Taylor’s ‘haunted’ London map: Where singer frolicked with British exes

She may have said so long to London in her latest album – but Taylor Swift is set to rekindle her love affair with the city later this month.

The pop sensation, 34, is performing three consecutive nights at Wembley Stadium from 21 June as part of her Eras Tour, which has grossed over $1bn worldwide. 

The star will then return in August to play a further five sold-out shows, which will be attended by over 450,000 Swifties. 

However, the star – who previously professed her love for ‘London Boy’ Joe Alwyn – has a long-standing and complicated history with the UK’s capital city.

Taylor is first referenced London in her 2012 song ‘Come Back… Be Here’ where she pines after a mystery man, singing: ‘You’re in London and I break down ’cause it’s not fair that you’re not around.’  

The singer, who smashed streaming records with her 13th album Tortured Poets Department in April, is believed to have first become acquainted with the city in 2012 when she was dating Robert F. Kennedy’s grandson Conor.

The star then moved to London in 2017 in the early days of her relationship with her actor ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn.

Over the next six years, Taylor – who is reportedly staying in the Cotswolds during the UK leg of her tour – developed a handful of favourite haunts across the city, including a rather unlikely kebab shop in Kentish Town. 

Here FEMAIL reveals Taylor’s guide to London, which is ‘haunted’ by her famous British ex-boyfriends.

1. Crouch End – rumoured Covid Lockdown home

In her 2019 song ‘London Boy’, Taylor listed off her top boroughs and must-visit tourist locations – but opted to keep one location private.

Despite crooning about her love of Highgate, North-East London, Taylor actually spent a time living in nearby Crouch End. 

Following her fallout with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West in November 2016, Taylor is believed to have moved into her ex-boyfriend’s flat in North London, which also counts Gillian Anderson, David Tennant and James McAvoy among its celebrity residents.

A source told the The Sun in May 2017: ‘She’s been walking around with Joe in London using disguises, like scarves and hats, to keep her identity under wraps. 

‘Nobody has a clue they’ve been walking past a music superstar. Not even her new neighbours.’ 

The following year, the singer began working on her album Lover and recorded the songs Daylight and London Boy at Metropolis Studios in Chiswick. 

In March 2021, The Daily Mail’s showbiz editor Katie Hint reported that Taylor and Joe Alwyn had ‘spent much of lockdown at his flat in Crouch End’ before the couple moved to nearby Primrose Hill.

2. Primrose Hill – £7m Townhouse with Joe Alwyn 

That same month, it was revealed that Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn had moved into a six-bedroom townhouse in the leafy North London borough.

However, the move risked some potentially awkward run-ins for Taylor – as her ex-boyfriend Harry Styles wasn’t far away in Hampstead while Tom Hiddleston, who she dated in summer 2016, was believed to live a mile from the couple. 

A source told the Mail at the time: ‘Lockdown has changed a lot of things for Taylor and Joe, so they will be spending longer in London than they were initially going to.

‘Therefore, they thought it was perhaps time to find themselves somewhere a little more spacious.’

It was reported that the couple were renting the four-storey, six-bedroom townhouse close to where Joe grew up. 

Primrose Hill became notorious in the late Nineties and early Noughties as a hotbed of wild partying thanks to a coterie of hard-living locals that included Noel Gallagher, Kate Moss, Sadie Frost and Jude Law. More recent homebuyers include Claire Foy and Vanessa Kirby. 

3. Alice’s, Portobello Road – shopping spree for ex

When Taylor was first becoming acquainted with the city in 2012, the singer – who had just released her album Red – paid a visit to Portobello Road in Notting Hill.

According to The Sun, Taylor went on a shopping spree in the antique shop Alice’s with her ex-boyfriend in mind – and would no doubt be ‘haunted’ by the location now.

At the time, the star was dating Conor Kennedy, who is the grandson of the late Robert F. Kennedy. 

The publication reported: ‘She wandered into Alice’s and dropped £30,000 then went up the road and spent another £20,000.’

According to the report, Taylor was only in the antique shop for ‘five minutes’ and bought him a ‘drawing of a shark, some old medicine bottles and a pinball machine’.

The couple enjoyed a summer of love in 2012 before going their separate ways that September. 

In 2019, author J. Randy Taraborrelli wrote in his book ‘The Kennedy Heirs’ that Conor got ‘nervous’ when Taylor purchased a $5 million home near the Kennedy family compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.

‘Conor liked Taylor, don’t get me wrong,’ Kennedy’s friend told the author, as reported by Us Weekly.

‘But this business of her buying the house on the Cape made him nervous. It seemed as if she was getting a little too attached, spending five million bucks on a house just to be near the guy.’ 

 4. Hampstead Heath – ‘favourite walking spot’

In her devastating song ‘So Long, London’, Taylor appears to reference the end of her relationship with Joe, singing: ‘I left all I knew, you left me at the house by the Heath.’

However, the couple did seem to enjoy happier times in this part of London and were spotted going on romantic walks round Hampstead Heath.

The area – which spans 320 hectares – separates Highgate and Hampstead, which are two areas referenced in Swift’s discography. 

Ahead of the Eras Tour, Tour company ToursByLocals are now offering a Taylor Swift walking tour, which will include Hampstead Heath.

Around the time Taylor and Joe were living in this area of London, the pop star told a crowd of 90,000 fans at Wembley that the city felt like a ‘second home’.

Speaking to the Evening Standard in 2019, Joe opened up about how important Hampstead Heath was to him and said he ‘tries to walk everywhere’ in the city.

When asked where he would like to be buried, the Conversations with Friends actor said: ‘I’d be cremated and have my ashes scattered on Hampstead Heath, for all the dog walkers.’ 

5. Highgate – Joe’s childhood home

In her 2019, Taylor famously name-dropped Highgate as one of her favourite areas in the song ‘London Boy’, which appeared on the album Lover.

She sings: ‘Took me back to Highgate, met all of his best mates.

‘So I guess all the rumours are true, you know I love a London boy’. 

Later that year, Taylor’s then-boyfriend gushed about his love of Highgate and said he’d like to be buried in the cemetery there if he isn’t scattered over Hampstead Heath.

He said: ‘Highgate Cemetery is really beautiful.’ 

6. The Spaniards Inn – romantic date spot with Joe

In February 2019, Taylor and Joe made a rare public appearance when they were pictured leaving The Spaniards Inn in Hampstead. 

Taylor wrapped up against the chilly winter winds by wearing a red scarf over her head, while she slipped on a black longline jacket over sleek grey trousers. 

Joe looked sharp in a black and yellow print coat which he over his muscular torso and paired it with a grey jumper and black straight-leg jeans.

The month before, the actor had given an interview where he said he didn’t think their relationship should have been seen as ‘strangely private’ as fans were interpreting it.

He said: ‘I don’t think anyone you meet on the streets would just spill their guts out to you, and therefore why should I?

‘And then that is defined as being “strangely private”. Fine. But I don’t think it is. I think it’s normal.’ 

The pub is one of the oldest watering holes in London and is also one of Harry Styles’ favourite spots.

In 2014, As It Was singer chose the pub to celebrate his 20th birthday with his mum, sister and hairdresser – two years after he was linked to Taylor. 

Last year, Cat Deeley was pictured enjoying a date with husband Patrick Kielty at the pub – while Richard and Judy have been spotted there several times over the years.

7. ‘I enjoy walking Camden Market in the afternoon’

Camden was another area of the Big Smoke that got a shoutout in the song ‘London Boy’ in 2019.

In the song, which features Idris Elba, Taylor sings: ‘I enjoy walking Camden Market in the afternoon.’ 

As a result of this plug, some Camden Market stalls have been taking advantage of the increased number of Swifties visiting the area.

On TikTok, there are currently over 12.2 million videos of people visiting Camden to pick up ‘Taylor Swift jackets’ – featuring illustrations of the star and artwork inspired by her albums.

8. Kentish Delight Kebab Shop 

In October 2017, Taylor filmed the music video for End Game in London, which briefly featured the Kentish Delight Kebab Shop.

After filming wrapped, Taylor ordered a £7.50 chicken kebab and ordered extra chilli.

When the Mail on Sunday’s Diary Editor Charlotte Griffiths visited the following week, the owners informed her that they had named a kebab after the star.

The Swift Kebab features cubes of meat with garlic, turmeric, paprika and a mystery ingredient. 

Following this, Taylor became a regular at the modest kebab shop and the owners have proudly showed off their connection to the pop icon by taping a selfie the singer took onto the window along with a ‘Swift Kebab’ poster showing Taylor in the joint on multiple different occasions. 

Earlier this year, TikTok user Emily Talbut sent her followers wild when she visited Kentish Delight and posted about her experience on the video-sharing app.

The TikTok caption explained the link between the singer and the kebab joint. Emily wrote: ‘Taylor Swift filmed at this kebab shop for her endgame music video, so we HAD to take a visit.

‘The guy working there said she actually came a lot before the video as it was her boyfriend’s favourite and that she was so lovely every time. #taylorswift #londonboy #swiftie #londonlife #londontiktok #swifties’.’

When responding to a question on whether Emily asked about Taylor Swift’s order, the TikToker added: ‘He just said they’d order a bunch of food to take home.

‘But that she came there a lot before she filmed the music video there and was always lovely!’

9. Laylow Club, Notting Hill – celebrity hang-out

In January 2023, Taylor Swift was seen leaving the Laylow Club in Notting Hill under an umbrella to shield herself from the paparazzi outside.

The private members club has a South American-inspired restaurant and often has musical artists in residence. 

The star appears to have enjoyed an evening rubbing shoulders with Cameron Diaz, Lena Dunham, Stella McCartney and Sacha Baron Cohen, sparking rumours they were all working on a project together.

Lena Dunham appeared in Taylor’s 2015 Bad Blood music video and dated Taylor’s friend and co-producer Jack Antonoff for five years until 2018.

What’s more, the singer has worn multiple Stella McCartney designs over the years – including the lookbook she created for the Lover album.

10. The Groucho Club, Soho

In February 2013, Taylor was spotted leaving the Groucho Club in Soho with British singer-songwriter Tom Odell, whom she was reportedly on a date with.

The pair had been spotted deep in conversation at The Brit Awards before heading out together the following evening.  

The Groucho Club was originally conceived in the 1980s as a bohemian antidote to the stuffiness of traditional private members’ club.

The establishment was the brainchild of a group of publishers including Carmen Callil, Ed Victor and Liz Calder and literary agent Michael Sissons, who wanted somewhere comfortable, intimate and stylish to meet, work and socialise.

The venue was once Gennaro’s, an Italian restaurant where royalty dined alongside opera stars, but had fallen into disrepair years before it became The Groucho Club in 1984.

According to the official Groucho Club history, there were also ‘tales of dark deeds’ at the building, including a shooting in one of the rooms which is said to be haunted to this day.

Other high-profile members include Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, Kate Moss, Courtney Love and Sienna Miller.

11 + 12. Shoreditch & Brixton

Elsewhere in her song ‘London Boy’, Taylor referenced how she enjoyed exploring Shoreditch and Brixton.

She sang: ‘I enjoy nights in Brixton, Shoreditch in the afternoon.’ 

In 2019, the song came under fire from critics who argued Taylor couldn’t possibly fit all the London sites she references into one day.

Appearing on BBC Radio 1, Taylor explained: ‘This is supposed to happen over the space of three years.

‘Somebody told me, “They think you’re talking about one day”, and I was like, “Oh no, you’d never make it. You wouldn’t make it. You’d make it in three years!”‘

13. The Black Dog pub, Vauxhall

On her latest album The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor Swift name checks the pub The Black Dog, which Joe Alwyn is believed to have visited in the wake of their split.

Describing the end of a relationship, Taylor sings: ‘I am someone who, until recent events, You shared your secrets with,

‘And your [phone] location, You forgot to turn it off,

‘And so I watch as you walk, Into some bar called The Black Dog.’

Although the new-found fame resulted in booming business for the beer house, the hoards of fans have also forced the Vauxhall pub to hire more security staff and buy in more branded glasses. 

They’ve also had to repaint the walls of their toilets because fans of the American singer have been scrawling messages including ‘We love TS’ in the cubicles. 

The business is still cashing on its fame and has launched official merchandise including hoodies, caps and t shirts with the pub’s logo. 

Fans flocked after the album was released and eagle-eared Swifities noticed the reference to the Victorian-era pub. 

The pub has become so popular, it has now overtaken traditional London landmarks in terms of popularity. 

Research has revealed that the local pub has outperformed Buckingham Palace and Tower Bridge in terms of Google Searches.

The popularity has left pub staff searching for more than 100 missing pint glasses which turn up on eBay, being bought and sold by die-hard fans.

Other fans of the American pop superstar have put a food menu and a pub business card on the auction website. 

14. Casa Cruz in Notting Hill

Earlier this month, Taylor Swift was spotted enjoying a night out with friends at the Argentinean restaurant Casa Cruz in Notting Hill. 

The songstress was joined by her old friends Lena Dunham and Cara Delevingne as well as Kate Moss, Stella McCartney, Phoebe Waller Bridge and Andrew Scott.

The star – who looked elegant in a velvet trousers and matching corset and a grey checked coat – was also seen walking into the exclusive London venue with Este and Danielle Haim.

The London restaurant was where Rita Ora held her 30th birthday celebrations during the pandemic, promoting the star to apologise for her ‘inexcusable error of judgement’. 

As a result, the Notting Hill restaurant had its licence suspended for six weeks for flouting social distancing rules.

Other high-profile fans of the restaurant include Princess Eugenie and Natalie Pinkham and Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra.

On a typical A La Carte menu, the restaurant charges £48 for a slow-cooked lamb shoulder, £50 for a beef fillet steak and £25 for a plate of potato gnocchi. 

The Bad Blood hitmaker kicked off her UK tour in Edinburgh on June 7, followed by Liverpool, Cardiff, and a slew of live gigs in London between June and August.

Taylor has reportedly booked a £3.3million cottage in the Cotswolds where she will stay during the UK leg of her legendary Eras tour.

Swapping the tranquil countryside for the swanky city, it seems also her NFL star boyfriend Travis Kelce will be ‘joining her for a getaway’.

‘Taylor has booked the cottage while she is over in the UK,’ a source told The Sun.

‘She wants a place to unwind away from the tour and the countryside is her happy place.’

‘Taylor loves dressing up in sequins on stage but is most at home in muddy boots in the fresh air.’

Taylor’s unprecedented successful tour is said to boost the economy by almost £1billion with her 15 shows – yet fans are struggling with Airbnb’s prices on the rise during the dates.

The average cost per night in Edinburgh is roughly £769 per night – but the weekend before it’s £237.88, making it a 223% increase throughout the weekend of her tour dates, as per The Mirror.

Edinburgh proved to skyrocket with prices above any other date, but also the cost of Airbnb in Liverpool went from £99.64 a night to £202.59 for the gigs’ dates, with costs hiking more than double.

The ‘least damage’ is said to be in Cardiff – also her only live show in the city – where Airbnb see a %18 increase from £185.07 to £156.44.