New York City is a special place to be over the Thanksgiving holiday. From the iconic Macy’s parade to the start of festive season events, it’s the perfect time to visit The Big Apple and maximise the extra-long weekend. Our insider guide covers what to do while you’re in town, where you should stay (beyond the city’s recently revamped legacy hotels), which restaurants to cosy up in, and the hottest hotel bars to enjoy a cocktail at.
Where to go
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Best for: an iconic New York City experience.
The 99th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is on 27th November, starting at 8:30am. Visitors can stake out a spot along the route, which runs from Columbus Circle down Sixth Avenue to 34th Street. Look out for new and classic balloons, including Snoopy, Bluey, Mario, Pac-Man, and the Pillsbury Doughboy. Ciara, Busta Rhymes, and KPop Demon Hunters will perform.
macys.com
Lightscape at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Best for: nature, art, and lights all in one place.
Enjoy an evening strolling among interactive light sculptures set amid Brooklyn’s best garden, illuminating secret spots and favourite areas in new ways. Visitors explore artist-created monumental lighted sculptures, colourful effects on the garden’s trees, architecture, and water features, and site-specific music and sound installations. Hot chocolate, cocktails, and light snacks are available.
bbg.org
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Bryant Park
Bank of America Bryant Park Winter Village at Bryant Park
Best for: ushering in the holiday season.
Bryant Park’s annual Winter Village is already open for the season, so stop by if you’re feeling festive. Skate the ice rink, shop the kiosks crammed with handmade crafts, book a cosy igloo for food and drinks, or sample tastes at the dozens of food stalls, including Biang Biang Noodles, Gnocchi on 9th, and Doughnuttry. Don’t miss the tree lighting on 2nd December.
bryantpark.org
Studio Museum in Harlem
Best for: art lovers on the hunt for the next big thing.
Harlem’s Studio Museum, which has showcased art created by Black artists and influenced by Black culture, has been closed since 2018 to build its new home. It reopens on 15th November in a seven-story building designed by Adjaye Associates featuring galleries, a theatre, artist studios, and a rooftop garden. See the museum’s first exhibition, honouring Queens-born sculptor Tom Lloyd.
studiomuseum.org
144 W 125th Street, NY 10027
Where to stay
500A W 18th St, NY 10011
Faena New York, Chelsea
Best for: art lovers looking to escape Midtown’s mayhem.
New York’s newest luxury hotel opened in September abutting the High Line. The third location of Alan Faena’s art-filled playground, the public areas of the NYC outpost are decked in red, gold, and leopard print. Rooms are slightly more subdued – but still plenty lavish. Artwork abounds and restaurant La Boca by Francis Mallmann offers a Thanksgiving prix-fixe menu.
faena.com
Mandarin Oriental New York, Upper West Side
Best for: iconic parade views from several places around the hotel.
Ideally located on Columbus Circle, guests can watch the parade from MO Lounge while they enjoy breakfast (available only to guests) or just outside the hotel if they prefer to be street level. To watch from your room, book a parade-view package (for something special, Suite 5000 is still available). Post-parade, enjoy a festive Thanksgiving buffet for lunch or dinner.
mandarinoriental.com
80 Columbus Cir, NY 10023
50 Central Park S, NY 10019
Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park
Best for: prime parade panoramas from your suite.
Located along Central Park South, the parade goes right by the hotel as it turns onto Sixth Avenue. The Thanksgiving Day Parade Package lets guests watch from their warm and comfy suites. There’s seasonal programming throughout the weekend, including seasonal cocktails and small plates at Contour, special culinary presentations for Club Lounge guests, and winter treatments at La Prairie Spa.
ritzcarlton.com
Where to dine
Per Se, Midtown
Best for: a three-Michelin-starred brunch overlooking the parade.
Enjoy a parade-side brunch Thanksgiving morning with a luxe menu featuring caviar, Maine lobster rolls, duck foie gras, and turkey ballotine, with classic sides like cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, and Per Se’s signature gravy. Sip complimentary mimosas and Bloody Marys, and enjoy a photo booth, balloon animals, and face painting (free for children under 12).
thomaskeller.com
10 Columbus Cir, NY 10019
550 Lexington Ave, NY 10022
Lex Yard, Midtown
Best for: a classic Thanksgiving farm feast.
Inside the newly reopened Waldorf Astoria, Lex Yard celebrates Thanksgiving with a menu that reflects chef Michael Anthony’s (Gramercy Tavern) belief that American cuisine is best expressed through the country’s farms. Expect butternut squash soup topped with cider-pickled apples and sourdough croutons, a sustainably raised turkey with gravy and cranberry relish, and Waldorf Salad with celery root, grapes, and pumpkin seeds.
lexyardnyc.com
Muku, Tribeca
Best for: when you need a break from turkey…
You can’t eat turkey and pumpkin pie every night of the long weekend. And when you’re ready for something else, this new, intimate Japanese restaurant in Tribeca from the team behind l’abeille is perfect. Chef Manabu Asanuma serves a tasting menu that may include dishes like foie gras chawanmushi, Wagyu shabu shabu, and grilled eel with maitake rice.
restaurantmuku.nyc
412 Greenwich St Penthouse B, NY 10013
Where to drink
133 Duane St, NY 10013
SAAQI, Tribeca
Best for: a secretive, speakeasy vibe.
This subterranean bar located underneath hot new Indian restaurant Musaafer features a 40-foot glass bar and 16th-century arched brickwork. Expect cocktails inspired by a traditional Indian art form and region. Sikki nods to golden grass used by artisans in Bihar and combines rum, banana, and lychee. Blue Pottery references Jaipur’s ceramics and uses Michter’s bourbon fat-washed with a cardamom-infused ghee.
musaaferrestaurants.com
The Bar at Mandarin Oriental New York, Upper West Side
Best for: cocktails with Central Park views.
This bar has just reopened on the 35th floor with a new concept. You’re transported on a Silk Road-inspired journey through Asia and Europe via the flavours of the hotel’s home cities. Imperial Jasmine (Beijing) features jasmine tea-infused baijiu; Serenissima (Venice) is made with gin, Campari, lemon, basil, and Prosecco; and Manhattan Spice has 12-year rye and bitters.
mandarinoriental.com
80 Columbus Cir, NY 10023
222 Smith St, NY 11231
Bar Rêve, Brooklyn
Best for: escaping Manhattan’s chaos in a chic Brooklyn hideaway.
This Cobble Hill Belle Époque-inspired bar opened in October with a Murano glass chandelier and bespoke drapery. Peruse the luxe bound book of drinks inspired by classic cocktails and Impressionist paintings. For example, Tutu is inspired by The Ballet Class by Edgar Degas, and combines vodka, Combier pêche, Champagne, and raspberry.
barreve.com
Seed Library NYC, NoMad
Best for: ultra-creative cocktails by a drinks legend debuting in New York.
The world’s most awarded bartender, Ryan Chetiyawardana, opened his first permanent bar in NYC earlier this month on the ground floor of Hotel Park Ave NYC. With 17 cocktails and thoughtful bar snacks, Seed Library reimagines the spirit of the classic Manhattan bar. The drinks celebrate NYC’s heritage and the creativity of the original Seed Library in London’s East End.
seedlibrarynyc.com
