We attended the grand-opening of TAO Group’s newest NYC venue: FISHBOWL at Dream Midtown with a celebrity-studded crowd. Read all about it!
Let’s face it, TAO group rarely misses the mark. With an extremely well-run organization managing, a TAO venue is guaranteed to be a well-designed space with thoughtful staff and at least few pleasant surprises. If you’re invited to hang out at a TAO space, you go. You may know of (or frequent) some of their other venues, such as the Stanton Social, now-iconic PHD, or the eponymous TAO uptown and downtown locations, suiting every personality and taste, but TAO isn’t finished yet. The latest addition to the line-up is a bit different, designed around spontaneity and human interaction above all else. Sleek design lines and the rows of tables and various levels and terraces are set aside here in favor of a more organic experience with wood accents, loft-like stairs and high ceilings. Tucked in the basement of the Dream Hotel Midtown, down a flight of spiral stairs, an arcade bar opens up behind a doorway, with everything from skee-ball to a two-lane bowling alley. The space is narrow and beautiful, with high-top tables and a DJ booth towards the back. Hard to miss is the enormous and gorgeous salt-water fish tank, adding a dynamic element to the entire space, a constant motion that is sometimes missing in even the finest venues. The bar is long afffnd the bartenders were excellent, serving up signature TAO cocktails for sample.
Actress and signer Rumor Willis made her rounds during the grand-opening event held on Wednesday night, looking striking in her outfit. Kevin Connelly joined in the fun, having a chance to dance. Not to forget actor Richard Kind descending into FISHBOWL to play some skee-ball. Victoria Secret Model Lais Ribeiro and NYC Socialite Tinsley Mortimer also joined in celebration of the grand opening. Everyone had a chance to let loose by playing vintage arcade games, skee-ball and bowling, while enjoying signature cocktails, small bites and performances by DJ Ruckus and Chantel Jeffries, spinning a uniquely 90’s-2000’s mix that had the entire crowd moving all night.
TAO Group’s newest venture is worth stopping by. It’s comfortable, approachable, and fun. An opportunity to have classic good time in the greatest city on earth. Cheers to that! P.S.: When you go, be on the lookout for a subtly placed photobooth to snap a pic in.
[slideshow]FISHBOWL at Dream Midtown:
210 W 55th St, New York, NY
