Direct: 
Author: Colleen
Well, I recall waxing nostalgic about Thanksgiving last year as an American expat, as it was my first-ever Thanksgiving away from home 
. Aw, don’t cry for me; the husband and I ended up having a swell ol’ time compensating with Stove-Top Stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie fixin’s purchased from the South Kensington Partridges in London (I’m sure you could find the same at the American Food Store in Holland Park) to accessorize our main course of…a bucket of fried chicken. KFC, to be exact. You heard me. What, why are you looking at me like that?
What can I say…we decided at the last minute not to dine out after what was, outside of the States, a long WORK day since we don’t get the Thursday holiday—nor its Friday mistress, for that matter—off over here. So there obviously wasn’t enough time to get a bird in the oven by that point. We did what we could and were THANKFUL (hello!) for what we had, you poultry snobs.
Well, it so happens that in 2010 we are thankful for a very special group of American expat friends that we’ve gotten to know well over the last several months and with whom we’ll be gathering for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner party where everyone will bring a dish to pass. Yet if we had to do it again all our own now that we are another London-year wiser, we would probably cater-in thanks to the Kensington Whole Foods store, the largest of its kind in the world, I believe, and that is savvy enough to offer an American Thanksgiving menu. That, or go with the original game plan and dine out!
Some London venues serving up a traditional Thanksgiving feast (or at least something close to one) are as follows:
The City:
Missouri Angel near Tower Hill/Aldgate
Texas Embassy Cantina near Trafalgar Square
Bodean’s BBQ Steak House near Tower Hill
North London:
Belushi’s in Camden
The Breakfast Club in Angel and Hoxton
East London:
The Marksman Pub in Shoreditch
The Medieval Banquet in East Smithfield (St. Katharine’s Docks near Tower Hill)
Belushi’s in Greenwich
South Bank:
Tentazioni in Bermondsey
Belushi’s in London Bridge
West End:
Automat in Mayfair
Hard Rock Cafe in Mayfair
Butlers Restaurant at The Chesterfield in Mayfair
The Reading Room at Claridge’s in Mayfair
HIX at the Albemarle in Mayfair
PJ’s Grill in Covent Garden
Christopher’s American Bar & Grill in Covent Garden
Belushi’s in Covent Garden
Planet Hollywood in Haymarket
Bodean’s BBQ Steak House in Soho
The Breakfast Club in Soho
Eagle Bar Diner in Soho/Noho (off Oxford Street)
Villandry in Marylebone
Cafe Luc in Marylebone
West/Southwest London:
The Fifth Floor at Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge
Chicago Rib Shack in Knightsbridge
Henry J. Beans in Chelsea
Big Easy in Chelsea
PJ’s Bar & Grill in South Kensington
Babylon at The Roof Gardens on High Street Kensington
Bodean’s BBQ Steak House in Clapham and Fulham
Belushi’s in Fulham, Shepherd’s Bush, and Hammersmith
If you have any festive London Thanksgiving discoveries of your own, please do post a comment here. And even if you’re not making your UK relocation in time for this year’s gatherings, it’s likely these same venues will host such dinners in years to follow. So keep that in mind as you ponder whether you’ll celebrate Thanksgiving out on the town or within the cozy confines of the new London apartment you’ll find THANKS to London Relocation Ltd. 
!
Related posts:
- Americans Moving to London – Finding the U.S. in the UK (Part 2 of 3)
- Fun-Fact for Americans Moving to London
- London Relocation Loves Otto Pizza! (Americans & Gluten-Free Dieters Will Too!)
- Americans Moving to London – Finding the U.S. in the UK (Part 3 of 3)
- Americans Moving to London – Finding the U.S. in the UK (Part 1 of 3)
I have to comment on the amazing food and staff at The Marksman! It is my local pub and the food is always fantastic, the people are local and the staff is funny, gracious and they make you feel like you are in their living room.
Very cool! I’ll have to check that one out sometime. Sounds oh-so cozy
.
i would love to move to london
I haven’t been myself, but The Grill at The Dorchester appears to have a nice menu:
http://www.thedorchester.com/uploads/documents/thanksgiving%20menu%202010.pdf
I’ve been told there will be an alternative veggie menu as well.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Ooh, great suggestion! That’s a lovely venue I’d like to check out some time – I’ve had the Dorchester’s martinis, but not food yet
. Thank you for the input, Nic!
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