There’s A F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Cafe In Kolkata And It’s Everything!
F.R.I.E.N.D.S, that American sitcom of epic proportions, is something most of us can binge-watch all day, every day. And even though it’s been 12 long years since the last episode aired, we can never tire of Joey’s “How you doin’?” or Phoebe’s hilarious musical compositions (who can forget Smelly Cat?) every time we watch re-runs of the show on the telly.
So what if we told you that you could actually sit on that famous orange couch from Central Perk and sip on your favourite latte, right here in India? Yes, that’s right! A new F.R.I.E.N.D.S-inspired cafe has opened up in Deshapriya Park, Kolkata that is a serious trip down memory lane for die-hard fans of the show. *cue Janice’s patented exclamation: “OH. MY. GOD!”*
The new Friend’s Cafe takes a lot of design inspiration from the show, and there’s everything from the trusty orange couch to Phoebe’s guitar showcased there. There’s even the signature purple door from Monica and Rachel’s apartment in there!
The cafe’s walls are filled with quotes from the show and framed photos of the cast. Plus, remember that ugly dog statue from Joey and Chandler’s home? It’s there too. There’s even a little television that plays F.R.I.E.N.D.S re-runs throughout the day. I mean, it does NOT get better than that, does it?
Well, the cafe’s menu has been inspired by the show’s wackiest character, Phoebe. This is why all the dishes are vegetarian, and includes items like Ross’s favourite The Moist Maker, and even a dish called Friends Fries!
The young minds behind this cafe are siblings Mahima and Aditya Bachhawat, and their cousins Rishab and Devyank, who run this cafe from the basement of their family home. The die-hard fans even called in a team of talented graffiti artists to draw the six TV characters in silhouette in their famous pose by the fountain, on the outside wall of the cafe. They are clearly as obsessed with the TV show as we are, and we’re so glad they decided to go ahead with this brilliant idea.
Interestingly, there are two other known Friends Cafes in the world — one in Pakistan, and the other in Beijing. We’re secretly hoping that someone does a similar cafe in Mumbai soon!
Images courtesy: Friends Cafe
