Imagine the sort of place Scott Disick might gravitate towards when hell-bent on a full-blown bender in Manhattan and you would likely envisage Tao, a Meatpacking hotspot that’s remained a fan favorite among the style set since opening its doors in all their Las Vegas-style, faux-Oriental splendor in 2013. Once you pass through the gateway of the heavy wooden doors and even harder-to-crack reservations desk – which resembles an airport check-in service – you head through a bar functioning as a waiting pen, before making your way into the cavernous main dining space. Filled with a labyrinth of tables in various nooks and crannies throughout, the focal point is a 16-foot stone Buddhist goddess Quan Yin, floating above a pool of water. Mezzanine seating descends in a procession of oversized, staggered steps, which lead to the main dining floor, where crowds of waspy 20-somethings nibble on Asian fare.
With a capacity to seat 400, Tao’s presence in the neighborhood is marked by a bright red entrance, the inner caverns are a hybrid between a temple and a skin-baring nightclub. Try the “Tao-Garita”, a mix of milagro silver tequila, tao sour mix and wasabi salt, and don’t leave without grabbing a giant fortune cookie for dessert, made from white and dark chocolate mousse.
