Going out for Thanksgiving dinner is the power move of the holiday: It’s bound to be tastier, there’s more ambiance than your tiny apartment, and in a public place people are less likely to start arguments. To help you make this vital lifehack a reality, we’ve rounded up the best restaurants for Thanksgiving dinner in NYC, taking into consideration menu, ambiance and price — the holidays are coming, after all.
For the fall ambiance: Harold’s
The Arlo SoHo Hotel has gone all-out for fall, turning its courtyard into an orchard with pick-your-own apples, hay bales and corn stalks for all your last-minute essential fall photo ops. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, head inside for a family-style Thanksgiving feast in the warm setting of Harold’s that includes everything you can think of, with a choice of roast turkey, Italian sausage or ham steak served with green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, sweet potato mousseline with toasted marshmallows and more. For dessert, there’s pie and also apple cobbler and a cranberry cheesecake. 2 Renwick St., info@haroldsmeatandthree.com or 212-390-8484
For a taste of old New York: Temple Court
The Financial District is bursting with new restaurants, but Tom Colicchio’s Temple Court stands out with its reverence for all things old New York — updated for today’s discerning crowds, of course. On Thanksgiving, start your three-course meal with a Waldorf salad or buffalo milk burrata, maybe even a lobster thermidor? Entrees include a wild mushroom tarte, free-range Narragansett turkey and dry-aged sirloin, with honeynut squash tarte tatin or Baked Alaska for dessert. Who else would you trust to make these right? $115, 1-8 p.m., 212-658-1848, templecourtnyc.com
For an Italian twist: Leuca
There are a lot of reasons to love the William Vale Hotel, but Andrew Carmellini’s tribute to coastal Italy Leuca is all elegant but warm decor, with modern dishes meant for sharing. The four-course Thanksgiving dinner includes antipasti like smoked beets and tuna crudo, mains of organic roast turkey with cranberry mostarda with squash cappelletti, with a sweet finish of apple crostata or spiced cranberry sorbetto. End your evening with a drink at rooftop bar Westlight with panoramic views of Manhattan. $95, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., 111 N. 12th St., leuca.com
For a hit by a celebrity chef: Woodpecker
Being on a cooking show or having a cookbook published may have clout elsewhere, but New Yorkers want more than name recognition to bless a new restaurant. David Burke’s latest project Woodpecker delivers both warm ambiance and a menu that’s packed the house even on weeknights. Everything is cooked in a wood-burning oven, emphasizing the rustic flavors of the holiday: The classic three-course menu includes pumpkin bisque, autumn risotto, maple whipped sweet potato and more. $65, noon-9 p.m., 30 W. 30th St., woodpeckerbydb.com
For a taste of warmer climes: Akrotiri
Feel like you’ve escaped to the Greek seaside at Akrotiri, Astoria’s breezy and bright new addition. Chef Nicholas Poulmentis has crafted a three-course Mediterranean Thanksgiving meal that can be as traditional or alternative as you live. Options include a roasted butternut bisque, turkey with buttermilk mashed potatoes, grilled salmon with corn hash, and baklava or pumpkin pie for dessert. $49, 29-20 30th Ave., Queens, akrotiritaverna.com
For expert comfort food: The Eddy
Whenever we need a cozy nook to hide away from the city, The Eddy always wins for ambiance — and having some of the most inventive cocktails in town and food that’s comforting without being heavy helps, too. Chef Jeremy Salamon begins with a pickled sugar pumpkin “salad,” keeps it classic with roast turkey with pan gravy and a cranberry-black pepper gelee, charred yams, mashed potatoes and more, then finished with a maple torte topped with apple clove sorbet. $95 (add wine pairings for $50), 342 E. Sixth St., OpenTable
For a favorite that’s new again: Atrium Dumbo
After five years in its prime spot on the Brooklyn waterfront, Atrium Dumbo just underwent a facelift and menu makeover. Expect the same French techniques applied to the best of what’s in season at New York markets but in a more modern atmosphere and expanded menu. For Thanksgiving, chef Laurent Kalkotour’s three-course menu is a rich and flavorful exploration of fall’s bounty with dishes like truffle honey-roasted pumpkin salad, stuffed turkey legs, John Dory with parsnip mousseline and warm pecan pie with spiced crème fraîche and salted maple butter. $80, 15 Main St., Brooklyn, atriumdumbo.com
For the football lovers: TGA NYC
The Macy’s Parade and eating are not the only activities happening on Thanksgiving day, as football fans know. Keep an eye on the game without feeling like you’ve compromised the integrity of the holiday at TGA, a luxury restaurant, bar and lounge with plenty of flat-screen TVs. The special prix fixe menu for Thanksgiving is four courses including baked herb-crusted turkey with homemade stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, grilled corn on the cob and a choice of seasonal favorites for dessert — or go classic with chocolate cake. $50, 320 W. 36th St., 212-651-4842
For a seat at the top of the city: The View
The city’s only revolving rooftop restaurant, The View at the New York Marriott Marquis, offers a surprisingly affordable spread for total Thanksgiving indulgence for all the senses. Their Thanksgiving buffet includes a range of charcuterie, seasonal salads and lobster mojito shooters (why not), a carving station with roasted turkey breast with cranberry chutney and giblet gravy, mushroom ravioli and a range of desserts including pumpkin cheesecake and apple strudel. $98, noon-8 p.m., 1535 Broadway, 212-704-8900, theviewnyc.com
For the cocktail lovers: Dante
Named the ninth best bar in the world earlier this year, Dante is a sophisticated but welcoming destination in the West Village. Thanksgiving brings an Italian-Australian feast that includes your choice of festive beverage: a famous Negroni on tap, Champagne or hot mulled wine. Start with your choice of salad or shrimp cocktail, then either go classic with roast turkey or the agave-apple cider ham, or fettuccine with mushrooms for the vegetarians. A range of sides include collard greens with smoked bacon and truffle mac & cheese. End with dessert including sticky pumpkin pudding or boozy eggnog. $75, 2-10 p.m., 79-81 Macdougal St., Resy or 212-982-5275, dante-nyc.com
