In Florence for Thanksgiving this atypical November 26 and looking for a way to mark the occasion? With such an active international community, you can be sure that the city’s food businesses are finding a way to cater to this festive tradition, despite the current lockdown. Here are our suggestions on how to eat, drink and be grateful in Florence.
Where to get your turkey + trimmings
Most butchers worth their salt will be able to source a decent bird if you order in advance and major supermarkets sell good-quality turkeys. (Try Sant’Ambrogio Market or San Lorenzo ground-floor market.) If you don’t fancy roasting the turkey, give your local rosticceria a call. La Mangiatoia (piazza San Felice 8-9R) usually sells precooked turkeys, so you don’t have to spend the holiday slaving over the stove. International grocery stores like Vivimarket (via del Giglio 8) and Florentine institution Pegna (via dello Studio 26R) are the places to go for cranberry sauce and stuffing mixes. For seasonal vegetables and other staples, the City of Florence is encouraging home deliveries from local grocery stores as a way of avoiding long queues at the supermarket. See the list of participating businesses here.
For home deliveries + takeaways this Thanksgiving
Ristorante Accademia
Nothing can stop Ristorante Accademia from upholding the tradition of Thanksgiving dinner, now in its 20th year! 25 euro will get you pumpkin soup, turkey with trimmings, mashed potatoes and creamed corn, followed by apple strudel, pumpkin pie or pecan pie.
Order by Tuesday, November 24 for pickup or delivery on November 26, 27 or 28: call 055 217 343 or WhatsApp +39 335 5618116.
Melaleuca
The popular Australia-inspired cafè and bakery is offering the full Thanksgiving package from Thursday, November 26 to Saturday, November 28 for pickup or free delivery within the ZTL. Celebrate the harvest with a turkey, milk rolls with honey butter, sweet potato and sage, sourdough stuffing, kale and Jerusalem artichoke salad, and much more. Menu costs 30 euro per head (kids prices and menu also available).
Send in your order to melaleuca.florence@gmail.com, call 055 6146894 or DM on IG @melaleuca.florence.
The Dolce Vita Experience
New Yorker and personal chef Ileana Collado is providing a classic Thanksgiving meal kit for 15 euro per person with turkeys bought from the Sant’Ambrogio market butchers. Sides include fall jewel salad, chive mashed potatoes and sausage cornbread stuffing. No delivery, just pickup from the Sant’Ambrogio area on November 26 or 27.
Order by November 19 by WhatsApp 331 5796997 or DM on IG @thedolcevitaexperience
ArcimboldArt
ArcimboldArt chef/sommelier and general Renaissance jack-of-several-trades is serving up a global Thanksgiving celebration of flavors, including turkey rolls with nuts in phyllo pastry, plus delicious dishes from Greece, Morocco and Mexico. Waldorf salad, coleslaw and pickles are some of the sides and pumpkin pie is for desserts.
Order (minimum spend 60 euro) by November 21 on WhatsApp to 347 9377212.
Djària American Bar
Djària American Bar (via dei Serragli 100R) is bringing a full Thanksgiving dinner to your doorstep for 30 euro a head.
Order by Wednesday, November 18 on WhatsApp 348 9139531 or call 055 4937061.
Hard Rock Cafè
Hard Rock Cafè Firenze is gearing up to deliver Turkey Day meals to your home with roasted turkey, grilled veggies, sweet potato mash and cranberry sauce, followed by New York-style cheesecake. Available from November 26 to 29, from 11am to 10pm.
Order online on the Hard Rock Cafè Firenze website, email florence_social@hardrock.com or call 055 277841.
Four Seasons Florence
The Four Seasons Hotel Florence is providing a traditional turkey dinner with sweet potatoes, vegetables and cranberry sauce for 27 euro per portion. The Thanksgiving menu can be combined with takeout from the Atrium Bar, such as caesar salad with prawns (27 euro), club sandwiches (27 euro) and the delicious Atrium Chianina burger (27 euro) as well as popular desserts like cheesecake with raspberries (13 euro).
Collect from the Four Seasons Hotel Florence from 4 to 9pm. To book, call 055 2626450 or email ilpalagio@fourseasons.com.
Rooster Cafè
Rooster Cafè has put together a Thanksgiving Take Out Box for the occasion. For 18 euro per person you will receive stuffed turkey, brussels sprouts with maple syrup and hazelnuts, mashed hasselback sweet potatoes, cornbread, gravy and cranberry sauce. Dessert is pumpkin pie and you’ll get a bottle of Chianti for every two orders placed.
Order by WhatsApp on +39 055 240208 from Tuesday, November 24 to Thursday, November 26. Free delivery in Florence or pick up from Rooster in via Porta Rossa 63R.
Desserts + cakes
ph. The whole eight-inch pies for pickup or delivery from Melaleuca
The Oltrarno bakery Mama’s Bakery (via della Chiesa 34R / 055 219214 / info@mamasbakery.it) will be making pies galore—pumpkin and apple pies, cheesecake, cupcakes, muffins and bagels—for pickup from November 25 to 27. Orders can be placed through Mama Bakery’s Facebook and Instagram pages by Tuesday, November 24. Preorder your favorites ahead of time—carrot and red velvet, apple and pumpkin pies, and more—online from Sugar & Spice Bakery (borgo la Croce 15r / 055 499503 / info@sugar-spice.it): www.sugar-spice.it/order-online. Australian cafè and bakery Melaleuca (lungarno delle Grazie, 18 / 055 6146894 / melaleuca.florence@gmail.com) is hard at work on whole eight-inch pumpkin, key lime, sweet potato, apple, lemon meringue and banoffie pies for pickup or delivery. Vanilla Cake (piazza Niccolò Acciaiuoli 7R, Firenze-Galluzzo / 055 0462755 / info@vanillacake.it) is available for turkey-decorated cupcakes, pumpkin bread and more.
