So where is Central Perk from 'FRIENDS' in real life?
But Places of Fancy will be there for you. The fictional coffee shop below the equally fictional apartment complex where F.R.I.E.N.D.S Chandler, Joey, Monica, Phoebe, Rachel and Ross would congregate is at the corner of Bedford and Grove streets in New York City’s Greenwich Village.
That building, 90 Bedford Street, posed for exterior shots in the legendary sitcom.
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| The famous FRIENDS apartment building as it appears on the show (left via Bustle) and at the corner of Grove and Bedford Streets in Greenwich Village, New York City (right via Google Maps) |
While the show explicitly states that the Central Perk building is at 495 Grove Street in Brooklyn, the building seen in exterior shots looks nothing like it—because it isn’t.
The very spot where Central Perk would have been at Bedford Street has been home to The Little Owl restaurant since 2006.
Get ready to be disappointed though. Owner and former Universal Studios corporate chef Joey Campanero has only made token efforts to capitalize on the spot’s fame, i.e. there’s no orange sofa to be found, in a bid to focus on the eatery's identity, Travel+Leisure reported.
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| If you looked at the right window, you'd see mugs for sale with a print of the building facade. Photo via Google Maps |
Get ready to be disappointed though. Owner and former Universal Studios corporate chef Joey Campanero has only made token efforts to capitalize on the spot’s fame, i.e. there’s no orange sofa to be found, in a bid to focus on the eatery's identity, Travel+Leisure reported.
As you might expect, a Los Angeles studio stood for the interior scenes. You can visit preserved recreations of the sets on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour.
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| The Central Perk set as seen on the Warner Brothers Studio Tour in California. Photo via William Warby |
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the FRIENDS premiere, Warner Bros. opened a pop-up café made to resemble Central Perk. The make-believe coffee house at 199 Lafayette Street in Manhattan served cups of Central Perk roast during its run from September to October 2014.
There was a time when you could grab a steaming cup of Joey Tribianni halfway across the world from New York City. At 1 Magazine Road Central Mall, Central Perk Singapore wasn't just any elaborate, laboriously created FRIENDS-themed café outside the US: It was The One with the Official Warner Bros. License. The coffee shop offered blends named after the characters and photo spots for the fans, from the requisite orange couch to Chandler and Joey's foosball table. You could practically hear Phoebe strumming “Smelly Cat” in the background.
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| Pop-up replica of the Central Perk cafe at 199 Lafayette Street, New York City that ran from September 17 to October 18, 2014. Photo via John Wisniewski |
There was a time when you could grab a steaming cup of Joey Tribianni halfway across the world from New York City. At 1 Magazine Road Central Mall, Central Perk Singapore wasn't just any elaborate, laboriously created FRIENDS-themed café outside the US: It was The One with the Official Warner Bros. License. The coffee shop offered blends named after the characters and photo spots for the fans, from the requisite orange couch to Chandler and Joey's foosball table. You could practically hear Phoebe strumming “Smelly Cat” in the background.
Emphasis on the was: Central Perk Singapore closed its doors in March 2023.
But don't start singing "I'll Be There for You" yet. This episode has a happy ending.
Call it The One That Came Home to Roast. With the blessing of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment, Central Perk Coffeehouse opened in October 2023 at 205 Newbury Street in Boston. Much like its Singaporean predecessor, it serves up a menu filled to the brim with fan-service moments: blends like Gunther!, How You Doin’?, Moo Point, Oh.My.GAWD!, Pivot Blend, and We Were on a Coffee Break, mostly made from sustainably sourced Arabica beans.
And no, Ross did not moonlight as a barista for your caffeine fix. Celebrity chef Tom Colicchio, a New Yorker through and through, has put his stamp on the artisanal drinks.
But why Boston? It's not like FRIENDS was set in Beantown.
In the words of Central Perk Coffee Co. president Joe Gurdock, Newbury Street and the Back Bay neighborhood are "treasured gems" in the city, offering the ideal first location for this coffee concept. Just like New York City, the historic Boston area is lined with brownstones, now home to boutiques, art galleries, and, of course, coffee shops.
It seems Boston has become a total "FRIENDS" love-in of late. To mark the series' 30th anniversary, "The FRIENDS Experience: The One in Boston" opened in May 2024, just a stroll from Central Perk Coffeehouse at 343 Newbury St. Inside the exhibit, fans can gawk at replicas of Monica's kitchen table, Chandler and Joey's recliners, and even costumes—just don’t get a turkey stuck on your head.
So if it hasn’t been your day, your week, your month, or even your year, grab your lobster, book a flight to Massachusetts, and Central Perk Coffeehouse will be there for you.
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