Where To Eat Thanksgiving Dinner In New York
Thanksgiving is a major holiday all across America, but as the home of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, New York is the unofficial capital of all things turkey-day-related. We've gathered some of the city's best offers for the holiday dinner, and whether you're looking for a supper high in the sky, an upscale buffet, a casual and friendly sit-down meal, or the chance to eat animal protein that isn't turkey, New York has exactly what you're looking for.
You should make your reservations now if you plan to dine out because most places are busy and fill up quickly. In addition, if you're getting your meal delivered or picking it up, call now to find out if you can still place an order.
Note: Prices do not include beverages, tax, or gratuity, and please verify the menu and pricing when you make your reservation.
Armani Ristorante on Fifth Avenue will offer a four-course feast for $96 per person. It begins with cranberry bean soup with roasted squab crostino and mushroom duxelle, progresses to quail and foie gras ravioli "al Sugo" with roasted Brussels sprouts, and is followed by the main course of chestnut-bread stuffed turkey with baked pumpkin and traditional gravy. Guests will be served Black Mission figs and almond shortcake with mulled wine gelato for dessert.
Eclectic modern bistro Bacchanal opened on the Bowery this past summer, and just last month chef Craig Hopson (formerly of Picholine and Le Cirque) took the reins in the kitchen. For Thanksgiving, Hopson has created a $55 menu of refined yet relaxed dishes — each guest will be served three courses individually, and five sides and four desserts will be served family-style to the table. The first course is butternut squash soup with caramelized cranberries and sage cream; for the second course, choose between a matchstick salad of autumn lettuces, fresh herbs, vegetables, and fruits; chestnut pappardelle; roasted carrot salad; or Long Island fluke crudo. Main course options are white and dark roast turkey with turkey gravy; grilled grass-fed beef with broccolini; wild striped bass with pumpkin chutney; and carnival squash with buckwheat. The five sides will be Brussels sprouts, sweet potato purée, cranberry sauce, foie gras huckleberry stuffing, and sautéed green beans with almonds. The desserts will comprise pecan pie, apple pie, pumpkin pie, and cookies with marshmallows.
If you're looking for a more casual approach to the holiday dinner, the Belgian Beer Café 'NoMad' may have just what you need. For $32, guests can enjoy a dinner of mashed potatoes, sage and sausage dressing, sundried cranberry conserves, roasted Brussels sprouts, glazed carrots, whipped sweet potatoes, and pan gravy.
In Union Square, Blue Water Grill is offering both a $48, three-course menu, and one that's à la carte. Order items from the raw bar, some sushi and sashimi, small plates like roasted heirloom beet salad and octopus à la plancha, and mains such as a Berkshire pork chop and herb-roasted free-range turkey. The prix fixe menu includes a choice of one small plate, butter-basted free-range turkey with whipped sweet potato, market vegetables, mushroom stuffing, cranberry sauce, and a choice of dessert.
Is your favorite part of this most American of holidays the leftovers? Well, Craft has just what you're looking for. Chef Taylor Naples will serve traditional dishes such as sausage and fennel stuffing with herb-butter-roasted free-range turkey, roasted seasonal vegetables, and sweet potato purée. A vegetarian menu will also be available.
Don't want to cook, but don't want to go out, either? Let chef Daniel Boulud do the cooking and enjoy his Thanksgiving take-out menu at Épicerie Boulud in the comfort of your own home. Order the whole dinner, or pick and choose from pies and sides that are available à la carte, such as a cheese and charcuterie plate for $84 (serve 6 to 8 people); Swiss chard and Gruyère gratin for $36 (serves 4 to 6 people), and chocolate-pecan pie for $36 (serves 8 people). The whole kit and caboodle is available for 6 to 8 guests ($295) or 10 to 12 guests ($395) and includes a whole roasted turkey, butternut squash soup, parmesan pumpkin loaf, pain de mie rolls, chestnut stuffing, roasted fall vegetables, mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, and spiced cranberry sauce. Orders will be accepted through Monday, November 25, and pickup will be schedule for Wednesday, November 26.
The Upper West Side's Fishtag will serve a three-course feast for $45, or $65 with curated wine or beer pairings. For the first course, chose between octopus ceviche, roasted beet salad, or winter squash soup; second course offerings include pumpkin tortellini, grilled royal dorade, roasted turkey breast, or a search pork chop. For dessert, guests can pick either spiced apple pumpkin cake or assorted ice cream flavors like Greek coffee and toasted almond.
Want an Italian take on Thanksgiving? Check out Il Mulino Prime, which will serve a three-course prix fixe menu for $50 that comprises a fresh mozzarella and grilled vegetable appetizer; an entrée of roast turkey with natural juices, chestnut stuffing with sausage, and green beans marinara, and dessert will be pumpkin cheesecake.
Ladurée Soho is offering a $75, three-course dinner from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the holiday. Choose between pumpkin soup and truffle purée or foie gras with chestnut macaron and Ladurée kouglof for the first course; main course choices are turkey with honey, sweet potato calisson, and cranberry juice, and scallops with sunchoke and chestnut-truffle mousse; and for dessert, a glass of Champagne, assorted Ladurée, and Ladurée coffee with two housemade macarons.
Le Cirque is offering a $125, three-course Thanksgiving menu with seatings available from 12:30 to 9 p.m. Some of the dishes to choose from include foie gras "maison" with quince and toasted brioche; red snapper crudo; wild mushroom risotto; roasted organic turkey; and paupiette of black bass, along with sweet potato purée, Brussels sprouts, chestnuts, and cranberries, all served family-style for the table.
Parker & Quinn, located in the Refinery Hotel, is serving a Thanksgiving supper for $49 per adult and $22 per child under 12 years old. The traditional Thanksgiving supper will be served from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. and includes a choice of butternut squash and Granny Smith apple soup or tomato bisque with smoked bacon and goat cheese, followed by a "Thanksgiving Plate" of turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and cranberry relish. For dessert, guests may choose between the chef's homemade pumpkin pie and Kentucky bourbon pecan pie. Additionally, the full à la carte menu will be available to order from noon to 10 p.m., which includes items like scallops with foie gras, veal jus, and bacon–Cheddar grits and a lamb burger with peperonata, goat cheese, and harissa aïoli.
The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park will be offering a classic family-style Thanksgiving Day menu in their restaurant Auden Bistro & Bar, from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Anticipate dishes such as curried pumpkin soup with toasting pumpkin seed dust and coriander cream; roasted red and yellow beet salad with New York State chèvre ravioli, baby arugula, and pistachio vinaigrette; and roasted venison loin with bacon, warm cornbread, and dried plum jus. Guests can indulge in their Signature Hot Chocolate Menu, featuring favorites like caramel fudge with homemade caramel, and adult offerings like raspberry truffle with raspberry purée, dark chocolate, and pinot noir.
Downtown, the Thanksgiving Day buffet at The Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park will be available in the establishment's signature restaurant, 2West, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. at $105 for adults and $45 for children. The buffet will include chef-attended stations featuring traditional Thanksgiving selections, a raw seafood bar, a sushi station, carving stations, and an elaborate dessert display. Dishes offered will include short rib and chanterelle mushroom risotto with shaved Piedmont black truffles and roasted pumpkin salad with yellow and red roasted tomatoes and autumn vinaigrette.
Patina Restaurant Group's Rock Center Café, located near the iconic ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center, will serve a $75 prix-fixe special Thanksgiving menu. Highlights include crispy pork belly with black beluga lentil; roasted Vermont turkey with country corn bread and sausage stuffing, Brussels sprouts, maple-bourbon sweet potatoes, cranberry relish, and gravy; braised short ribs; and soft mascarpone polenta. A $25 kids' menu will also be available, which will include some of the adult dishes mention above, along with classic kid favorites like the RCC Chef's Burger, a grilled cheese, and chicken tenders.
For a truly decadent home-away-from-home experience, Trump SoHo NY is offering a luxurious holiday gathering to remember. When you book their Thanksgiving Penthouse Experience, you'll receive overnight accommodations for four to six guests and a customized private dinner curated by executive chef Desmond Lim for up to 10 people with a menu based on your favorite family traditions and recipes, served in your suite with seasonal décor provided by the staff. Located on the top floors of the 46-story Trump SoHo, the spacious penthouse suites, which range from 1,600 to 2,300 square feet, command expansive floor-to-ceiling views of Manhattan or the Hudson River. For Thanksgiving football fans, the Duplex Penthouse features two 46-inch Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 10 televisions with BeoPlay A9 sound. The Thanksgiving Penthouse Experience is available from November 27–30 at a starting rate of $7,000 per night, excluding food and beverage costs, which will be booked separately through the hotel's catering team. Guests must prepay and book at least two weeks prior to arrival.
Trattoria Il Mulino will offer an Italian-infused $45 Thanksgiving prix-fixe menu. For fo+otball fans, games will be screened all day in high definition. First course choices are pumpkin ravioli with brown butter sage sauce or lentil soup with cappellini; the second course will be roasted turkey au jus with chestnut sausage stuffing, fresh cranberry sauce, and green beans marinara. Dessert will be pumpkin cheesecake, served with coffee and tea.
The Waldorf Astoria is offering a Thanksgiving Day brunch in Peacock Alley, featuring free-range turkey, honey-glazed ham, prime rib, leg of lamb, and beef Wellington. Traditional brunch stations will serve classic brunch dishes like eggs Benedict and crêpes, alongside a raw bar of fresh lobster, oysters, and a selection of caviars. Finish the meal with a gourmet dessert and a complimentary toast to top off the occasion. Reservations are available between 10:30 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. Brunch is $145 per adult and $70 per child age 12 and under.
Let chef Michael White and the Altamarea Group help you celebrate this holiday season. From 1 to 9 p.m., Ristorante Morini will serve a three-course dinner for $75, a four-course dinner for $90, and a $40 menu for children 10 and under. During the same timeframe, Ai Fiori will offer a $110 four-course special menu and a $55 menu for children 12 and under. Also from 1 to 9 p.m., Marea plans to serve a four-course menu for $125, and Osteria Morini will provide guests with an à la carte menu that includes thanksgiving favorites.
After all the turkey, you might be craving something a little different. Nobu Next Door is serving a special $45 prix fixe post-Thanksgiving brunch on Saturday, November 29 and Sunday, November 30 that includes guests' choice of one bloody Mary, mandarin Bellini, coffee, or matcha latte; the choice between "bagel" and lox, black cod on butter lettuce, or sashimi salad, with second course offerings of chicken karaage and green tea waffles, rock shrimp tempura with creamy spicy sauce, or assorted sushi.
Kate Kolenda is the Restaurant and City Guide Editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @BeefWerky and @theconversant.