Top 5: Thanksgiving Meals Outside of the United States

Just because you are outside of the United States doesn’t mean Thanksgiving dinner can’t be enjoyed with other Americans on the opposite ends of the United States.

Travel Menu

Travel Menu in Antigua, Guatemala, offers a truly delightful traditional Thanksgiving dinner owing to its American owners (well, he’s Irish and she’s from Syracuse, N.Y.) and large expat population in the cobblestoned colonial gem of charm and drunks. Turkey, stuffing, potatoes and gravy will warm you before your choice of decadent if not elegant dessert choices.

Mike’s Global Grill

Mike’s Global Grill in Boquete, Panama, does Thanksgiving right also owing to its large population of expats in this mountain town. While a traditional Thanksgiving meal, Mike brings a refinement to it, given his time spent at the Culinary Institute of American in Hyde Park, N.Y.

Bosphorus Terrace Restaurant

The Bosphorus Terrace Restaurant at the Hilton in Istanbul doesn’t bill their Thanksgiving meal as a holiday meal, but they also don’t normally serve Turkey in this hotel with river views and distinct American clientele on Thanksgiving Day.

The Char Steakhouse

The Char Steakhouse inside the Hotel Indigo on Shanghai’s Bund presents a delightful Thanksgiving dinner to visitors while offering an unparalleled view of the historic buildings on the Bund and across the Huangpo River where modern Pudong lays. Past offerings have included a five-course meal that included a “twist on pumpkin soup with scallops, fennel and coconut,” “dressed crabs,” “seasonal salad with foie gras crumble,” “slow-roasted turkey stuffed with sage, pork and prawns” and “pumpkin pie cheesecake.”

Joe Allen’s

Somewhat surprisingly, Paris has a tremendous amount of restaurants that serve up Thanksgiving dinner but my favorite when I lived there was Joe Allen’s, a Manhattan-styled bistro on Rue Pierre Lescot. My last Thanksgiving there featured a perfectly cooked turkey with quince, apple and walnut stuffing as well as pumpkin pie with a Maker’s Mark bourbon sabayon for good measure.