{"id":183949,"date":"2026-04-02T23:11:53","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T23:11:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/183949\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T23:11:53","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T23:11:53","slug":"a-guide-to-the-real-life-new-york-restaurants-where-characters-eat-on-tv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/183949\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to the Real-Life New York Restaurants Where Characters Eat on TV"},"content":{"rendered":"

On-screen, New York is more often a character than a backdrop\u2014directors and set designers know they\u2019re best served with letting\u00a0the city play itself. From classics like Sex and the City to the recent, rare water-cooler moment that was <\/a>Love Story<\/a>, real restaurants, diners, and bars appear on-screen exactly as they are on the street. Below, we\u2019ve compiled 12 places that have appeared in cult shows over the last two decades\u2014allowing you to dine where CBK, Carrie Bradshaw, and Marnie Michaels ate, argued, and fell in love.<\/p>\n

\"PannaImage courtesy of FX\/Hulu.
\nPanna II Garden Indian Restaurant (East Village) in Love Story<\/p>\n

Before JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy couldn\u2019t step outside without being swarmed by paparazzi, they had the luxury of sharing a meal at a deserted Indian restaurant in the East Village\u2014at least, according to Ryan Murphy\u2019s new show. Their first date spot, Panna II, has become every New York romantic\u2019s current obsession\u2014the owners are reporting a record number of reservations. The restaurant hasn\u2019t changed much since the \u201990s: The ceiling is still buried under a constellation of blinking, multicolored lights, the chicken tikka masala and lamb saag still hit the way they\u2019re supposed to, and the whole thing costs about $30 a person.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Must-Order: Tikka Masala ($16.95) and Dal ($14.95)<\/p>\n

\"VeselkaImage courtesy of Veselka.
\nVeselka (East Village) in Gossip Girl<\/p>\n

When Dan\u2019s ex mentions pierogies at Veselka, she\u2019s referring to this East Village Ukrainian diner\u2019s signature Eastern European dumplings\u2014a staple of Dan and Vanessa\u2019s relationship throughout the show, something they\u2019d order in and eat while watching movies or meeting over at the kitchen counter. Their pierogies remain arguably the best in the city, served almost around the clock (Veselka is open until midnight or 1 a.m. most nights, and used to be open 24 hours\u2014RIP) for everyone from NYU students to hungover partiers. In addition to its beloved varenyky, you\u2019ll find borscht, kielbasa, and blintzes that taste like they\u2019ve been perfected across decades (because they have).<\/p>\n

Must-Order: Potato Pierogies ($20 for 8) and Borscht ($13 for a bowl)<\/p>\n

\"Roberta'sImage courtesy of Goop.
\nRoberta\u2019s Pizza (Bushwick) in Girls<\/p>\n

Marnie rattling off a list of why she loves Charlie right outside Roberta\u2019s is one of those Girls moments that perfectly captures why the show worked: equal parts cringey and relatable, set against an unassuming but wildly popular Bushwick pizza joint. Roberta\u2019s opened in 2008 and has since become a culinary destination, famous for its wood-fired pies and rooftop garden. If you need any more convincing, order the Bee Sting.<\/p>\n

Must-Order: The Bee Sting w\/ tomato, mozzarella, soppressata, basil, chili, honey ($26)<\/p>\n

\"StillImage courtesy of Macall B. Polay\/HBO.
\nThe Grill (Midtown) in Succession<\/p>\n

Connor Roy insisting on hosting his wedding rehearsal dinner at the Grill is very on-brand for a man who desperately wants to be taken seriously by people who will never take him seriously. The Midtown mecca in the landmarked Seagram Building\u2014all bronze, leather, and mid-century gravitas\u2014serves Dover sole and prime rib to Manhattan\u2019s modern-day power brokers in a room that feels frozen in time.<\/p>\n

Must-Order: Pasta a la presse ($41), Avocado Crab Louis ($46), and Prime Rib trolley service ($105)<\/p>\n

\"KenkaImage courtesy of the New School Free Press\/Avery Palmer.
\nKenka (East Village) in Broad City<\/p>\n

Abbi<\/a>\u2019s birthday dinner in season two takes place at Kenka, the infamous Japanese izakaya on St. Mark\u2019s Place where Ilana spirits her away for a night out. A towering tanuki statue and a cotton candy machine greet you before you even walk in. Inside, the menu runs to over 150 small plates, the sake and brews are cheap, and the whole experience is slightly chaotic in the cozy way only St. Mark\u2019s can deliver.<\/p>\n

Must-Order: Takoyaki ($8.50), Okonomiyaki ($12), Yakitori ($7.50), and Sapporo draft ($1.50)<\/p>\n

\"SantImage courtesy of Sant Ambroeus.
\nSant Ambroeus (SoHo) in And Just Like That\u2026<\/p>\n

Episode four, season one of And Just Like That\u2026 reminded us that Sant Ambroeus is one of the chicest dining rooms in New York on- and off-screen. Carrie and Seema catch up over pasta, then the friends brunch there in the same episode. The wall of decorative plates has become its own kind of landmark, the crowd on any given afternoon could pass for a casting call, and the pasta al pomodoro is exactly as good as it looks on-screen. The real Sarah Jessica Parker<\/a> is a regular\u2014you probably won\u2019t run into her, but you\u2019ll understand why she keeps going back.<\/p>\n

Must-Order: House omelette ($22) and Sant Ambroeus French toast ($19) for brunch; Cutel\u00e8ta alla Milanese ($71), Fettuccine alla Bolognese ($39), and Principessa cake ($17) for dinner<\/p>\n

\"7BImage courtesy of Netflix.
\n7B aka Horseshoe Bar (East Village) in Russian Doll<\/p>\n

After Nadia lands in 1982 and realizes she\u2019s somehow living inside someone else\u2019s life, she finds herself at 7B\u2014the Horseshoe Bar on the corner of 7th Street and Avenue B, a fixture of the East Village since the 1930s. The divey, red-doored bar appears across both seasons of the series. With a row of taps, a jukebox, arcade games, and dim lighting, the bar makes perfect sense for a show about looping endlessly through the same night.<\/p>\n

Must-Order: A PBR<\/p>\n

\"Joe'sImage courtesy of Joe\u2019s Restaurant.
\nJoe\u2019s Restaurant (Ridgewood) in How To With John Wilson<\/p>\n

The pilot episode of How To With John Wilson transports viewers to Joe\u2019s Restaurant on Forest Avenue in Ridgewood, an Italian-American institution that has been beloved by locals since 1982. White tablecloths may appear formal, but the dining room is an endearingly lived-in space that decades of neighborhood regulars can attest to.<\/p>\n

Must-Order: Spaghetti alla siciliana ($17.95) and a side of meatballs ($6.95)<\/p>\n

\"TheImage courtesy of Amazon Prime.
\nRussian Tea Room (Midtown) in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel<\/p>\n

In season four, Susie accompanies Rose to one of her matchmaking sessions at the Russian Tea Room and promptly loses her mind over being ordered a cup of whipped cream. The West 57th Street institution, with its red banquettes, gilded samovars, and caviar service, feels almost perfectly invented for a show about Midge Maisel and the allure of New York in the \u201960s. The menu hasn\u2019t strayed far from its roots\u2014beef stroganoff, blinis, vodka flights\u2014and the room looks essentially the same as it did decades ago, making it perfect for any fans of the show to visit.<\/p>\n

Must-Order: Afternoon tea ($145 per person)<\/p>\n

\"UnionImage courtesy of 2006-26 New York City Tourism + Conventions.
\nUnion Pool (Williamsburg) in Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens<\/p>\n

The pilot of Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens opens at Union Pool, where Nora meets up with her friend Chenise at the sprawling indoor-outdoor Williamsburg bar that\u2019s been a neighborhood staple since 2002. With a taco truck out back, pool tables inside, a patio that fills up the second the weather cooperates, and a crowd that could genuinely be anyone\u2014Union Pool is easygoing, a little chaotic, and a perfect place to catch up with friends.<\/p>\n

Must-Order: $5 cocktails during happy hour (4-7 p.m. on weekdays) and tacos from El Diablo Tacos truck in the back<\/p>\n

\"KingsImage courtesy of Kings County Imperial.<\/p>\n

Kings County Imperial (Williamsburg) in Billions<\/p>\n

Kings County Imperial brews its own soy sauce in-house, sun-fermented for months before being served at the bar alongside Tsingtaos and Shanghai mules. Signature dishes include kung pao chicken, dry-fried long beans, and xiao long bao, all made with a devotional level of care. It\u2019s no surprise that Taylor and Mafee chose to meet here for dinner.<\/p>\n

Must-Order: Mock eel ($16), Mapo Tofu ($24), and soup dumplings ($18)<\/p>\n

\"StillImage courtesy of Hulu.<\/p>\n

The Pickle Diner aka the Mansion Diner (Upper East Side) in Only Murders in the Building<\/p>\n

The Pickle Diner is where viewers follow Bunny Folger through her last day alive in season two\u2014including lunch at her usual table. In real life, it\u2019s the Mansion Diner, a family-owned Upper East Side<\/a> institution that has been serving the neighborhood since 1945. Eggs Benedict, smoked salmon bagels, fluffy pancakes, and hand-cut steaks are staples. There\u2019s always a line out the door on weekends.<\/p>\n

Must-Order: The East End\u2014Virginia ham steak served with two eggs and three silver dollar pancakes ($27.51)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

More of our favorite stories from CULTURED<\/p>\n

How Blue Ribbon Survived a Mob Run-in and Transformed Late-Night Dining<\/a><\/p>\n

Why Cookbooks Are the Next Frontier for Narrative Writing<\/a><\/p>\n

You\u2019ve Heard About the New Museum\u2019s New Building. The New Show Is Even Better.<\/a><\/p>\n

Everyone Was Afraid to Touch Nadav Lapid\u2019s Satire of Israeli Artists. Now, It\u2019s Being Released.<\/a><\/p>\n

Where 27 Artists Are Hanging Out in New York Right Now<\/a><\/p>\n

Sign up for our newsletter here<\/a> to get these stories direct to your inbox.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On-screen, New York is more often a character than a backdrop\u2014directors and set designers know they\u2019re best served…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":183950,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[9,11,10],"class_list":{"0":"post-183949","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-new-york-headlines","10":"tag-new-york-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183949","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=183949"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183949\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/183950"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=183949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=183949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=183949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}