You remember Central Perk, the fictional coffee shop where the characters in Friends spent almost all their time? Well, it’s finally opened in real life, with a nearly identical model, in a Beijing apartment block, run by Friends super fan Du Xin - who prefers to go by the name "Gunther". Obviously, Du is really, really into Friends and claims, “For me, it’s like a religion. It’s my life.”

That devotion to the show is apparent in every detail in his Central Perk, with the same window and doorway as the original coffee shop, as well as that couch. Also, t,the menu only has snacks mentioned on the show, with annotations that explain exactly when that cupcake appeared in which episode. Du has even built a replica of Joey and Chandler’s apartment next door, featuring a foosball table, Baywatch DVDs, and the giant TV cabinet Joey built.

Du traces his love of Friends, and its immense popularity in China, to the characters’ way of living, spending all their time just hanging out with best friends. So what exactly do devotees of the show who flock to Du’s version do while just hanging out? Watch Friends reruns, of course.

Friends Cafe

Average Cost: 35yuan

Phone: +86 186-0119-1315

Address: 0616, Bldg A, Chaowai SOHO, Yi 6, Chaoyang Wai St, Chaoyangdistrict(Seemap)

Hours: 11:00am–10:00pm