In which American restaurant is the famous scene from Rob Reiner’s film When Harry Met Sally… taking place?

In Rob Reiner’s When Harry Met Sally (1989), a memorable scene takes place at Katz’s Delicatessen, an iconic New York restaurant. In this sequence, characters Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) discuss women’s ability to simulate orgasm without men noticing. To illustrate her point, Sally simulates a noisy orgasm in the middle of the restaurant, as the other customers look on in surprise. At the end of this demonstration, a customer, played by Estelle Reiner, the director’s mother, says to the waiter: I’ll have what she’s having.

Katz’s Delicatessen, located at 205 East Houston Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, is a New York institution founded in 1888. Renowned for its pastrami sandwiches and authentic ambience, the restaurant has gained worldwide fame thanks to this cult scene.

This scene left its mark on cinema history for several reasons. Firstly, it boldly and humorously tackles the subject of female orgasm simulation, breaking a certain taboo at the time. Secondly, the improvised line, I’ll have what she’s having, has become one of cinema’s most famous. According to the American Film Institute, it’s one of the 100 best lines in American cinema.

The choice of Katz’s Delicatessen for this scene is not insignificant. The restaurant, with its typical decor and friendly atmosphere, offered the perfect setting for this interaction between the characters. What’s more, by setting the scene in a busy public place, the contrast between Sally’s simulated private act and the reaction of the other customers makes the scene even more striking and comic.

Since the film’s release, many fans have flocked to Katz’s Delicatessen to relive this iconic moment. The restaurant has even organized special events to celebrate the film’s anniversaries, including orgasm simulation contests. The scene has also been parodied and quoted in numerous cultural works, a testament to its lasting impact.

The restaurant scene in When Harry Met Sally has become a major cultural landmark, not only for its bold and humorous content, but also for the way it immortalized Katz’s Delicatessen as a New York landmark. She brilliantly illustrates the dynamic between the two main characters, and lightly tackles subjects related to male-female relationships, contributing to the film’s cult status.

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