In anticipation of Taylor Swift’s new album, The Life Of A Showgirl (releasing Friday 3 October, 2025), we’ve studied the TS12 tracklist and paired each song with its matching Sydney venue based on vibe, decor, and other fun Easter eggs.
From CBD restaurants serving glitz and glam to romantic bars where you may well and truly ruin the friendship, these are the Sydney venues that perfectly capture the spirit of each TS12 track.
Jump to
- The Fate Of Ophelia
- Elizabeth Taylor
- Opalite
- Father Figure
- Eldest Daughter
- Ruin The Friendship
- Actually Romantic
- Wi$h Li$t
- Wood
- Cancelled!
- Honey
- The Life Of A Showgirl
The Fate Of Ophelia = Icebergs Dining Room & Bar
1 Notts Avenue, Bondi Beach
Image credit: Icebergs Dining Room & Bar | Website
The opening track of The Life Of A Showgirl, named The Fate Of Ophelia, references Shakespeare’s heroine in Hamlet, who plunges into water. Channelling that same high drama, Icebergs Dining Room & Bar boasts floor-to-ceiling glass windows framing crashing waves beneath.
There’s also a whole theatre of showstopping dishes like whole rock lobster spaghetti and a salt-crusted 150-day grain-fed rib eye, with flavours every bit as bold and layered as a Shakespearean play.
Elizabeth Taylor = Poly
74–76 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: Poly | Website
Track two, Elizabeth Taylor, is named after the late English-American actress who defined Hollywood cinema in the ‘40s and ‘50s. To mirror the glamour of the golden-age starlet, it only feels right to pair this hit with a restaurant in Surry Hills’ Hollywood Quarter.
Poly (from the ancient Greek word for “many”) lives up to its name with many layers, doubling as a moody wine bar and a stage for acclaimed chef Mat Lindsay’s ever-evolving menu. This layered dining concept parallels our prediction that Taylor will weave her own life into the story of Elizabeth Taylor—aka two Taylors.
You’ll also find Poly sitting on the ground floor of Paramount House—another cheeky nod to the legendary film studio that has shaped Hollywood history, just like Elizabeth Taylor. We rest our case.
Opalite = Poetica Bar & Grill
Mezzanine Level/1 Denison Street, North Sydney
Image credit: Poetica Bar & Grill | Anson Smart & Nicole England
No doubt about it, Poetica Bar & Grill is a spot-on match to Opalite with shiny modern interiors, a curved teal bar and floating pendant lights. The North Sydney restaurant’s ethereal vibe is met with premium cuts of meat cooked over fire in a charcoal Josper grill, alongside fresh seafood platters and seasonal vegetable-centred dishes.
Pair with a pick off the 700-bottle-strong wine list or a cocktail like the Bad Blood-esque Bloody Shiraz Spritz—a nod to one of the many great hits co-produced by Max Martin and Shellback, who have collaborated with Swift again on The Life Of A Showgirl.
Father Figure = Gran Torino
24 Bay Street, Double Bay
Image credit: Gran Torino | Yusuke Oba
Owned by Neil Perry—the father figure of modern Australian cuisine—Gran Torino is the counterpart to T-Swift’s song Father Figure. Perry is behind some of Sydney’s most celebrated venues, from the refined Margaret to its neighbouring wine bar Next Door, and cult-favourite bakery Baker Bleu.
His latest venture, Gran Torino, reimagines his former Cantonese spot Song Bird as a full-bodied Italian restaurant in Double Bay. The space leans into Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather with vintage black-and-white photos hung on a ribbed feature wall and plush booths perfect for twirling tagliatelle alla bolognese and taking a few pistachio cannoli.
Eldest Daughter = Jane
478 Bourke Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: Jane | Luchetti Krelle
Sister venue to Arthur in Surry Hills, Jane is the eldest daughter of acclaimed chef-owner Tristan Rosier’s trio of venues. The Australiana menu showcases native and locally-grown produce in a stellar lineup of dishes spanning harissa kangaroo tartare, chilli saltbush lamb dumplings, spanner crab brioche toast with finger lime and Daintree chocolate cake. And like any eldest daughter, Jane is a reliable go-to.
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Ruin The Friendship = Conte
151 Clarence Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Conte | Instagram
Friendships are ruined because relationships flourish at this romantic Sydney CBD spot. Conte is a Negroni bar and Italian restaurant with enough star power to turn enemies to lovers. It’s the kind of place you might take a work colleague if you're aiming to ruin the friendship, but in the best way possible. Think mood lighting, rosy Negronis and an aphrodisiac-lined menu from oysters and caviar to cheeses and chocolate cremoux, with plenty of handmade pasta in between.
Actually Romantic = Love, Tilly Devine
91 Crown Lane, Darlinghurst
Image credit: Love, Tilly Devine | Instagram
Love, Tilly Devine is our actually romantic equivalent. This intimate, European wine bar hidden down a laneway in Darlinghurst is ideal for date night, serving up cosy interiors and shareable antipasti plates. There’s also a seriously loaded drinks list filled with natural, priceless wine from up-and-coming producers, and classic cocktails like Tilly’s Old Fashioned, which, as Tay Tay would say, "I knew it from the first Old Fashioned, we were cursed."
Wi$h Li$t = Oncore By Clare Smyth
Crown Sydney, Level 26/1 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo
Image credit: Oncore by Clare Smyth | Supplied
Oncore by Clare Smyth should be on every Sydneysider’s wish list when it comes to visiting the best restaurants in Sydney. Smyth is the first and only British female chef to score three Michelin stars in the UK, and has brought her eponymous London restaurant to Australia with a luxe outpost in Barangaroo’s Crown Sydney.
Dining here will set you back more than two dollar signs, but it’s totally worth it for the sweeping city views from 26 levels up. Oncore offers $395 classic and $370 seasonal degustation menus using locally-sourced produce, with optional wine pairings for $250—a must-do for celebrating special occasions like the new Taylor Swift album drop.
Wood = Woodcut
Crown Sydney, Level 1, Ground/1 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo
Image credit: Woodcut | Supplied
This one’s pretty straightforward, but Woodcut is a clear contender for the Sydney venue embodiment of Taylor Swift’s song Wood. Located on the ground level of Crown Sydney, the open kitchen showcases chefs infusing the best Australian produce with earthy, charcoal flavours by cooking over open flames and in wood-burning ovens.
On the menu, you’ll find premium ash-grilled meats, top-tier seafood and inventive vegetarian dishes and desserts, alongside signature cocktails inspired by steam, fire, smoke and ice.
Cancelled! = Cantina OK!
Council Place, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Cantina OK! | Instagram
Cantina OK! is far from being cancelled, but its margarita spin-offs disappear from the menu just as swiftly as a cancelled pop culture moment. The bar also has an obvious grammatical similarity to Cancelled!, being that iconic exclamation mark. Plus, you have to go searching for this micro mezcal hideout among Sydney CBD’s many alleyways, just like Taylor’s mysterious Easter eggs. This one's walk-ins only.
Honey = The Charles Brasserie & Bar
66 King Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: The Charles Brasserie & Bar | Instagram
The layered Russian honey cake from The Charles Brasserie & Bar is exactly what we want to eat when we hear Honey for the first time. The Charles’ luxe dessert trolley glides around the grand dining room, offering a whole range of sweet treats after you’ve filled your belly with fabulous French fare. And to add to the ambience, the lighting here gives off a warm honey glow.
The Life Of A Showgirl = Shell House
37 Margaret Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Shell House | Website
Probably the most anticipated song, The Life Of A Showgirl, is the grand finale to Taylor Swift’s new album, and in exciting news, it features Sabrina Carpenter—a major win for glitter gel pen lyric lovers. Another collaboration of sorts, Sydney CBD’s Shell House stretches across four distinct venues over three levels—and guess what, 4 x 3 = 12, the perfect nod to track twelve if we do say so ourselves.
Shell House is glitzy, theatrical, and built for a big finish, plus with its orange interiors and lighting echoing TS12’s orange theme, this Sydney venue feels like the ultimate embodiment of The Life Of A Showgirl.
Looking for more Swiftie fun? Check out the best Taylor Swift-themed events in Sydney.
Main image credit: Taylor Swift and Icebergs Dining Room & Bar
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