TAO Uptown

If you’re looking for an exceptional dining experience in New York City, Tao Uptown delivers on all fronts. My recent visit left me thoroughly impressed, especially with the fresh, delectable sushi. Here’s a breakdown of my experience: Walking into Tao Uptown feels like stepping into a chic and vibrant oasis. The stunning interior, dimly lit with a warm glow, is complemented by its grand Buddha statue centerpiece. It’s the perfect blend of luxury and zen, creating an atmosphere

Here’s your reminder: Tao Uptown has a fantastic Happy Hour deals from 5-7 PM, Monday through Friday! Enjoy gob-smacking delicious $1 dumplings, $15 martini flights, $5 canned sake, wine, and beer, plus $5 small plates. Things to keep in mind—Happy Hour seating is only available in the common area, and it fills up fast, so get there early! The ventilation isn’t the best, so you might want to move around. Pro tip: there’s an upstairs bar that offers the same deals, and it’s often much less crowded. When I visited, it was practically empty. The dumplings were incredible, but the martinis were a bit on the smaller side. Next time, I’ll be ordering wine instead. Overall, it’s a great Happy Hour spot, especially for Uptown Manhattan!

My experience at TAO was quite mixed from start to finish. Here's everything you need to know. If you have a reservation for a specific time, you might not be seated right away. You could end up waiting at the bar for at least 15 minutes before getting a table. The waiting area is overwhelming and loud. However, once you're seated, you'll find yourself in one of the most incredible dining interiors in NYC. The atmosphere is incredible, though the restaurant is very dark and loud. As for the food, I think it's good, but the prices are quite high. Keep in mind that it's easy for two people to spend over $300. I recommend trying the chicken lettuce wraps, the crispy cauliflower, and the spicy tuna. For drinks, their strawberry wine vodka is delicious. The overall dining experience is great, and the service is very fast. However, there's pressure to leave within an hour. My party and I were ordering and eating at a normal pace, but we kept being presented with the check even though we weren't finished. All in all, this place gave me mixed feelings, but I still think it's worth visiting at least once. Would I go back? Probably not.

The ambience at Tao is awesome! Has a zen feel to it and makes eating a relaxing experience. The fusion Asian food offered were delicious and creatively presented. The lunch set is really a must try! Love the place… will definitely visit again!!

Today’s visit was a little annoying. I sat at the bar upstairs (usually I use the one on the lower level) the bar staff upstairs short Asian or Japanese girl served me, she was attentive but flat personality so I didn’t feel a need to engage. The guys downstairs are really nice. Food: I ordered the hot and sour soup; good as usual. Branzino: this was my issue, it comes with just a garnish of some type of shredded cabbage or something. When it arrives I was shocked at the portion, as they butterfly the fish and you get half of it, instead of the whole fish as I am use to from other restaurants in the city. It’s grossly overpriced at $42. I ordered jasmine rice to go with it because it was so small (photo shows how thin it was). The girl said she would talk to her manager. Fine, so 30mins later she arrives with a chocolate dessert as a compliment for the fish, but never asked me if I ate chocolate or dessert. lol like I don’t want to be rude so I ate half of it. I’m not a dessert person, so this didn’t make it any better. I’ll steer clear of these type of dishes at this restaurant.