Smith & Wollensky’s steakhouse is the New York restaurant where Anne Hathaway, as fashion intern Andy in The Devil Wears Prada, tracks down tyrannical boss Miranda Priestly’s (played by Meryl Streep) lunchtime steak and tries to get her copies of the unreleased manuscript of the new Harry Potter book. Needless to say, after bending over backwards for it, Miranda doesn’t eat the steak.
The famous escargot scene in Pretty Woman, where Julia Roberts’ Vivian accompanies Richard Gere’s Edward to dinner and sends a snail flying from her plate, was filmed in Rex II Ristorante in Downtown Los Angeles. The restaurant, known as Voltaire in the 1990s blockbuster, has also appeared in Indecent Proposal and Bruce Almighty. It has since closed down and been replaced by Italian restaurant Cicada.
A plush 1920s Art Deco bar and lounge, Cicada still looks exactly as it does in the movie – you can even sit at the Pretty Woman table. The restaurant serves elegant northern Italian dishes, including lobster linguine with tomatoes and parsley garlic sauce, grilled veal chop with roasted potato and sweet vermouth sauce, and filet mignon with mash potato, Brussels sprouts and a balsamic reduction.
In Love Actually, Bar De La Marine is the restaurant where Colin Firth as writer Jamie – along with the entire village – are filmed locating love interest Aurelia at her place of work. On Christmas Eve, in a quaint French town with cobbled streets, the Englishman proclaims his love to her in broken Portuguese.
The Portrait Restaurant and Bar is the location for the scene in Closer where Larry (Clive Owen) will only agree to sign for a divorce with Anna (Julia Roberts) if she’ll sleep with him one last time. Despite the restaurant’s beautiful central London location and skyline views, the couple didn’t enjoy their time together.
In the end credits of The Avengers, the restaurant where the group eat shawarma in silence, refueling after a hard day’s work fighting The Battle of New York, is Shalom Kosher Grill, formerly Elat Burgers in Los Angeles. Iron Man craving shawarma, Middle Eastern spit-roasted chicken, beef or lamb, is a running joke throughout the film.
This retro American-style diner is one of the locations in the hit 1998 movie Sliding Doors, featuring Gwyneth Paltrow. Situated along the River Thames in London, this kitsch venue is decked out with old school counter stools, red leather booths and neon lights. Fat Boy's Diner has also been used for several Vogue fashion shoots and music videos.
New York café Tom's Restaurant is the exterior for Monk’s Diner in long-running sitcom Seinfeld. The interior scenes where main characters Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer are filmed drinking coffee and hanging out, were shot on a sound stage. The fictional restaurant’s name was inspired by a poster of jazz pianist Thelonious Monk in writers Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David’s office.
In the film About a Boy, Hugh Grant plays the part of Will, a rich bachelor persuing Rachel Weisz’s character, Rachel. After a falling out, he takes her to upscale Cantonese restaurant Hakkasan in Mayfair, London. Despite the low lighting and intimate setting, he struggles to win back her affections.
The New York Grill Park Hyatt in Tokyo is the hotel bar where Bill Murray and Scarlett Johannsson meet for the first time in Lost in Translation. Murray plays Bob, an aging actor filming a commercial, and Johannsson stars as Charlotte, a newlywed neglected by her busy photographer husband. The pair strike up an unlikely friendship as they enjoy late night drinks at the bar and listen to jazz.
In The Dark Knight, billionaire Bruce Wayne (also known as Batman) is so taken with the Criterion Café Restaurant, he decides to buy it. He makes the surprise revelation in the restaurant, when his fellow diners become anxious about whether they’re allowed to move the tables closer together. He casually tells them it’s no problem as he’s now the owner.
"I’ll have what’s she’s having" was the immortal line uttered by a fellow diner in the film When Harry met Sally, after Meg Ryan’s excitable scene with co-star Billy Crystal. The famous "Yes, yes, yes!" moment was filmed at Katz's Delicatessen in New York. Fans of the hit 1989 rom-com can sit in the very same seats as Ryan and Crystal, thanks to a handy sign that reads, 'Where Harry met Sally… hope you have what she had! Enjoy!’.
Made famous by the Julia Roberts movie of the same name, Mystic Pizza is located in Mystic, Connecticut. The venue is the focal point for the coming of age film about three friends who take waitressing jobs after leaving school, and dream of swapping their small town lives for a more exciting future.
Known locally as ‘The Top Gun bar’, Kansas City Barbeque was used to film several pivotal scenes in the classic 1980s movie. Most memorably is when Maverick (Tom Cruise) and Goose (Anthony Edwards) sit around the piano for a raucous rendition of Great Balls of Fire.
This lively sports bar is now full of Top Gun movie memorabilia, including photos, posters and letters written during production. There’s even a piano in the corner for guests keen to recreate the famous musical scene. It’s now one of the most popular tourist attractions in San Diego, California.
Twede’s Café, in North Bend, Washington, was featured in the surreal TV series, Twin Peaks. Known as the Double R Diner on the show, the venue was a favourite with FBI special agent Cooper who often came here for a slice of their famous cherry pie and a some 'damn fine coffee'.
During the opening scenes of the classic film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Audrey Hepburn’s character Holly Golighty arrives at the Tiffany & Co. flagship store, on 5th Avenue in New York, during the early hours of the morning. In her iconic black dress, long gloves, beehive hairstyle and giant sunglasses, she gazes longingly at the jewels in the window while opening up a paper bag containing her breakfast – a cup of coffee and croissant.
Based on the novel by Truman Capote, the Breakfast at Tiffany’s film was released in 1961, but it wasn’t until November 2017 that Tiffany & Co. opened The Blue Box Café at their 5th Avenue store. The menu includes croissants (naturally), salmon, eggs and bagels. There’s also a light lunch menu featuring sandwiches, salads and fine teas.
This quaint old-fashioned ice cream parlour in Bloomfield, New Jersey, featured in the hit mobster TV series, The Sopranos. Holsten's is where James Gandolfini, who played the show’s lead Tony Soprano, filmed the very last scene in the long-running series. Many fans still flock here to order the onion rings Gandolfini is seen eating in the final shots.
One of the most famous watering holes in America, Cheers is the place where ‘everybody knows your name’. The hugely popular sitcom of the same name ran for 11 seasons from the early 1980s. It centred around the bar manager Sam Malone, surly server Diane Chambers and their host of regulars, including psychiatrist Frasier Crane, who went on to have his own long-running spin-off, Frasier.
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There are two Cheers bars in Boston, where the show is based. The original Cheers is located on Beacon Street and was used to film the bar’s exterior, as shown in the opening credits.
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To feel like you’ve stepped on set, head to the replica Cheers on Faneuil Hall. Open since 2001, this lively venue not only looks like the set, but there are several pieces of memorabilia on display as well, including Sam’s Red Sox jacket and Cliffie’s mailman suit. The all-American menu features burgers, wings, salads, steaks and sandwiches.
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