Tao

Why we recommend Tao in New York

We keep Tao on the short list of New York dining rooms worth a standalone night rather than a squeezed-in pre-club meal. Michelin or James Beard-recognized Manhattan dining destination. Outside Las Vegas, MyRSVP focuses on nightclub and pool-club bookings rather than restaurant reservations, so this page is written as a city guide: the room and its point of view, the menu cues, the practical timing, and the fastest way to reserve your own table. Use it alongside a MyRSVP nightlife or pool booking to stack the full evening.

What to expect in the room and on the menu

TAO Downtown occupies a subterranean multi-level space at 92 9th Avenue in Chelsea, designed by Rockwell Group to evoke an ancient Asian temple—complete with dragon-scale screens, Chinese calligraphy murals, and a commanding 20-foot Quan Yin statue. The layout moves across weathered brick walls and a grand staircase that creates natural discovery zones, accommodating up to 1,500 guests for private events. The kitchen executes Pan-Asian precision across Chinese, Japanese, and Thai cuisines: Peking Duck and Miso-Glazed Chilean Sea Bass anchor the mains, while the Tableside Live King Crab ($750) offers theatrical preparation in Cantonese, Singapore, or Black Pepper styles. Lighter bites—Shrimp Dumplings, Tuna Pringles, Spicy Tuna Roll—pair with signature cocktails like the Lychee Martini. Live DJs spin nightly from 8:00 p.m., shifting the energy from dinner to nightclub intensity as the evening deepens. Service is attentive, though the pace can lag during peak hours, and pricing reflects the caliber of ingredients and venue prestige. Open daily 5:00 p.m.–12:00 a.m. (until 1:00 a.m. Friday–Sunday), it draws celebrities and power players seeking theatrical dining without compromise.

Reservations — how to book Tao

What we tell guests about Tao: it is one of the New York rooms worth a standalone evening rather than a squeezed-in pre-dinner. The reservation itself is handled directly with the restaurant — through their own site, OpenTable, Resy, SevenRooms, or by phone — depending on how they run their book. If you can get into the chef’s counter, bar seats, or a tasting menu slot, those are often the fastest way into the version of the room regulars are actually there for. For private dining or larger-group enquiries, the restaurant’s events or reservations team is the right first call, not a generic booking channel.

Hours, dress, and planning windows

What to know before you visit Tao. The room operates on these hours: Monday–Thursday 5:00 PM – 12:00 AM; Friday–Saturday 5:00 PM – 1:00 AM; Sunday brunch 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM and dinner 5:00 PM – 12:00 AM. On the dress side: Upscale trendy casual. Collared shirts, nice pants, and dress shoes recommended for men; avoid track jackets, jerseys, sneakers, or hats. Peak demand in New York falls around September–June for dining; June–September for rooftop season, sharpest on Fashion Week (February and September), UN General Assembly week — those are the dates the reservation book closes furthest out. If the main dining room is full on your target date, ask the restaurant about chef’s counter, bar seats or a tasting-menu slot; those formats often stay open days after the primary book has gone.

How MyRSVP helps with the rest of your New York trip

Reserving Tao. Use the restaurant’s own booking channel for the dinner reservation; availability, private dining and chef’s-counter inventory live with the restaurant, not with MyRSVP. Dinner reservations are direct with Tao. For the nightclub, pool day or beach club you’re planning around the meal, submit the MyRSVP form on the relevant venue page and a concierge assigned to that venue will be in touch with pricing, placement and the best area for your group.