TAO - Los Angeles (CA)

5 /5 Matthew Kniskern: 3 of us went for Christmas dinner and I was extremely happy with the entire experience. The restaurant is lively and beautiful. It isn’t your typical establishment with bright lights and a quiet environment. Music is playing, but even with my hearing issues, I didn’t find it overly loud. Our server was incredible from start to finish. He provided perfect recommendations and explanations of the menu. He was meticulous in ensuring that food allergies were attended to, confirming each order with the kitchen. The food was great, both in presentation and taste. We ordered the snapper, pork fried rice, cashew chicken, lobster wontons, salad, veggie dumplings, tofu, and bok choy. All the dishes were enjoyed and the only reason for leftovers was that the serving sizes are quite large!! We also got desserts, the matcha crème brûlée and carrot cake. Both were a great ending to a perfect meal. Many restaurants have desserts that feel like an afterthought but these were different. The perfect “exclamation point” to end our meal. Thanks for the food, the service, and a great experience.

2 /5 Becky Tran: Architecture and decor is cool, but thats about it. Ask for a tour and dont bother eating here. Had a reservation for a group of 5 to celebrate a birthday. Our reservation time at 7:15 and we came 10 mins early. It seemed like they had our table ready and as they were able to seat us, they decided to give our table to someone else and we ended up having to wait 20+ minutes for a table. Then. There was major confusion because we were waiting in the bar/lounge area and they sat us before our bar drinks were brought out to us. They sat us at a table meant for 8 - which meant our table of 5 was so spaced out and the room was so loud, we couldnt talk to anyone across the table. It was such a vibe killer. They were playing "oldies" from ~2010; it felt so outdated. The food was overpriced for the quality - honestly, none of the food was even average. Youre really just paying for the vibes here. Service was so slow, especially since we were sat late -- they didnt even offer the birthday boy a free dessert, or even offer us a dessert menu, so we just left in a hurry and grabbed dessert elsewhere.

5 /5 Gaurav Jha: The moment you walk in, with that massive Buddha and the lighting and the crowd, you know this isn’t just dinner, it’s a whole scene. You come here because you want the night to feel alive. This is one of my favorite places in LA. The dumplings are crispy and rich, heavy on chili oil and garlic. The fried rice wrapped in egg is pure comfort and perfect to split when the table is already full of dishes. The chicken wing lollipops are a highlight. Sticky, sweet, a little spicy, has a kick, and genuinely fun to eat. You pick them up, get messy, and enjoy it. The shrimp tempura specialty roll crunchy, saucy, stacked, and not minimalist sushi. Absolutely recommended!

5 /5 James Johnson: As a last minute escapade, we went to Tao. We walked in about 6:30pm on a Sat. night with no reservations. We were lucky to snag seats at the bar. We order Lobster Fried Rice, Charred Brussels Sprouts, Chicken Satay, Crispy Lobster Roll, and the Wagu Steak Roll. Every thing we ordered was Delicious! If it wasnt just the two of us we would have ordered even more food. Besides the great food, they have a nice cocktail list. My wife had the Lychee Martini and I had sparkling water. The bartenders are great. The atmosphere is a true hot spot. People were falling in all night. One thing for sure, whoever designed the location... They didnt hold back... The decor is absolutely off the charts.

4 /5 Lindsey Williamson Christy: Went for an after work wind down dinner and really enjoyed the food and atmosphere. Vibe was a bit of a night club feel but there were also families there celebrating birthdays so it was an interesting mix. Food was good, I would classify it as Asian food for white people as it was a selection of the greatest hits from different regions. I enjoyed it and would come back.