Hot Rez: Taylor Swift & Sabrina Carpenter at The Corner Store NYC – Worth The Hype?

When pop icons Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter walked into The Corner Store in Soho on Friday, Nov. 7, for a girls’ night out dinner, the trendy restaurant’s impossibly long waitlist got that much longer.

Swift, who has frequented The Corner Store before — whether with fiancé Travis Kelce or gal pals Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner — helped put the place on the foodie map. So you can blame her if you can’t get in until next year.

Located on West Broadway and Houston Street, The Corner Store opened in September 2024 and has been a hot rez on the Manhattan dining scene ever since. Much has been made of its green velvet banquettes, striped corner booths, vintage NYC photography, and moody lighting. Oh yes, and the food.

The menu, billed as “Classic American cuisine that is straightforward, yet nostalgic, and inspired by the things people know and love,” hits plenty of sweet and savory spots: spinach and artichoke dip, Caesar salad with fried cream cheese and everything bagel croutons, Wagyu French dip, disco fries, and for dessert, a Samoa sundae with coconut soft serve or apple hand pies.

Meat options include steak frites ($48.95), while a bone-in New York strip sets you back $79.95. The wild Dover sole is the priciest option at $89.95. There’s also a vegetarian chicken parm for $36.95.

Playful drinks (including one made with Cap’n Crunch) abound, but it’s the martini menu that’s the real playdate here: Sour Cream & Onion, Tomato, Espresso, Oli’s Dirty (with Corner Store brine and olive oil wash), The Filth (filthy brine), and Chamomile Vesper.

The main room seats 80, while a glass-enclosed patio in warmer weather accommodates another 50. The bar seats 13, and that’s where walk-ins are said to have a shot — on a first-come, first-served basis. Spoiler alert: The line starts early. Even then, there’s no guarantee, because the word is out.

Does The Corner Store Live Up to the Hype?

We asked New Yorker and senior executive assistant Nicole Guest — who scored a reservation for two the night after the big hoo-ha with Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter — to spill the tea on the experience for SPARK.

SPARK: How did you get a reservation?
NG: Through a friend. I had wanted to go for a long time, and then made a connection. We sat at the bar.

SPARK: What was the atmosphere like? The crowd?
NG: Vibey, dark, amber lighting. The crowd was trendy but mixed. Some kids from out of town. Two couples at the bar said their hotel got them the reservation.

There were paparazzi outside — one photog said, “I missed the girls last night. But you never know. Lightning could strike again.” The line to get a bar seat went around the block. It opens at 5 p.m., but they let in very few walk-ins.

SPARK: And the food?
NG: Hands down one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Every dish was perfection from start to finish.

SPARK: Seriously?
NG: I’m not kidding.

SPARK: What did you order?
NG: We had the Wagyu beef sandwich au jus, the caviar lobster roll, the Caesar salad, and the pizza rolls with honey on the side.

SPARK: What was your favorite?
NG: It’s a tie between the Wagyu beef sandwich — phenomenal — and the caviar lobster roll, which was rich and decadent. The Wagyu was perfectly seasoned, tender, and unforgettable. Every bite felt like pure happiness. The lobster roll was the perfect blend of comfort food and luxury.

SPARK: How about the Caesar salad?
NG: The Caesar salad was crisp, flavorful, and perfectly dressed — honestly the best I’ve ever tasted. The pizza rolls were pure nostalgia elevated — golden, cheesy, and addictive.

SPARK: What about drinks?
NG: I’m not really drinking much these days, so I had one glass of champagne. It came in a wine glass, which I didn’t love. My friend had a few glasses of red wine. But the martinis — especially when they bring them out on a cart to the table for two or three people — looked amazing.

SPARK: What did you spend?
NG: We each spent $190 including tip, which wasn’t bad for how much we enjoyed it.

SPARK: Sounds like you’d recommend The Corner Store.
NG: The Corner Store is officially my new favorite NYC haunt. It’s the whole experience — the vibe, the service, the food — everything was spot on. I’m already dreaming of the time I can go back!

SPARK: What would you order next time?
NG: Everyone raves about the Dover sole. And for dessert, that Samoa sundae looked out of this world.

The Corner Store
475 West Broadway, New York City
(212) 271-9240
thecornerstoresoho.com
Reservations open two weeks ahead at 10 a.m.