Tao Downtown

“For appetizers we had the sea bass skewers, veggie dumplings, jumbo shrimp tempura…and of course edamame!”

“I have also tried their signature giant fortune cookie, which is another amazing option.”

“-There are two really big dining tables on the top floor looking down over the main dining area.”

Tao Downtown

Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Happy Hour: Yes
Coat Check: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes

Price range.

$$$ Price range $31-60

As the reels spun and virtual treasures lined up on my screen, I couldn’t help but smile at the serendipity of playing slots in such a chic setting. The combination of fine dining and digital entertainment created a delightful contrast, blending modern technology with classic culinary pleasures.

Throughout the evening, I savored my meal while occasionally returning to the game, relishing the seamless integration of online fun into my dining experience. By the time I finished my dessert—a decadent tiramisu—I had not only enjoyed a fantastic meal but also experienced a truly memorable evening of gaming in the heart of the city that never sleeps.

8 reviews

  1. Here you are paying for the very cool experience of dining in front of an eight armed Hindi goddess with the best interior design that the design world has to offer coupled with some funky grooves being laid down by the deejay. You are not going for the quality or value of the food experience and if you are you will be soundly disappointed. I would recommend reserving a table and having a couple of appetizers and some drinks to get the best value out of Tao.

  2. I requested a corner or table against the wall asi always do and st 5:45 seems like a pretty accommodating request.
    The maitre d had to come over and point out hat the dozen tables against the wall were for larger parties and in30 minutes would be full.
    So he sat us in a dingy bench seating with aye blasting and probably will not be back to deal with him again.
    Good was excellent though not any better than Nobu and some very similar dishes.
    Waitress took our order invite you so we ended up with 3 mains for 2 people.
    Go for the beauty of the place and the Hush murals and the food and drink. Just put up with the "I'm too cool for school" snooty uptitude of the maitre d….

  3. I like the ambiance- very dark and intimate. I came here for a wedding and I like how they had the place set up. The place is much bigger than what it seems like from the outside. It kinda felt like I was walking through a temple. The only light you have are the small candles that are lit everywhere.

    The service is great. We were immediately greeted with cocktails and ice cold water bottles. There was this one waiter who was extremely good to us. I told him I was vegan and he kept bringing me fresh batches of vegan spring rolls and vegan appetizer sushis. I felt like he was super attentive so here's a big shoutout to him- thank you so much for the great experience!

    I was, however, a little disappointed that there's not a lot of selection for vegans here. Definitely won't be my first pick for a dinner out. If you're vegan/vegetarian..this place has very limited options. Also, super pricey for what you get here. I didn't think anything I ate was mouth-watering or anything.

    Haven't been here when this place turns into a club- I do plan on checking it out. It's fairly clean with super nice workers.

  4. I'm usually here a few times a year for real estate industry parties where the drinks and food are offered in decadence.  Came here recently for a company dinner so it was more of a sit down experience.  I'm always so entertained by the creativity and presentation of the dishes.  Not good for a dinner for 2 as it feels too clubby and not intimate at all.

  5. My 5 star review excludes the Tao nightclub because the club is terrible and just don't waist your time or money trying to get in, just go for dinner!

    Eating at Tao is just a wow experience from beginning to end! My friend and I made a reservation the same day for a late Sunday dinner starting at 10:15pm. We were seated right away at the top of the staircase. We had an AMAZING view of the whole downstairs eating section and the big statue. If you make a reservation in advance, I absolutely recommend requesting staircase seating because it is wonderful, especially for a date night.

    The Pan-Asian menu is excellent. My friend and I ordered a few different small dishes as well as sushi and everything was great. They brought everything out at once, which was kind of annoying. I wish I would of asked them to pace the dishes out because some dishes got cold before we finished eating the others.

    During dinner the service was great. Our waiter was very attentive and friendly up until like 12:15am when we asked for the bill. Our total "checkout time" took 30 minutes, which is way to long in my opinion. She completely disappeared for 15 minutes at the time, and we could not figure out where she went because the restaurant had almost cleared out and there was very few costumers left in our section.

    Other than a little problems at the end we had an excellent time. I definitely recommend Tao Downtown for dinner!

  6. Been a while since I came back. I Came to celebrate a friend's bday who never came here before .

    The restaurant is beautiful. The entrance , the lounge bar and the main dining room. The decor  and the layout is lovely. The giant Quan Yin Buddha in the main dining room , the painted geishas in the entrance hallway and the laying lounge statue are the most memorable decor

    I was quite pleased with my experience this evening. It was a Sunday night and it was less crowded than I have ever experienced it ( maybe because it was summer and it was pride that day) . In the past- it would be way too crowded and way too loud for my taste- to the point you could hardly hear what your company is saying.

    We were seated  promptly and greeted with our waitress who was friendly and efficient.

    The prices are OVERPRICED but it's NYC and meatpacking district . $15 cocktails, $20 appetizers, $30-50 entrees, $10-15 desserts. Know this this ahead of time. The bill for the two of us came to $300 easily with tip.

    Cocktail- I love the Lychee martini. So delish – I had three. My friend had the Tao-Tini which was a sweet drink but good as well.

    Apps- EVERYONE knows that you should try the CHILEAN SEA BASS here. It is DELISH. I remember it being a main course but it was not offered on the menu this evening . We also tried the Lobster Egg Rolls which were ok/good

    My friend had the Seafood Fried Rice which she loved and it was enough to doggy bag it. I had the Lobster Three Way which was good but not that good for $50. Lol. It came with lobster teriyaki, lobster "dynamite" which tasted like a spicy Mayo and lobster bake , and lobster  and avocado tempura .

    Dessert – I surprised my friend with the jumbo fortune cookie that they put happy bday on it. It's $15 and it's not necessarily the most delish dessert but it has a great presentation and fun for the table to share. It comes with jumbo fortunes for everyone. One side comes with a vanilla side cannoli/mouse and the other with the chocolate version. Garnished with Assorted Fresh fruit outside.

    Yeah I would come back – but would definitely pick and chose my battles to try and keep the bill down . Lol

  7. Really cool, hip atmosphere. It's a bit dark though so watch your step if your table is located on the lower level. The DJ was playing really good hip-hop/R&B music, which was a nice touch. 11 pm on a Saturday and the ginormous place was packed! The food was pretty flavorful, and expensive (of course). I tried a soft veggie dumpling and made the mistake of not dunking it in the sauce provided. The crispy veggie dumpling/potsticker things were really tasty, and the sauce was a nice addition. I also had a bite of the miso cod? What ever fish/sauce that was it was pretty flavorful. The veggie fried rice was also flavorful, for being a fried rice, that is. If you're on your way back from the bathroom, grab another drink at the bar down there. Talk about convenience.

  8. I can say I came and don't need to come back. I get it… The atmosphere and vibe is super trendy however it's overrated.

    I can't even remember the dishes we started off with. For the main we ordered:
    shanghai fried rice
    glazed salmon
    banana leaf black bass
    crispy snapper in "sand"
    grilled rare tuna
    pad thai noodles

    I didn't really have a favorite dish. I just remember being hungry even after dinner cuz the server took my plate before I even finished.

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9th Avenue 92
New York 10011 NY US
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Monday, 5:00 pm - 12:00 am
Tuesday, 5:00 pm - 12:00 am
Wednesday, 5:00 pm - 12:00 am
Thursday, 5:00 pm - 2:00 am
Friday, 5:00 pm - 2:00 am
Saturday, 5:00 pm - 2:00 am
Sunday, 5:00 pm - 12:00 am