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American Pie: The best Thanksgiving dinners in London

06 Nov 2024 | | By Annie Lewis

Raise a transatlantic toast with with platefuls of pumpkin pie, mac and cheese and heaps of terrific turkey this Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving — a historical American tradition that, like Halloween, has become a notable event in British calendars. And, in a bid to celebrate alongside our friends across the pond (as well as an excuse to enjoy really good food), many London restaurants have compiled fine feasting menus for the masses. 

The holiday religiously lands on the last Thursday of November every year, making the 28th of this month the beginning of a three-day celebration. For a little background, Thanksgiving was first commemorated in the 17th century when Puritan settlers of the Plymouth Colony and the native American Wampanoag tribe celebrated the new harvest. Ever since, the holiday has been marked by family get-togethers with pumpkin pies, roaming turkeys on the White House lawn, and restaurants across the world curating their own Thanksgiving banquets. American or not, here’s our guide to the best Thanksgiving dinners in London.

The Kensington, South Kensington

the kensington thanksgiving

Celebrate the cherished American tradition in the heart of London from 28-30 November at The Kensington. Serving a special Thanksgiving menu filled with beloved classics and delightful twists, begin with a choice of creamy New England clam chowder or a fresh garden salad adorned with cranberries and pecans. For mains, indulge in traditional roast turkey with all the trimmings – expect savoury stuffing, buttery mashed potatoes, tangy cranberry sauce, and rich gravy – or opt for a delightful butternut squash risotto with sage for a vegetarian twist. To conclude the meal on a sweet note, there’s a choice of classic pumpkin pie topped with cinnamon whipped cream or southern pecan pie served à la mode.

Elsewhere in the five-star hotel, The K Bar will present an exclusive Pappy Van Winkle bourbon tasting for those looking to add a spirited touch to their Thanksgiving celebrations. On 27 November, journey through America’s most coveted bourbons from the legendary Pappy Van Winkle distillery, featuring an exceptionally rare bourbon experience from the world’s most award-winning distillery, Buffalo Trace. 

From £50 per person, visit doylecollection.com

108 Brasserie, Marylebone

American dreamers looking for a slice of Thanksgiving magic this November need look no further than Marylebone’s favourite neighbourhood hangout, 108 Brasserie. The charming restaurant located within The Marylebone Hotel will host a Thanksgiving celebration to remember on 28 November thanks to its new Pie Room. Filled to the brim with a delicious selection of golden-crusted, homemade pies, the brasserie’s dedicated pie space will provide the ultimate finale to its four-course Thanksgiving feast.

Showcasing the best of autumn’s bounty cooked with US-inspired flavour, 108 Brasserie will start with an amuse bouche of butternut squash and beef short rib arancini with smoked Monterey Jack cheddar. Next up, choose from Baltimore-style crab cakes with chicory and avocado salad, or honey roasted fig and goat cheese tart.The Caldecott free-range bronze turkey makes is the main event, complete with all the trimmings: traditional stuffing, green bean and mushroom cassoulet, sweet potato mash, creamed corn, roast potatoes and that all important cranberry relish. For dessert, step into the pie room and take your pick of pecan pie or pumpkin pie with rich chocolate shortcrust pastry, Mississippi mud pie with toasted marshmallow, or key lime pie and banoffee pie. 

From £65 per person, visit 108brasserie.com

Chutney Mary, St James’s

Chutney Mary, St James's

Fed up of turkey already? Chutney Mary is the destination for you this Thanksgiving. One of London’s oldest and most celebrated Indian restaurants, the new tasting menu is available from 28 November until 1 December, and kicks off proceedings with a choice of cocktails: the Blueberry Cosmopolitan, Spiced Old Fashioned with bourbon or your favourite martini. Then, satiate your appetite with crab balchao gratinee sprinkled with Goan spices, pick from Kerala roast duck or lamb curry – served with tandoor spiced pumpkin, crispy potatoes, morel pulao and naan – for mains, and then round off the evening with a sticky ginger toffee pudding with candied pecans, chantilly cream and brandy sauce. 

From £90 per person, visit chutneymary.com

Duck and Waffle, Bishopsgate

Duck and Waffle thanksgiving

Featuring the highest private dining room in the UK, located on the 40th floor of 110 Bishopsgate, Duck and Waffle invites you to take to the skies this Thanksgiving. Offering a day of feasting fun for the whole family, dive into a selection of sides, ranging from pigs in blankets to cheesy polenta croquetas with black truffle mayo. This is followed by the famous succulent turkey, designed to share with classic sides such as sweet potatoes and green bean casserole, or a mushroom and brie Wellington served with classic mac and cheese. 

From £55 per person, visit duckandwaffle.com

Oblix at The Shard, London Bridge

oblix thanksgiving

Combining classic and festive flavours with a touch of sweeping city views, Oblix at The Shard’s Thanksgiving event isn’t one to miss. Served exclusively on 28 November, the menu offers sharing starters of fresh sourdough bread with salted butter and leek ash, seared beef carpaccio, and burrata with serrano ham and truffle honey. The star dish? Roasted turkey with chestnuts, Brussels sprouts, and a black truffle sauce, which is served with a range of sides – think charcoal-baked sweet potato, green beans with pancetta and ricotta, and roasted pumpkin with maple syrup and sage – before a caramelised pecan pie with bourbon ice cream to finish. 

From £97 per person, visit oblixrestaurant.com

Fowl, Piccadilly

In the heart of Piccadilly, chefs Will Murray and Jack Croft – the brains behind critically-acclaimed restaurants Fallow and Roe – will offer creative twists on American classics on 28 November. The limited-edition menu features malted waffles with crispy fried chicken and maple syrup, followed by turkey ballotine with cranberries and smoked bacon, served with candied yams, Brussels sprouts, creamy mashed potatoes, cornbread, and roast chestnut-bacon stuffing – all topped with the duo’s signature turkey gravy. 

From £95 per person, visit fowlrestaurant.com

Sussex, Soho

Looking for somewhere to celebrate Thanksgiving in Soho this year? Look no further than Sussex, as chef Oliver Gladwin has designed the perfect menu for a celebratory Thanksgiving feast from 27-29 November. Expect crab and corn chowder with homemade corn bread to begin, turkey parmo with truffle mac and cheese, garden veg and gravy for the main event, before finishing up with warm pecan pie and mascarpone. And to whet your whistle, order the festive Pumpkin Rum Punch – you won’t be disappointed… 

From £55 per person, visit sussex-restaurant.com

Indigo at One Aldwych, Covent Garden

Indigo at One Aldwych, Covent Garden

Raise a transatlantic toast with a four-course Thanksgiving dinner at Indigo, One Aldywch hotel’s decadent neighbourhood restaurant helmed by chef Dominic Teague. On 28 November, savour traditional flavours with warm maple glazed rolls served with crispy bacon followed by pumpkin soup and succulent turkey. To finish, it has to be key lime pie with whipped coconut cream.

From £95 per person, visit onealdwych.com

The Promenade at The Dorchester, Mayfair

the dorchester thanksgiving

Hosted in its opulent, Pierre-Yves Rochon-designed Promenade restaurant, The Dorchester will be welcoming friends from across the pond for a four-course feast, featuring classic and contemporary dishes, alongside live entertainment. The menu, designed by culinary director Martyn Nail, starts with a selection of canapés on arrival before a choice of starters, including a crab cake with sea herbs, a grilled shrimp salad, or a guinea hen salad. An intermediate course follows with a choice of either clam chowder or Jerusalem artichoke velouté before mains of Cambridge bronze turkey with all the trimmings, a Jack Daniels bourbon braised ribs or a butternut squash and smoked Applewood Wellington. If you have enough room, pick from a selection of desserts including a caramel pie, pumpkin pie, or a blueberry cheesecake.

From £150 per person, visit dorchestercollection.com

Rails, King’s Cross

Rails, King’s Cross

Bring family and friends together for a Thanksgiving feast at Rails Restaurant, located in the five-star Great Northern Hotel in King’s Cross. Whether you’re honouring your American roots or celebrating the holiday with loved ones, enjoy a feast featuring a harvest of traditional flavours, forming plates of New England clam and mussel chowder, and perfectly roasted turkey accompanied with seasonal trimmings of cornbread stuffing, maple-roasted sweet potatoes, collard greens, and, of course, cranberry sauce. Finish the evening with a decadent pecan pie served with salted caramel ice cream followed by a bourbon macaron.

From £30 per person, visit railslondon.com

The Cadogan Arms, The George, and The Hound, across London

The trio of restaurants from executive chef John Sparks and two Michelin-starred culinary director James Knappett – The Cadogan Arms and The George in Chelsea, and the new Chiswick-based gastropub, The Hound – has unveiled its Thanksgiving menus. On 28 November, the one-day-only menu will feature traditional Thanksgiving delights, including prawn cocktail, spiced pumpkin soup and cheddar popovers to start, followed by a show-stopping, bronze Turkey and pomegranate molasses roast ham served with all the traditional trimmings: corn bread, baked sweet potatoes and marshmallows, sage and onion stuffing, spinach gratin and green bean casserole. Leave room to sample the two special desserts: The Oreo Cheesecake and Pecan Pie, both served with whipped cream.

From £85 per person, visit thecadoganarms.london; thegeorge.london; thehound.london

Cut at 45 Park Lane, Mayfair

For the real deal, head to acclaimed American chef Wolfgang Puck’s outpost at 45 Park Lane. Set in the serene surrounds of the Cut restaurant, featuring glass chandeliers and a mahogany wood-panelled dining room, Elliott Grover and his team of chefs are taking the American holiday seriously, offering a decadent menu for both lunch and dinner on 28 November. Menu highlights include Dorset crab and lobster cocktail, prime beef steak tartare, Norfolk bronze turkey with cornbread stuffing, cranberry compote and pigs in blankers, as well as sides of sweet potato with torched marshmallows and a trio of classic pies – key lime, pecan and pumpkin – for dessert.

From £195 per person, visit dorchestercollection.com

Brasserie Max, Covent Garden

For a classic Thanksgiving, head to the chic Brasserie Max in Covent Garden where you’ll kick off the celebrations with whipped pumpkin with blue cheese and pecans, and New England clam and sweetcorn chowder. Stalwarts of roast bronze turkey with gravy and cranberry sauce and risotto-stuffed pumpkin with sage and parmesan are up for the main course. For pudding, opt for the likes of pumpkin pie with crème fraiche and pear and pecan tarte tatin with maple ice cream.

From £75 per person, visit firmdalehotels.com

The Northall at The Corinthia, Whitehall

the northall at corinthia

One of three gorgeous restaurants at Westminster's Corinthia hotel, the Northall boasts soaring ceilings, elegant views over Embankment and a menu of modern European cuisine spearheaded by executive chef André Garrett. With classic white-tablecloth service and an extensive wine menu, the Northall makes every meal feel like a special occasion – so what better way to sample the restaurant than with an indulgent Thanksgiving dinner? 

The four-course tasting menu starts with truffle and pumpkin seed crumble with miso custard before starters of ballotine of Loch Duart salmon and roasted heritage beetroots. This is followed by butter-roasted Norfolk bronze turkey with sausage stuffing squash, artichoke, celeriac en croute with truffle and mushroom puree. Trimmings come in the form of roasted sweet potatoes, braised red cabbage, green bean casserole with crispy shallots, macaroni gratin, and apple and cranberry relish, while dessert includes traditional pies of pecan and vanilla with dark chocolate sauce, and pumpkin with spiced custard.

From £95 per person, visit corinthia.com

The Hoxton Grill, Shoreditch

the hoxton grill thanksgiving

Situated within the Shoreditch outpost of The Hoxton hotel, the eponymous grill is putting on a huge Thanksgiving feast on 28 November courtesy of its Mississippi-born executive chef Slade Rushing. The seven-course set menu features plates of pumpkin arancini, herb-brined roasted turkey, honey-glazed ham and cornbread stuffing and mashed potato topped with acorns, blue cheese and cranberries. Save room for the traditional spiced pumpkin pie with ginger whipped cream to finish.

From £50 per person, visit thehoxton.com

The Stafford, St James’s

The Stafford has long been a favoured destination for guests from across the pond. The hotel's American Bar is one of the longest surviving American bars in London, following their great popularity in London and Paris during the 1920s and '30s. Today, the bar is filled with a fascinating collection of memorabilia, which has been donated largely by American guests over the years.  

To pay tribute to this cherished relationship with American guests, the five-star hotel offers a lavish Thanksgiving feast each year. Available within The Game Bird for lunch and dinner on 28 November, the three-course menu starts with butternut squash velouté, sour cream and chive rye bread crouton. This is followed by roast turkey with garlic mash, sage and onion stuffing, green bean casserole and roasted pumpkin before finishing off with chocolate pecan pie with mocha ice cream.

From £70 per person, visit thestaffordlondon.com

Read more: Festive feasts: The best Christmas tasting menus in London