Where was Friends Filmed? Central Perk Cafe From Friends: Warner Bros Studio Tour

Friends fans can sit on the orange couch at Central Perk Cafe where Ross, Rachel, Joey, Monica, Phoebe, & Chandler spent so much of their time at the coffee shop. Take a photo in the Friends cafe. Stand where Red Ross played rugby. See where Rachel, Ross, Chandler, & Monica walked down the stairs for prom. The Warner Bros Tour Hollywood is a must-see experience if you like Friends, Harry Potter, Batman, Gilmore Girls, & entertainment in general. 

Is Central Perk real or just a building? Can you do a Friends set location tour? Where was Friends filmed? What are the filming locations? Where is the Central Perk coffee shop? Are there cheap hotels in Burbank, CA? Plan your Friends trip & stay up-to-date on everything you need to know about Warner Brothers Studio Tour Los Angeles.

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Keep reading to learn all about Central Perk Cafe, Lot 48, Warner Bros Studio Tour Hollywood, & more.

Friends Boutique & Café

Warner Bros has a cool Friends Boutique & Café where you can shop for exclusive Friends-themed souvenirs and even eat in recreated sets. The Friends Boutique is only accessible when you purchase a ticket to the Studio Tour, located within Stage 48: Script to Screen. Learn more online!

Tell Your Warner Bros Tour Guide You're a Friends Fan

Friends was an original show that aired on NBC. You have to buy Warner Bros Studio tickets! The Warner Bros Studio Tour is located in Burbank, which is part of the greater Los Angeles Area. Most of the filming locations occur here. There isn't an official Friends set tour, but the Warner Bros Hollywood Tour is customizable based on tour participants, so make sure to specify you're a Friends fan! They'll tell you all the juicy details, show you where certain scenes were filmed, & more! 

We all know the iconic opening credits song. The cast of the show made us all laugh while they hung out in their apartment building. Do you know when Ross played rugby? The piece of grass is TINY! The magic of angles. You can see where Rachel, Ross, Chandler, & Monica walked down the stairs for prom. There were a couple other Friends fans on our tour, but we also had Gilmore Girls fans, Batman fans, Big Bang Theory fans, quite a nice range. Speak up or else your tour guide will talk about what others ask for! 

Buy your tickets to the Warner Bros Studio Tour Hollywood!

Explore the guided Warner Brothers Studio Tour in Burbank, California.

Is Central Perk a Real Place? Was Friends filmed in NYC?

Yes & no. The Central Perk in New York City doesn't really exist & you can't visit Monica's apartment. While the show took place in New York, the show was filmed in California. Warner Bros Tour Hollywood created a real-life Central Perk coffee shop where visitors can sit down to enjoy a coffee, located at Stage 48 in Burbank, California. The Central Perk Cafe isn't a replica of the Friends set, but you can still eat a sandwich or pastry in the Friends cafe. Order food at the counter then chose where to eat from the available tables & seats. It was pretty busy at the cafe. Buy a Friends coffee mug, coffee, Friends souvenirs, & any Warner Bros Tour souvenirs your heart desires.

Stylistically, you might see the show written as f.r.i.e.n.d.s or f r i e n d s. The show takes place in New York but in real life it was filmed in the Los Angeles/Burbank area. The apartment is supposed to be in Greenwich Village, New York. For ten seasons, the Friends apartment entertained us. That apartment held a lot of laughs & good times together. The sitcom remains popular to this day, all these years later. 

In season three, the friends all go to see Joey perform at Lucille Lortel Theatre, which is a real theatre in New York. With the art of filmmaking, they didn't actually have to go to the Lucille Lortel theater to get the shot.

The exterior shot of the apartment was filmed at 90 Bedford Street at the corner of Grove Street.

Tip: The Friends cafe does include a replica of the Central Perk coffee shop sign. There might be a line in front of the sign but it goes quickly. Worth it if you have time.

Don't forget to take a photo in front of the Central Perk Cafe sign on Lot 48 at the end of the Warner Bros Studio Tour.

Is There a Friends Set Tour? Can You Visit the Set?

Central Perk New York City doesn't exist nor does Monica's apartment in Greenwich Village or ugly naked guy. You can't jog through Central Park after a cup of coffere. However, there are multiple Cental Perks out there. There is no official set tour. The Friends set tour doesn't include Joey and Chandler, Monica, Rachel, Ross, or Phoebe's apartment building. They always made New York look so cool. However, the Central Perk Cafe is available at the end of the Warner Bros Studio Tour at Stage 48 when your guide drops you off at the gift shop. This is at the end of the tour so there's no guide for this portion.

The self-guided set tour does include a replica of the Central Perk Cafe building from Friends that we all know & love, including the orange couch, counter, tables, Phoebe's guitar, & more! It feels like New York, but not really. You can look at the inside of Central Perk coffee shop along with all the other people on the mini set tour from the side of the set. You cannot walk around the Friends cafe set replica. Now if only Joey and Chandler were there too.

Buy your tickets to the Warner Bros Studio Tour Hollywood!

The Friends set replica on Lot 48 of Warner Bros Tour in Burbank, California looks lonely without our favorite characters.

Tip: If you have time, stand in line to get your photo taken on the  Central Perk Cafe set replica. You can pose on the orange couch with a Friends coffee mug. Don't miss this iconic photo opportunity!

Snap a picture on the Central Perk Cafe couch with a coffee mug.

Where to Stay/Hotels in Burbank, CA

There are a couple Marriott Burbank hotel options: Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport & the SpringHill Suites by Marriott Los Angeles Burbank/Downtown. Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport is less than a mile away from the Burbank Airport. The Marriott Los Angeles Burbank/Downtown is a 15-minute drive from Universal Studios Hollywood & Warner Bros. Studios. Burbank Inn and Suites is 5 miles away from Universal Studios.

Do a quick search for hotels in Burbank, CA. Just add your travel dates to see what's available & what the cost is:

Booking.com

I Cried When Friends Ended on TV

Gotta loves those opening credits. I grew up watching the show over the years & even watched the finale when it aired. I used to think it was really filmed in New York as a kid. I thought Central Park & Greenwich Village & New York City were a subway ride away. I used to want to visit Monica's apartment. Was ugly naked guy there?

It was a very popular series. I always laughed at Joey. I watched Ross, Rachel, Joey, Monica, Phoebe, & Chandler for years. I wrote about it in my diary later that night. I mourned for the end of the show & cried at its last moments. I tore up the diary entry & threw it away years later because I was so ashamed at how lame I sounded. I must've been a moody teenager at this point. But it's a fond memory now that I can laugh & reminisce about. I can watch a DVD, the Friends box set, or Netflix when I want my Friends fix; it always reminds me of growing up, much like the characters in the show. There's nothing new like it.

Buy your tickets to the Warner Bros Studio Tour Hollywood!

The side of the Friends Central Perk Cafe set with a line of people waiting to take their photo.

Do you have a question about Warner Bros Tour, Central Perk Cafe, or the Friends set tour building? If you have time, please comment below & I'll answer the best I can. 

Looking for Friends-related gifts?

- Buy your Warner Bros Studio Tour Hollywood tickets.
- Buy the Friends box set to watch every episode whenever you want.
- Buy a Friends coffee mug to drink all the coffee in the world.
- Buy tickets to the Warner Bros Studio Tour Hollywood - skip the line.

Looking for places to stay in Burbank, CA?

Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport
SpringHill Suites by Marriott Los Angeles Burbank/Downtown
Burbank Inn and Suites
Holiday Inn Burbank

All Friends fans should add the Warner Bros Studio Tour their list of Friends-related things to do. Is Central Perk real? Where was Friends filmed? It's located in Burbank, California. You can visit a replica of the set & even take your photo with a giant Friends coffee mug. I had a blast exploring the WB gift shop building & finding out all the juicy behind-the-scenes details from our tour guide. 

What's your favorite television show? Do you like the show? Do you have any new shows to recommend? Do you know any other Friends filming locations? What other shows are set in New York City? :] Leave a comment!

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