Tao

wow..it's true if you live in new york there are SO MANY better options then this..went last Friday and first thing I noticed was the loud and awful music also too dark at the bar ( took me 20 minutes to find my friends..) the waiter was very rude to a friend who asked a simple questions about the wine..food was at best average ..my Filet Migon was dry and way too salty.. in all an over priced .. Pros: Dramatic space Cons: over priced and too loud more

Went on a Tuesday night a couple of weeks ago. We were expecting the place to be dead, but it was packed! Had a couple of drinks at the bar while waiting for a table (why, oh why, do restaurants insist on going the Olive Garden route with the blinky things for when a table is ready???). We sat down, ordered, and ate, and absolutely nothing stood out from the entire meal. It was just alright. We both bristled when my entree was served before my husband's, but a manager came over, apologized profusely and bought us a round of drinks. We both thought the service was great, and we'd definitely come back for drinks, but the food just didn't cut it. We'd rather go to Buddakan for great ambiance, food, and drinks. Pros: Ambiance, Service. Cons: Food. more

I think this place is exactly what it was, lol. Very trendy and expensive. The atmosphere was excellent, its huge in there and my colleagues and I were seated promptly (we went during lunch hour and had the pre fix). I was more impressed with my surroundings than with the food, but then again I'm a little picky. If your trying to impress somebody high maintenance or someone into the restaurant theme scene, they might enjoy this. My dish was actually very tasty, but I lucked out. No one else really enjoyed what they had. More show and grandeur than substance go somewhere else if your hungry. Pros: Felt like I was somewhere else, excellent ambience Cons: Expensive, food ehhh... more

I recently had dinner here and thought it was delicious. I think that there are too many people that complain on these review things. What do you people expect?? Tao is kind of a touristy/trendy spot. Of course the servers are going to rush you, of course it's going to be crowded...GET OVER IT or go somewhere else!! I thought the food was moderately priced for the location and scene and better than good. Yes, there will probably be a wait, but it's worth it if you like sushi. Although I am not a native New Yorker, the waiter at times made me feel uncomfortable about being tourist. He wasn't rude but had a way with his words and tone and I didn't appreciate it, because I was there for the sushi not the scene. I can only recommend the seafood, because that is all I had. Don't let these other negative reviews change your mind. If you don't mind waiting in a large crowd of people with loud music in the background, then go. Pros: Great food and decor more

I thought the food at Tao was OK overall. The portion size was decent. The best food they have really is their sushi, and only some of their sushi. Don't try their lobster roll, it's bland and boring. We had reservations and had to wait a good 45 minutes for our table, which really upset me. They were packed to the brim in there, but I didn't think their food was really worth it. The only good thing was our waiter was very attentive and fast....probably because our bill was close to $400. I'm sure I won't go there again. more

i've tried to make a reservsation on a Friday evening @ Tao a few times but it was always fully booked which raised my expectation much more, finally got a table @ 7pm on a Friday with my girl friend. Pros: decor & theme Cons: food & service more

I was not impressed at all with the food nor the service. I sure felt rushed and couldn't enjoy the food. I bill came out to $300 and wouldn't recommend this place to anyone who eats in the city. There are way too many other choises in the city. Pros: Good name and location Cons: overrated more

Okay, so this is the infamous Tao. I expected way better food from what I heard of this place. Celebrity eat here?! With so many other choice for fine dining, why here? Asian-fusion...blah blah. Go to chinatown for much better food for chump change. Atmosphere is okay. If you've visited Buddha Bar, this is no comparison and lacks the ambiance that Buddha bar has. Thank god I came here during restaurant week and only had to pay $33 pre-fixed(after tax and tips) . The duck egg roll is so mushy inside and the salmon I had was overcooked and lacks in flavor. My friends had kung pao chicken and it wasn't great either. I'm a dessert person and couldn't even finish mine. Plain vanilla ice cream with some sweet filling fried wonton which was not crispy at all. The dining area upstair feels like a cafeteria. Downstair dining is probably better. On the pro side, our waiter was superb. He was tentative and suggested their special teas, unfortunately I didn't like it and he offered us another different tea. Kudos for the service. If I had to pay more than this I would have been furious. Can't beat chinatown for cheap eats.(that taste better than this) Pros: ambience/celebrity sighting? Cons: food mediocre $$$$ more

I decided to dine at Tao yesterday nite. The food was excellent but the service was very very lazy. The atmosphere of this place is great. The tall budha statue with the fish pond looks fabulous. Recommended. more

fantastic decor and great vibe...loved the energy of the room!!! but when it came to food it was highly mediocre...the food was bland and not as exciting as the venue...my friend had the kobe beef and liked it...but overall we werent too impressed with the food at all....i guess when you are paying a high price (and waiting a looong time for your table) you do need some value attached to it...would definitely go back for drinks with friends and enjoy the ambience...but i doubt i will eat there again... Pros: great energy and fantastic decor Cons: food! food! food! service is not too great more

Yes, its loud, a bit pricey, noisy and a very 'scene and be scene' kind of place but if you know that before you go you can a very nice time. My girlfriend and I decided to head to Tao on a whim knowing what we were getting into. We walked in asking for a table for two but seeing that the place was packed (on a wednesday) we were able to sit at the first come first serve sushi bar upstairs. We sat at the sushi bar and was greeted warmly by our waiter. We ordered water and cocktails and checked the menu out. After a short deliberation we decided on a few small plates and to share an entree. The squab lettuce wraps were tasty, although it didn't seem to represent the flavor of squab to me. My girl begged to differ. I think they would have been better served with some kind of softer leafed lettuce like romaine or red leaf instead of iceburg. The tuna tartare was my least favorite dish. It lacked flavor and complexity. Presented beautifully, of course. The laquered pork was nice as well. Served with sliced almonds, it had a warm, smokey flavor. The pekin duck rolls were average. With a crispy outter shell the inside was soft and tasted of duck, heavily spiced with something like chinese 5 spice. Served with a mustard sauce, I was happy with it i guess. Pros: The Scene, People Watching, Decor, Noisy, Trendy Cons: Noisy, Trendy, Pricey more

We went to Tao last week with a large group and had an awesome time. We had reservations for 7:00 and were seated within 5 minutes of arriving. Our waitress was very helpful and guided us on what to order, as well as the portions. Once our food arrived it was great, the surroundings were beautiful and the overall energy was great. If you make reservations far enough ahead request the lower room next to the giant Buddah. Pros: Ambiance, Service, Food, Drinks Cons: Noisy more

This place sucked dude. Overpriced, food was bland. You'd get better tasting and more authentic Asian food going to Chinatown or any other place where it isn't about decor. I'm sure the place is great for a drink, and the environment is very nice, but skip the food. Nothing to rave about, or wait 30 minutes for (like my party with a reservation did on a wednesday afternoon!). Pros: Nice Decor, Good Drinks Cons: Overpriced, nothing special food-wise more

I went to TAO with a group of friends for a dinner last night. We had arrived at 5pm, but some of our party was slightly late, so they refused to seat us. When we were all together we were alerted even before we sat down that there was another party that was going to occupy our table at 7pm. Basically, we were being pushed out before we even looked at a menu. The food was certainly above average, but there was a constant notification by the managers & wait staff that 7pm was fast approaching us & that we were going to have to leave soon. This happened twice during our meal. They even went so far as to put a hold on our desert order because they needed this table so desperately. We did have desert, but in the ""lounge"", which was really just a noisy, packed, dark bar where you could not talk to anyone, let alone enjoy what was placed in front of you. Holiday season or not, you don't treat people like that during a meal for the sake of customer turnover. So be sure to wear your sneakers should you choose to venture into this deplorable experience. You'll be rushed out faster than an NYC marathon winner. more

True New Yorkers would have to be out of their minds to waste their time at this tourist trap. Our waiter and dinner were very pleasant (semi-expensive, very hyped up) until 2 different managers told us that the table?s next party had arrived and was waiting to be seated. (NO OFFENSE, let them wait the same way I had to.) We had to finish our coffee and dessert in their dark, loud and cramped bar/lounge area. I think the management needs to take a good look at how they SHOULD BE treating their paying customers; instead of cattle as they so obviously do. Bottom line, in the city that never sleeps, they?re plenty of other restaurants that serve delicious fare and are a lot easier on the pocketbook. more

To feel a bit rushed can be expected of most trendy New York City restaurants . . . but to be asked to give up your table during your meal is a whole different beast! After only 1 hour & 15 minutes of a so far pleasant dining experience at Tao, my party and I were pushed off our table to finish the dessert portion of our meal in the dark, crowded, loud and uncomfortable bar/lounge area of the restaurant!!! I am a native New Yorker with family in the New York City restaurant business and have never heard of anything that could compare to this! I understand that the holidays are a busy time, and the restaurant was crowded with people waiting to be seated, but I don?t think another 15 minutes for us to finish dessert at our table was too much to ask! All in all, the food and service/wait staff were good, but I can't say the same for the management. I wouldn't spend my hard earned money at this place - the scene just isn't worth it. Fortunately for us, our dinner was paid with holiday gift certificates, but I have to admit that if I ever receive another Tao gift certificate, I will sell it on ebay for a discounted price. more

I'd give it a zero, but I can't comment on the food as we were never seated. We had early weeknight reservations for our group. Tao has a great reputation for good food and cool atmosphere, so we weren't suprised that they were packed. We waited, had drinks, and waited some more. We saw other parties of our size come in after us and seated before us. We left after two hours of waiting and two reassurances that we would be seated soon. Pros: Ambience Cons: Horrible Horrible Service more

SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT! They have this awesome giant fortune cookie. One side is filled with chocolate moose and other with vanilla and it comes with fruit. I plan my what I order around that. Pros: great food and dessert Cons: crowded more

If you know exactly what to expect, you'll be fine. Everyone who complains about it being too noisy, too nightclub-y, long waits, etc - the place doesn't make any of this a secret, so why act surprised and disappointed when it turns out to be true? Our reservation was for 9:15 - we got there at 8:30, told them we were there, and hung out at the bar until we got seated at 9:20. Now we had been prepared to wait an hour based on the reviews, so things were already looking up. We decided to stick with just appetizers and sushi, which were all delicious, especially the sea bass satay. The drinks were wonderful and the dessert, what little of it we had room for, was also fantastic. The entrees looked good from what we saw, but the appetizers/sushi were enough for us. Our waiter was also extremely friendly, as was the host staff. Pros: Delicious drinks, sushi, appetizers, desserts, fun atmosphere Cons: Pricey, Loud more

The food is expensive, it's served so fast you hardly have time to talk with your dinner guests, and it gets loud in there, but the sea bass is so good I'm thinking of taking the Chinatown bus from Boston just to get it again. Plus, the restaurant itself is jaw-dropping the first time you visit, with the gigantic space filled with a huge buddha statue. Pros: Sea bass. Huge Buddha Cons: Loud. Expensive. Food served too fast for my style. more