The Taylor Swift Restaurant Guide to New York City

If you look closely at Taylor Swift’s recent paparazzi photos—past the trendy outfits, Travis Kelce, and, well, the magnetic force field that is Swift herself—you’ll notice something: They’re almost always taken outside the same New York City restaurants. It’s both a surprising phenomenon (demigod Swift, frequenting a place that we can all hypothetically visit too?) and an unsurprising one. New York, after all, is a place where “going out to dinner” is the dominant social activity. Of course Swift—a Gothamite so dedicated, that she once crooned “the lights are so bright, but they never blind me”—is a frequent patron at the very culinary haunts that make the city so great.

But what are these Taylor-approved haunts, exactly? Vogue breaks them down, below. (And yes—more than one is within walking distance of Cornelia Street.)

Via Carota

Taylor Swift and Sophie Turner took that viral paparazzi shot outside the critically acclaimed West Village restaurant Via Carota, a Tuscan-inspired restaurant by Jody Williams and Rita Sodi. Since opening in 2014, it’s been one of the hottest tables in town; besides Swift, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jennifer Lawrence, and Andy Cohen are also regulars. (In fact, the first public photos of Swift after her breakup with Joe Alwyn were taken in front of Via Carota.)

You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, which changes seasonally. But their most famous dishes? The cacio e pepe and insalata verde.

Emilio’s Ballato

In October, Turner, Blake Lively, and Brittany Mohanes were all photographed walking into Emilio’s Ballato, an old-school, family-owned Italian joint that’s a downtown institution. The owner’s son, Emilio Vitolo Jr., is known as one of the best hosts in New York City, regularly entertaining high-profile guests in the back room of the restaurant—and making sure there’s never an empty glass or plate in the place. Order anything covered in red sauce…especially the chicken parm.

Zero Bond

Swift has been spotted (again and again and again) at Zero Bond, the private NoHo member club. Run by Scott Sartiano—who is also the man behind The Mercer Hotel restaurant, Sartiano’s—its celebrity clientele includes Tom Brady and Kim Kardashian.

Inside the Bill Sofield-design space? An Omakase room, a full-service restaurant, a member’s lounge, as well as a wine-and-whiskey cellar with Baccarat detailing. Yet the most attractive amenity to Swift, we think? The club’s no-photo policy and strict dedication to privacy.

Fouquet’s

Swift, Turner, and the Haim sisters all got dinner at Fouquet’s, the TriBeCa hotel by the same family behind Paris’s Hôtel Barrière Le Fouquet’s. The Martin Brudnizki-designed property features two restaurants: Par Ici Café, which focuses on vegan and plant-based food, and Brasserie Fouquet’s, a quintessential Parisian bistro by Pierre Gagnaire, as well as a lobby and rooftop bar. No word on which venue the starry group visited, but this writer can solidly say the brasserie’s French onion soup is some of the best in the city.

Mulberry Bar

Swift and Turner had a girl’s night out at Mulberry Bar, the Phil Meynell, Leo Jacob, and Justin Sievers-run space that opened this past February. (And with a bang: its opening party included Camila Mendes, Sebastian Stan, Margot Robbie, Taika Waititi, Brad Pitt, and Leonardo DiCaprio.)

The nightlife haunt is instantly recognizable due to its Emelie Törling murals, which feature moody, Jean Cocteau-esque figures.

Temple Bar

The most distinguishing feature of NoHo’s Temple Bar? Its darkness—which probably explains why Swift and Turner headed there after their highly photographed dinner at Via Carota. (You can barely see your own elbow in there, let alone recognize who’s a few tables over.) Reports say the two indulged in some martinis and Temple Bar’s famous caviar bumps amid the bar’s Art Deco interiors. If you’re planning to head there yourself, we’d also recommend an order of their steak cubes and grilled cheese.

Nobu

When Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce decided to make a surprise appearance at Saturday Night Live, they dined at Nobu beforehand. The perennial celebrity favorite is known for its black miso cod, hamachi with Jalapeño, and, of course, sushi. It’s served in a sprawling 4,300 square foot space—which includes several private rooms that we’re guessing Swift and Kelce opted for. Afterwards, they left hand in hand.

The Waverly Inn

On another high-profile date night, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were spotted at the Waverly Inn, a beloved West Village restaurant housed in a quaint brownstone on Bank Street. Inside, the warm-yet-moody room is adorned in murals by Ed Sorrel, and outside, there’s a garden with walls covered in ivy. Especially as the weather grows colder, order their signature chicken pot pie.

Minetta Tavern

Taylor Swift wore a Gucci sweater to dine at Minetta Tavern, a beloved Greenwich Village restaurant, with pal Phoebe Bridgers. Thanks to Minetta’s restauranteur, Keith McNally, the world has a detailed picture of their evening: he wrote on Instagram that the two enjoyed baked oysters, scallops, Dover sole, and lobster vol au vents. If Swift wants to come back, she might want to also consider the famous burger—often considered one of the best in Manhattan. 

BondST

Since opening in the late nineties, BondST has remained one of the buzziest restaurants in the city due to its downtown locale, sceney ambience, and superb sushi all served in a NoHo brownstone. (Although the Wagyu skirt steak is also worth the splurge.) Yet leave it to Taylor Swift to take its hype even higher: this weekend, she had a girls’ night there with Gigi Hadid, Selena Gomez, Cara Delevingne, and Sophie Turner. Maybe they had pre-or-post dinner drinks at another favorite Swift haunt, Zero Bond, which is two doors down.

Parcelle

Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift had a girl’s night out at Parcelle Wine Bar, a natural and rare wine hotspot on the Lower East Side. Once you order a bottle, your waiter will gently guide you with what pairs best on the menu, which includes items like uni toast and fried chicken sandwiches. The interiors are also a design aficionado’s dream, with everything from emerald green Gio Ponti chairs to a tawny De Sede couch. 

Freemans

Swift took her Eras Tour opener, Gracie Abrams, to dinner at Freemans in the Lower East Side. Located at the end of a graffiti-adorned ally, it serves new American classics like mac and cheese, whole grilled brook trout, and pork chops with honey-nut squash polenta. (Save room for dessert, which includes sticky toffee pudding and basque cheesecake with poached Turkish figs.) The restaurant’s proprietor, Taavo Sommer, is also the same person behind the fashion favorite Hudson Valley hotel Inness.