The places Taylor Swift could (and should) eat while she’s in Melbourne this Cruel Summer

When Harry Stylesvisited Melbourne’s Cibi for a green tea last year,the Japanese cafe and design store was inundated with his TikTok-obsessed fans. They kept coming months after Styles’ visit,andCibi eventually had to ban guests from shooting social media content on their phones. God help any Australian restaurant,then,that Taylor Swift pops into this month.

Time magazine’s Person of the Year will play three shows in Melbourne,kicking off February 16,before a four-night stint in Sydney from February 23. Provided Swift doesn’t hightail back to the US on herprivate jet between cities,this means she will have four nights free for dinner in Australia — not to mention plenty of opportunities for lunch and cocktails. And if there’s one thing the Good Food team knowsall too well about Taylor Swift,it’s that she really,really likes going out for lunch. And cocktails.

The internet isthickwithlists detailing all the bars and restaurants Swift has visited in New York City over the past few years,but especially in the last 12 months. We’ve studied these lists,and – through a comprehensive,systematic review – have identified the key trends of Swift’s dining habits in Manhattan. Using this research,we believe we can predict where she will make an impromptu appearance while in Australia. This is highly scientific stuff.

Notably,Swift isn’t concerned with eating at any of the super-hip,new places New York food critics are raving about. White-hot restaurants such as Sailor,Tatiana and Torrisi don’t get a look-in. There are very few omakase and tasting menus;even fewer steakhouses,yum cha sessions and burger joints (though she is partial to the occasional cheeseburger,andlocal chain Betty’s fits the bill,given it shares its name with aFolklore character and tune).

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But there is plenty of seafood,Italian and a la carte sushi on her list. Reliable,celebrity-loved institutions such as Minetta Tavern,Waverly Inn and Emilio’s Ballato get a fair crack too. (Restaurateur Keith McNally evenposted Swift and Phoebe Bridgers’ Minetta Tavern order on Instagram – oysters,scallops,Dover sole and lobstervol-au-vents,if you’re wondering.) As for bars:darker is better,preferably with martinis,a chic fit-out and semi-private rooms.

So with all that in mind,here are our predictions for where Swift could (and should) eat in Melbourne.

The dive bar on the East side

“I knew from the first Old Fashioned we were cursed,” sings Swift inGetaway Car.If she is indeed into Old Fashioneds,it has to beHeartbreaker, a late-night dive bar on the east side of the CBD grid where Travis Kelce can meet Swift in the back (a laDelicate) aftermidnights like this. However,if Kelce starts singingViva Las Vegas from the jukebox like he did after the Super Bowl win,and a getaway car is required for a Swift exit,she can grab some of those Everleigh Bottling Co. cocktails to-go.

For a martini,Apollo Innnear Gimlet (see below) is an intimate space with only 28 seats,including two booths:one a semi-private horseshoe,the other a leather,Reputation-like serpent. There are four martinis on offer,with enough variation to keep things interesting,all served inDelicate tiny crystal glasses.

The Italian

Ifwe were card sharks,playing games, it’s equal odds forRosetta– Crown’s glamorous riverside fine diner – or Bourke Street Italian stalwartGrossi Florentino. The former is by the water and has a strong focus on seafood,plus a private dining room. For Italian food with a more contemporary edge,it’s hard to go past Little Bourke Street neighboursTipo 00 andHardware Club;although Italian-American-inspiredCapitanoin Carltonis another strong option,dittoRonnie’s in the Rialto building,given its original menu was created by an ex-Carbone (New York) chef.

The Welcome to New York-style brasserie

While the Trader House Group remains tight-lipped,Andrew McConnell’s grand dining roomGimlet is a certified celebrity magnet. Perhaps Swift’ll swing by the private room for aGood Food-approved post-show cheeseburger from the late-night supper menu. With its New Yorkclassic thing that she likes,we would be more surprised if Swiftdoesn’t eat at Gimlet while she’s here.

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Another contender is the grandReine&La Rue,housed in theGold Rush-era former stock exchange. With its soaring ceilings,stained-glass windows and seafood on ice,it’s aGorgeous pick.

Speaking of French,we wouldn’t be too shocked to see Swift visitFrance-Soireither. The old-school South Yarra charmer has been catering to A-listers,including mutual fanBruce Springsteen,since 1986,and itnever goes out of style.

The sushi spot

Swift and boyfriend Travis Kelce were spotted at aNobuin New York in December,and – at the risk of this list reading like an advertorial for Crown – there’s also an outpost of the glitzy Japanese restaurant chain at the Melbourne casino. A Nobu visit seems likely – we strongly suspect Swift and her entourage will be staying at Crown Towers – but if Swift is keen to try one of our home-grown establishments,glitzy inner-city celebrity favouriteKisume and South Yarra’sYugen Diningboth provide the kind of slick,modern Japanese menu she seems to go for (and have private rooms,although the former’s is in a gilded cage which will surely make all the tables turn).

The seafood restaurant

Speaking of raw fish and rice,discreet,backstreet three-hattedMinamishima in Richmond is the obvious pick of the city’s omakase restaurants. But for aLover-coded room with a view and stunning seafood,it has to be theStokehouse and its premium platter with scallops and lobster. Also in St Kilda,Donovans beachfront location and American coastal decor might remind Swift of her house in the Hamptons. However,hattedPipis Kioskin Albert Park is the smarter idea to avoid paparazzi whilewearing a nice dress,staring at the sunset.

The Wildest Dreams wildcard

There’s every chance Swift willget out of this town,drive out of the city,away from the crowds,and shack up in a Portsea mansion with a private chef and helipad,just like Leo,in Saint-Tropez. If so,it would be a shame not to book at least one lunch atOsteria Tedesca in Red Hill – the farmhouse-style kitchen-dining room would be right up her alley.

Back in the city,if we had anotherBlank Space,we’re going to take a punt onSociety, given it has a private lift with direct access to The Green Room,replete with a private kitchen and bar,where Swift can down Caviar Martinis,lobster tarts and oysters with blood orange and marjoram dressing (or should that beMarjorie dressing?).

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