The One With Coffee: The F.R.I.E.N.D.S Inspired Central Perk Coffeehouse Opens in New York
- Vidhi Shukla
- 50 minutes ago
- 2 min read
For a show that shaped how the world imagines friendship, coffee breaks, and New York City itself, F.R.I.E.N.D.S has always been loved by generations. Set in Manhattan, filmed in Los Angeles, and watched everywhere, that loop now feels complete. Central Perk, the fictional café that anchored the sitcom for ten seasons, has officially opened as a permanent, fully functioning café in Times Square, giving the series a real address in the city it made iconic.
Located at 20 Times Square, the café sits amid Midtown’s constant motion, yet its interiors offer a serene environment. The design leans into recognition rather than replication. Warm tones, comfortable seating, and subtle references create familiarity without tipping into cliché. The legendary orange couch makes its appearance, but it’s framed as part of a living café and not a set piece frozen in time.
The menu mixes a bit of nostalgia with the vibe of today's café culture, featuring some standout drinks that are only available in New York. One of them is 'The One with NYC Matcha,' which is a delicious layered iced matcha latte with oat milk, strawberry purée, and cream cheese cold foam. When you mix it up, it tastes like strawberry-matcha cheesecake. The other drink, the 'NY Relaxi Taxi Tall Iced Cooler,' is a refreshing mix of lemonade and iced green tea with lavender syrup and sparkling water, topped off with a lemon wheel for a fun pop of taxi-yellow. There’s Chandler’s Chocolate Cold Foam Latte for the classic comfort-seekers, Princess Consuela’s Banana Mocha for those in a playful mood, and the unapologetically dramatic Oh. My. Gawd! Cold Brew—because subtlety was never the point.
All of this sits alongside thoughtfully brewed coffee and comforting café food shaped with inputs from chef Tom Colicchio. When hunger kicks in, the Italian sandwich piled high with prosciutto, soppressata, capicola, cotta, coppa, provolone, lettuce, and giardiniera on soft semolina bread means serious business. And just when you think you’re done spotting references, along come Joey’s Meatball Sandwich, Rachel’s Green “Side” Salad, Weekend at Caesars Salad and Mama’s Little Bakery Cheesecake,
What Central Perk gets right is the atmosphere. It isn’t a novelty stop meant only for pictures; it’s designed as a place to linger. The café quietly echoes the show’s original idea that everyday moments, shared repeatedly, become the ones that matter most.
In the end, this opening feels less like a pop-culture gimmick and more like cultural closure. Friends may have ended in 2004, but its pull hasn’t faded. In the middle of Times Square, the sitcom finally finds a permanent home—one that feels lived in.