Planning to spend Thanksgiving in New York? Excellent idea! Don’t want to cook? Or don’t have sufficient room/chairs/plates/patience to host at home? Dear reader, we got you. But you have to act now. Here are our top picks for the best restaurants in New York for Thanksgiving this year.
our food editor recommends
For those planning to be in the city and not inclined to cook, we asked our Food Editor Nicole Douillet to share her inside insights on the best restaurants in New York for Thanksgiving.
There are plenty of options, from upscale takes on a traditional turkey dinner to non-traditional adventures. Plus truffles! Vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, food allergies, picky eaters in the party? No worries. One of the joys of New York is that there’s a perfect restaurant somewhere in the city for everyone.
ten outstanding options for thanksgiving dinner in new york
1. Eleven Madison Park
If you’re looking for a truly memorable Thanksgiving meal, our pick is Eleven Madison Park. Chef Daniel Humm plays with the traditional holiday flavors and ingredients, breathing new life into them. There are only a few tables left, so book yours soon! The cost is $255/person for their four-course Thanksgiving Experience.
2. Craft
For a somewhat more traditional family-style dinner, Tom Colicchio’s Craft restaurant has you covered. The first course is more adventurous than what we’re used to at home (not that there’s anything wrong with that). The options include wagyu carpaccio and Nantucket Bay sea scallops with black truffles.
The main courses and sides fall in more familiar holiday territory. There’s an all-natural, free range turkey, beef short ribs, porchetta or salmon accompanied by mashed sweet potatoes, roasted autumn vegetables, and cranberry sauce. Dessert choices are pumpkin pie, apple crisp, and spice doughnuts. The cost is $155/person or $75/child under 12 for a three course menu. The 3-course vegetarian menu is available for $110/person.
3. Le Coq Rico
Le Coq Rico in the Flatiron District, also known as the “bistro of beautiful birds,” will serve a three-course prix fixe menu on Thanksgiving Day. The menu will feature starters like foie gras terrine en croute, and there will be roasted turkey with traditional sides and pecan pie for dessert. There’s also a kid’s menu. $90/person for the three-course prix fixe, $45 for kids under 10.
4. Maialino
Feeling like a break from tradition this year? Head to Maialino. Danny Meyer’s excellent Roman restaurant in the Gramercy Park Hotel has both a traditional menu for the nostalgic members of your group. There’s also a menu of Maialino Italian classics, including braised pork and stracciatella (Roman egg drop soup). And there’s a children’s menu. The cost is $115/person for either the 4-course Italian-American Thanksgiving menu or for the 4-course Maialino Classics menu. It’s $65 for the 4-course kids menu.
5. The Dutch
Staying in SoHo? Andrew Carmellini’s perennially hip restaurant, The Dutch, is serving Thanksgiving dinner. You get your choice of fun starters, which include a dozen Blue Point oysters, New England clam chowder and truffle gnocchi among other options. Perfect if you’re celebrating with a party filled with varied palates. This is followed by their modern take on the classic turkey and fixings, served family-style. There’s a choice of four different pies for dessert. The cost is $130/person for the 3-course menu. It’s $60 for children under 10.
6. Balthazar
If you plan to be in SoHo, but prefer an iconic New York City restaurant to celebrate Thanksgiving, Balthazar is your best bet. Balthazar has been a see-and-be-seen spot in the city for twenty years, serving reliably good French fare. Their Thanksgiving menu has two options for each course, which may seem toned-down compared to other spots, but they know what works. This will be a meal after which you will have the energy to take a stroll and perhaps have another cocktail in the neighborhood. The cost is $72/person for the 3-course menu.
7. The Grill
Back in Midtown, The Grill in the Seagram’s Building will offer a five-course prix fixe with an elegant twist on Thanksgiving standards. The set menu features pumpkin soup, roasted turkey (or prime rib), and lots of side dishes. There are three dessert options. The cost is $195/person.
8. Boulud Sud
If you’re planning to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and will be spending time on the Upper West Side, Boulud Sud is a the way to go. There are a plethora of options for each of three courses, which include some traditional options as well as some fun new plates. And, since it’s truffle season, guests have the option of having white alba truffles shaved over house made gnocchi, fettucine, or soft scrambled eggs as one of their first courses. It’s hard to think of a more luxurious way to start Thanksgiving dinner! $89/person for the three course prix fixe, plus supplements of $30 for 3 grams of shaved alba truffles, or $50 for 5 grams.
9. Meadowsweet
For the Brooklyn-based crowd, there are plenty of fun options, too. Meadowsweet in Williamsburg serves a three course menu with traditional items, as well as non-traditional options for the folks who aren’t jazzed about turkey. Meadowsweet also offers vegetarian and vegan menus if you’re going meat-free this year. The cost is $95/person for the 3 course Thanksgiving menu; $45 for kids under 12.
10. Vinegar Hill House
A little further south in Brooklyn is Vinegar Hill House, between DUMBO and Fort Greene in the Vinegar Hill neighborhood. Vinegar Hill House is known for their wonderful wood-burning oven, from which they turn out delicious roast meats. For Thanksgiving, they’re serving a three course traditional tasting menu, which will definitely fulfill your desire for a home-cooked traditional holiday meal. The cost is $95/person.
thanksgiving eve
If you have little ones in tow – or just someone in the group who’s young at heart – a fun Thanksgiving Eve activity is take them for a stroll in Central Park to see the giant balloons being inflated for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The best place to view Hello Kitty, Angry Birds, and other favorite giant balloons is between 77th St and 81st St along Central Park West, from 3:00p to about 10:00p.
Happy eating, and from all of us at Dandelion Chandelier, Happy Thanksgiving!
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