On the fourth Thursday of November, people in the United States celebrate Thanksgiving – probably the biggest national holiday. As an American living abroad, you might be missing the usual holiday festivities around this time. Thankfully, there are a lot of American expats that brought the tradition to Berlin with them. Here are a few places that offer authentic American Thanksgiving food as well as tips on where to find ingredients if you want to cook for yourself!
Enjoying Thanksgiving with the help of a restaurant…
P.S. If you plan on visiting one of these restaurants during thanksgiving, make sure to make a reservation ahead of time – spots can fill up quick!
1. Masha’s Bagels and Delicatessen
Masha’s Bagels hosts a traditional U.S. Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 27th. They have seatings from 11 AM to 4 PM, and they offer a special Thanksgiving plate with all the classics: herb-roasted turkey, sourdough stuffing, mashed potatoes, roasted green beans, gravy, cranberry sauce and a barely-mushroom knish. For dine-in, the plate (including a dessert) costs 25€/each, and for pre-ordered takeaway, the cost is 30€/each. It´s first come – first serve, so there are no reservations possible!
2. Hard Rock Café
As an alternative, check out Hard Rock Café, which serves thanksgiving meals from November 24th to November 30th. Enjoy slow-roasted turkey breast, pumpkin pie and the seasonal Autumn Apple Fizz cocktail! One meal is 22.75€/each and you have to make reservations.
3. Barcomi’s
Barcomi’s are famous for their American-style cakes and pies which you can order for pick-up or delivery in their online shop. Special Thanksgiving menu items are available!
Thanksgiving – for all who prefer to cook themselves
The turkey…
Germans eat turkey for Christmas, if at all, so it’s good to organize your bird in advance. Most Fleischereien will be able to sort a bird out if you give them a week’s notice. Plan on 500 grams per person when ordering, more if you’re fond of leftovers.
… and where to get it:
- Kaufland, several locations across Berlin: In this huge grocery store you can often find frozen turkeys in the meat section. Expect to pay between 8-10 Euros per kg of turkey.
- Kaufhauf des Westens (KaDeWe), Tauentzienstraße 21, Schöneberg: This famed department store also has a delicatessen, along with plenty of other international food options that make it the perfect place to pick up your thanksgiving essentials. Open: Mon-Sat 10am-8pm, Tel. 030 21210 (poultry counter)
- Fleischerei Domke, Warschauer Str. 64, Friedrichshain: They say it’s best to come by in person to place an order, but Domke always has a few turkeys (presumably frozen) on hand. Open: Mon-Fr 6am-9pm, Sat 7am-9pm, Su 9am-9pm, Tel. 030 2917635.
Make your own vegan loaf:
This hearty vegan lentil loaf is packed with healthy ingredients and holiday flavors. It’s even gluten-free too!
German guide to the Thanksgiving classics:
The stuffing/dressing
Since you can’t turn to admittedly-terrifying bags of stuffing mix, you’ll want a sturdy white bread that won’t fall to bits nor stay too stodgy. We suggest cubing Soluna’s La Boule or else what’s called französisches Landbrot, which is sold at many organic bakeries. Vacuum-packed chestnuts are easy to find in Berlin grocery stores and often more affordable than in the States, so they’re suited well as an addition to your stuffing.
The mashed potatoes
Look out for potatoes described as mehlig or mehligkochend (i.e. floury potatoes): they’re the best substitute for russets.
The pumpkin pie
You can find canned pumpkin at KaDeWe and Broken English. As a cheaper alternative, fresh pumpkins are available at most general supermarkets at this time of the year.
The sweet potatoes
If you want to make a sweet potato casserole, Süßkartoffel and marshmallows are sold in most grocery stores in the city.
The cranberry sauce
Cranberries can be found at most large grocery stores like Edeka and Kaufland, as well as most organic shops.