Vauxhall pub The Black Dog recently saw a phenomenal boost in custom after Taylor Swift gave it a mention on her new album, The Tortured Poets Department (though it's not confirmed that this is the place she means when she sings about "some bar called The Black Dog").
It got us thinking, are there any other pubs in London that the world's biggest pop star might wish to namecheck? Here are a few suggestions:
The White Horse: Swift already had one of London's most famous pubs on her setlist, albeit coincidentally. Her song White Horse, from her second album back in 2008, shares its name with the Parson's Green cornerhouse popularly known as the Sloaney Pony. Her lyrics about tarnished dreams and broken hearts are clearly not a commentary on the craft ales and seasonal dishes of SW6.
The Florence: The recently revamped Herne Hill stalwart has a classy interior befitting a music star. A Swiftian nod could also be seen as a tribute to Florence Welch (+ Machine) who co-wrote and appears on the rather catchy song Florida!!! from The Tortured Poets Department.
Red Hand: Red is both an album and song title, one of many times Swift references colour in her work. See also Maroon, Lavender Haze, White Horse, Black Dog, and dozens of lyrics within her tunes. Alas, we don't know of any pubs still in business which reference the rainbow in their names, so we'll stick with Dalston's Red Hand.
The (Four) Thieves: We reckon Taylor would love this enigmatically named, fun-lovin' Battersea pub. It'd fit right in with her lyrics to Long Live: "for a moment, a band of thieves in ripped up jeans got to rule the world".
The Ivy (House): "How's one to know? I'd meet you where the spirit meets the bones," sings Swift in the opening lines to Ivy, a song off 2020's Evermore. Bones? Ivy? Spirits? She must be singing about community pub The Ivy House, which sits at the foot of Nunhead Cemetery and — we can attest from personal experience — definitely does sell spirits.
The Castle, The Edinboro Castle, The Dublin Castle, The Pembroke Castle, The Windsor Castle: Swift feels "all my castles crumbling" in her From The Vault track on Speak Now: Taylor's Version. London has many a pub named after a castle. Not sure we'd like this one realised in real life, though.
The London (Boy) Apprentice: Though the song's a bit taboo among Swifties now, having been written about Swift's now-ex Joe Alwyn, London Boy offered a solid tour around the capital, and the London Apprentice springs to mind.
The Actress: The somewhat-controversial lyrics to Better Than Revenge were altered for the 2023 re-release of the Speak Now album, when "she's better known for the things that she does on the mattress" became "he was a moth to the flame, she was holding the matches". One thing that didn't change though, was the song's protagonist, identified simply as "an actress". East Dulwich pub The Actress is slightly less coy: though its namesake isn't explicitly named, the huge mural on one wall gives her a face, at least.
The Captain (You're On Your Own) Kid(d): With tourist-luring boozers the Prospect of Whitby and the Town of Ramsgate a short walk away, plus the Wapping Tavern and Turner's Old Star nearby, The Captain Kidd could hardly be described as lonely. Yet the seafarer from whom the pub gets its name lost much of his crew and faced threats of mutiny — so reckon he'd have a deep and meaningful connection to the lyrics of You're On Your Own, Kid(d).
Drop (Everything Now) Project: Eco-conscious Mitcham brewery Drop Project puts us in mind of the line "Drop everything now!" from Sparks Fly. Interestingly, we described it thus: "You must catch the enchanted tram ['Enchanted' being another of Swift's songs], cross the roaring road, navigate the fly-tipped woods ['Out of the Woods' is another Taylor song] and traverse the eerily empty industrial estate [as far as we're aware, industrial estates don't feature anywhere in Swift's repertoire to date]." For another nod to Sparks Fly, see the now-defunct Spark House.
(Coney) Island Queen: The fun of the fair it certainly isn't on downbeat track Coney Island, but Islington pub Island Queen is a bit more upbeat: parlour palm-style plants give it an almost tropical vibe.
Alice (In Wonderland) House: "Took a wrong turn and we fell down a rabbit hole" croons Swift on Wonderland, a track from her album 1989, and though she never explicitly mentions the Lewis Carroll books, the nods are there ("haven't you heard what becomes of curious minds?"...). The two Alice House bars in West Hampstead and Queen's Par are rather more straight-laced — think upper-end gastropub with a focus on wines.
The (Miss Americana and the Heartbreak) Prince: Several pubs in London make reference to various regal sons, including the simply-named The Prince in Wood Green. No stateside leanings here though — it's all modern British fare, and a range of ales, porters and ciders.
The Water (Tortured Poets Department): This much-missed legendary Spitalfields venue would have been an ideal place to celebrate the release of The Tortured Poets Department.
