Lara Dreux Lara Dreux | November 17, 2020 | Food & Drink, Holiday, Food & Drink Feature,
Thanksgiving 2020 will feel a little different. What stays the same, though, are the bonds we maintain in the face of any challenge. You've earned a bit of style and extravagance this year, and we can still celebrate togetherness despite the pandemic, even if it means treating just yourself.
We searched the crème de la crème of New York City's fine restaurants to see who's offering safe dining and takeout options for Thanksgiving dinner. Cuddle up by the outdoor heating in a romantic garden, book a private hotel room all for yourself, or enjoy the finest meals in the comfort of your own home.
See also: 25 Chicago Restaurants For Thanksgiving Dinner To Go
The Polo Bar
1 E 55th St. / Website
Curated by the great Ralph Lauren, The Polo Bar celebrates culinary classics in style. While their indoor seating remains closed, a top-tier take out menu allows families to enjoy the holiday in style. Starting prices are $595 for up to six people and $995 for a party of 12.
INSIDER TIP: Add extra pizzazz to your feast with additional cocktail or wine pairings, such as a Vesper Martini or a red Napa Valley.
Union Square Cafe
101 E 19th St. / Website
Union Square Cafe keeps their doors open this year with limited seating capacity. Their luxuarious prix fixe menu of $140 per person includes a main dish option of Heritage Turkey, New York Strip Steak and Grilled Branzino, as well as a pasta course, scrumptious sides and devilish desserts. Reservations are available from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thansgiving day.
Oceana
120 West 49th St. / Website
Whether you're looking to dine out or bring the flavor home, Oceana fits the bill. This midtown restaurant, famous for its seafood, will offer COVID-limited indoor seating as well as a Thanksgiving take out package. Indoor dining offers a three-course menu starting at $95 for adults and $60 for children under 12. If you choose to dine at home, their scrumptious Takeout Package serves four to six people at $275, or eight to ten people at $475.
Aquavit
65 E 55th St. / Website
Boasting two Michelin Stars, Aquavit will turn your Thanksgiving celebration into a lavish feast. Enjoy their beautiful in-dining experience, or indulge in their avant-guard creations from the comfort of your home. The Thanksgiving Dinner Kit is the perfect treat for a romantic twist on the celebration. Sized for two, the kit will include heavenly fennel and carraway smoked turkey breast, as well as delicious apple crumble pie and other delicassies.
INSIDER TIP: For extra luxury, splurge on the caviar service accompanied with waffles, sour cream, chives and red onion.
See also: 13 Philly Restaurants For Thanksgiving Dinner Takeout
Hearth
403 E 12th St. / Website
Known for its paradoxically healthy yet delectable food, this Italian restaurant is based in the city's Lower East Side. Their takeout menu brings "Thanksgiving Dinner from Hearth to Home" and includes heating instructions so you can serve each delight like a pro. The menu starts at $75 per person and features Yukon Gold mashed potatoes, a full roasted turkey with red wine and sage, and plenty more. Feel free to add some glamor with a tasteful dry reisling or a scented pinot noir.
Il Buco
47 Bond St. / Website
Combining mediterranean flavors with nouvelle cuisine, Il Buco's dining experience is both elegant and ambitious. Come with your family to this upscale spot in NOHO and indulge in an elevated italian Thanksgiving. The prix fixe per person is $110, boasting of chefs d'oeuvres such as sweet potato gnocchi.
INSIDER TIP: The sophisticated interior design is especially inviting by their wine cellar tables, but make sure you come early as seats are first-come first-serve.
Soccarat Paella Bar
953 2nd Ave. / Website
Feeling chilly this November? Warm your tastebuds with a caliente Thanksgiving. Socarrat is Spanish for the perfectly-cooked crust that forms at the bottom of paella. Give your annual celebration a Spanish twist and indulge in enticing tapas, delicious paella variations and generous jug of sangría. This paella palace is currently open for indoor, outdoor and take out. At a prix fixe of $55 per person, their special Thanksgiving menu includes a Turkey Paella made with mushroom sofrito topped with confit turkey leg, green beans and piquillo peppers, crispy brussels sprouts, cinnamon sugar churros and more.
Cote
16 W 22nd St. / Website
This Korean Steakhouse is the perfect spot to best indulge your inner carnivor as the season's quintessential turkey gets a grilling. The Michelin starred restaurant based in the Flatiron district will offer a set menu on Thanksgiving day at $85 per person. It's open for indoor and outdoor seating from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., and the bountiful selection includes an opening amuse bouche, their Butcher’s Block feast of four different cuts of steak, traditional Korean accompaniments such as kimchi jjigae and a delectable dessert.
Wayan
20 Spring Str. / Website
Transform this year's Thanksgiving into a unique meal of festivities. Owned by Cedric and Ochi Vongerichten, this elevated restaurant serves high end Indonesian-inspired cuisine. In light of this year's bizarre circumstances, Wayan has created family-style Thanksgiving meals and Indonesian classics available for pick up on Nov. 25th. Their holiday menu of $488 serves six to eight people, comprising of Indonesian organic turkey, sides of brussels sprouts and morning glory terasi, perkedel stuffing, spiced cranberry acar sauce and long pepper gravy.
Le Crocodile
Wythe Hotel, 80 Wythe Ave. / Website
Tired of staying home? This slightly removed location is worth the trip to Brooklyn. With gorgeous contemporary-designed indoor seating, a covered garden terrace and a private dining experience in your own hotel room, Le Crocodile is ready to accomodate everyone. The restaurant offers exquisite French dishes with a modern twist in breathtaking ambiance. Gorge on their indoor or outdoor meals for $110 per person or, for a more intimate experience, their hotel room meal of $150 each. Among many other delicacies, the seasonal menu features winter squash soup with black truffle, a heritage turkey carved to order, honey and maple-glazed carrots and a slice of pumpkin pie with brandy cream as dessert.
Photography by: Jay L. Clendenin