Reviews of TAO Downtown (Restaurant)

A Phox

This place was phenomenal. The ambiance was amazing and the food was delicious and the service was great as well. I had the spicy tuna tartar on crispy rice, Lobster wontons, Lobster and shrimp egg rolls and the Drunken Lobster Pad Thai. All of the food was so good. I will definitely be returning.

Deran

Food was surprisingly good. The decor and general atmosphere is also pretty good. Service was not very attentive unfortunately and the tables at the stairs were a bit uncomfortable (similar to eating on a coffee table), but I would go again.

Canh Tran

The food at Tao is always top notch. The environment makes half the experience. We usually come for special occasions and always have a good time. Today happen to be restaurant week so we all got the 3 course special and got to try almost everything. Chicken, salmon and beef. All taste great, chicken slightly on the dry side but the flavor is still very good.

Paula Andrea Ramirez Mendez

the food is delicious, you should try sushi and also sweet and spicy shrimps. the environment incredible. the best desert molten lava.

Jonique Ambrose

My boyfriend came here last Halloween weekend. We were staying at the hotel above it. This restaurant was an amazing experience. If you happen to be in Manhattan I definitely recommend coming here. The whole atmosphere is breath taking from the entrance to the stairs to your table. The food was very tasty as well. This is definitely a great date night spot. The drinks weren’t too expensive and they were not shy with putting the right amount of alcohol.

Lusi Wang

Excellent restaurant, very tasty, pricy but well worth it. Very nice ambiance if you want combine good food with a nice conversation. Just a bit less trendy than other location’s

Deena Gurbani

I made reservations for my friend’s birthday and when we arrived I was told I had none (despite receiving a confirmation call). After 5 minutes of arguing, I was told it was booked under a wrong name. Once we were seated it took 15 minutes before a server even approached the table, understandably it was a busy night but still!! We ordered from the restaurant week menu. I ordered a hot entree and my friend ordered sushi which came out nearly 40 minutes before mine!! Sooo annoying and just lack of common sense. Egg rolls comparable to Panda Express.

Mandy Lopata

Brought my boyfriend here for his birthday and we always come back for the Lo Mein together!! I've been here a few times now and it always feels as special as the first time! The artwork in the space is always a wow factor, and the seating on the staircase is super unique and interesting. The service is professional and doesn't bother you too much while you're dining which we greatly appreciate. If you're not looking to dine, they have a bar which is equally as amazing to sit at with a friend, guest, or partner. I love TAO Downtown!

Tim Grunwald

Restaurant week helped make this spectacular restaurant more affordable. The food is very good, however the salmon is overcooked for my taste. Next time I would specify medium rare. The restaurant design is amazing.

Niv Pai

Been here multiple times and we always had a fabulous time. The place is huge with amazing ambience and a very beautiful Asian style decor. It's on the pricier side like any other trendy lounges in the city. The food is good and so are the drinks( really expensive cocktails though). Perfect place for celebrations as they have huge tables for big groups and also for dates. They do take reservations which is great because this place is almost always packed. I've also visited their other locations in the city and those are great too with some really gorgeous decor and beautiful ambience.

Shara Nepaul

The vibe, ambiance, food, service all deserve 5 stars. I had a great time here and will definitely be back.

Grace Hung

We went on a Wednesday night and the place is busy. We sat at the sushi bar as the place is fully booked. The waiter was friendly and service was good. Food are delicious and portions are reasonable. The five spice pork rib is delicious. Love the restaurant environment.

bella

All types of food available, and for the price there is an excellent portion for each food on the menu! The restaurant looks amazing and lots of photos can be taken. The bathroom, however, has an extremely horrifying vibe. Almost reminds me of a horror film. There is a gigantic doll-like lady painting glowing with the help of this one tiny yellow light, and I almost pooped my pants when I turned around and saw it. Luckily, there was a toilet right there. What a unique vibe. Would come again!

Or Shachar

It is not a bad restaurant. We enjoyed the settings a lot. We tried 2 starters, 1 code fish and the chef's choice of 99$ sushi. Unfortunately the food wasn't as good as we anticipated. The starters were okay, a bit too much sugar and teriyaki sauce on the chicken satay and the meat itself was not of the finest quality. The code fish was amazing The sushi was no more than okay... We were two and we probably should've ordered a smaller dish because we didn't finish the everything. All and all - it wouldn't be my first choice for a good Asian. But maybe it was just a week evening for the chef...

Jrs Jones

Amazing place with great tasting food. Stunning setting and great atmosphere. Highly recommended.

joey rehavi

Was there this week, one of my favorite places to go. Great atmosphere, great food, great service.

Dr. Who Time Lord

Went there second time and it was a huge disappointment. First time we went with friends during restaurant week. It was mid week and early evening hours. We liked it although found it not to be as special as it was always pictured by others. Second time we want with friends on Friday night and it was pretty bad. Starting with a very pretentious host. Cold, avoiding eye contact lady that with all her body language and tone was letting us know that she is in charge and she can rule us here the way she likes. We did not get warm greetings, only standard phrases with cold voice. Interior is indeed impressive, beautiful. The way place was packed with tables you would think that has been experiencing financial problems and desperately trying to maximize profit by any means. We were sitting at a table near by bar. That was main pass to tables further down. The distance between bar and my sit was about 2 feet. Every single person who was passing could not avoid pushing my chair or touching my head. Busboy touched by head with the basket of clean wet classes that he was caring (I am sure unintentionally, just no space to be more in control of what he was caring). Food was ok, but nothing extraordinary. Our entire group agreed that it just doesn't worth it at all. May be it was a cool place for cool folks at some point but definitely no longer in our opinion.

Mandana Rostamian

Great food and ambiance.. the service could use some improvement as we barely saw our waitor... He came once, then disappeared for long periods of time. And I think the floor manager took our order. Our bill had stuff on it we didn't order, but was fixed once brought to their attention. The restaurant could use some brushing up on the service side of things.. .

Madison Fischer

This place, as expensive and packed as it is, is always worth it. I’ve been to TAO a few times and the food is off the charts. The service is honestly hit or miss, I have had great service but I’ve also waited for 20 minutes for even a glimpse of my waitress. But the food... the food is amazing. The wagyu skewers are something I literally dream about, definitely give them a try!

leroy charles

Nice atmosphere, great food and music. Celebrated my birthday there

or rozen

Amazing restaurant! The food was so delicious and the dishes were big (more than we thought it would be). the atmosphere was great. I will come back again!

Tony Jones

Love this place. Been here a ton. One of the top atmospheres in NYC. Club is packed but fun. Food is amazing if you know what to get. Music is great. Price is expensive but not ridiculous.

Alexey Kudryavtsev

Had a very bad experience for my first time at Tao where I celebrated my bday. Waitress was rude, spilled water on the table, and refused to separate our checks. She wasn’t attentive at all. Only person who wished me happy birthday was security. I think the place really have to train their staff better because it was level of cheap fast food chain.

Israel Bahar

If you enjoy spending more then $100 (a person) for food that tastes like Panda Express, Tao is the place for you! The service was great, but the cost for quality was absolutely ridiculous. Totally override.

Gal Somekh

Amazing restaurant!! Every single aspect is taken to the max, the food is amazing, the decor is breath taking and the service is excellent. Prices aren't low at about 100$ per guest, but I think it's totally worth it for a special occasion.

A

My date and I went for an early dinner. We had a great time, the food was delicious, and the drinks were well prepared. Very good service also. Loved the interior. Fun, positive experience overall. We would go again, which is my form of high praise.

Divine

If you need to impress someone, bring them here. Fancy Asian vibe albeit prices are $$$$$. I find they excel more in seafood. Sushi are a must try, also miso cod, dumplings. My guests always enjoy the shrimp lettuce cups and chicken lollipops, one tried the Peking duck and it's alright too- note that it's good enough to serve about 4 people unless you're really hungry! Tip: they have a midtown location, but I prefer this downtown. I highly recommend making a reservation in advance.

Chaitania Kumar

Larger than life ambience... Service is a hit or miss... Food and cocktails are great.

Jacqueline G

Came here to party and I had a really fun time. Service was pretty good at our table as well. It was really crowded for a while and suddenly the crowd lessened. I enjoyed the music as well. Very nice upscale club to go to. Would definitely come back again to party with more friends.

Clear Mind

One of the best restaurants I have been to. The starters were amazing - the mains good as well even though not as good. The atmosphere though is what makes this place special!

Miggsy

Yea really bloddy good, really good. Stayed next door at Dream Downtown so this was not only convenient for us but the food was great and the atmosphere was awesome!

Bailey Holloway

If you enjoy spending $100 (a person) for food that tastes like Panda Express, Tao is the place for you! The service was great, but the cost for quality was absolutely ridiculous. They’re charging for their ambiance but there are many better places with superior ambiance for a much better value. Went here for for an anniversary dinner and left feeling like i was just a part of their assembly line.

Andrés Gallardo Ochoa

STRONGLY NOT RECOMMENDED! I had a huge problem last night in TAO DOWNTOWN. I went out to smoke a cigarette and , I left my ID and my credit card inside because I was going to go back but they didn't let me in . I explained to them that I had left my things inside . Even though they knew this they didn’t let me go back inside for my things I was asking for my stuff and one of them push me for no reason, I kept asking for my things and they gave me my bill outside the club, but they charge me twice the amount of what I had order !!! They said If I didn’t sign the bill they wouldn’t give me my credit card and my ID back . They treated me like garbage. Excuse me if I am wrong but that is EXTORTION

Sidonie Davy

Very seductive. Delicious soup and very nice portions ✌

Bruce Ortiz

Excellent vibe, like in a movie. Food was pretty good too.

Nadia

In my opinion you’re just paying to eat at ‘Tao’, but money is deserved elsewhere. Although the salmon & avocado roll was probably, the best tasting sushi I’ve had by far. Everything else was just standard, expected it to have more flavour and life for the dishes. Upon walking in I felt like I was being judged by the receptionist as their vibes were just off. No need to be snobby for a high chain restaurant, it’s all about having customer service and putting a smile on. I’m glad they didn’t have a tip option when my bill was given to me. Because they don’t deserve no extra money from nobody!

Kim Lee

Had a great time here! Everything was so good! I heard a lot about this place and finally got here! Beautiful and very nice service. Stuff is great. Food is something , be honest didn’t expect it could be so good

Kaneki Shakes

Great atmosphere, lovely music, beautiful themed decor, wonderful staff, and tasty meal...dined with friends from out of state, we loved it so much....they plan on coming back on their next visit to NY and I've already told many friends they need to go...This is '10' stars, definitely returning!

Sandra Marquez

Excellent food and service. Love the atmosphere and decor. We had a party of 16 and were well accommodated for. Enjoy:)

Mayur Banwasi

Needless to say ... Fantastic. Great food, great place. Can't go wrong. Definitely steeply priced but bang for the buck.

Danielle Millet

The most amazing experience I've had in a long time. The food, the cocktails, the service, the ambience..... it's an amazing experience!

Anthony Geronimo

Wow. Feels like a scene from raiders of the Lost Ark. This is a 5 star fusion experience.

Sarah Galarza

I came in on a Friday evening. The food was good but it was the service that really deserved the 5 stars. Our server, Claudia, was so funny and very personable. She answered all our questions and was very attentive to our table. Her recommendations were amazing. Will be requesting her for our next reservation.

Andy Mejia

Loved the food and I had a great time. Chicken gyoza was amazing and I ended up ordering a second order of it. I'll definitely come back to this play. It's a bit pricey but the food is delicious and a great place to take a date. Highly recommend it.

Yann27

Great atmosphere and music. Unbelievably Delicious food and great desert. Very friendly service. Got seated immediately with reservation. Very large portions, good enough for two.

Silver Fox Diva

The atmosphere was very pleasant. Our server Craig was awesome, he took his time to explain everything to us. The food was good. A good place dine when visiting Manhattan.

Sebastian Bierfeldt Liptak

Cool venue with really good food, high music and nice service. Definitely worth a try if you haven’t visited!

Alex Duque

Went here after visiting the auto show. With toddler and wife. We absolutely loved this place didn’t get seated in the main area but in the lounge and bar area. Loved the food!!!! Loved the drinks!!! Loved the vibe!!! And loved the service!!! A bit on the pricier side but what do you expect for a premier Asian restaurant in trendy Meatpacking!!! Can’t wait to go back for Mother’s Day!!!