SOMETIMES WE LOVE a TV series so much that we wish we could step inside its world.
Well, actually, sometimes you can. A lot of famous programmes through the years have used real-life restaurants, cafés and bars as locations to shoot – and become fan meccas afterwards.
Garduno’s in Breaking Bad
Are you all caught up on Breaking Bad? If not, LOOK AWAY NOW!
(Don’t say we didn’t warn you.)
In a recent episode, the Whites and their in-laws visited a Mexican restaurant. The tense meal was constantly interrupted by a recurring punchline – their waiter rhapsodising about the tableside guacamole.
Corporate General Manager Warren Gaustad of the restaurant, called Garduno’s of Mexico, told The Wrap that the number of patrons ordering the guac has surged, with visitors specifically mentioning Breaking Bad as the reason why.
Image: The Wrap
Holsten’s in The Sopranos
Remember the iconic final diner scene from beloved series The Sopranos? Well, how could you forget?
The real diner become a place for diehard fans to go to puzzle over THAT final scene and enjoy Tony’s favourites, onion rings and Coke. In fact, the New Jersey eatery marked actor James Gandolfini’s passing this June by reserving his table out of respect.
Gray’s Papaya in Sex and The City
Remember when Carrie uncharacteristically grabbed a greasy hotdog from a street corner huckster’s café? Well, the next time you’re in the Big Apple (Big, geddit?), you can do the same thing at Gray’s Papaya.
Gray’s might look a little familiar from other places, seeing as it also features in the Michael J. Fox movie For Love or Money, an episode of How I Met Your Mother, Glee and many more.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Katz’s Delicatessen in When Harry Met Sally
The scene of the crime – Meg Ryan’s infamous faked orgasm. The table that Meg and Billy Crystal sat at is now marked with a special plaque reading: ”Where Harry met Sally…hope you have what she had!”
Katz’s has also appeared in movies like Across The Universe, Donnie Brasco and Enchanted – but it’s Harry and Sally that cements the Deli’s place in popular culture.
Bonus fact: Open since 1888, Katz’s serve 10,000 pounds of pastrami and 12,000 hot dogs a WEEK.
Tom’s Restaurant in Seinfeld
The iconic shot of Tom’s Restaurant brings back a lot of good memories for hardcore Seinfeld fans – so it’s not surprising that the real deal, located on 2880 Broadway in New York, is a pilgrimage spot.
Tom’s stood in for the fictitious Monk’s Cafe. Inside, it actually look very little like they do in Seinfeld, as the interior scenes were shot on a set in California.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Mulligan’s in My Left Foot
Mulligan’s pub on Poolbeg Street in Dublin set the scene for the bar scenes in 1989 movie My Left Foot. Both Brenda Fricker and Daniel Day Lewis won Oscars for their roles in the film.
And if you’re thinking of doing a few more Irish scene-spotting – try Christchurch Cathedral in Dublin, where The Tudors frequently shoots, or Whelan’s, a location for the movie PS I Love You, or even Kilmainham Gaol to relive some of the original 1969 film The Italian Job.
Source: Google Maps
Would you ever make the pilgrimage to a famous restaurant or bar? Let us know what scene you’d like to step into in the comments…
