Tao is absolutely somewhere you have to eat at some point in New York. The inside is spectacular - very spacious (unlike a lot of NY restaurants) with perfect lighting. The service is also very good - for lunch I had a three course meal in less than an hour. The pad thai there is amazing, and you cannot pass up dessert here. The portions are a great size. To top it all off, they give you your leftovers in actual tupperware. It is a little pricey, but for what you get it is worth treating yourself once in a while.
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