In many movies and TV series, the places that are most frequented by the characters turn into essential elements of the plot. To some extent, they are involved in the story as if they were just another character. So much so that it is very hard to imagine certain productions if their most important locations had not been featured in them. What would Friends have been like if the infamous Central Perk had never existed? This New York café grew into a fundamental spot for the characters, a witness of their happiest moments, as well as the less happy ones. A great number of fan favorite scenes took place in that café. The same goes for McLaren’s Pub in How I Met Your Mother, which was the protagonists’ favorite place to hang out (and, according to Looper, inspired by a real-life bar in New York). Such places have a special meaning because they are important to the characters that we love and their story.

Very often, the locations where movies and TV shows are shot turn into popular areas that fans are eager to visit, even if it’s just to take a quick picture and become a bit closer to their favorite characters. Of course, many of these places are not actually real, but were built on sets just for a particular production. Still, many others do exist: they range from parks and hotels to stores, restaurants, and even pubs. Check out some famous restaurants in movies you can actually dine in.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

9 Katz’s Delicatessen — When Harry Met Sally

     Castle Rock Entertainment

Katz’s Delicatessen witnessed one of the most iconic scenes in movie history. In 1989, the rom-com When Harry Met Sally premiered, starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan. Their hilarious scene in the restaurant led to the legendary line, “I’ll have what she’s having”, immortalized by Estelle Reiner, mother of the film’s director. The restaurant, located in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, was very popular already, but following this rom-com, it consolidated its reputation as one of the best kosher-style delicatessens in New York. Nowadays, the table where Crystal and Ryan sat is labeled with a sign that reads “Where Harry met Sally…Hope you have what she had!”

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

8 Shalom Grill — The Avengers

     Marvel Studios

Who wouldn’t be hungry after a hard shift at work? And superheroes are no exception, according to a post-credits scene from the 2012 movie The Avengers. After saving the world, and upon Tony Stark’s suggestion, this peculiar group of characters went to eat shawarma at a place known as Shawarma Palace, unwittingly making this meal’s sales grow exponentially. This restaurant is located in Los Angeles, and even though it was known as Elat Burger during filming, it was subsequently bought by Shalom Grill.

7 Bridges Restaurant and Bar — Mrs. Doubtfire

     20th Century Fox

The 1993 film Mrs. Doubtfire is one of Robin Williams’ most memorable productions. Starring Williams alongside Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan, Harvey Fierstein, and Robert Prosky, the film follows Daniel Hillard, a recently divorced father who pretends to be a woman housekeeper in order to keep in touch with his children. One of the most amusing scenes took place in a restaurant where he had to attend two events at the same time: a dinner as Daniel and another one as Mrs. Doubtfire. The restaurant featured in the production is Bridges Restaurant and Bar, located in Danville, California.

6 The Loeb Boathouse Central Park — 27 Dresses

     Fox 2000 Pictures

The Loeb Boathouse Central Park was Jane Nichols’ (Katherine Heigl) dream wedding venue. But when her own sister fell in love with Jane’s boss (and also the man of her dreams) and decided to host their wedding there, she stepped aside once again. The rom-com 27 Dresses was not the only film showcasing this iconic Manhattan Boathouse: it can also be seen, among many other productions, in When Harry Met Sally.

5 Neptune’s Net — The Fast and The Furious

     Universal Pictures

The Malibu seafood restaurant Neptune’s Net is known for appearing in many movies and TV shows. Among the most notable ones was The Fast and The Furious, the 2001 movie starring Paul Walker and Vin Diesel as Brian O’Conner and Dominic Toretto. Both characters decided to stop at Neptune’s Net to have lunch and discuss business after they won a race on the highway. One little known fact about this restaurant is that, since it opened and for several years, it was just a gas station.

4 Bistrot La Renaissance — Inglourious Basterds

The Bistrot La Renaissance in Paris looks like a place that has been frozen in time since its opening in 1905. Its well-maintained condition and few structural changes over its history are probably the reasons why Quentin Tarantino picked it after spotting it in Claude Chabrol’s film Le Sang des autres. He shot a few scenes there for his 2009 film Inglourious Basterds, such as the one featuring Melanie Laurent and Daniel Bruhl.

3 Café Lalo — You’ve Got Mail

     Warner Bros.

Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks co-starred in several films together, so it’s no wonder why, each time they are featured together, their chemistry exceeds the screen. In the 1999 film You’ve Got Mail, they star as Kathleen and Joe, two business rivals who hate each other, but, unbeknownst to them, are having an online romance. Eventually, the couple decided to meet in person, and the venue chosen for the encounter was the legendary Café Lalo, located on New York’s Upper West Side. After Joe discovered who his crush was, he showed up at the place, but did not reveal his secret identity, resulting in a very dramatic scene. Café Lalo is still renowned for its delicious desserts and cakes.

2 Top Notch Hamburgers — Dazed and Confused

     Alphaville

The 1993 film Dazed and Confused follows different groups of students on their last day of school in 1976. Late at night, some of the students stopped by the drive-in restaurant Top Notch Hamburgers, where David Wooderson (Matthew McConaughey) tried to seduce Cynthia Dunn (Marissa Ribisi) and offered her a ride, not even realizing that she was actually driving her own car. Top Notch is located in Austin, Texas. It opened in 1971 and since then it has maintained its iconic style recalling the 70s.

1 La Sirenita — Bridesmaids

The 2011 film Bridesmaids centers on Annie (Kristen Wiig), a woman who is not going through the best of times, but must serve as maid of honor for her best friend Lillian’s (Maya Rudolph) wedding. As part of her duties, Annie took the bridal party to a restaurant to eat Brazilian food for lunch, but this plan went horribly wrong: they all got food poisoning resulting in a scandalous but hilarious scene. This restaurant actually exists, but it does not serve Brazilian food, only Mexican. It is known as La Sirenita and it is located in Van Nuys, California.