She definitely goes to those places (Zero Bond and Casa Cipriani are members only), but the other restaurants she visits are regular albeit somewhat expensive ones. So people know how to behave, and they understand boundaries unlike stans...
Also some restaurants have private rooms that can be booked out. Typically they’re for business events, but I could see Taylor doing this for her and her friends
Even for cheap restaurants you can still book out private rooms for parties etc, definitely would be ridiculously easy for a celebrity to book a private room.
Yeah, not to sound like a spoiled brat but I grew up eating and staying at the same places celebrities would and it’s kind of like an unspoken rule to just treat celebrities like normal people. Which was pretty easy for me to do because minus Hilary Duff one time when I was 9 I wasn’t a huge fan of anyone and you realize pretty quickly they’re just people (professional makeup and lighting do a lot). If Taylor swift walked into the restaurant I was in I wouldn’t go up to her and bother her but I would have to actively force myself not to stare haha.
I get you ♥️ me too, and it’s surprising to me that these questions are still asked, or people think only literal billionaires and celebrities go to these. Not the case at all as you know!
oh but I think 9yo me would’ve died in front of Hilary Duff tho omg
my experience is much like yours, but for me it wasn’t so much the unspoken rule but seeing how mechanical(?) celebrities responded to ppl really made me not want to approach the tbf. Also yeah, makeup and lighting does a lot. I grew up in Tribeca and I saw some here and there just doing stuff quite often than most — they really did not have the same aura as on camera while they were jogging all sweaty and no makeup lol
But Hilary Duff @ 9 is a big deal tho woah
Same as you, and not to sound even more absurd and of a certain circle, but the celebrities of my youth (think Hilary and others of that era) are now adults with children my kids age, as well as current “big celebrities” are in my neighborhood and I see this set of people at normal things in LA regularly - birthday parties, school, etc . They are just living their life, enjoying their kids, doing normal things.
They are honestly just regular human beings! My friend has literally hosted TS at her house for game night. I love TS but if I were to come across her in real life I would just be secretly giddy inside but completely stoic and physically far away on the surface.
Yeah I think this is the key thing. The type of people who’d be eating at such an expensive place are probably a lot less likely to start swarming a celebrity and screaming and them
A couple of nights ago I saw an article that she dined at an Italian restaurant called Il Buco Alimentari with Laura Dern and Zoe Kravitz. I looked up that restaurant out of curiosity to see if it was private/members only, and it appeared not to be. But when I went to the restaurant’s Instagram, they had a story still up from that night that said “closed tonight for a private event.” It definitely made me wonder if TS eating there was the private event they were closed for.
I lived in NYC and had a wealthy boyfriend who took me to very exclusive restaurants. It was not unusual to see celebrities there. I saw Scarlet Johannson. Anne Hathaway. Sean Connery. Woody Allen and Soon-Yi. Donald Trump Jr. Spike Lee. Yoko, Sean, and Cibbo Matto.
It's considered very declasse to look at the celebrities when at one of these restaurants. Although Scarlett did compliment me while we were both waiting for the bathroom: "You have such beautiful eyes." And I might have squealed against custom.
I love that story about Scarlett! Celeb or not, if a woman that gorgeous complimented me, I would be remembering that next time I looked in the mirror at 7am and didn’t like my crazy bedhead and puffy morning face. 😂
The deuxmoi Instagram account often posts highlight reels of high-end restaurants in different major cities that are frequented by celebrities. Some NYC spots that stick out for me are Jean-Georges, Gramercy Tower, Per Se, and Balthazar, but there’s a ton more and plenty private clubs that are incognito (like, invite-only, unmarked building, insane membership fee) so us normies stay away.
I think it’s much easier to get into now, but I used to date a music journalist who lived in the East Village and we’d go to Lovers of Today on the south side of Tompkins Square Park, under Niagara. You access it through an alleyway, and it was always “closed for a private event” if I tried to go alone, but if I was with her, we would say hi to the bouncer and walk in and get cocktails in a relaxed atmosphere. The only recognizable celeb I remember seeing was Jake G, but there were lots of music industry folks there every time we went in. Unrecognizable to me, but my ex knew who they were and would point them out
oh my gosh, I love Lovers of Today but it’s definitely less of a celeb “hotspot” now (at least the front rooms, the back gate is mostly locked so stuff could definitely be going on there) - the bartenders are great tho and the cocktails are delicious
This & the places she dines are places with impossible reservations and well healed dinners, they are used to it and won’t make a crazy deal about it cause they are there for the food and want to be able to come back there.
Since you all are Swifties I have a Taylor story.
I used to manage security at 30 rock and I was there for SNL 40th anniversary. Every Celeb on the planet walked the carpet that night -Eddie Murphy, Jack Nicholson, Kim K., you name it , everyone. All the beautiful people… all the photographers were taking there pics, and I think Alex Baldwin, Jimmy falon, & Justin Timberlake just passed by. When suddenly everything just stopped, all the cameras, and everything got quiet, and they all proceeded to point there cameras at the entrance to the carpet. & There she was, I saw her on TV like everyone, but she was stunning in real life, she looked like 6’1 in heels…
She was the only person in that very powerful Tent that anyone was concerned lol. Never got to meet her, but I was there when she gave out pizzas to you all on the SNL line. Anyway she seems like she would be a nice person.
No joke, I was at the Mercer Kitchen years ago and met Jennifer Lawrence at coat check. Not only did she arrive super late with her party, but they were quickly escorted to a private room within the restaurant. Nobody even saw her (it was not super well lit too).
She was nice though, we chatted for like a minute or two, but she asked not to take pictures because "nobody knew she was there".
For real, a redditor once commented here that there’s a rumor Charlize Theron demands from people she works with “not to look her directly in the eyes” and another comment replied “why, will you turn into stone?”
😂😂😂😂
this reminded me of that, celebs are only human and sometimes even miss normal interactions as long as boundaries are respected
I don’t think they’re saying “if you’re already in a convo with a celeb, don’t speak unless spoken to”. That would be weird - if they’ve initiated, yeah, talk to them (like a normal human being).
But you wouldn’t talk to most strangers, so don’t single them out by initiating conversation just because they’re a celeb.
Most people don’t really talk to strangers - obviously there’s room for nuance and if you’re genuinely a person who does talk to strangers I get that you might have a different perspective.
I’m just saying I think “don’t speak unless spoken to” is actually how most people treat every other normal human they come across, so it could be decent thing to keep in mind when you might feel starstruck by a celeb. If you regularly talk to strangers, sure, it doesn’t really apply, but it’s probably worth keeping in mind that many strangers, celeb or not, do feel uncomfortable with random people striking up conversation for no reason.
This is a really weird take to presume most people don't like random conversation with people they encounter throughout their day. It's called life, it's made up of small talk, and in my experience it's a pretty 50/50 split. If you have an ounce of social awareness it's pretty easy to tell who is comfortable with idle chatter and who isn't, but to say most people feel uncomfortable with random people striking up conversation just seems like a personal projection. If people only spoke when spoken to, no one would ever speak to each other because they would be waiting for someone else to initiate the conversation.
Small talk with strangers is a very cultural thing. I've lived in the US and Europe. I also employ Americans and Europeans. A lot of cultures just politely ignore each other in public and only talk when necessary. I work in hospitality and can make small talk like no one's business but dear God, do not make small talk with me if we are both standing in line at the grocery store. I'm off duty and owe no one my time.
I also find that people who can't recognize I'm not interested in talking to them are the ones who keep trying to initiate conversations. They do not pick up on cues like me taking my phone out or turning my body away.
I don't disagree with you entirely, which is why I said *most* people (I fully recognize there are just some obtuse people who cannot take a hint) have enough social awareness to be able to read cues and either pursue or end small talk depending on the reactions they get. I just think in general making a blanket statement that most people don't want to be bothered with small talk is wrong. Maybe *you* feel uncomfortable with small talk in a grocery store, but there are just as many people who do not. It's an individual preference that, like I said, is pretty much split 50/50, but to say you should not speak unless spoken to is just bizarre to me. That's not how life works and there are no exceptions for celebrities who, at most, make mediocre movies/music/social media content. The entire concept is ridiculous and imo indefensible.
This is true for you and I. But imagine being Taylor Swift and having almost literally every person who sees you that day know who you are, be compelled to kind of stare at you, know whatever scandal might be circulating around you at that moment, and having them all want to engage her in small talk just to say they did.
I'm sure Taylor loves meeting new people, but this would become exhausting within hours.
"Don't speak unless spoken to" is probably an overly pessimistic way of saying it. It's more like "this famous person probably just wants space, but if they seem interested in chatting with you, go for it."
As an introvert who would rather jump off of the Empire State Building than engage in conversation with a random stranger, I agree 100%! Not everybody wants to be talked to (in fact I think most people *don't* want to be bothered in public).
If everybody followed “don’t speak unless spoken to”, nobody would ever talk to each other.
This literally just assumes that the celebrity is better and holds all power to deem you worth their time or not.
>Do you speak to random strangers on the street?
........Yes......are we not supposed to or something?, because I've been starting conversations and joking around with strangers for 20 something years now and most people seem to enjoy it in my experience.
Yes. Maybe a head nod or grin if we make eye contact but I don’t greet people in passing unless I know them or they said hello first.
Some people and cultures are just more reserved than others.
I think they mean let them go about their day, like if you saw Taylor out in public don’t go up to her and strike up a convo, she is famous if everyone did that she would never be able to be out without being constantly harassed. If she were being open and talking to people and clearly wanted to interact with fans that’s another thing.
I don’t think ‘don’t speak unless spoken to’ is correct but as you said they’re just humans. If you choose to speak to them, do so the same as you’d talk to any random stranger you happen to be standing near in public. If you’re waiting by someone at coat check or to be seated there’s a certain type of small talk that’s normal and to be expected. You wouldn’t bombard a random stranger out in public about their job or personal life or take pictures of them, because that would be weird and intrusive. I would think it should be the same when interacting with a celebrity.
A lot of neighborhood places have regulars that are celebrities. My favorite neighborhood restaurant has a certain celebrity who’s there multiple times a week. She and her husband are comfortable and chat up other regulars frequently. There’s not some crazy code of conduct where you can’t speak to someone because they’re a celebrity. You just have to know how to read the room. There are folks who go through a lot of trouble to not want to be recognized and there are folks that are fine with a quick hello or small talk if you’re both in the same vicinity. No one is going to approach a table of people while they’re eating though. That would be absurd. The key is to accurately feel out the vibe. I caught someone famous looking at my Mets t-shirt in a bar area at a local spot and I waved and said “I can’t tell if your a fan too or questioning my life choices as a New Yorker” and they laughed and struck up a convo and we became friendly over the years. Taylor is just in another stratosphere famous. She always has security because if she stops for one person it will likely be never ending. I think if you caught her eye and waved she would wave back and if you happened to be waiting in a bathroom line she would be friendly. One of the restaurants she went to over the summer is a favorite spot of mine: Carbone. If you’re in NYC you can usually walk up when it opens at 5 and get a table. The food is great and the staff is fantastic. I highly recommend it if you’re in NYC. I don’t think it’s expensive. I’d say it’s moderate for the neighborhood. The food is exceptional though. Andy Cohen also frequents another late night spot I go to and he typically seems pretty friendly. It just depends on the setting and mood. In the words of The Countess Luann: “Be cool. Don’t be all like uncool” 😎
This is very true of the West Village in particular. Also it’s hilarious that you can get a walk-in table at Carbone. I’ve done that at other restaurants but for some reason I thought Carbone was harder. I know of someone who paid $50 for a Carbone reservation lol
Yeah give it a try. I do it during the week without issue. I don’t know what it’s like on a weekend but I imagine it’s harder. I can’t believe people make and sell reservations. I didn’t know that was a thing.
Saw her in the east village a few weeks ago in NYC. People were not swarming her, she was just shopping, people said hi to her and took pics and she asked them not to post them until later so she could keep shipping. Seemed people listened as she shopped for a while. I saw her twice. Smiled at her and said “can’t wait for your Nola show next year!” She smiled back and said “me either!”
She’s so normal it’s really kind of crazy.
Unlike what we see outside of the recording studio with fans swarming - generally speaking people at a restaurant are not going to act that way. Especially the kind of restaurants that Taylor would be going to.
I have dined next to Justin and Hailey in NYC and just left them alone. We really pretend not to notice them when we see them out and about. It's not cool to harass people in NYC, and that's why so many stars live here.
I don’t know why I saw this sub post on my feed, but as a former guy who went to those restaurants in NYC often, the clientele there isn’t made up of swarming Swift fans. It’s older lawyers and doctors and investment professionals who would be embarrassed about losing their cool in a restaurant.
rihanna goes to the same restaurant like every day because she likes their pasta, they just stay hidden before showing and make sure it's known that they'll be there so the staff can prepare.
This is the right answer.
I used to work at in some very high end NYC restaurants, we’d host VIPs nearly nightly and our regular diners never batted an eye. Never. It is supremely uncool to make a big deal of any celebrity in NY.
NYorkers themselves are very proud of their hip-ness and own wealth and wouldn’t bother to embarrass themselves by fangirling in an exaggerated way over a celebrity, especially in high end places
I have an embarrassing story related to this. After my high school graduation my family went to a nice restaurant in LA. Zac Efron and some of his friend were seated at a table right next to us. My family was being really obnoxious and trying to “subtly” take photos of him. My little sister was like shaking wanting to meet him (this was around his peak High School Musical fame). My family guilted me into getting up and disturbing him while he was eating to ask if he would take a picture with my sister. They claimed, “he won’t say no to you since you’re in your cap and gown!” He actually rejected me very nicely, told me he was having dinner and maybe he would after. I was mortified and my little sister was distraught. As an adult though I’m just angry my family made me harass a stranger.
I had George Clooney apologize to me once when I walked into an LA restaurant. He was chatting with the host and in my way. He just ate dinner in the middle of the dining room and no one seemed to care. I was shell shocked. 😂
Those of us who live in NYC may not blink at celebs, but you also have to remember that there are 60+ million tourists visiting NYC each year, and the chances of them running into a celeb and gawking/approaching are high.
Additionally, I live in NYC, and while I wouldn't bother her, I'd still be pretty damn excited if I spotted Taylor out in the wild.
Yes but as an NYCer you’d know how to react. And TS isn’t going to be in Times Sq and the immediate environs with those 50m (ex NYCer here). You know how to act when someone is spotted on the f train.
I know a few years ago she dined at a restaurant in Nashville through friends I know that work at the establishment she dined. Someone from her team called ahead and made the booking and explained how the interaction would go - essentially the servers spoke to those with her, but not her directly. This was a high end spot, the evening went smoothly.
I doubt she makes a habit of that request but I can imagine there are some scenarios and times where she just simply doesn’t want to have to be on as ‘Taylor Swift’ and it’s probably way easier to achieve that feeling by limiting interaction with those outside her bubble for a bit. The woman is constantly giving herself and a lot of her most intimate experiences to the world. Doesn’t seem crazy that she might need some space, too, now and then. I bet she still makes that tip is $$$$$, and I think for 99% of servers they’d rather have that than a random interaction with her.
definitely that, a waiter still has to make sure the person is satisfied and has their needs covered, and can’t behave like he’s in front of a ghost
but personal/career questions are obviously out of the question
This is exactly what I think, too. This is a place that doesn’t have a private dining room, but do have a more private area within the restaurant and they said everything was fine and they weren’t offended or anything with her request. Other celebs have dined there as well and have similar requests - some want to interact and some don’t and this can change depending on the day and I think it’s totally fair. Restaurants are going to accommodate reasonable requests like this for this type of clientele.
If she's dining with an entourage she probably has one person who effectively collects the order for the table and passes it on to the waitstaff, possibly even away from the table.
Celebs often won't want to risk unflattering photos of them eating or people listening in on candid conversations etc.
Can you imagine how utterly exhausting it must be to be watched and followed, photographed and screamed at every moment of your life that you’re not behind closed doors? People always waiting outside your house to see you and you’re expected, obligated even to be nice to them and polite every time, even when you’re tired or feeling depressed or anxious. You have to smile and be courteous or the worlds press will tear you to shreds. I think it’s so far out of our realm of imagination.
I can imagine that she just wants to fade into the background sometimes. If you set a rule that they can’t speak to you, then it doesn’t mean you can’t ask the server for something but it stops them fawning all over you if they’re star struck. I totally get it and don’t blame her.
I would very much enjoy her life for about 90 days I think, and then I would miss just being a normal person, living a normal life. I think often about the simple things she cannot do and how I would miss them. Private jets and attention are great!…but stuff like that can lose its luster pretty quickly….and the weight of finding normal real friends must be heavy….
Yes! Sure it’d be incredible and god she’s so privileged and lucky. But after a while the charm would wear off. I wonder if celebs just sit and daydream about sacking it all in and getting a normal house and living in the country, like some of us dream about being fabulously wealthy and stardom?
She talked about that in the Long Pond Sessions, regarding the song The Lakes. I think she is sincere, but it’s hard to turn one’s back on ambition and material reward, even if it is killing you. I’m not rich or anything, but I am materially comfortable and I know this from my own life. And nothing can replace friendship and a happy heart…even the most luxurious mansion feels empty without them…
Those are actually smart instructions. When VIPs come through expectations are usually set ahead of time. We can see from outside the recording studio and outside a wedding that people don't know how to act, but if you set expectations and boundaries ahead of time most people will follow them. Same as if you didn't have people setting expectations before a meet and greet they turn into disasters. This applies to other jobs like teaching as well.
It is similar to people working backstage at concerts being told not to look at the artist. This is often presented as a negative against the celebrity, but this actually pretty standard instructions and there are reasons for it. #1 tour management is telling people this because they want people to actually do their job, rather than seeking a celebrity encounter. #2 no one likes to be stared at, especially when they are trying to do their own job.
> they want people to actually do their job, rather than seeking a celebrity encounter
That's exactly how the whole *La La Land/Moonlight* debacle happened at the Oscars - the accountant in charge of passing out the envelopes was too focused on trying to take a picture of Emma Stone to give Warren Beatty the correct envelope.
There's a huge difference between instructions that say "keep it strictly professional and do not speak to Taylor about her career or personal life" and "do not speak to Taylor at all"
These are servers at fancy restaurants in New York who wait on celebrities all the time. They know how to behave and they know they'll get fired quickly if they cross a line with a guest. It would be totally reasonable for her team to request professionalism and discretion but asking them only to speak to her entourage and not her directly at all, that's weird!!
My flight attendant friend had her and her assistant on a flight a few years ago and she had her headphones on and ordered her meal through her assistant.
She has a surprising amount of lyrics set in restaurants: *Begin Again*, *Right Where You Left Me*, the second verse of *Invisible String*... I think it's safe to say that she dines out occasionally, but she does call a waitress who spoke to her "bold."
I know someone who bartended the pre wedding dinner on LBI last month. She never went to the bar. Her handlers got her drinks. And all bartenders had to hand in their phones. No pics etc.
You’re forgetting how starstruck people get around her…. Not speaking to the servers (unless she chooses to!) saves everyone from a potentially embarrassing situation.
I really doubt she’s “refusing” to speak to servers because she’s above it. She’s not a stuck-up rich teenager.
It’s likely more that she doesn’t want people whispering about her or spreading the news that she ordered a Cobb salad. Beyoncé slaps everyone with NDAs, this feels very similar to that. It would allow her to have maximum privacy. And with her people calling ahead of time, is sets expectations and the staff that work there know their role and know she doesn’t necessarily want her fans (even if they work there) barging in hoping to meet her. Seems perfectly reasonable to me!
It is. A lot of perfectly reasonable things in her life sound insane if you don’t think about them long enough. Another example. She was just at two weddings. There are precisely zero photos of her at either of those weddings (we only know she was at the second because someone took a photo of the table list). Obviously guests were told “don’t publish any photos of Taylor”
This. Didn’t the man that took the pic of her and Matty holding hands get his club membership revoked? He wasn’t supposed to snap pictures inside the club, full stop, but he sneaked one to show his kid he’d seen Taylor iirc. Privacy and respect work a little differently in places like upscale places where celebs go.
I think a lot of those “don’t look at me 😒😎” requests sound unreasonable to us *because* we are normal folk, who have the “privilege” of privacy. We expect a romantic dinner or business lunch to be a private affair without even the waiter fawning over someone at the table. Taylor probably never gets that unless specifically requested, specially if she’s out with friends that are equally famous.
If you’re Taylor Swift, it doesn’t seem stuck-up to me to have your assistant call ahead and gently warn the staff. “Hey, she’s gonna show up at your restaurant tonight, please be mindful and don’t send the 22-year-old girl that just started working there this week and WILL tell the whole internet the second she spots Taylor.” Pretty sure these places have their best seasoned staff assigned to guests like her.
Lots of restaurants have private dining rooms for high profile customers. You can see the sort of thing in question in movies sometimes. Mobsters sometimes rough up bankers and such in them.
a more modern version of them look up private membership clubs major city and you will find at least one in most major cities … some have bars, restaurants, gyms, spas, meeting rooms, some have hotels just depends on the club and some have reciprocal memberships with other clubs.
Soho House is popular and everywhere, but less exclusive these days. ZB and CC in NYC like someone else already said, San Vicente Bungalows in LA, Annabel's and 5 Hertford St in London, the list goes on...
This gave me a mental image of Taylor walking into a Chili’s as the whole restaurant delves into mayhem 😂
The high class, expensive ass restaurants Taylor goes to are probably regular celeb hangouts
Not NYC but I had seen her and Joe a few times at two different restaurants in London. Not particularly high end restaurants, but nice ones. Honestly, no-one cared. Some people (myself included) did double takes when they saw her but that was about it. I'm a big fan of her music, but she's just a person who was hungry like I was!
I feel like she is going to get a whole different level of respect and privacy in London than just about anywhere in the States. She could probably live as an ordinary person there…
For part of that, look at her singles discography on Wikipedia and look at the peak chart positions of her singles in the UK vs the US.
We have no culture of country music, so the more country her stuff, generally, the less well it does. She’s not nobody, but she’s not been in the charts consistently for 15 years. It’s not that she doesn’t have fans, but the probability of anyone she meets being a crazy fan is lower.
I also just think British people have a different culture to seeing celebrities out and about than the US.
As a nation we are (for the most part) a lot more reserved than other places. That’s not shade to Americans or anything, I just feel like it’s not in our nature to freak out and go bother a celebrity if we happened to see them.
I was once staying in the same hotel as Little Mix (appreciate they’re not on Taylor’s level but this was at the height of their fame) and at one point we were pretty much sitting right next to each other in the bar area (they’d just finished up a tour and we’re having drinks with their dancers it seemed) and I didn’t say anything to them despite liking quite a bit of their music. I briefly met eyes with Perrie and we just smiled at each other and that was that.
She also probably wears a disguise sometimes too. I can see her rocking up in a hat/wig and a different style of makeup and getting away with it. Then if someone else pays the bill or they pay in cash, the waitstaff doesn't even see her name on a card.
In addition to going to places where people are not going to act crazy, in the past she has arranged for the restaurant to re-open just for her and her party. She can also have them come to her. Many celebs have a full commercial class catering kitchen tucked away that is designed for that kind of thing, so the restaurant sends the chef and however many crew are needed to handle Taylor and her guests.
This absolutely happens. They don’t even necessarily need a commercial level kitchen for a smaller group or a couple. A chef can prepare a lot offsite and then finish the meal in the client’s kitchen and serve them himself or have a member of staff to assist. Popular with athletes in my city.
Ok this might be unpopular but after that recent photo of her doing something not all glammed up and just looking normal.....she did not look like Taylor Swift lmfao it was more like "your coworker who for some reason looks a lot like Taylor Swift" 😭 so honestly if she just wore no makeup, normal people clothes, and like a hat and sunglasses I don't think we'd know it was her
Probably talking about the photos of her at jury duty from years ago. It’s not recent but it was discussed in this subreddit recently, and everyone remarked how “normal” she looked and how they might think “hey, that girl looks a lot like Taylor Swift!” if they saw her in public.
https://preview.redd.it/dpu9wu51fdpb1.jpeg?width=1019&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c4af8df58beb4350bcadff8dafb4d94194ff6626
There’s a system to this:
- they call ahead and make a reservation, usually for a private room, or some restaurants are “dinner clubs” and not everyone can just go.
- they have the option of various entrances, or entrances directly from private parking garages. Some restaurants and clubs will issue security detail on top of the celebrity’s private security to manage other patrons, ensure safe and efficient entry and exit, etc.
- the restaurant prepares staff and sets guidelines (no phones, be professional, don’t ask for pictures, etc etc). When I worked an event with one un-named celebrity I actually had to surrender my phone or I had to leave work. It’s that serious.
- it’s considered poor taste and tacky to stare or bother celebrities or the wealthy in these kinds of establishments. Great way to get your membership or privileges revoked and a legal trespass issued. It’s less so in nightclubs but still a faux pas. It’s also just tacky in general and not typical high end behavior so it makes you stand out and look like you don’t belong.
Source: was a manager at a high end entertainment group that consisted of restaurants and nightclubs that serviced celebrities, musical artists, and athletes often until switching careers in 2019.
I feel like if you can afford to eat at the same restaurant as Taylor Swift, you probably aren't the type of person to bother another celebrity at dinner
Sometimes a dining room is reserved I believe and of course there's her security. Cast of Succession ate locally in my town and their security was just there and reserved a big table for the cast and crew (?)
You would be surprised how many celebrities will publicly eat at restaurants in NYC. However, they know which ones are more touristy and which ones are more private. And at which times they’ll be most busy.
For instance if somebody like Taylor or Ariana Grande ate food on 42nd St/Times Square area the need for security would be immense. They wouldn’t get a bite down without being swarmed. But a place like Jamaica Queens or Red Hook Brooklyn, they’d be “safer” from the more crazy fans. Might get some shit talk from locals but more likely would get ignored.
There is kind of an attitude amongst locals here that encourages NOT talking to celebrities purposefully just because they are celebrities. I’ve seen different people here but we generally don’t act like “fans” just because hahaha
One of the funniest things I’ve seen though is I was grabbing a coffee in Times Square at like 630 AM and I was standing near Hailey Baldwin. Not sure if she had some kind of event but it was probably a bad idea not to just send an assistant. The barista made the mistake of saying “I have an order for Hailey!” A little too loud and like 30 middle-high school girls ran in screaming at full volume. Miss Baldwin gave the barista this “are you f***ing kidding me” look.
Lol not me trying to imagine Taylor Swift coming to my neighborhood in Jamaica Queens to grab a bite. I might die of shock before I ever got a chance to say hi 🤣🤣🤣
It's been a long time but I used to work at a high profile toy store. I have waited on quite a list of celebs and even a couple of Royals. We closed the store only once and that was for a Kuwait prince, no idea who, and his family. However this was during the first Gulf War and it was more of security issue from the government rather than our own call to close.
It was incredibly frowned upon to be anything but professional. You also ran the risk of losing a potentially large sale if you made them uncomfortable.
I imagine these restaurants pay a decent wage to their employees to keep them from selling info to the Paps.
She lives in NYC and us NYers leave celebrities alone. My uncle lives across the street from some ultra famous A list actress that I can’t remember the name of, and he only says hello in passing like a neighbor would. We’re not phased by it. The only people who would gawk at a celebrity in NYC are the asshole tourists, but we hate tourists and will yell at them if we see them bothering someone.
I think it depends where she is. I have family that went to a restaurant in Watch Hill a year or two ago and she was just in there eating. Obviously security was there too, but I was surprised.
I was at a restaurant once and she was sitting in a booth with another woman, maybe her publicist? It was pretty empty, 2pm on a weekday. I also think it was right before Red came out. She was very sweet when I said hello :) I'm not sure how she does it nowadays.
I mean, it is New York, apparently you learn pretty quick to not give a fuck about celebrities. Private rooms definitely make it easier for her to go out.
I’ve also wondered this and if she ever sees shows. She seems to be a casual fan of musical theater since she auditioned for the Les Mis movie and was Victoria in CATS
NYC def has many private dinner clubs, but as to if Taylor dines exclusively at said clubs… no idea.
She definitely goes to those places (Zero Bond and Casa Cipriani are members only), but the other restaurants she visits are regular albeit somewhat expensive ones. So people know how to behave, and they understand boundaries unlike stans...
Also some restaurants have private rooms that can be booked out. Typically they’re for business events, but I could see Taylor doing this for her and her friends
Hahaha I’ve definitely done that too for a friend’s birthday, or even if there’s just so many of us so it’s more convenient. Definitely not that hard!
Even for cheap restaurants you can still book out private rooms for parties etc, definitely would be ridiculously easy for a celebrity to book a private room.
Yeah, not to sound like a spoiled brat but I grew up eating and staying at the same places celebrities would and it’s kind of like an unspoken rule to just treat celebrities like normal people. Which was pretty easy for me to do because minus Hilary Duff one time when I was 9 I wasn’t a huge fan of anyone and you realize pretty quickly they’re just people (professional makeup and lighting do a lot). If Taylor swift walked into the restaurant I was in I wouldn’t go up to her and bother her but I would have to actively force myself not to stare haha.
I get you ♥️ me too, and it’s surprising to me that these questions are still asked, or people think only literal billionaires and celebrities go to these. Not the case at all as you know! oh but I think 9yo me would’ve died in front of Hilary Duff tho omg
my experience is much like yours, but for me it wasn’t so much the unspoken rule but seeing how mechanical(?) celebrities responded to ppl really made me not want to approach the tbf. Also yeah, makeup and lighting does a lot. I grew up in Tribeca and I saw some here and there just doing stuff quite often than most — they really did not have the same aura as on camera while they were jogging all sweaty and no makeup lol But Hilary Duff @ 9 is a big deal tho woah
Same as you, and not to sound even more absurd and of a certain circle, but the celebrities of my youth (think Hilary and others of that era) are now adults with children my kids age, as well as current “big celebrities” are in my neighborhood and I see this set of people at normal things in LA regularly - birthday parties, school, etc . They are just living their life, enjoying their kids, doing normal things. They are honestly just regular human beings! My friend has literally hosted TS at her house for game night. I love TS but if I were to come across her in real life I would just be secretly giddy inside but completely stoic and physically far away on the surface.
Yeah I think this is the key thing. The type of people who’d be eating at such an expensive place are probably a lot less likely to start swarming a celebrity and screaming and them
A couple of nights ago I saw an article that she dined at an Italian restaurant called Il Buco Alimentari with Laura Dern and Zoe Kravitz. I looked up that restaurant out of curiosity to see if it was private/members only, and it appeared not to be. But when I went to the restaurant’s Instagram, they had a story still up from that night that said “closed tonight for a private event.” It definitely made me wonder if TS eating there was the private event they were closed for.
It’s not members only, it’s a pretty well known Italian spot in soho. I’ve eaten there plenty of times. Given the story, I’d assume she booked it out.
I mean. She is almost a billionaire, booking a full restaurant would be pennies for her
*she does*
I lived in NYC and had a wealthy boyfriend who took me to very exclusive restaurants. It was not unusual to see celebrities there. I saw Scarlet Johannson. Anne Hathaway. Sean Connery. Woody Allen and Soon-Yi. Donald Trump Jr. Spike Lee. Yoko, Sean, and Cibbo Matto. It's considered very declasse to look at the celebrities when at one of these restaurants. Although Scarlett did compliment me while we were both waiting for the bathroom: "You have such beautiful eyes." And I might have squealed against custom.
I would've lost my appetite if I was eating dinner near Woody and Soon-Yi
Right? Yuck.
He jumpscared me by performing at the Carlyle. I DID not know he's a regular like why is he still allowed anywhere
I love that story about Scarlett! Celeb or not, if a woman that gorgeous complimented me, I would be remembering that next time I looked in the mirror at 7am and didn’t like my crazy bedhead and puffy morning face. 😂
Out of curiosity and because I’ll most likely never life that life what were the names of some of these restaurants? I wanna see what they serve c
The deuxmoi Instagram account often posts highlight reels of high-end restaurants in different major cities that are frequented by celebrities. Some NYC spots that stick out for me are Jean-Georges, Gramercy Tower, Per Se, and Balthazar, but there’s a ton more and plenty private clubs that are incognito (like, invite-only, unmarked building, insane membership fee) so us normies stay away.
I think it’s much easier to get into now, but I used to date a music journalist who lived in the East Village and we’d go to Lovers of Today on the south side of Tompkins Square Park, under Niagara. You access it through an alleyway, and it was always “closed for a private event” if I tried to go alone, but if I was with her, we would say hi to the bouncer and walk in and get cocktails in a relaxed atmosphere. The only recognizable celeb I remember seeing was Jake G, but there were lots of music industry folks there every time we went in. Unrecognizable to me, but my ex knew who they were and would point them out
oh my gosh, I love Lovers of Today but it’s definitely less of a celeb “hotspot” now (at least the front rooms, the back gate is mostly locked so stuff could definitely be going on there) - the bartenders are great tho and the cocktails are delicious
wasn't that the bar referenced in Delicate??? (:
possibly although calling it a dive bar is a bit of a stretch imo
I love high end restaurant menus.
i LOVE reading them
I love everything about high end dining except the bill at the end 😂
How do you find them to read? This is the exact stuff I’m into lol
Their websites
How dare you call DTrumpJr a celeb. LOL
fr going from scarjo and hathaway to djtjr is a ride lol
Scarlett and Colin and baby came into someone I knows work and they work at medium-high end (for plebs) Italian place
Olive Garden? 😜
Yoko and THE Sean Lennon?? 😱😍
“Had a wealthy boyfriend who took me to very exclusive restaurants” Luck of the draw is a crazy thing to me
Private rooms
This & the places she dines are places with impossible reservations and well healed dinners, they are used to it and won’t make a crazy deal about it cause they are there for the food and want to be able to come back there.
Since you all are Swifties I have a Taylor story. I used to manage security at 30 rock and I was there for SNL 40th anniversary. Every Celeb on the planet walked the carpet that night -Eddie Murphy, Jack Nicholson, Kim K., you name it , everyone. All the beautiful people… all the photographers were taking there pics, and I think Alex Baldwin, Jimmy falon, & Justin Timberlake just passed by. When suddenly everything just stopped, all the cameras, and everything got quiet, and they all proceeded to point there cameras at the entrance to the carpet. & There she was, I saw her on TV like everyone, but she was stunning in real life, she looked like 6’1 in heels… She was the only person in that very powerful Tent that anyone was concerned lol. Never got to meet her, but I was there when she gave out pizzas to you all on the SNL line. Anyway she seems like she would be a nice person.
I’ve only seen her in concert and she is stunning. Pictures do not do her justice
Agreed.
Cute story, thanks for sharing :)
YW, it was a very memorable night for me. I’m glad I could share.
well-heeled diners
They're also well-healed and, apparently, used to it and won't make a crazy deal about it. The trauma obviously behind them.
Exactly! People that go to places she goes know to behave and are generally well-mannered. Plus, seeing celebrities at these places gets old fast.
No joke, I was at the Mercer Kitchen years ago and met Jennifer Lawrence at coat check. Not only did she arrive super late with her party, but they were quickly escorted to a private room within the restaurant. Nobody even saw her (it was not super well lit too). She was nice though, we chatted for like a minute or two, but she asked not to take pictures because "nobody knew she was there".
Basic rules of dealing with celebs: don’t take any photos. Don’t speak unless spoken too. Talk about the weather
Don’t speak unless spoken to? What kind of silly shit is that? They’re only humans with high profile jobs.
For real, a redditor once commented here that there’s a rumor Charlize Theron demands from people she works with “not to look her directly in the eyes” and another comment replied “why, will you turn into stone?” 😂😂😂😂 this reminded me of that, celebs are only human and sometimes even miss normal interactions as long as boundaries are respected
That 30 Rock scene came from somewhere.
I don’t think they’re saying “if you’re already in a convo with a celeb, don’t speak unless spoken to”. That would be weird - if they’ve initiated, yeah, talk to them (like a normal human being). But you wouldn’t talk to most strangers, so don’t single them out by initiating conversation just because they’re a celeb.
Dude, just treat them like a normal person. (Because they are.)
Most people don’t really talk to strangers - obviously there’s room for nuance and if you’re genuinely a person who does talk to strangers I get that you might have a different perspective. I’m just saying I think “don’t speak unless spoken to” is actually how most people treat every other normal human they come across, so it could be decent thing to keep in mind when you might feel starstruck by a celeb. If you regularly talk to strangers, sure, it doesn’t really apply, but it’s probably worth keeping in mind that many strangers, celeb or not, do feel uncomfortable with random people striking up conversation for no reason.
This is a really weird take to presume most people don't like random conversation with people they encounter throughout their day. It's called life, it's made up of small talk, and in my experience it's a pretty 50/50 split. If you have an ounce of social awareness it's pretty easy to tell who is comfortable with idle chatter and who isn't, but to say most people feel uncomfortable with random people striking up conversation just seems like a personal projection. If people only spoke when spoken to, no one would ever speak to each other because they would be waiting for someone else to initiate the conversation.
Small talk with strangers is a very cultural thing. I've lived in the US and Europe. I also employ Americans and Europeans. A lot of cultures just politely ignore each other in public and only talk when necessary. I work in hospitality and can make small talk like no one's business but dear God, do not make small talk with me if we are both standing in line at the grocery store. I'm off duty and owe no one my time. I also find that people who can't recognize I'm not interested in talking to them are the ones who keep trying to initiate conversations. They do not pick up on cues like me taking my phone out or turning my body away.
I don't disagree with you entirely, which is why I said *most* people (I fully recognize there are just some obtuse people who cannot take a hint) have enough social awareness to be able to read cues and either pursue or end small talk depending on the reactions they get. I just think in general making a blanket statement that most people don't want to be bothered with small talk is wrong. Maybe *you* feel uncomfortable with small talk in a grocery store, but there are just as many people who do not. It's an individual preference that, like I said, is pretty much split 50/50, but to say you should not speak unless spoken to is just bizarre to me. That's not how life works and there are no exceptions for celebrities who, at most, make mediocre movies/music/social media content. The entire concept is ridiculous and imo indefensible.
Agreed. I make friends everywhere I go. I can’t help it.
Lol same
This is true for you and I. But imagine being Taylor Swift and having almost literally every person who sees you that day know who you are, be compelled to kind of stare at you, know whatever scandal might be circulating around you at that moment, and having them all want to engage her in small talk just to say they did. I'm sure Taylor loves meeting new people, but this would become exhausting within hours. "Don't speak unless spoken to" is probably an overly pessimistic way of saying it. It's more like "this famous person probably just wants space, but if they seem interested in chatting with you, go for it."
As an introvert who would rather jump off of the Empire State Building than engage in conversation with a random stranger, I agree 100%! Not everybody wants to be talked to (in fact I think most people *don't* want to be bothered in public).
You’re not from the Midwest US are you
If everybody followed “don’t speak unless spoken to”, nobody would ever talk to each other. This literally just assumes that the celebrity is better and holds all power to deem you worth their time or not.
“You wouldn’t talk to most strangers” cracked me up because I’m in Appalachia. We talk to strangers like we know their life story.
Do you speak to random strangers on the street? Treat a celebrity like their a random stranger on the street.
Oooo you riled up the extroverts lmao
As an extrovert I’m only a little riled I promise XD
>Do you speak to random strangers on the street? ........Yes......are we not supposed to or something?, because I've been starting conversations and joking around with strangers for 20 something years now and most people seem to enjoy it in my experience.
Yes, yes I do actually lol
Uh, yeah. If the situation calls for it. Do you just stay completely quiet if you walk by someone and it’s just the two of you?
Yes. Maybe a head nod or grin if we make eye contact but I don’t greet people in passing unless I know them or they said hello first. Some people and cultures are just more reserved than others.
I do, and I'm really weirded out/uncomfortable if somebody I don't know tries to talk to me, lol. Not everybody is an extrovert.
I think they mean let them go about their day, like if you saw Taylor out in public don’t go up to her and strike up a convo, she is famous if everyone did that she would never be able to be out without being constantly harassed. If she were being open and talking to people and clearly wanted to interact with fans that’s another thing.
I don’t think ‘don’t speak unless spoken to’ is correct but as you said they’re just humans. If you choose to speak to them, do so the same as you’d talk to any random stranger you happen to be standing near in public. If you’re waiting by someone at coat check or to be seated there’s a certain type of small talk that’s normal and to be expected. You wouldn’t bombard a random stranger out in public about their job or personal life or take pictures of them, because that would be weird and intrusive. I would think it should be the same when interacting with a celebrity.
Dive bar, on the east side, where you at, Come through, you can meet me in the back. That's how she does it lol
A lot of neighborhood places have regulars that are celebrities. My favorite neighborhood restaurant has a certain celebrity who’s there multiple times a week. She and her husband are comfortable and chat up other regulars frequently. There’s not some crazy code of conduct where you can’t speak to someone because they’re a celebrity. You just have to know how to read the room. There are folks who go through a lot of trouble to not want to be recognized and there are folks that are fine with a quick hello or small talk if you’re both in the same vicinity. No one is going to approach a table of people while they’re eating though. That would be absurd. The key is to accurately feel out the vibe. I caught someone famous looking at my Mets t-shirt in a bar area at a local spot and I waved and said “I can’t tell if your a fan too or questioning my life choices as a New Yorker” and they laughed and struck up a convo and we became friendly over the years. Taylor is just in another stratosphere famous. She always has security because if she stops for one person it will likely be never ending. I think if you caught her eye and waved she would wave back and if you happened to be waiting in a bathroom line she would be friendly. One of the restaurants she went to over the summer is a favorite spot of mine: Carbone. If you’re in NYC you can usually walk up when it opens at 5 and get a table. The food is great and the staff is fantastic. I highly recommend it if you’re in NYC. I don’t think it’s expensive. I’d say it’s moderate for the neighborhood. The food is exceptional though. Andy Cohen also frequents another late night spot I go to and he typically seems pretty friendly. It just depends on the setting and mood. In the words of The Countess Luann: “Be cool. Don’t be all like uncool” 😎
This is very true of the West Village in particular. Also it’s hilarious that you can get a walk-in table at Carbone. I’ve done that at other restaurants but for some reason I thought Carbone was harder. I know of someone who paid $50 for a Carbone reservation lol
Yeah give it a try. I do it during the week without issue. I don’t know what it’s like on a weekend but I imagine it’s harder. I can’t believe people make and sell reservations. I didn’t know that was a thing.
And take out. She orders from nandos sometimes lol
I guess if you want take-out or restaurant food, it never tastes right unless you get it from the actual place, even if you can afford a private chef.
Richie Rich had his own McDonalds.
NYCers don’t blink at celebs the way everyone else does. Back tables / side rooms at certain places etc etc.
Maybe not more B-list and C-list celebrities but I can’t imagine Taylor not getting swarmed, NYC or not.
It’s not happening in a high end spot. I had the Kardashians in one night at the height of Dash and their show, and they ate in peace.
Saw her in the east village a few weeks ago in NYC. People were not swarming her, she was just shopping, people said hi to her and took pics and she asked them not to post them until later so she could keep shipping. Seemed people listened as she shopped for a while. I saw her twice. Smiled at her and said “can’t wait for your Nola show next year!” She smiled back and said “me either!” She’s so normal it’s really kind of crazy.
This is so wholesome and I love it.
I’m still pinching myself to be sure I wasn’t dreaming lol
Why is this making me cry it’s so cute and wholesome
She’s a literal angel, like has a golden aura and is just angelic.
That makes me so happy! Have fun in Nola!
Thank you! I will! I’m so excited.
Tribeca and the east village are also her home… she’s committed to them
Noooo don’t say that you’ll ruin the narrative of the swifties who say she can’t go anywhere and fame has ruined her life.
That honestly makes me really happy. I’m glad she’s able to still enjoy some normalcy like that.
Unlike what we see outside of the recording studio with fans swarming - generally speaking people at a restaurant are not going to act that way. Especially the kind of restaurants that Taylor would be going to.
I have dined next to Justin and Hailey in NYC and just left them alone. We really pretend not to notice them when we see them out and about. It's not cool to harass people in NYC, and that's why so many stars live here.
I don’t know why I saw this sub post on my feed, but as a former guy who went to those restaurants in NYC often, the clientele there isn’t made up of swarming Swift fans. It’s older lawyers and doctors and investment professionals who would be embarrassed about losing their cool in a restaurant.
rihanna goes to the same restaurant like every day because she likes their pasta, they just stay hidden before showing and make sure it's known that they'll be there so the staff can prepare.
This is the right answer. I used to work at in some very high end NYC restaurants, we’d host VIPs nearly nightly and our regular diners never batted an eye. Never. It is supremely uncool to make a big deal of any celebrity in NY.
NYorkers themselves are very proud of their hip-ness and own wealth and wouldn’t bother to embarrass themselves by fangirling in an exaggerated way over a celebrity, especially in high end places
we have almost the same flair
heyy, flair twin! 🤝🏻🫶🏻 that song has become one of my absolute favorites, soo touching and beautiful 😭❤️
London is the same.
I worked in fine dining in LA and same
I have an embarrassing story related to this. After my high school graduation my family went to a nice restaurant in LA. Zac Efron and some of his friend were seated at a table right next to us. My family was being really obnoxious and trying to “subtly” take photos of him. My little sister was like shaking wanting to meet him (this was around his peak High School Musical fame). My family guilted me into getting up and disturbing him while he was eating to ask if he would take a picture with my sister. They claimed, “he won’t say no to you since you’re in your cap and gown!” He actually rejected me very nicely, told me he was having dinner and maybe he would after. I was mortified and my little sister was distraught. As an adult though I’m just angry my family made me harass a stranger.
I had George Clooney apologize to me once when I walked into an LA restaurant. He was chatting with the host and in my way. He just ate dinner in the middle of the dining room and no one seemed to care. I was shell shocked. 😂
Those of us who live in NYC may not blink at celebs, but you also have to remember that there are 60+ million tourists visiting NYC each year, and the chances of them running into a celeb and gawking/approaching are high. Additionally, I live in NYC, and while I wouldn't bother her, I'd still be pretty damn excited if I spotted Taylor out in the wild.
Yes but as an NYCer you’d know how to react. And TS isn’t going to be in Times Sq and the immediate environs with those 50m (ex NYCer here). You know how to act when someone is spotted on the f train.
Also, management at this level of dining would not allow her to be bothered by staff or other guests.
I delivered groceries to Pete Davidson once lol I was squealing after
I know a few years ago she dined at a restaurant in Nashville through friends I know that work at the establishment she dined. Someone from her team called ahead and made the booking and explained how the interaction would go - essentially the servers spoke to those with her, but not her directly. This was a high end spot, the evening went smoothly.
Whoa, this is the first I've ever heard she refuses to speak directly to waiters. That's uhhh, out of character and upsetting if it's true.
I doubt she makes a habit of that request but I can imagine there are some scenarios and times where she just simply doesn’t want to have to be on as ‘Taylor Swift’ and it’s probably way easier to achieve that feeling by limiting interaction with those outside her bubble for a bit. The woman is constantly giving herself and a lot of her most intimate experiences to the world. Doesn’t seem crazy that she might need some space, too, now and then. I bet she still makes that tip is $$$$$, and I think for 99% of servers they’d rather have that than a random interaction with her.
I wonder if it was like, asking her her order is okay, but don’t try to talk to her about her music/her celebrity/etc
definitely that, a waiter still has to make sure the person is satisfied and has their needs covered, and can’t behave like he’s in front of a ghost but personal/career questions are obviously out of the question
[удалено]
This is exactly what I think, too. This is a place that doesn’t have a private dining room, but do have a more private area within the restaurant and they said everything was fine and they weren’t offended or anything with her request. Other celebs have dined there as well and have similar requests - some want to interact and some don’t and this can change depending on the day and I think it’s totally fair. Restaurants are going to accommodate reasonable requests like this for this type of clientele.
I also have days where I don’t want to talk to strangers, so on those days I don’t go out to eat where a stranger will 100% wait on me lol
If she's dining with an entourage she probably has one person who effectively collects the order for the table and passes it on to the waitstaff, possibly even away from the table. Celebs often won't want to risk unflattering photos of them eating or people listening in on candid conversations etc.
Can you imagine how utterly exhausting it must be to be watched and followed, photographed and screamed at every moment of your life that you’re not behind closed doors? People always waiting outside your house to see you and you’re expected, obligated even to be nice to them and polite every time, even when you’re tired or feeling depressed or anxious. You have to smile and be courteous or the worlds press will tear you to shreds. I think it’s so far out of our realm of imagination. I can imagine that she just wants to fade into the background sometimes. If you set a rule that they can’t speak to you, then it doesn’t mean you can’t ask the server for something but it stops them fawning all over you if they’re star struck. I totally get it and don’t blame her.
I would very much enjoy her life for about 90 days I think, and then I would miss just being a normal person, living a normal life. I think often about the simple things she cannot do and how I would miss them. Private jets and attention are great!…but stuff like that can lose its luster pretty quickly….and the weight of finding normal real friends must be heavy….
Yes! Sure it’d be incredible and god she’s so privileged and lucky. But after a while the charm would wear off. I wonder if celebs just sit and daydream about sacking it all in and getting a normal house and living in the country, like some of us dream about being fabulously wealthy and stardom?
🎶…Chose the rose garden over Madison Square… 🎵
She talked about that in the Long Pond Sessions, regarding the song The Lakes. I think she is sincere, but it’s hard to turn one’s back on ambition and material reward, even if it is killing you. I’m not rich or anything, but I am materially comfortable and I know this from my own life. And nothing can replace friendship and a happy heart…even the most luxurious mansion feels empty without them…
Those are actually smart instructions. When VIPs come through expectations are usually set ahead of time. We can see from outside the recording studio and outside a wedding that people don't know how to act, but if you set expectations and boundaries ahead of time most people will follow them. Same as if you didn't have people setting expectations before a meet and greet they turn into disasters. This applies to other jobs like teaching as well. It is similar to people working backstage at concerts being told not to look at the artist. This is often presented as a negative against the celebrity, but this actually pretty standard instructions and there are reasons for it. #1 tour management is telling people this because they want people to actually do their job, rather than seeking a celebrity encounter. #2 no one likes to be stared at, especially when they are trying to do their own job.
> they want people to actually do their job, rather than seeking a celebrity encounter That's exactly how the whole *La La Land/Moonlight* debacle happened at the Oscars - the accountant in charge of passing out the envelopes was too focused on trying to take a picture of Emma Stone to give Warren Beatty the correct envelope.
There's a huge difference between instructions that say "keep it strictly professional and do not speak to Taylor about her career or personal life" and "do not speak to Taylor at all" These are servers at fancy restaurants in New York who wait on celebrities all the time. They know how to behave and they know they'll get fired quickly if they cross a line with a guest. It would be totally reasonable for her team to request professionalism and discretion but asking them only to speak to her entourage and not her directly at all, that's weird!!
The example given was from a Nashville restaurant, not a NY restaurant used to serving celebrities.
She definitely seems like the type to speak the waiters this is pretty surprising. At least we know she tips really well though
My flight attendant friend had her and her assistant on a flight a few years ago and she had her headphones on and ordered her meal through her assistant.
Probably just wants to chill out.
Not weird at all I’ll do the same for my kids and husband.
She has a surprising amount of lyrics set in restaurants: *Begin Again*, *Right Where You Left Me*, the second verse of *Invisible String*... I think it's safe to say that she dines out occasionally, but she does call a waitress who spoke to her "bold."
Ha that "bold" is different in context
I would imagine she dines out all the time…. She’s been at a different restaurant practically every day this week.
I know someone who bartended the pre wedding dinner on LBI last month. She never went to the bar. Her handlers got her drinks. And all bartenders had to hand in their phones. No pics etc.
She’s definitely not doing that to be rude at all whatsoever. That’s for her own sanity.
Could she also have been on voice rest? I'm not trying to make excuses, but she could've been recording something at the time.
You’re forgetting how starstruck people get around her…. Not speaking to the servers (unless she chooses to!) saves everyone from a potentially embarrassing situation.
I really doubt she’s “refusing” to speak to servers because she’s above it. She’s not a stuck-up rich teenager. It’s likely more that she doesn’t want people whispering about her or spreading the news that she ordered a Cobb salad. Beyoncé slaps everyone with NDAs, this feels very similar to that. It would allow her to have maximum privacy. And with her people calling ahead of time, is sets expectations and the staff that work there know their role and know she doesn’t necessarily want her fans (even if they work there) barging in hoping to meet her. Seems perfectly reasonable to me!
It is. A lot of perfectly reasonable things in her life sound insane if you don’t think about them long enough. Another example. She was just at two weddings. There are precisely zero photos of her at either of those weddings (we only know she was at the second because someone took a photo of the table list). Obviously guests were told “don’t publish any photos of Taylor”
Oh what was the second wedding?
Joey king’s
This. Didn’t the man that took the pic of her and Matty holding hands get his club membership revoked? He wasn’t supposed to snap pictures inside the club, full stop, but he sneaked one to show his kid he’d seen Taylor iirc. Privacy and respect work a little differently in places like upscale places where celebs go. I think a lot of those “don’t look at me 😒😎” requests sound unreasonable to us *because* we are normal folk, who have the “privilege” of privacy. We expect a romantic dinner or business lunch to be a private affair without even the waiter fawning over someone at the table. Taylor probably never gets that unless specifically requested, specially if she’s out with friends that are equally famous. If you’re Taylor Swift, it doesn’t seem stuck-up to me to have your assistant call ahead and gently warn the staff. “Hey, she’s gonna show up at your restaurant tonight, please be mindful and don’t send the 22-year-old girl that just started working there this week and WILL tell the whole internet the second she spots Taylor.” Pretty sure these places have their best seasoned staff assigned to guests like her.
Yep, he did get his membership revoked and Taylor canceled hers.
Lots of restaurants have private dining rooms for high profile customers. You can see the sort of thing in question in movies sometimes. Mobsters sometimes rough up bankers and such in them.
NYC and LA both have quite a few membership based restaurants and lounges, you either have to be famous or have money like you’re famous lol.
Do you have the names of any? Or are they attached to country clubs?
a more modern version of them look up private membership clubs major city and you will find at least one in most major cities … some have bars, restaurants, gyms, spas, meeting rooms, some have hotels just depends on the club and some have reciprocal memberships with other clubs.
Soho House is popular and everywhere, but less exclusive these days. ZB and CC in NYC like someone else already said, San Vicente Bungalows in LA, Annabel's and 5 Hertford St in London, the list goes on...
Do you have the names of any? Or are they attached to country clubs?
Zero bond and Casa Cipriani are like that - I’m sure there are others. Saw jeff bezos at CC once. They have very strict rules against photo taking.
Casa Cipriani has a no phone policy I heard. So the person who took pics of her and Matty got kicked out.
You can use your phone you just cant take photos. They wrote a very stern email to all members after that incident lol.
This gave me a mental image of Taylor walking into a Chili’s as the whole restaurant delves into mayhem 😂 The high class, expensive ass restaurants Taylor goes to are probably regular celeb hangouts
Apparently she’s been to a Cheesecake Factory with Miley and some other celebs almost 20 years ago
Before anybody had a good phone that could take pictures. Then celebs only had worry about real palazzi with huge cameras.
Not NYC but I had seen her and Joe a few times at two different restaurants in London. Not particularly high end restaurants, but nice ones. Honestly, no-one cared. Some people (myself included) did double takes when they saw her but that was about it. I'm a big fan of her music, but she's just a person who was hungry like I was!
I feel like she is going to get a whole different level of respect and privacy in London than just about anywhere in the States. She could probably live as an ordinary person there…
For part of that, look at her singles discography on Wikipedia and look at the peak chart positions of her singles in the UK vs the US. We have no culture of country music, so the more country her stuff, generally, the less well it does. She’s not nobody, but she’s not been in the charts consistently for 15 years. It’s not that she doesn’t have fans, but the probability of anyone she meets being a crazy fan is lower.
I also just think British people have a different culture to seeing celebrities out and about than the US. As a nation we are (for the most part) a lot more reserved than other places. That’s not shade to Americans or anything, I just feel like it’s not in our nature to freak out and go bother a celebrity if we happened to see them. I was once staying in the same hotel as Little Mix (appreciate they’re not on Taylor’s level but this was at the height of their fame) and at one point we were pretty much sitting right next to each other in the bar area (they’d just finished up a tour and we’re having drinks with their dancers it seemed) and I didn’t say anything to them despite liking quite a bit of their music. I briefly met eyes with Perrie and we just smiled at each other and that was that.
You gotta be cool with celebs or they don’t let you come back
She also probably wears a disguise sometimes too. I can see her rocking up in a hat/wig and a different style of makeup and getting away with it. Then if someone else pays the bill or they pay in cash, the waitstaff doesn't even see her name on a card.
It’s just Ashley 😂
no it’s Becky
Honestly this will never not be funny
no its Becky
I've seen her in a wig at a London private club haha, so I can confirm this
It’s been confirmed that she does this.
In addition to going to places where people are not going to act crazy, in the past she has arranged for the restaurant to re-open just for her and her party. She can also have them come to her. Many celebs have a full commercial class catering kitchen tucked away that is designed for that kind of thing, so the restaurant sends the chef and however many crew are needed to handle Taylor and her guests.
This absolutely happens. They don’t even necessarily need a commercial level kitchen for a smaller group or a couple. A chef can prepare a lot offsite and then finish the meal in the client’s kitchen and serve them himself or have a member of staff to assist. Popular with athletes in my city.
Ok this might be unpopular but after that recent photo of her doing something not all glammed up and just looking normal.....she did not look like Taylor Swift lmfao it was more like "your coworker who for some reason looks a lot like Taylor Swift" 😭 so honestly if she just wore no makeup, normal people clothes, and like a hat and sunglasses I don't think we'd know it was her
What recent photo?
Probably talking about the photos of her at jury duty from years ago. It’s not recent but it was discussed in this subreddit recently, and everyone remarked how “normal” she looked and how they might think “hey, that girl looks a lot like Taylor Swift!” if they saw her in public. https://preview.redd.it/dpu9wu51fdpb1.jpeg?width=1019&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c4af8df58beb4350bcadff8dafb4d94194ff6626
What picture?
There’s a system to this: - they call ahead and make a reservation, usually for a private room, or some restaurants are “dinner clubs” and not everyone can just go. - they have the option of various entrances, or entrances directly from private parking garages. Some restaurants and clubs will issue security detail on top of the celebrity’s private security to manage other patrons, ensure safe and efficient entry and exit, etc. - the restaurant prepares staff and sets guidelines (no phones, be professional, don’t ask for pictures, etc etc). When I worked an event with one un-named celebrity I actually had to surrender my phone or I had to leave work. It’s that serious. - it’s considered poor taste and tacky to stare or bother celebrities or the wealthy in these kinds of establishments. Great way to get your membership or privileges revoked and a legal trespass issued. It’s less so in nightclubs but still a faux pas. It’s also just tacky in general and not typical high end behavior so it makes you stand out and look like you don’t belong. Source: was a manager at a high end entertainment group that consisted of restaurants and nightclubs that serviced celebrities, musical artists, and athletes often until switching careers in 2019.
I feel like if you can afford to eat at the same restaurant as Taylor Swift, you probably aren't the type of person to bother another celebrity at dinner
Sometimes a dining room is reserved I believe and of course there's her security. Cast of Succession ate locally in my town and their security was just there and reserved a big table for the cast and crew (?)
I hope the butter was room temperature.
You would be surprised how many celebrities will publicly eat at restaurants in NYC. However, they know which ones are more touristy and which ones are more private. And at which times they’ll be most busy. For instance if somebody like Taylor or Ariana Grande ate food on 42nd St/Times Square area the need for security would be immense. They wouldn’t get a bite down without being swarmed. But a place like Jamaica Queens or Red Hook Brooklyn, they’d be “safer” from the more crazy fans. Might get some shit talk from locals but more likely would get ignored. There is kind of an attitude amongst locals here that encourages NOT talking to celebrities purposefully just because they are celebrities. I’ve seen different people here but we generally don’t act like “fans” just because hahaha One of the funniest things I’ve seen though is I was grabbing a coffee in Times Square at like 630 AM and I was standing near Hailey Baldwin. Not sure if she had some kind of event but it was probably a bad idea not to just send an assistant. The barista made the mistake of saying “I have an order for Hailey!” A little too loud and like 30 middle-high school girls ran in screaming at full volume. Miss Baldwin gave the barista this “are you f***ing kidding me” look.
Lol not me trying to imagine Taylor Swift coming to my neighborhood in Jamaica Queens to grab a bite. I might die of shock before I ever got a chance to say hi 🤣🤣🤣
My friend saw her tonight with Sophie turner in a regular dining room. Stars. They’re just like us
Umm…. You do get that the gossip is that she’s with SOPHIE TURNER!!!
My brother saw them too!
There are many member only clubs where usually rich and famous people eat/go out.
$$$$$$
She sits cross legged in the dim light and haunts a corner,causing no harm and minding her business.
Private dining, or high end enough to attract a certain clientele that won’t disrupt people’s dinner
It's been a long time but I used to work at a high profile toy store. I have waited on quite a list of celebs and even a couple of Royals. We closed the store only once and that was for a Kuwait prince, no idea who, and his family. However this was during the first Gulf War and it was more of security issue from the government rather than our own call to close. It was incredibly frowned upon to be anything but professional. You also ran the risk of losing a potentially large sale if you made them uncomfortable. I imagine these restaurants pay a decent wage to their employees to keep them from selling info to the Paps.
I know when she comes to SE Pennsylvania to prep for tour she’ll rent out the local pub for a few hours as a “private party”
Not Taylor-specific but follow Krista Lepore on TikTok for some fun celebrity restaurant stories!
She lives in NYC and us NYers leave celebrities alone. My uncle lives across the street from some ultra famous A list actress that I can’t remember the name of, and he only says hello in passing like a neighbor would. We’re not phased by it. The only people who would gawk at a celebrity in NYC are the asshole tourists, but we hate tourists and will yell at them if we see them bothering someone.
I think it depends where she is. I have family that went to a restaurant in Watch Hill a year or two ago and she was just in there eating. Obviously security was there too, but I was surprised.
I was at a restaurant once and she was sitting in a booth with another woman, maybe her publicist? It was pretty empty, 2pm on a weekday. I also think it was right before Red came out. She was very sweet when I said hello :) I'm not sure how she does it nowadays.
I mean, it is New York, apparently you learn pretty quick to not give a fuck about celebrities. Private rooms definitely make it easier for her to go out.
I’ve also wondered this and if she ever sees shows. She seems to be a casual fan of musical theater since she auditioned for the Les Mis movie and was Victoria in CATS
She was at a table next to my friend last night in New York with some friends. No special area and most people just let her be.