Believe it or not! In Singapore, there is a real Central Perk Café. That coffee shop where Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler and Ross were sitting on the couch for a cup of coffee every day in the very popular series Friends. Time to take a look and try the one and only ‘Monica Geller’ coffee.

‘How you doin?’

The American sitcom ‘Friends’ was broadcast in America from 1994 to 2004. Quite a while ago, but still very popular. With more than 230 episodes in ten seasons, we were enjoying the life of the six friends for 20 minutes every day. You can still watch this, all seasons are still on Netflix. I thought everyone could at least name the six most important persons of the series, but nothing could be further from the truth. Jeroen continues to amaze me and couldn’t tell from whom the famous saying ‘How you doin?’ comes. Now he can…

Warner Bros

The series was produced by Warner Bros. Three years ago we made a tour through California. One of the highlights was the tour through the studios of Warner Bros. Central Park turns out to be a small lawn, which was quite depressive. We liked that you could sit on the famous couch with a cup of coffee in your hands. Everything for the picture!

Pizza, pasta, desserts

The Central Perk Café in Singapore is the only restaurant, outside the United States, that has a license from Warner Bros and can, therefore, be called the real café of Friends. Besides a cup of coffee, you can also go here for pizzas, pasta and desserts. And while you’re eating, you can continuously enjoy the episodes of the series, played on the screen.

‘Monica Geller, the one with Monica’s jam’

The menu looks fantastic. Very creative, each dish has a name named after one of the protagonists. Like ‘Phoebe’s Vegetarian Pizza’ or ‘Ross’ Banana Split, the one that Marcel likes’. We took a cappuccino, the (pink!) iced coffee ‘Monica Geller, the one with Monica’s jam’ and ‘Mrs. Braverman’s Cheesecake’. The costs are $40, around €26. A considerable amount, but of course you also pay for the experience.

Bad-tempered Gunther

We found the drinks and the cheesecake a little disappointing. The iced coffee was very watery because of the many ice cubes, the coffee was weak and the cake quite small for the price you paid for it. Also, the staff was pretty grumpy. Without saying anything, you got the card pushed into your hands and they walked away again. Maybe they were in the role of the often bad-tempered Gunther. If that was the case, then, of course, it would have been hilarious.

Well filled wallet

Although the food was disappointing for the price we paid for it, I had the time of my life. You can find here the couch where everyone poses for the picture. You really get the impression that you’ve ended up in the series, especially when you hear the episode in the background. Of course, you can also buy some souvenirs. Don’t forget your credit card, you will need it. And last but not least, the kitchen of the apartment of Monica and Rachel has been recreated with thé slot machine.

Phoebe Open Mic

Every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday you can follow a barista workshop at half-past eleven. This costs $480 per person, €320, which we didn’t do… Every month there are several events in the restaurant, including ‘Chandler Comedy Night’, ‘Phoebe Open Mic’ and ‘Ross Trivia Nights’. If you are looking for the best coffee in Singapore, this is not the place to be. If you are a fan of the Friends series and have always wanted to have a cup of coffee in Central Perk, then you should visit the Central Perk Café in Singapore.