Tao Downtown, Asian restaurant in Chelsea, New York County, US.
Tao Downtown is an Asian restaurant in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York, set across multiple underground levels beneath the Maritime Hotel on Ninth Avenue. The space includes a main dining room, several bars, and a lounge area, all connected by a corridor that leads guests down from street level.
The restaurant opened in 2013 as an expansion of the New York-based Tao Group, taking over a former storage space connected to the Maritime Hotel. The raw brick walls from the original structure were kept and are still visible today throughout the venue.
The main dining room centers on a large Buddha statue placed above a koi pond, which draws the eye as soon as you enter. Red lanterns hang throughout the space, giving it a warm glow that feels inspired by traditional Asian temple design.
The restaurant is located on Ninth Avenue in Chelsea and is reached by descending a staircase from street level down to the dining floors. Anyone with mobility concerns should check with the venue in advance, as the space spans several underground levels.
The entrance corridor is decorated with dragon scale patterns and Chinese calligraphy on the exposed brick walls, making it feel more like a passage into another world than a typical restaurant entry. Many guests find this transition from street to dining room one of the most memorable parts of the visit.
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