Las Vegas’ night air is filled with revelry and good times. As you make your way down Las Vegas Boulevard, passing the various hotels and casinos, you realize there’s something along the strip for every walk of life. My personal taste led me to Tao Restaurant and Nightclub, where Jay-Z and Diddy have been known to play.
Tao is nestled just inside the entrance to the shopping area of the posh Venetian Resort and Casino. To get to the Asian-inspired hot spot, you pass the Venice-inspired gondolas and canals, beautifully architectured fountains and a teaser glimpse of what’s inside the hotel’s Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum.
Once inside the shopping mall doors, the energy of Tao instantly draws you in. The lights are low, the mood is sensual and the Asian theme compelling. One facility houses both the club and the restaurant, which creates a lively atmosphere that attracts “the beautiful people.” Hot clubs have been known to create monsters in their staff, but not the case at Tao; the impeccable hospitality Tao offers is incomparable. 
Tao’s menu offers Asian inspired fare, separated into the categories, Land, Sea and Air with tapas-style “small plates,” a full sushi menu and creative Eastern desserts to boot. My waiter guided me to the best soy-soaked white tuna and salmon sashimi I’ve ever had in life, satay-style Chilean sea bass with roasted asparagus that nearly brought me to tears, and flavorful 32-ounce bone in rib eye steak (accompanied by mushrooms and sweet potato fries) that wrestled my usually boundless appetite into submission. A perfectly poured dirty martini … or two … entertained me between courses, along with the calming presence of the massive Golden Buddha that floated atop an infinity pool, surrounded by candles in middle of the restaurant.
By the time the dessert menu
arrived — which I consider an obligatory part of all my dining experiences, there was absolutely no more room at the inn. For kicks, I had the waiter describe in full detail the dessert I would’ve had had there been room. It was the white chocolate-mango rice pudding brulee with ginger ice cream. It broke my heart to decline.
I was then met at the table by management who provided me with the hand stamp necessary to bypass the line and gain entry to the sizzling club.
Tao nightclub certainly picks up where the restaurant leaves off. The atmosphere is electric, with tasteful but scantily clad women dancing atop platforms, pulsating hot music and a motif that transports you to China. I went, I absorbed and I left.
The appeal of Tao Restaurant and Nightclub has exceeded the typical shelf life of Vegas hot spots (five years strong) and seen many celebs pass though. I experienced why. Advertisements for it around the city include the saying: “Every ending is a happy ending” … and that’s the absolute truth. –gerald radford
