Thanksgiving in Florence 2026: Where to Eat Turkey and How to Celebrate Tuscan Style
Updated: 2 days ago
Updated October 2026
Late November is one of my favorite times in Florence: low gold light, no summer crowds and the first Christmas lights going up. Thanksgiving 2026 falls on Thursday, 26 November. Here is where to find a proper dinner, or how to celebrate Tuscan style.
Thanksgiving dinners announced for 2026
Villa San Michele, Fiesole
The Belmond hotel on the hill of Fiesole reopened in April 2026 and is serving a Thanksgiving lunch. The terrace looks straight down on the Duomo. Book early, and plan a taxi or the number 7 bus up the hill.
FH55 Grand Hotel Mediterraneo
This riverside hotel east of Santa Croce is hosting a Thanksgiving dinner on 26 November from 19:00, with turkey and the classic sides.
Other hotels and restaurants often add a menu closer to the date. When you book any dinner that week, ask whether they are doing a Thanksgiving menu.
Celebrate the Tuscan way
Italians do not celebrate Thanksgiving, but late November is harvest season here. It is the month of olio nuovo, the peppery new olive oil, plus chestnuts, porcini and white truffles. A long Tuscan dinner with friends is a fine way to give thanks. For somewhere special, see my guide to romantic restaurants in Florence.
Cook your own
Renting an apartment? Turkey is not a common Italian dish, so order a breast or a whole bird a few days ahead from a butcher at Mercato Centrale (open daily) or the Sant'Ambrogio market (Monday to Saturday mornings). Add Tuscan greens, roast chestnuts and a bottle of Chianti Classico.
Thanksgiving for students
Florence has a large American student community, and many study abroad programs host their own dinners. My study abroad in Florence guide covers life here for a semester.
What else is on that week
The Christmas market in Piazza Santa Croce runs from 14 November to 20 December 2026.
Christmas lights go up across the center in late November. My Christmas in Florence guide covers December.
The Duomo dome is closed for maintenance from 16 to 20 November 2026, so plan your climb for Thanksgiving week instead.
Friendsgiving for Florence at VIA 925
VIA 925, the silver jewelry boutique at Via del Parione 52R, is marking Thanksgiving week with Friendsgiving for Florence from 23 to 29 November 2026. The main gathering is Wednesday, 25 November, from 6:30 to 10:30 PM Florence local time.
The evening includes a live DJ set, prosecco, a Thankful Wall and a photo corner. It is a social stop for the week, not a Thanksgiving turkey dinner, so keep your dinner plans separate. The organizers say everyone is welcome and invite guests to bring friends.
Why late November is a good time
Late November is one of my favorite times in Florence. The crowds of summer and early autumn are gone, the light is low and golden, and the city is getting ready for Christmas. The new olive oil, the olio nuovo, is pressed in November, and it is bright green and peppery on toasted bread.
Chestnuts roast on street corners, and menus fill with porcini, truffles and game. Museums are calmer, and you can often walk into the Uffizi in the afternoon with little wait. Pack layers, a warm scarf and an umbrella, since November is one of the rainier months.
A Tuscan Thanksgiving menu
If you cook your own, adapt the meal to the season. Swap the pumpkin pie for a chestnut cake, castagnaccio, and serve crostini with new olive oil as a starter. Roast a turkey breast or a guinea fowl, faraona, with rosemary and garlic.
Add white beans with sage, Tuscan kale, cavolo nero, and roast potatoes. Finish with vin santo and cantucci. A Chianti Classico or a Brunello pairs well with the meal.
Where to shop for the meal
The Sant'Ambrogio market is my first stop for vegetables, chestnuts and cheese. The Mercato Centrale has butchers who can order a turkey with a few days' notice.
Ask the butcher for "tacchino" and tell them it is for Thanksgiving; many know the request well, thanks to the American students in the city. For cranberries and canned pumpkin, a few international food shops carry them in November.
Thanksgiving in a villa
For a family or a group of friends, a villa in the Tuscan hills makes a memorable Thanksgiving. Book a private chef to cook a Tuscan feast, light a fire, and spend the next day at a winery. Browse villas near Florence at Exclusive Villa Collection.
Thanksgiving with kids
If you are traveling with children, let them help shop at the market and choose the chestnuts. Plan a visit to the Museo Galileo or the Palazzo Vecchio family tours the day before, and keep the meal itself simple, with an early start so little ones are not up too late.
Kids often love that Italians eat pasta before the main course, and a small plate of pasta with butter and parmesan keeps everyone happy until the turkey arrives. My Florence with kids guide has more ideas.
The start of Christmas
By late November, Florence's Christmas lights go up along the main streets, and the Christmas markets open in Piazza Santa Croce and other squares. The lights on Via de' Tornabuoni and Via de' Calzaiuoli are especially pretty after dark. A Thanksgiving trip lets you enjoy both holidays in one visit.
Giving thanks, Florentine style
My favorite way to spend the day after the meal is a slow walk up to San Miniato al Monte and the view over the city at sunset. It is the best reminder of why I am thankful to know Florence.
Why Thanksgiving is a big deal in Florence
Florence has one of the largest American communities in Italy, thanks to its many US study abroad programs, the consulate, and long time expats. Each autumn, thousands of American students, professors and families are in the city for the fall semester, so Thanksgiving has become a familiar event.
American churches, universities and community groups host dinners, and some restaurants and hotels offer special menus. For Italians, it is an ordinary working Thursday, which makes the American celebrations feel even more like a gathering of friends far from home.
Turkey in Tuscany
Turkey, tacchino, is not a traditional Italian roast, but whole birds can be ordered from good butchers in Florence with advance notice, often a week or two before. Ask for a tacchino intero and say how many people you are feeding. Some butchers will roast it for you.
For the sides, Tuscan markets have everything you need in late November: pumpkin, squash, chestnuts, potatoes, onions and celery. Cranberries are harder to find, so many expats bring dried cranberries or look in international food shops.
Tuscan touches for the feast
I like to add Tuscan flavors to the Thanksgiving table. Chestnut stuffing with sausage, roasted squash with sage, cavolo nero with olive oil and garlic, and a pumpkin dessert with amaretti.
Instead of pumpkin pie, try castagnaccio, the chestnut flour cake of autumn. To drink, a Chianti Classico or a Brunello, and new olive oil, the olio nuovo, which arrives in November, drizzled over warm bread.
The olive harvest
Late November is the heart of the olive harvest in Tuscany. Many farms welcome visitors to see the frantoio, the olive mill, where the fresh oil runs bright green and peppery. Tasting it on bruschetta, the fettunta, is a Tuscan autumn ritual and a lovely way to spend the days around Thanksgiving.
Black Friday and the start of shopping season
In Italy, Black Friday has caught on, and many stores in Florence run sales that weekend. It is also the start of the Christmas season: the Santa Croce Christmas market usually opens in late November, and lights go up across the city.
A simple way to give thanks
Whether you join a big dinner or cook a small one, take time to share it with new friends. My favorite Thanksgiving in Florence was a potluck with neighbors, where everyone brought a dish from home.
FAQ
When is Thanksgiving 2026?
Thursday, 26 November 2026.
Do restaurants in Florence serve Thanksgiving dinner?
Some hotels do. Two are confirmed for 2026 above. Ask others when you book.
Is late November a good time to visit?
Yes. Fewer crowds, autumn food and the start of the Christmas season.
Can I buy a turkey in Florence?
Yes. Order one from a butcher at the Mercato Centrale or Sant'Ambrogio a few days ahead.
Is it cold in Florence in late November?
Cool and often damp, with mild days. Bring layers and an umbrella.
About the author
I'm Jason GaNung, and I write every guide on Florence Life. I have spent extensive time in Florence over many trips, and I have stayed in many of the hotels and villas I cover, so my picks come from my own stays, not press releases. More about me.
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