Taylor Swift may rank as a demigoddess, but that doesn’t stop her from going to dinner or drinks like — sheesh — a pleb. As Toronto readies for a Swiftian onslaught, we take stock of the places she may grace with her presence during her Toronto Eras stop.
Here are six spots that have a good shot of making the grade.
Bar Prima, 1136 Queen St W.
Karma is … a gold-leafed ceiling?! Bar Prima promises a glamorous night, one that evokes old-school ristorante while giving Queen West insouciance (think: red velvet drapery, deep blue upholstery and a marble floor taken from the pattern that once covered the Rome residence of American artist Cy Twombly). Named this week to the annual Air Canada list of Best New Restaurants, Bar Prima also happens to boast a menu similar to the way popular Via Carota in New York, one of Swift’s Manhattan go-tos. “Scallops Rockefeller,” anyone?
Opus, 37 Prince Arthur Ave.
If past is prologue, Opus — located a quietly leafy lane north of Bloor — might be just the place to Swift-watch. The superstar had dinner here during TIFF two years ago, quietly entering through a side entrance. This white tablecloth joint has been attracting a genteel crowd for 32 years, with no shortage of celebs (Al Pacino and Robin Williams, among them). The menu gives ‘90s retro: think seared foie gras with maple apple and black-pepper crusted tuna loin with beurre blanc. Wine-lovers, rejoice: you can toast your Taylor spotting with a bottle from one of the finest cellars in the country.
Linny’s, 176 Ossington Ave.
Schnitzel, blintzes, and mid-century mod — all wrapped up in a restaurant project immersed in a kind of gauzy nostalgia that the best Swiftian lyrics traffic in (“Lord, what will become of me / Once I’ve lost my novelty?”). The months-old Linny’s, which remains one of the hardest reservations to land, is a memory box of a deli/steak house with requisite Mrs. Maisel vibes. What really stands out, though, is its heart: Linny’s is named for the late mother of David Schwartz, one of the hottest young chefs in Toronto. (Hey, Taylor: may we humbly suggest that you also checking out Bar Bowie — underneath a laundromat! — just next door.)
Adrak, 138 Avenue Rd.
“I’m starting to open up to Indian cuisine,” Travis Kelce revealed on his podcast with his brother, Jason, last month, explaining how his uber-famous girlfriend has been expanding his palate. “I know, my girl Tay is getting you opened up,” Jason said, to which Travis replied, “She is.” In Toronto, the couple could continue Kelce’s education together at the swishiest Indian restaurant in town: the Michelin-recommended Adrak. Shaped to resemble a Raj-era train, complete with splendid archways, Adrak is a celebrity magnet that serves splendid food, including crispy onion bhajia and chicken biryani, baked under puff pastry, and served tableside.
Sushi Yugen, 150 York St.
You might think Taylor will show at the hoppin’ new Nobu in Toronto (she has visited various Nobus before) … but perhaps that’s too obvious? Our betting money is on Sushi Yugen, a newish restaurant tucked away in a corner of a downtown tower lobby that lives up the spirit of those famously hidden counters in Tokyo. It’s actually a counter within a counter: split into a 12-seat “sushi counter” and a smaller “chef’s counter,” where its 16-20 courses lean toward both kaiseki-ish and sushi. It presents as a temple to simplicity and features the kind of visually arresting dishes that will appeal to Tortured Poets everywhere.
Lee’s Palace, 529 Bloor St W.
“You wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me,” sings Swift in a line that’s inspired a trillion memes. Sure … but would any of her diehards actually survive her showing up to a “Taylor Swift Dance Party” happening at Lee’s Palace smack dab during her Toronto dates (The “ERAS 1989 Edition” dance party, to be specific). A cameo would, no doubt, put them over the edge in this historic concert hall which actually began as a movie theatre in 1919 (a Gloria Swanson film kicked things off!). After being briefly rechristened as Blue Orchid (when it ran drag shows — in the 1960s!), Lee’s Palace has hosted everyone from the Tragically Hip, who played one of their first concerts here, to Nirvana and Oasis.
Estiatorio Milos, 330 Bay St.
“Champagne Problems.” Yes, that’s the name of an actual Swift song, and it’s also the state of the mind at the all-new Milos in town, located in a historic building in the Financial District. The restaurant is the vision of Costas Spiliadis, who opened his iconic Greek eatery in Montreal, and later expanded everywhere from Cabo to Singapore; Spiliadis introduced his latest, spiffy new restaurant here in Toronto via a slew of hush-hush TIFF parties. (Opa — it’s everyone from Francis Ford Coppola to Demi Moore.) If it’s good enough for Drake, who was spotted there earlier this fall, surely, it’s good enough for Tay?
Soho House, 192 Adelaide St. W.
“You want to go in for one?” Julia Roberts asked Taylor Swift, 11 years ago, during a meeting of the megastars at TIFF outside the storied private members’ club. “Are you kidding? I’m dying to,” Taylor responded. The two icons proceeded to drum up some multi-gen wattage, with Swift later settling into a banquette with her then-beau Joe Alwyn. Taylor is a longtime Soho House fan — she and Travis Kelce visited Nashville’s outpost earlier this year. Bank on an Eras era stop.
