What is the name of the coffeehouse where the Friends characters often meet?

Central Perk is the coffeehouse where the Friends characters often meet.

The fictional café serves as one of the series’ main locations, alongside Monica and Rachel’s apartment and Chandler and Joey’s apartment. Its orange couch became one of the show’s most recognizable pieces of set design, giving the central group a familiar place to talk and argue.

Central Perk is also connected to several character stories. Phoebe performs songs there, including “Smelly Cat,” while Rachel works as a waitress during the early seasons. Gunther, the café manager, is a recurring character who secretly loves Rachel.

Central Perk is fictional and should not be confused with a real café depicted in the series. The name combines “central,” reflecting its role as the friends’ meeting place, with “perk,” a reference to coffee. The setting helped make the ensemble’s conversations feel like a regular part of their shared daily routine.