9 on-Screen Restaurants We All Want to Dine at ...

Neecey

9 on-Screen Restaurants We All Want to Dine at ...
9 on-Screen Restaurants We All Want to Dine at ...

Iconic restaurants from our favorite TV shows and movies have become almost as legendary as the characters themselves. Take it from me, in 2024, sipping a cup of coffee at Central Perk or grabbing a burger at Bob's Burgers still tops the bucket lists of many dedicated fans. (Pssst, don't worry, we'll get to Central Perk—just hold on to your caffeine cravings).

These cinematic dining spots have a magical allure. They combine the comforting nostalgia of well-loved stories with our universal love for good food. But have you ever thought about what it would be like if these fantasy eateries were real? Imagine striding into a place like Luke’s Diner from Gilmore Girls with a healthy dose of sass and a large coffee! If you're like me and own more flannel than a lumberjack just because of Luke Danes, you’ll know exactly what I mean.

Given that it's 2024, many of us have succumbed to the lure of foodie culture and culinary adventures. Nowadays, being a trendy gourmet often involves following the latest restaurant openings and dreaming about dining in places that don’t technically exist outside the silver screen. Honestly, sometimes I think I spend more time deciding what fictional restaurant I’d like to eat at than I do planning real-life meals. (Don’t judge, we’ve all got our quirks!).

In this article, we’ll dive into nine on-screen restaurants that we all wish could somehow burst out of our TVs and into our lives, starting with the ever-adorable Sugar Cube Bakery from the enchanting land of Equestria. (Oh yes, we're covering more than just human restaurants here, folks!). Trust me, as someone who threw a My Little Pony themed birthday party well into my thirties, I can confidently say I'd give half my comic book collection to taste Pinkie Pie’s cupcakes.

The guide will take you through a gastronomic movie marathon, exploring places like JJ’s Diner from Parks and Recreation (Leslie Knope would be proud), and the swanky Rick’s Café Américain from Casablanca. For those of you who enjoy dining with a view, how about a bite at the Hogwarts Great Hall? Not to spill too many beans, but can you imagine the house-elves' cooking?

So loosen that belt and grab your remote, because we’re about to embark on a deliciously fun trip through some of the most iconic (and appetizing) eateries we've grown to love on screen. From the delicious donuts at the Double R Diner to the posh meals at Jack Rabbit Slim’s, get ready to fill your imagination—and your dream restaurant checklist.

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1. The Frosty Palace - Grease

Be honest, who didn’t want to spend an evening with the T-Birds and the Pink Ladies eating ice cream sundaes and dancing to 1950s tunes on the jukebox? The diner in Grease is the hub of all the dancing and drama that goes on, from Rizzo throwing a milkshake all over Kenickie to Frenchie being visited by her very own guardian angel. Real talk, the burger and fries look delicious!

2. Gusteau’s – Ratatouille

Pixar brought to life the wonder of a top class Parisian restaurant called Gusteau’s in their 2007 animation, except for one curious difference, the best chef in the country just happened to be a rat! If you want to be able to taste the now iconic ratatouille dish that becomes the focal point of the film, then Disneyland Paris offer the next best thing with a wonderful themed restaurant where everything is so large that you are made to feel as small as a rat yourself!

3. Katz’s Deli - when Harry Met Sally

This is one of the few on-screen restaurants that exists in reality. The infamous fake orgasm scene in the Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal classic When Harry Met Sally took place at Katz’s Deli in New York, and ever since the film’s release the place has become something of a cinematic pilgrimage for any fans wanting to experience a slice of Hollywood legend. I wonder how many times the waiters and waitresses have had to listen to the infamous line “I’ll have what she’s having!”

4. Jack Rabbit Slims - Pulp Fiction

The themed restaurant called Jack Rabbit Slims where Vincent and Mia go to eat together is so weird and wonderful that you can’t help but want to eat there. You get to sit in old classic cars to eat, all of the waitresses are dressed as classic film actors and, of course, after you have finished your delicious five dollar shake you can boogie on down as part of the twist contest. Vincent and Mia rocked the joint!

5. Mos Eisley Cantina - Star Wars Episode IV: a New Hope

There are a couple of venues to choose from in the Star Wars universe, but the original Mos Eisley Cantina is surely the one that everybody wants to visit. Sure, it might be full of undesirable characters looking for a fight, but I would certainly risk it for a chance to find and flirt with Harrison Ford’s Han Solo, wouldn’t you?

6. The Three Broomsticks - Harry Potter

The Three Broomsticks is the pub located in the heart of the magical village of Hogsmeade, owned by the wonderful Madam Rosmerta. The pub is warm, clean, cozy and often crowded, but is the number one spot for a glass of butter beer or a shot of fire whiskey if you are feeling brave! If you’re feeling hungry, you can always opt for an ice cream sundae with cherry syrup and red currant rum, yummy! If your choice runs to something more chintzy and café-like, head to Madame Puddifoot’s Tea Shop and for something altogether grittier, there’s always the Hogs Head Inn.

7. Korova Milk Bar - a Clockwork Orange

The Korova Milk Bar that Alex and his chums visit in Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange is probably one of the strangest big screen bar or restaurant experiences ever. Opiate-spiked milk is the only thing on the menu, and the drinks are served on the bodies of naked painted ladies. You might not want to stick around, but it would certainly be an interesting visit!

8. Café 80s – Back to the Future Part II

Talk about confusing. If you watched this in the year of the film’s release in 1989, it would be hard to accept that the Café 80s was in fact meant to be a retro representation of the 1980s set in 2015. Now it’s 2015! That means we can enjoy the 80’s themed restaurant complete with avatar waiters of the decade’s icons like Michael Jackson and Ronald Reagan and cool shaped Pepsi bottles. Would you sit in a booth or choose an exercycle?

9. Zyggies Ice Cream Parlor – Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure

If it was good enough for Napoleon, then it’s good enough for me. Where else could you get the infamous Zyggie Pie – “the single greatest ice cream spectacle known to man”? Far from being a humble piece of pie, this a mega dessert of a giant punch bowl filled with ice cream, whipped cream, marshmallows, maraschino cherries, nuts and all sorts of lovely sundae goodies. Altogether now “Eat the pig, eat the pig, zyggie, zyggie, zyggie, zig.”

Which movie restaurant do you wish was real so you could eat there?

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Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge

why is the krusty krab not on here?

I would NOT want to eat at a restaurant with food prepared by a rat!

luke's!!!!!!

Lol me either

Krabby Patties!!!! Yes!

Central Perk!!

Luke's!!!!! Gilmore Girls

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