For Americans wanting a taste of home, here are the restaurants in Spain that celebrate Thanksgiving and the shops where you can buy American food products.
On the fourth Thursday of November, Americans in the US and around the world celebrate Thanksgiving. This year it falls on November 27th.
There are a total of 50,623 American nationals officially living in Spain according to the latest figures from Spain’s Institute of Statistics, and the number has risen dramatically over the last couple of years.
READ ALSO – MAP: Where in Spain do all the Americans live?
Many may miss home on the day, longing to see their family and taste some of the traditional Thanksgiving food. It’s not uncommon for US nationals living in the same part of Spain to meet up and celebrate together.
If you don’t fancy cooking this year, there are a number of restaurants that usually celebrate the day and serve Thanksgiving menus or Acción de Gracias as it’s called in Spanish. Most of them can be found in Madrid and Barcelona, although you will find a few others, dotted around the country.
You’ll likely need to book in advance for all the places below.
American Club Madrid
Madrid’s American club is holding its Thanksgiving event this year at the city’s Hotel Meliá on November 27th starting at 8pm. Tickets cost €70 per adult member, with non-member ones being sold for €85, until they sell out. There will be classic stuffed turkey plus all the trimmings such as sweet potatoes, green bean casserole and mac & cheese.
Thanksgiving at Canopy by Hilton Madrid Castellana (Madrid)
Canopy by Hilton Madrid will be hosting its Thanksgiving meal on November 27th at 8pm. The menu will be a traditional feast cooked by chef Ignacio Martínez. Prices start from €49. There will also be a Spanish twist on some dishes such as stuffed mushrooms with Iberian ham roasted sweet potatoes with cured cheese.
Nice To Meet You (Madrid)
Nice To Meet You will be offering its classic Thanksgiving menu for the 11th year in a row on the 27th, complete with all the traditional trimmings, including stuffed turkey and sides, and pumpkin pie for dessert. The highlight of eating here is the spectacular 360-degree views from its terrace.
READ ALSO: Spain among top European countries Americans want to move to
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Hotel Urso (Madrid)
Madrid’s Hotel Urso is another place putting on a special celebration this Thanksgiving. It will take place on the 27th itself and cost €89 per person. The menu includes pumpkin soup for starters, roast turkey with all the sides and rhubarb cake for afters. It also includes wine, beer or soft drinks. You can book your table here.
Hard Rock Cafe (Valencia, Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, Canary Islands)
The Hard Rock Cafe’s Spanish franchise will be offering its American Thanksgiving menu again this year. With restaurants in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Mallorca, Málaga, Tenerife and Gran Canaria, you may be able to enjoy some American home comforts near you, but be aware not all locations will be serving it. The Hard Rock menu includes the traditional roast turkey breast with braised vegetables, sweet potato mash and cranberry sauce for €19.95, with pumpkin pie for dessert (€6.95) and an espresso martini (€12.65).
READ ALSO – ‘The grass IS greener’: Americans in Spain agree life is better than in US
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CocoVail Beer Hall (Barcelona)
The American-favourite CocoVail Beer Hall will be hosting a whole Thanksgiving day on November 27th starting with streaming Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and two NFL games. It will also be offering its Thanksgiving meal in various time slots – 12:30 pm – midnight. It costs €30 per person and features classic turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cornbread, green beans, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.
Flaherty’s Irish Pub (Barcelona)
Despite being an Irish pub, Flaherty’s will be embracing all things American on November 27th offering a feast from 12-9pm. For €30 per person you can enjoy a creamy pumpkin soup starter, followed by turkey, truffle oil mashed potatoes, pumpkin squash, candied yams, creamed corn and even more sides. They are even offering a quorn roast option for vegetarians. Finish it all off with pecan pie and whipped cream.
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Friends Thursdays Night Series (Valencia)
Friends Thursdays Night Series will be hosting a Thanksgiving meal at La Ferradura restaurant. The dinner will feature traditional turkey, with several side dishes, a dessert and unlimited drinks at the bar for €75 per person. It’s open to Americans as well as foreign residents from other countries and local Spaniards.
Euroace (Valencia)
Euroace language school in Valencia is hosting a potluck Thanksgiving party where everyone attending will be expected to bring a dish to share. To find out more and reserve your spot visit the site here.
Where to buy American food products in Spain
For those wanting to cook a Thanksgiving meal at home, the good news is that you can buy American food products in specialised stores in several cities around Spain. When it comes to buying a turkey, you may be better off enquiring at your local carnicería (butcher’s).
Taste of America (Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia & Majadahonda)
This is a small chain of supermarkets selling American products with branches across Madrid and Barcelona, as well as one in Valencia, Zaragoza and León. They sell all the important ingredients you need for your Thanksgiving feast including canned pumpkin, stuffing mix, gravy, cranberry sauce and mushroom soup (for the all-essential green bean casserole).
A Taste of Home (Barcelona, Sitges, Cubelles)
A Taste of Home is predominantly an English product shop, but they also sell some American products and the equivalent British ones such as gravy, stuffing mix and cranberry sauce.
Costco (Bilbao, Zaragoza, Madrid, Las Rozas & Seville)
The American superstore chain Costco has several branches in Spain where you can stock up on classic Thanksgiving ingredients.
Thanksgiving meal tips
- If you can’t find cranberry sauce or it’s too expensive opt for Ikea’s lingonberry jam instead, it’s got a similar tart taste and Swedish people pair it with meat too.
- You don’t need canned pumpkin to make pumpkin pie, you can do it very easily by boiling or steaming a butternut squash and whizzing it up in the blender.
- If you can’t find Campbell’s mushroom soup or French’s crispy onions for the green bean casserole, you can substitute them for other mushroom soup and crispy onion brands available in Mercadona or Lidl.
- Carrefour also has many imported products including American marshmallows, so it’s worth looking there for items you can’t find elsewhere.
