Across the pond, the fourth Thursday of November, aka Thanksgiving, (which falls on 28th November this year) is a very big deal
It’s a day that commemorates the harvest feast shared by the Plymouth colonists from England and Native Americans in 1621, although nowadays it’s more of an excuse to get family and friends together, eat turkey and put marshmallows on sweet potatoes, watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and the NFL Thanksgiving games, and go mad for bargains on Black Friday.
It’s not a national holiday in the UK but whether you’re a bonafide yank who celebrates Thanksgiving in London every single year or an Americana fanatic who just loves a roast turkey, there are plenty of Thanksgiving feasts to get stuck into right here in the capital. Here are the places to go for turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie.
The Hoxton Grill
The Hoxton Grill, inside The Hoxton, Shoreditch, is bringing in the big guns for Thanksgiving this year. Mississippi-born Executive Chef Slade Rushing is cooking up a menu that includes pumpkin arancini & sage aioli, herb-brined roast turkey & sage gravy, honey clove glazed ham & mustard sauce, cornbread pecan stuffing, roasted squash salad with blue cheese, charred brussel sprouts, and spiced pumpkin pie with ginger whipped cream. There’ll be booze flowing too and DJs on the decks to make sure it’s a proper party.
Thursday 28th November 2024
81 Great Eastern St, London EC2A 3HU
thehoxton.com
Sussex
The Gladwin Brothers are bringing an XL helping of America to Sussex with a Thanksgiving menu featuring artichoke & pecorino dip with cornbread, crab and corn chowder with chorizo, a Yorkshire turkey parmo with hispi cabbage coleslaw, and a pumpkin tart with a marshmallow hat.
Weds 27th – Fri 29th November 2024
63-64 Frith Street, London, W1D 3JW
sussex-restaurant.com
Duck & Waffle
Enjoy a Thanksgiving feast with some epic views over London by heading to Duck & Waffle. The sky-high restaurant is doing a festive lunch and dinner this year featuring pigs in blankets, brioche rolls with whipped honey butter, roasted bronze turkey with stuffing, truffle mac & cheese, green bean casserole, crispy sprouts, sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, and bourbon pecan pie with ice cream. It’s served family-style, just like a traditional Thanksgiving dinner would be, so roll up your sleeves and get stuck in.
Thurs 28th November 2024
110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY
duckandwaffle.com
Sette
Sette is the London sister to NYC’s Scarpetta and as Thanksgiving is big for them across the pond, they’re hoping to recreate some of that magic here in the capital. Sette’s menu puts an Italian twist on Thanksgiving with dishes like celeriac, porcini & truffle soup; pumpkin ravioli; traditional roasted turkey with seasonal trimmings; and a classic pecan pie. Sette is also partnering with StreetSmart this year so a £1 donation will be added to each bill.
Thurs 28th November 2024
4 Knightsbridge Green, London, SW1X 7QA
settelondon.co.uk
The Colony Grill Room
The Beaumont’s resident American, The Colony Grill Room, will be cooking up a celebratory Thanksgiving menu of transatlantic-inspired dishes. There’ll be spiced pumpkin veloute with clementine and smoked ricotta, classic turkey with all the trimmings for the main event, baked brie with cranberry gel, and pecan pie with brown butter Bourbon ice cream for dessert that can be enjoyed with some tea or coffee.
Thurs 28th November 2024
8 Balderton Street, Mayfair, London W1K 6TF
colonygrillroom.com
The Pem
Chef Sally Abé is putting together a special Thanksgiving menu at The Pem, the fine-dining joint that sits inside bougie Westminster hotel the Conrad London St James. The menu is a mash-up of American and British grub with buttermilk jalapeno cornbread with maple syrup butter, and a maple roast turkey with all the trimmings, including duck fat hasselback potatoes and herb stuffing. Sally’s got both traditional desserts covered with a pumpkin pie ice cream with shortbread & hazelnuts AND a pecan tartlet.
Thurs 28th November 2024
22-28 Broadway, London, SW1H 0BH
thepemrestaurant.com
The Game Bird
The Stafford London has a strong American connection – the hotel’s American Bar is one of the longest surviving ones of its kind in the capital and is filled with memorabilia often donated by American guests – so they always put on a big Thanksgiving spread. This year their menu, available The Game Bird, includes butternut squash veloute with rye bread crouton; roast turkey with garlic mash, sage & onion stuffing, green bean casserole and roasted pumpkin; and chocolate pecan pie with mocha ice cream.
Thurs 28th November 2024
16-18 St James’s Pl, London SW1A 1NJ
thestaffordlondon.com
Dovetale
Tom Sellers and Tom Anglesea have created a three-course menu for Thanksgiving at Dovetale, which includes roast pumpkin soup, roast bronze turkey with all the trimmings, and slices of pie a la mode, all served family-style.
Thurs 28th November 2024
1 Dover Yard at 1 Hotel Mayfair, London, W1J 8DJ
1hotels.com
FOWL
Fallow’s spin-off chicken restaurant FOWL is getting in on the Thanksgiving action this year, with both chicken and turkey on the menu. The feast includes corn ribs with salt-n-pepa seasoning; malted waffle with fried chicken and maple syrup; turkey ballotine with cranberry and smoked bacon, served with candied yams, sprouts, mash, cornbread, stuffing and turkey gravy; with pumpkin pie to finish.
Thurs 28th November 2024
Norris St, St. James’s Market, London SW1Y 4RJ
fowlrestaurant.com
Claridge’s Restaurant
Claridge’s Restaurant is putting on a decadent four-course feast for Thanksgiving this year, with dishes including a smoked salmon royal with cauliflower salad; maple-glazed ham hock with creamed leek and parsley sauce; roast Norfolk bronze turkey with apricot & chestnut stuffing and pigs in blankets; and celeriac, mushroom and truffle wellington. There’ll be roast potatoes, sprouts, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots, and cranberry red cabbage for the table and pumpkin pie for pudding.
Thurs 28th November 2024
Brook Street, London W1K 4HR
claridges.co.uk