
If you’re spending Thanksgiving in New York, finding a restaurant that’s open isn’t the hard part. The harder part is deciding which Thanksgiving dinner is actually worth booking.
Some restaurants serve the full turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie dinner most visitors picture. Others turn Thanksgiving into an upscale three-course meal, while a few hotels go all-in with large holiday buffets.
We’ve narrowed it down to the places we’d seriously consider for visiting friends and family. Every restaurant below has a Thanksgiving menu or reservation for Thursday, November 26, 2026 that we could verify.
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Thanksgiving Dinner Finder
If you already know what kind of Thanksgiving you’re looking for, start here.
| Restaurant | Best for | Adult price | Kids | Traditional turkey? | Buffet? | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keens Steakhouse | Classic NYC Thanksgiving | $167 | $83 under 12 | Yes | No | Midtown |
| The View | Skyline views | $120 | – | Yes | No | Times Square |
| Benoit | Midtown under $100 | $99 | – | Yes | No | Midtown |
| Park Ave Kitchen | Families | $89 | $45 | Yes | No | Midtown East |
| Friend of a Farmer | Traditional family dinner | $125 | $60 age 8 and under | Yes | No | Upper West Side |
| Delmonico’s | Historic New York | $150 | – | Yes | No | Financial District |
| Le Rock | Rockefeller Center | $175 | – | Yes | No | Rockefeller Center |
| Levant on Smith | Best value | $75 | – | Yes | No | Cobble Hill, Brooklyn |
| Le Jardin Rooftop | Buffet + view | $85 | $40 under 12 | Yes | Yes | Central Park South |
Our quick picks: Keens for a first Thanksgiving in New York, Levant on Smith for value, Park Ave Kitchen for families, The View for the skyline and Le Jardin if you’d rather have a buffet.
Prices above are menu prices. Tax, gratuity, drinks and optional supplements may be extra.
First Thanksgiving in America? Start Here
f this will be your first Thanksgiving in the U.S., there’s one thing worth knowing before you book: an expensive Thanksgiving menu isn’t necessarily a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
The classic plate usually includes roast turkey, stuffing or dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce, often with sweet potatoes, green beans or Brussels sprouts. Pumpkin and pecan pie are the desserts most closely associated with the holiday.
If you want the Thanksgiving dinner you’ve probably seen in movies and TV, we’d look first at Keens, Friend of a Farmer, The View or Le Jardin. All four keep the traditional turkey and familiar sides at the center of the meal.
Our Favorite Thanksgiving Dinners in NYC

Keens Steakhouse – Best for a Classic New York Thanksgiving
$167 adults – $83 children under 12 – Midtown
If friends were visiting New York for the first time and asked us to choose one Thanksgiving dinner, Keens would be very hard to beat.
It’s an old New York steakhouse on West 36th Street, only a few blocks from Macy’s Herald Square, and the Thanksgiving menu doesn’t try to reinvent the holiday.
You can go completely traditional with organic free-range turkey and dressing, Yukon Gold mashed potatoes, candied yams, Brussels sprouts and pumpkin or pecan pie.
The other reason Keens works well for a group is that nobody is forced to eat turkey. The same Thanksgiving menu also includes its famous mutton chop, prime rib, filet mignon, Dover sole and roasted cauliflower steak.
The 2026 price is $167 per adult and $83 for children under 12.
Good for: first-time visitors, couples, steakhouse fans and families with older kids.
Our take: if the food and the classic New York experience matter equally, this is our first choice.
The View – Best Thanksgiving Dinner With a View
$120 per person – Times Square – 2pm to 8pm
Normally, we’d tell visitors not to choose a restaurant simply because it’s in Times Square. Thanksgiving is a little different.
The View gives you something most restaurants on this list can’t – Thanksgiving dinner surrounded by the Manhattan skyline.
The three-course 2026 dinner includes roasted heritage turkey with gravy, while mashed potatoes, chestnut and mushroom stuffing, green beans and sweet potato are served family-style. Seasonal pies and desserts finish the meal.
Dinner runs from 2pm to 8pm and costs $120 per guest. Beverages, tax and service are additional.
Good for: couples, first-time visitors and anyone staying around Times Square or the Theater District.
Our take: choose The View if the skyline is part of the experience you’re after. If dinner itself is the priority, we’d put Keens ahead of it.
Benoit – Best Midtown Thanksgiving Under $100
$99 per person – Midtown – 11:30am to 8:45pm
Benoit is the Midtown restaurant we’d look at if $150-plus per person isn’t happening.
The three-course Thanksgiving menu costs $99 and includes stuffed Vermont free-range turkey with chestnut and cranberry. Filet mignon, cod and vegetable pot-au-feu give non-turkey eaters good alternatives.
Dessert choices include pumpkin pie, citrus vacherin and chocolate religieuse. Thanksgiving service runs from 11:30am to 8:45pm.
It’s also convenient if you’re spending the day around Fifth Avenue or Rockefeller Center without putting you directly in the middle of Times Square.
Good for: couples, smaller families and visitors looking for a proper Thanksgiving dinner around the $100 mark.
Park Ave Kitchen – Best for Families in Manhattan
$89 adults – $45 kids – Midtown East – 12pm to 8pm
Thanksgiving prix fixe menus can get expensive fast when you’re paying adult prices for several people. That’s one reason Park Ave Kitchen stands out.
The restaurant is serving a three-course Thanksgiving menu from 12pm to 8pm for $89 per adult, with a separate $45 kids prix fixe.
The holiday menu includes Thanksgiving turkey along with other meat and seafood choices. The regular a la carte menu will not be available, and tax and gratuity are additional.
It doesn’t have Keens’ history or The View’s skyline. What it does have is one of the more reasonable family price structures we’ve found among confirmed Manhattan Thanksgiving menus.
Good for: families and groups with different tastes.
Friend of a Farmer – Best Traditional Dinner on the Upper West Side
$125 adults – $60 kids age 8 and under – 12pm to 8:30pm
If you’re staying on the Upper West Side, there’s little reason to head back into crowded Midtown just to find a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
Friend of a Farmer serves a three-course Thanksgiving feast from 12pm to 8:30pm.
Main-course choices include roast turkey, wild salmon, maple-glazed ham and a vegan grain bowl, with mashed potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, gravy and cornbread stuffing.
Maple-glazed carrots and charred Brussels sprouts are served family-style, followed by rustic apple pie.
The 2026 price is $125 for adults and $60 for children age eight and under.
There is one important catch: cancellations must be made at least two weeks in advance or the full per-person charge can apply.
Good for: families, Upper West Side hotels and visitors who want a very recognizable American Thanksgiving dinner.
Delmonico’s – Best for a Historic NYC Thanksgiving
$150 per person – Financial District – 11am to 9pm
For visitors who like a little New York history with dinner, Delmonico’s is our Downtown pick.
Its three-course Thanksgiving menu costs $150. Turkey with traditional garnishes is available, but so are filet mignon, the Eye of Delmonico, salmon and other steakhouse choices.
Stuffing, pommes purée, honey-glazed carrots and Brussels sprouts come for the table, with pumpkin pie and Delmonico’s famous Baked Alaska among the desserts.
The price needs a little context. Beverages and tax are not included, and a 20% gratuity is automatically added to all checks.
Thanksgiving service runs from 11am until 9pm.
Good for: couples, special occasions and visitors spending Thanksgiving in Lower Manhattan.
Le Rock – Best Near Rockefeller Center
$175 per person – Rockefeller Center
If Thanksgiving Day already has you around Fifth Avenue, Radio City and Rockefeller Center, Le Rock has one of the most convenient locations in this guide.
The $175 three-plus-course menu includes a choice of heritage turkey, halibut, duck or mushroom rice pilaf. Mashed potatoes, dressing, roasted Brussels sprouts, cranberry preserves and gravy come for the table.
Dessert choices include apple tart, profiterole and pumpkin pie.
At $175, this isn’t our value pick. We’d choose it for the combination of food, setting and Rockefeller Center location.
Good for: couples, food-focused travelers and visitors staying around Rockefeller Center.
Levant on Smith – Best Thanksgiving Dinner for the Money
$75 per person including one drink – Cobble Hill, Brooklyn – From 3pm
At $75 with one drink included, Levant on Smith is the best value we’ve found among the 2026 Thanksgiving menus in this guide.
The three-course dinner includes a traditional turkey option, but you can also choose beef bourguignon, salmon, roasted vegetables or French onion spaghetti.
Dessert is pumpkin pie or espresso crème brûlée.
One glass of wine, cocktail, beer or mocktail is included. Sales tax and gratuity are extra.
The restaurant serves its regular lunch menu until 2:30pm before switching entirely to Thanksgiving prix fixe service from 3pm.
The booking rules are also unusually clear. A credit card is required, but dinner is not prepaid. Cancel or reduce your party after 3pm on November 24 and you may be charged $75 for each affected guest.
Good for: value, Brooklyn stays and visitors who would rather have a neighborhood dinner than another meal in Midtown.
Prefer a Thanksgiving Buffet?
A buffet can be the better option if you’re traveling with kids or a group where everyone wants something different.
Instead of committing to one appetizer, entrée and dessert, everyone can build the Thanksgiving plate they actually want.
Le Jardin Rooftop – Best Thanksgiving Buffet for the Money
$85 adults – $40 children 12 and under – 3pm or 6pm
Inside Le Méridien Central Park, Le Jardin is serving a Thanksgiving buffet with roasted turkey breast and braised dark meat, brisket, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and desserts.
There are two seatings at 3pm and 6pm.
The price is $85 for adults and $40 for children 12 and under, excluding tax and gratuity.
For visitors who want a traditional buffet, a Midtown location and skyline views without jumping to the price of a luxury-hotel Thanksgiving, this is one of the better combinations we’ve found.
Clement at The Peninsula – Best Luxury Thanksgiving Buffet
Clement is for travelers who want Thanksgiving to be one of the big meals of the trip.
The Peninsula’s 2026 buffet includes slow-roasted turkey, prime rib, candied yams, cornbread, butternut squash bisque, a raw bar, holiday desserts, a children’s buffet and live music.
The current reservation listing shows prices ranging from $120 to $325 per person, so check the price attached to your specific experience before confirming.
This isn’t the choice we’d make if value is the goal. It makes more sense if you want the full luxury-hotel Thanksgiving experience.
Thanksgiving Dinner After the Macy’s Parade
Thanksgiving morning will be especially busy in Midtown in 2026. This year marks the 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
If you’re watching the parade, we’d choose dinner partly based on where you’ll be afterward:
- Herald Square: Keens
- Times Square: The View
- Fifth Avenue or Rockefeller Center: Benoit or Le Rock
- Upper West Side: Friend of a Farmer
- Want to leave Midtown: Delmonico’s or Levant on Smith
There’s no need to cross Manhattan twice simply because a restaurant appeared higher on somebody’s “best Thanksgiving dinners” list.
What we would not do is finish the parade and then start looking for a table. Thanksgiving is one of those NYC days when having dinner booked makes the rest of the day much easier.
If the parade is a major part of your trip, see our guide to the Best Hotels for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2026 before choosing where to stay.
What Thanksgiving Dinner Really Costs
The price on the Thanksgiving menu usually isn’t the amount you’ll ultimately pay.
Restaurant food and beverages in New York City are generally subject to 8.875% sales tax. Depending on the restaurant, gratuity or a service charge may then be added.
For a rough planning figure, here’s what common menu prices look like after 8.875% NYC sales tax and a 20% tip calculated on the menu price:
| Menu price | Approx. total before drinks |
|---|---|
| $75 | $96.66 |
| $120 | $154.65 |
| $150 | $193.31 |
These are planning examples, not guaranteed restaurant totals. Some restaurants calculate or add service differently, and drinks or menu supplements increase the final bill.
Delmonico’s gives us a useful real example: its Thanksgiving menu is $150, tax is additional and the restaurant automatically adds a 20% gratuity. That brings the base dinner to roughly $193 per person before drinks or upgrades.
So when you’re comparing two restaurants, don’t focus only on whether one prix fixe is $10 cheaper.
Check tax, automatic gratuity, drinks, kids pricing, supplements, prepayment and cancellation rules before you book.
Want Something Different? Have Thanksgiving on the Water
If a restaurant dinner doesn’t sound quite special enough, there is another option.
NYC Water Cruises currently has a five-course Thanksgiving dinner cruise on November 26, 2026, departing Pier 36 at 7pm and returning at 10pm.
The three-hour cruise includes a Thanksgiving dinner with herb-roasted turkey and pumpkin pie, plus nighttime views of the Manhattan skyline, Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge.
We wouldn’t choose a cruise over Keens if the priority is the best traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
For a couple who wants to combine Thanksgiving dinner with a nighttime harbor cruise, though, it makes much more sense.
When Should You Book?
We wouldn’t wait until Thanksgiving week.
Many 2026 Thanksgiving reservations are already open in early October, and the times most useful to visitors tend to disappear first – especially normal dinner hours and restaurants convenient to the parade.
Pay particular attention to holiday cancellation policies. They can be much stricter than the restaurant’s normal rules.
Friend of a Farmer, for example, requires cancellation at least two weeks in advance, while Levant on Smith allows changes until November 24 at 3pm.
Also check whether the restaurant will offer its normal menu. Park Ave Kitchen, for example, will serve its Thanksgiving prix fixe rather than its usual a la carte menu.
If you’ve found the restaurant and time you want, we’d book it rather than hoping something better appears later.
Thanksgiving Dinner in NYC for Large Groups
Thanksgiving dinner gets a little more complicated once your party grows beyond six or eight people. Many NYC restaurants that are easy to book for a couple simply aren’t set up to handle a table of 10 or 12 on one of the busiest dining days of the year.
If you’re traveling with a larger family or group of friends, we’d start with restaurants that already have clear group-booking policies or more flexible dining rooms. Park Ave Kitchen is a practical Manhattan option for families, while a buffet such as Le Jardin can work especially well when a larger group has different tastes.
Another good option for 2026 is Tara Mór. Its Thanksgiving prix fixe is $90 per person and includes one drink, and groups of up to 10 can book through Resy. For larger parties, the restaurant asks guests to contact them directly so they can arrange seating together. There’s also live music from 7pm, which makes it a more relaxed choice for groups that want dinner to turn into a longer evening.
For parties of 10 or more, we wouldn’t rely on making several separate online reservations and hoping the restaurant can combine them. Contact the restaurant first, ask whether the group can be seated together, and check the Thanksgiving cancellation policy before paying any deposit.
Large-party rules are often stricter on Thanksgiving than on a normal Thursday, so this is one reservation we’d organize early rather than leave until November.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐘𝐂 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔?
Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, 2026.
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐘𝐂?
Among the 2026 menus we verified, sit-down Thanksgiving dinners start at around $75 to $100 per adult. Many upscale restaurants are around $120 to $175, while luxury hotel experiences can cost considerably more. Tax, gratuity and drinks are often additional.
𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐘𝐂 𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠?
Yes. Plenty of NYC restaurants open on Thanksgiving, but many replace their normal menu with a special prix fixe dinner or buffet and may operate different hours.
𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐘𝐂?
We strongly recommend them, particularly for Midtown restaurants, hotel buffets, restaurants near the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and popular dinner times.
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐲’𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞?
Keens is our favorite near Herald Square. The View works well for Times Square, Benoit and Le Rock are convenient for Rockefeller Center, and Friend of a Farmer is useful if you’re returning to the Upper West Side.
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐘𝐂?
For a first American Thanksgiving, we’d look first at Keens, Friend of a Farmer, The View or Le Jardin. All keep turkey and the familiar Thanksgiving sides at the center of the meal.
Final Thoughts?
We wouldn’t wait until Thanksgiving week.
Many 2026 Thanksgiving reservations are already open in early October, and the times most useful to visitors tend to disappear first – especially normal dinner hours and restaurants convenient to the parade.
Pay particular attention to holiday cancellation policies. They can be much stricter than the restaurant’s normal rules.
Friend of a Farmer, for example, requires cancellation at least two weeks in advance, while Levant on Smith allows changes until November 24 at 3pm.
Also check whether the restaurant will offer its normal menu. Park Ave Kitchen, for example, will serve its Thanksgiving prix fixe rather than its usual a la carte menu.
If you’ve found the restaurant and time you want, we’d book it rather than hoping something better appears later.
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