We Think We Know The Bar Taylor Swift References In The Black Dog

On April 19, Taylor Swift released her 11th studio album: "The Tortured Poets Department" (or "TTPD"). The standard version contains 16 songs. While "The Black Dog" was originally marketed as a vinyl variant bonus track, it became the album-opener for a "2 a.m. surprise" that Swift shared on Instagram: a double album. The second installment of "TTPD," known as "The Anthology," includes 15 more tracks, with "The Black Dog" setting the scene.

The song begins with the realization that an old flame forgot to stop sharing their phone's location with Swift. As the lyrics say, "And so I watch as you walk into some bar called The Black Dog and pierce new holes in my heart." Understandably, this information sent Swifties into a frenzy, with many quickly pinpointing the London bar they believe inspired the lyrics.

Two American Swifties studying abroad in London — Maddie Essig and Jenna Spackey — spoke with CNN Travel while sitting in The Black Dog. Essig noted that Swift and her former long-term boyfriend Joe Alwyn "spent a lot of time in London," adding that she "figured it would be around here somewhere." Located at 112 Vauxhall Walk, the South London pub is just a tube ride away if you're in the heart of the city, and its popularity has skyrocketed after Swift's apparent namedrop.

The Black Dog's events and social manager, Lily Bottomley, told Yahoo Entertainment on April 23 that the establishment is embracing the influx of Taylor Swift fans. Following the album release, The Black Dog added "Taylor's Versions" of cocktails and customized its menu to include options like "the Swift Burger." The bar even added a photo op for fans, with Bottomley saying, "We have the lyrics of 'The Black Dog' on the side of our pub," noting that it now has a constant flow of "about 10 to 20 people out there all the time." The pub has also used this unexpected popularity to start selling merch.

According to The Black Dog's (seemingly new) TikTok account, its merch drop is imminent, and fans can sign up to get notified. Humorously, a TikTok from April 19 shows one of the pub's employees frantically checking security footage to decipher if Swift's song is about Joe Alwyn or 1975 singer Matty Healy, an apparent summer fling who occupied more space on "TTPD" than fans anticipated.

While the singer's discography often uses cities like London and New York as backdrops, it's unclear if Swift herself has ever really eaten at this London pub. Fortunately, lore aside, The Black Dog's menu seems like enough to warrant a visit. Of course, if London is too far, our list of Taylor Swift's go-to NYC restaurants provides some great Stateside options.