided us through the unfamiliar parts of the menu and wine list expertly.

We came here for dinner tonight for our anniversary. We enjoyed one other experience for happy hour which was also amazing. However, Clara was our server tonight and hands down made our night, she made recommendations both on and off the menu for both drinks and food and not one disappointed! She was friendly, knowledgeable and grew up in the Spanish culture so could tell us anything we were unsure of and we trusted her recommendations. I already made plans to come back tomorrow with a friend for happy hour in her section! Amazing and our new favorite place!