The ultimate guide to Thanksgiving in Rome
Whether you are an American trying to continue traditions while living in Italy, or an Italian looking to celebrate new festivities, Thanksgiving is the perfect day to gather with friends and family, eat comfort food, and remind ourselves of all the things in life that we are grateful for. Plenty of restaurants and venues are ready to welcome you and your loved ones on this special day with the classic Thanksgiving dinner in the Eternal City, so you won’t feel like you are missing out one bit! Rome has a lot to offer to begin with, and it can cater to this tradition, too, so you can spend the 28th of November this year in a cosy environment and reminisce on the things you are thankful for.
What to Cook/Eat?
If you are having a massive family get together, or just inviting a few friends over, you need to have a general idea of who is attending your feast to delegate certain meals to different people. Is grandma an expert with turkey? Does your partner have a family pie recipe? You need to figure out a menu and perhaps even get others involved. Want to try something new or incorporate Italian classics into the meal? It is important to make a list of who will cook what – this way you can avoid having people show up with mashed potatoes. But if you prefer to make your Thanksgiving less hectic, you can always take a look at our selection of restaurants and bars ready to serve a full three-course deliciously festive meal for you on the day of this beautiful holiday.
Hunting for Holiday Essentials
Supermarkets like Conad or Coop sell pastry dough and cinnamon, but certain ingredients are much more tricky to find. In Italy, it is rare – if not impossible – to walk into the average grocery store and buy pumpkin pie filling, brown sugar, cranberry sauce, or a whole turkey.
Drogheria Innocenzi in Trastevere (Via Natale del Grande, 31) sells just about anything and everything you can imagine: Bisquick mix, canned Ocean Spray cranberry sauce, brown sugar, and Libby’s pumpkin pie filling.
While fresh cranberries do not grow in Italy, sour, red ribes (currants) are a decent substitution. If you are looking to make a fresh simple cranberry (currant) sauce, boil these berries with sugar, cinnamon, and orange juice, and in about 10 minutes, you’ll have a lovely sauce.
Castroni (Via Cola di Rienzo, 196 and other locations throughout Rome) also sells a variety of imported goods that compose the perfect Thanksgiving meal, including baking mixes, cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, canned sweet potatoes, marshmallow fluff, and pumpkin filling.
Sweet potatoes (patate dolci) can be found at various bio/organic grocery stores around the city, though it is often a hit or miss situation. That being said, the Latin American stalls around Piazza Vittorio usually have them.
As for the turkey, many macellerie should be able to provide you with a turkey, but you will have to pre-order a few days ahead of time. Bio Eno on Via Labicana, 112, Eataly in Ostiense and the Testaccio market are some excellent options. Bear in mind that your Roman oven is probably much smaller than ovens in the United States, so be specific about the size of your turkey!
If this all sounds like way too much work for you, there are still a few alternatives!
Restaurants, Pubs, and Clubs Celebrating Thanksgiving in Rome
It is finally possible to celebrate Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant, pub or club this year, and we have collected the best and tastiest offers out there in Rome for you to choose from, and perhaps try out if you don’t feel like setting up a whole table and spending the day near the oven.
Vivi – Piazza Navona & Vivi – Le Serre
Piazza Navona, 2 (Palazzo Braschi) & Via Decio Filipponi, 1
vivi.it
Vivi Bistrot, a popular organic restaurant with various locations in Rome, among which Le Serre found in Monte Mario, and Vivi – Piazza Navona at Palazzo Braschi, is offering a Thanksgiving feast at 8pm on November 28th to share in great company and a lovely environment.
At both of these locations, Le Serre by VIVI and VIVI – Piazza Navona, you’ll have the opportunity to taste American classics with an Italian touch for a nuanced Thanksgiving dinner experience – all for €45 per person, excluding drinks. This year, VIVI has also included vegan and vegetarian options!
On the menu, we have organic pumpkin cream with goat cheese and homemade croutons, as seconds the traditional stuffed turkey with home-made stuffing accompanied by delicious gravy, flavourful sautéed green beans with garlic, ginger and sesame seeds and organic mashed potatoes, homemade cornbread. To finish off on a sweet note, a delicious pumpkin pie with blueberry chutney. The vegan and vegetarian option will include an organic pumpkin soup with lentil-based cream cheese, a stuffed zucchetta with plant-based meatloaf, green beans, potatoes, corn bread, and a vegan dessert with dark chocolate and raspberries.
Hotel Hassler
Piazza della Trinità dei Monti, 6
hotelhasslerroma.com
At Hotel Hassler visitors can celebrate the iconic American holiday in the enchanting space of the hotel’s Eva Salone on November 28th. Marcelo Romano, Eva Salone’s executive chef, has curated a menu for a buffet dinner beginning at 7:30pm. There will be delicious pumpkin and taleggio flan, and the pumpkin cream with wholemeal bread croutons. Then there is space for the pumpkin and ricotta lasagna with truffles with a precious and enveloping flavour.
Obviously, the unmissable baked turkey stuffed with walnuts and honey, the most traditional dish of this important occasion, which will also be reinterpreted in an Italian key with turkey meatballs in sauce with raisins and pine nuts. Accompanying the main courses will be pumpkin, fried with chilli pepper or grilled with apple cider vinegar, and Brussels sprouts with butter, as well as the inevitable sweet potato purée.
The cost of dinner is 125 euros per person, drinks not included. Info and reservations at events@hotelhassler.it or 06 699 34 527.
Aleph Rome Hotel
Via di S. Basilio, 15
alephrome.com
The Aleph Rome Hotel invites visitors to join them for Thanksgiving brunch on the 28th of November at the Sky Blu Restaurant. To mark the occasion, the Chef has crafted a menu that seamlessly blends the authentic essence of American tradition with the warmth of a special brunch.
The culinary journey begins with the Aleph Pie, a creative appetizer that highlights the rich flavors of autumn. Next comes a diverse selection of main courses designed to delight every taste. At the heart of the menu is the turkey roll, stuffed with chestnuts and apricots and paired with a tangy cranberry sauce. Complementing this centerpiece are iconic dishes such as pumpkin soup garnished with pecans, creamy purple mashed potatoes, and roasted potatoes drizzled with savory gravy.
Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and bacon provide a harmonious blend of sweet and savory, while sweet-and-sour braised red cabbage adds a delightful twist. The feast wouldn’t be complete without classic staples like cornbread, banana bread, and the quintessential buttered corn on the cob. For a show-stopping conclusion, the desserts promise a mix of traditional and unexpected flavors. Guests can savor the timeless Apple Pie, infused with cinnamon and topped with a crumbly finish, among other sweet delights like a creamy corn cream with peanut caramel or the brownie served with vanilla gelato.
Price: €69.00 with drinks excluded, for info and reservations contact: FCOAH_FB@hilton.com
Adelaide Restaurant at the Hotel Vilon
Via dell’Arancio, 68/69
hotelvilon.com/en/lounge-restaurant/
Vilon Hotel will host a Thanksgiving meal on November 28th at the Adelaide Restaurant. The setting will be intimate and vibrant in a wing of Palazzo Borghese in Rome, the table will be chic and warm at Adelaide, and Gabriele Muro’s cuisine will bring the holiday to life.
An amuse bouche “millefoglie” of sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and pecorino will be served alongside parmesan, pumpkin, and hazelnut ravioli. And for the main course, of course there will be traditionally stuffed turkey, green beans with bacon, brussel sprouts, and mashed potatoes. To finish off the meal walnut cake and small pastries will be offered for dessert. The cost will be 100 euro with drinks excluded.
Hard Rock Cafe Rome
Via Vittorio Veneto 62A/B
https://cafe.hardrock.com/rome/
Celebrate Thanksgiving at the Hard Rock Cafe in Rome with a traditional turkey meal and live music! The menu includes slow-roasted turkey breast, roasted fresh vegetables, homestyle stuffing, sweet potato mash, cranberry sauce, and a traditional turkey gravy. For dessert, attendees can enjoy a slice of classic pumpkin pie with caramel sauce and house-made whipped cream. Additionally, a kid’s menu will be offered with a small thanksgiving plate.
Additionally, The Jingle Ladies will perform internationally loved pop songs to illuminate the magic of the holidays for us all. For the adult meal, the cost is 31 euros excluding drinks- the kid’s meal is 12 euros. For more information, email at rome_social@hardrock.com or call +39064203051.
Bakery House
Piazza Ledro 8
http://bakeryhouse.it/Thanksgiving.php
The Bakery House presents a Thanksgiving meal to be enjoyed at the restaurant or from the comfort of your Roman home! With vegetarian and takeaway options offered, Bakery House has a thanksgiving meal for everyone. The standard menu cost 49 euro per person to dine in and 39 euro for takeaway.
For the traditional menu, the meal will begin with pumpkin soup and savory brioche bread stuffed with roast beef and a coleslaw salad. Turkey will be traditionally served with gravy, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes. Roasted brussel sprouts, potatoes and a raddichio salad will be served for the vegetables and attendees are offered the choice between pumpkin pie, pecan pie, apple pie with ice cream, or an American cupcake for dessert. The vegetarian menu substitutes American potato flun and portobello mushrooms au gratin for the turkey.
To reserve your spot or schedule a time to pick up your takeaway order, visit the Bakery House Website.
Most importantly…
Don’t get too caught up in finding the perfect foods or the perfect restaurant. Friends and family and remembering to be Thankful are the essence of the holiday. Make sure to share what you are thankful for during your Thanksgiving meal.
There will be Thanksgiving Day Mass at St Patrick’s – America’s Catholic church in Rome – on Via Boncompagni 31 (near Via Veneto) at 10am on the 28th of November.
I wish i can be in Rome for Thanksgiving, everything sounds so delicious xo
http://www.theninebyivana.blogspot.com
With our new home, I look forward to someday actually hosting a Thanksgiving party with family and friends. Thanksgiving in Rome looks like so much fun.
We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here in Australia but I think any time you invite friends and family over to share a meal is a good time
You did a marvelous job to pull together such a great Thanksgiving abroad