Happy Turkey Day!

Not nearly as ironic as throwing an American Independence Day/4th of July party in England, still the idea of celebrating an American Thanksgiving in London might seem a bit out of place. Nevertheless, with lots of US citizens living and working in the UK capital and plenty of other Americans taking advantage to book flights to London, a proper Turkey Day feast is easy enough to find and enjoy in this historic and dynamic city.

Here’s a list of a few noteworthy restaurants putting on T-Day feasts in London:

Two of Gordon Ramsay’s London restaurants, Savoy Grill on the Strand and The Narrow in Limehouse have both created a special Thanksgiving menus in honor of the occasion.

The Savoy Grill‘s Head Chef Andy Cook has created a menu especially for the day, all suitably themed. A four course meal priced at £45 ($72) includes pan fried Maryland crab cakes with smoked tomato remoulade, maple roasted turkey, pecan yams, cornbread stuffing with sage turkey jus and pumpkin pie with cinnamon ice cream.

Over at The Narrow, Head Chef Ian Ellis has devised a special Thanksgiving menu including roast turkey, creamed corn, sweet potato and marshmallow, cauliflower cheese, brown sugar glazed carrots, cranberry sauce and gravy priced at £15.50 ($25) along with pecan pie, vanilla ice cream and maple syrup for £7.50 ($12). The Narrow has also concocted some festive beverages of mulled cider and hot rum and apple.

Today guests at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant CUT at The Dorchester hotel will be able to celebrate Thanksgiving in style with a special menu (£85/$136 per person) devised by Californian born Executive Chef, David McIntyre. The menu will offer a “Puck” take on the traditional Thanksgiving feast with roasted turkey, natural gravy, cornbread stuffing, braised greens and cranberry compote and a wide selection of side dishes to share including: roasted celery root, butternut squash, Medjool dates and roasted baby Brussels sprouts, smoked bacon and pearl onions.

For those wanting a lighter alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving feast, Puck’s own favorite of sautéed Dover sole “à la Meunière” with preserved lemon, capers, raisins, almonds and caramelized cauliflower will also available. In the starters section, guests can choose between selections of four dishes including: butternut squash soup, cranberry-quince compote and Heirloom apple salad, fuyu persimmon, fennel, red endive, Medjool dates, Shropshire cheddar. And for dessert? Bourbon pecan pie, maple ice cream, caramelized pears or apple stuffed pumpkin doughnuts, spiced whipped cream or pumpkin gelato.

On the King’s Road in Chelsea, Big Easy BBQ and Crabshack is celebrating Turkey Day with a “No Nonsense” traditional Thanksgiving menu. Priced at £14.95 ($24), the menu includes oven-roasted turkey with stuffing accompanied by golden potatoes, steamed green beans, gravy and a spoon of tangy cranberry sauce to top it all off. Everything is served up on the Big Easy’s signature red-and-white chequerboard tablecloths, whether upstairs by the cocktail bar or downstairs against a backdrop of live music.

One08 situated in the heart of Marylebone village will offer a three-course meal competitively priced at £29.50, which includes crackers, table decorations and party poppers. Traditional American dishes will include roasted butternut squash soup with pistachio mascarpone, roast Norfolk bronze turkey with chestnut and sausage stuffing and all the trimmings along with pumpkin pie with clotted cream. Children aged 4-12 years old will dine for half price, while children under three years of age will receive a complimentary dinner.

With locations throughout town, American style BBQ restaurant Bodean’s will be have a T-Day feast for £20.95 ($47) per person with a long list of starters, mains and desserts: Caesar salad, smoked turkey, cornbread stuffing, etc etc. All Bodean’s will be screening the NFL from 5:30pm too.

And finally, if you’re planning to eat in with family and friends for Thanksgiving in London, a top tip would be to see which local stockists are supplied by Copas Farm in Berkshire. Copas’ “first-class premium product” free range and game hung turkeys can’t be beat.

Booking at any of the above mentioned eateries or anywhere else in London offering a Thanksgiving menu is highly recommended.

Photo: Chris Osburn