Skip to content, or skip to search.
Skip to content, or skip to search.
Home > Restaurants >
All Reader Reviews of...
Tao Asian Bistro
42 E. 58th St., New York, NY, 10022
nr. Madison Ave.
212-888-2288
| 5.3 | "Mixed Reviews" Average Reader Rating on a Scale of 10 |  |
Terrific delivery experience
NYC_Traveler from 10019 | Posted on 10/23/09
|
|
I had heard good things so decided to try Tao when I had a craving for Asian, a staple in my native Oz. It was DeliveryWeek so I took the fixed price special and it was great value. The chicken dumpling appetizers were good but the filet beef and udon noodles entree was fantastic - the beef was surprisingly tender and top quality. The banana pudding with fortune cookie crumble was an amazing surprise - layers of sponge and fresh banana and banana cream. Yum! So good that I tried again a few nights later and was not disappointed. This time tempura shrimp and Kung Pao chicken with delicious dipping sauces were wonderful. The delivery time was quick and the delivery person courteous. My only question is whether they cook with MSG as I got a bad headache each night after I ate.
Did you find this review helpful? 
Plan on waiting even if you have a reservation...
dvrx11 from 10021 | Posted on 1/19/09
|
|
Booked a table for 14, two months in advance, for my birthday. Running late, I called numerous times to say we would be a few minutes late. They said the reservation was good for 15 min. after the booked time, and when we arrived 10 min late, we ultimately lost our reservation, and had to wait at least an hour and half to get seated, in a very tight area. We waited in the bar area for a little while until we were forced to go upstairs and stand for the rest of our wait. Once we were seated, everything was pretty okay. Personally it's not worth the hype and if you're not into the whole singles scene or being in a crowded area to the point where you're pressed up against someone else's body, i advise not going, at least not on a Saturday night.
Did you find this review helpful?
Learn more about Service
Felixp from 94560 | Posted on 12/21/08
|
|
I took a few business partners for an evening of fun, boy was I wrong. As a writer for the national travel magazine, can you guess which restaurant I wonÂ’t be sending my readers? This restaurant should retrain their staff and get their customers in the seats on time, especially with a registration. I would pass, pass on this placeÂ…New York City has way to many places for us to eat and have a enjoy and wonderful time.
Did you find this review helpful?
TAO
BrendaCake from 03948 | Posted on 9/8/08
|
|
Tao is queer - but not in a good way.
Did you find this review helpful?
good food, crap service
chinkyspice007 from ts18 3px | Posted on 2/7/08
|
|
My best friend and i had booked a table at tao 3 weeks previously to celebrate our sex and the city trip to NYC, after a really long flight and hotel check in we got ready and made our way to our 9.30pm reservation. We were given a pager and asked to wait in the bar until our table was ready, the drinks were really expensive and the music loud but hey its a cool place to go right?? after repeatedly complaining for 90 minutes we were finally shown to our seats. The food was great i would def reccomend the dragon ribs and the peking duck but the service was shockingly bad. Truth is if i wasnt so tired i would have walked out to find other food.
Did you find this review helpful?
Never to return
jmidwint from L7L 5G3 | Posted on 10/28/07
|
|
My fiance raved about TAO in Las Vegas and said we had to try it. After getting engaged in Central Park, my fiance booked Tao for our celenbratory dinner. We had reservations for 9:45pm and we seated at 10:30pm. So, be prepared to wait. The drinks were overpriced. Seating was cafeteria style. The music was so loud it thumped through my chest. The people sitting beside us had to shout to have a conversation. We decided to leave and ended up at THE HARRISON and had a fabulous experience.
Did you find this review helpful?
Expensive and just for unexperienced teenagers
avnegra from 10212 | Posted on 10/10/07
|
|
Awful, we had a reservation but still we waited 30 minutes. As someone said it looks like a nightclub that happens to serve food. And the food is really mediocre. Its the place where a bunch of teenagers could play "how to be adult and spend my money trying to look like one". Really pathetic experience. The famous duck for two, wich i order after reading the NYMag recommendation, it is original, but not so special. Not a good value for money rlation.
Did you find this review helpful?
"Looks: 10, Food: 3"
littleblackdress from 96815 | Posted on 8/16/07
|
|
OK, so the food was actually more like a 6, but I couldn't help but reference that famous line. Tao is a nightclub that happens to serve food. The atmosphere was lively and the decor very dramatic, but the food itself was rather forgettable. The only dish that created a stir at our table was the molten chocolate cake with coconut ice cream. It was delicious! I may go back to try different dishes, but I will probably try many other restaurants first.
Did you find this review helpful?
YUM!
EYEheartNY from 10003 | Posted on 7/26/07
|
|
I had a 730 reservation on a Friday night with 6 people and we were seated right away. We ordered 6 different main dishes, a few different appetizers and two desserts, and every bite was amazing. I must admit that someone else footed the bill and im sure it was rather pricey, but it was worth it!
Did you find this review helpful?
My Best Birthday Dinner Ever!
sparkmstr from 33606 | Posted on 7/11/07
|
|
The entire experience was wonderful. The bar, decor, Buddah and the food were all great. Loved the DJ - the music made a great atmosphere. Kinda hard to talk to the entire table, but it was exactly what I was expecting and wanted. The only strange part... when we asked the waiter who the DJ was, he said "I don;t know, some guy named Kevin." He came back later with the DJ's website written on a napkin. For a restaurant where the DJ is the center of the evening, they should at least know who it is and have a card to hand out. If anyone knows who Kevin is, let me know. He was really good and made for a great dining experience.
Did you find this review helpful?
Advertising
Latest News
Latest News Near
Popular Restaurant Guides
-
Where to Eat
Adam Platt picks 2009’s top dining destinations,
including Dovetail, Momofuku Ko, and Corton. -
Best of New York Food
The best that the city’s restaurants have to offer:
paella, coffee, grilled cheese, ramen, and more. -
The Cheap List
We live in a city full of small cheap-eats miracles,
including $1 foods, Korean fried chicken, and burgers.
Todd Oldham Creates Art Nerds With New Book
Cruz Is Irresistible in Broken Embraces
Emily Blunt Trades Prada for Prudery
Sarah Ruhl's In the Next Room Is Pure Pleasure
Quality Design Mixed With Pop-Culture Wit 
Look Book: The Singer and Dancer 
The Best Neighborhoods for Real-Estate Deals 
Inconsistent Food, Impersonal Feel at SD26
Tantrums Erupt Over Wall Street Pay
What's Bill Bratton's Next Career Move?
The Political Fictions Project
Smith on the Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Trial 
