TAO Chicago
Restaurant · Near North Side ·
Pan-Asian cuisine, cocktails, and a posh nightclub venue
Pan-Asian cuisine, cocktails, and a posh nightclub venue
"This family-owned Chinese restaurant has been a local standby since the early 1980s, known for fresh, customizable dishes and friendly service." - Iona Brannon Iona Brannon Iona Brannon is a journalist with a love for food and travel. Her work has appeared in Afar, Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, and Business Insider, among other publications. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"After the Hamburger Hop on Friday, September 26, the Asian Late Night Market debuts, offering Asian bites and specialty cocktails as a late-night continuation of the festival." - Jeffy Mai
"An Asian restaurant and nightclub that has launched a new endless brunch offering Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for $65 per person; the spread includes a carving station serving pork belly and Peking duck, an omelet station, dim sum bites, sushi, raw-bar selections, a chocolate fountain, and other pan-Asian dishes, with the option to add bottomless mimosas for $35 per person." - Jeffy Mai
"A design-driven restaurant and adjoining nightclub slated to open in September, this concept emphasizes Pan-Asian flavors from sea, sky and land and will feature signature dishes such as Satay of Chilean Sea Bass, Crispy Rice Tuna and a Wagyu Rib-Eye Teppanyaki." - Ashok Selvam
"What To Expect: Even if you’ve never stepped foot in a clubstaurant in your life, chances are you’ve heard of Tao. The sprawling, multi-level Asian-themed behemoth in River North has locations in NYC, Vegas, Los Angeles, and (inexplicably) central Connecticut. What’s Up With The Food: Most dishes are expensive and lean overly sweet or oily, and are slightly worse than what you’d get at a chain. The fruity, watery cocktails aren’t much better. And thanks to the work dinner that decided to do bottle service on a Wednesday at 7:30pm, you’ll probably have to wait a while for a refill as the staff halfheartedly parades around with sparklers and an LED sign. Verdict: A weekend visit to the club is perfectly fine, but dinner in the completely separate dining room isn’t good enough for a dedicated visit (and doesn’t guarantee entry into the main club anyway)." - veda kilaru, adrian kane
