The Best Central Perk Moments from ‘Friends’
If you find yourself in New York City in the next month, you have a new important landmark to visit.
You can finally get the chance to sit and have a cup of coffee at Central Perk, now that television’s most famous cafe has come to life. Friends, arguably the best and most popular sitcom of all time, was set often in the fictitious coffee shop, which is currently an actual place in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. Visitors can go to the pop up coffee house, have a cup of coffee, sit on the famous orange couch, and listen to live music now through October 18.
In honor of this awesome monthlong occurrence, we looked back at some of Chandler, Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Joey, and Ross’s best Central Perk moments from this beloved TV show.
1) Rachel Bursts Through the door In Her Wedding Gown
In the show’s pilot, the gang is hanging out at their usual spot on the orange couch when Monica’s old childhood friend Rachel bursts through the door in a wedding gown. She sees Monica and explains how she ran out of her own wedding to then-boyfriend Barry. Seeing Rachel is especially shocking for Ross, who always had a major crush on her. Monica invites Rachel to move in and the rest is history!
2) Phoebe Sings “Smelly Cat”
Viewers learn early on that Phoebe is a performer. She sings and plays guitar, most often at Central Perk. When she serenades the crowd with her original tune, “Smelly Cat,” Friends fans everywhere had a new hilarious song to sing.
(Image credit – Tumblr)
3) Ross and Rachel’s First Kiss
In the show’s seventh episode, R-squared fans rejoiced when the two star-crossed lovers finally embraced. Rachel realizes that Ross had feelings for her and that the feelings are mutual while Ross is away on business in China. She goes to pick him up at the airport only to find him coming off the plane with a new girlfriend, Julie. Ross and Rachel have an after-hours fight at Central Perk regarding their feelings, in which Ross says his “ship has sailed” and that “Italian guys” got in the way of them being together before Julie came along. After storming out of CP, Rachel sits on the couch and cries, only to look up and see Ross staring back at her through the coffee shop door. She opens the door, Ross bursts in from the rain, and the two share their first kiss.
(Image credit – Tumblr)
4) Mike “Plays” the Piano
Fans rooted for Phoebe to find her soul mate, especially after things went downhill with her love, David (Hank Azaria). Phoebe and Joey decide to arrange blind dates for each other, but Joey forgets. However, he lies and says that he set her up with someone named Mike. Joey goes into CP and yells out “Mike,” and this Mike answers. Joey asks if he’s single and if he’d meet his friend Phoebe, which Mike agrees to. When Phoebe first meets her future husband, played by the wonderful Paul Rudd, he tells her he is a pianist. She says she wants to see him play but he says there is no piano. “That would’t stand in the way of a true pianist,” she responds in typically sassy Phoebe fashion. So Mike shows his stuff on air-piano in a hilarious bit and Phoebe falls fast.
(Image credit – Favim.com)
5) Ross Teaches Rachel and Phoebe about “Unagi”
The ladies head to CP after taking a self defense class and join Ross on the couches. He tells them they need to know about “what the Japanese call “unagi,” or “the state of total awareness” and that “only by achieving a state of total unagi can you be prepared for any danger that may befall you.” The ladies undermine Ross by saying that unagi is a type of sushi and then keep going back to discussing their craving for Japanese. The rest of the episode has Ross humorously trying to scare the two of them, therefore to prove how important unagi is.
(Image credit – Tumblr)
6) Joey Teaches Phoebe about Why Her Friend was a Terrible Date
The two of them meet up at CP to discuss his date with her friend Sarah. The show flashes back to how Sarah picks off his plate after ordering just a salad. “It’s not about a couple of fries,” Joey states, “it’s about what the fries represent – all food!” Rachel comes in and understands completely, showing how well she knows Joey, and says how not even baby Emma can eat Joey’s grub. Phoebe and viewers learn the critical lesson that “Joey doesn’t share food!!”
(Image credit – Tumblr)
7) Mike and Phoebe Change Their Names
When Phoebe goes to get her name changed after marrying Mike and finds out that she can pick any name she wants. Because she’s Phoebe, she decides on Princess Consuele Banana Hammock. As a lesson, hubby Mike says that if she can pick this ridiculous name, then he can pick one too. His choice? None other than the amazing choice, Crap Bag.
(Image credit- Tumblr)
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