(taken from InMadrid )

The only listed place stating they'll be serving turkey is O’Neills . I'd REALLY RATHER NOT celebrate my Thanksgiving Day in an Irish Pub !! But maybe there's no choice. And the Café Panini say's they're serving "A Thanksgiving Meal" but don't say what it is. Maybe I'll check them out next time I go downtown and ask.

Anyone else know of other Thanksgiving Day meals served in Madrid - and IF they're serving turkey??

Saludos, MadridMan

UPDATE 13 November 2008:
Today I visited Café Panini and O'Neills to ask about their Thanksgiving Day turkey feast.

Café Panini
I visited at about 1pm today. They told me that while they're serving Thankgiving Turkey meal all day long, they are only doing so in "shifts" and that reservations are required. As of the time I visited, they ONLY had space available for the 5:30pm shift and ONE SPACE LEFT for the 10pm shift. The 8:30pm shift and all earlier afternoon shifts were already full. The problem is at 5:30pm most all (or all) of my Spanish friends whom would accompany me are still working - and 10pm is too late for most all of them too. They have a tiny dining room with only about 6 tables so this, I suppose, is the reason why they're filling up quickly.

O'Neills Irish Pub
I'm waiting on a call-back from the owner but from the information I got today when I visited at 1:30pm, their downstairs dining area - where they're serving the turkey lunch - is already full with ONE GROUP OF SEVENTY PERSONS!!! Maybe this is the U.S. Embassy Group????? They said THEY MIGHT be able to fit 8 more persons, our group, into the existing group but it's not certain. Also, it seems they're only serving the turkey meal at some given time - which they didn't know. Hopefully the owner will call me back but I'm not very optimistic. People don't usually call you back if the answer is "NO", only if the answer is "YES".

So it looks like we're stuck. OR will have to bite-the-bullet and go for the VERY expensive La Gamella Thanksgiving menu at €37.50 - and I don't even know (yet) if they have space available. But I think that's too expensive.

MM . I've been trawling the internet but can't get any specific info . I was thinking that maybe one of the American style restaurants would offer something - Hard Rock Cafe , TGI Fridays , Tony Romas , Ribs , Peggy Sue's etc...Nothing on the websites but I couldn't imagine they'd let a big celebration like that go unnoticed ( ?) . Only problem with Hard Rock Cafe is that you can't reserve tables .
I've called a friend in the UK embassy incase he has some info from friends in your embassy .
Steve

The Hard Rock Café is out for me. I absolutely loathe that place and I've been there 3 times. :p As you say, not only do you sometimes have to wait 30-60 minutes for a table but once you're in you can't even HOPE to speak to anyone for the loud, LOUD, LOUD music!!! (did'ja hear that? ) On the plus side, they do have good food.

Not sure about the other places you list, steve robinson, but I haven't read anything yet either.

I'd have contacted my own US Embassy but my contact there was recently re-assigned to Washington D.C.

While it IS a big celebration, there are relatively so few United Statesens in Madrid that it probably wouldn't be worth the while of the restaurant - although it might be quite the novelty to Spaniards if provided/promoted as such.

On the other hand, most Spaniards hate American food so that might not go over well anyway.

Although seriously doubtful, maybe in the end I'll return for a Swiss Thanksgiving to celebrate the holiday with my sister. Nah. I'll stay in Madrid - and go to, ugh..., O'Neills for the local turkey dinner. But if they show AMERICAN football during the meal that'd certainly be a plus.

Saludos, MadridMan

Ahh, this posting reminds me of my first stay in Madrid in 1989. Another American and I decided to make our own Thanksgiving meal and set out to the butcher. Well, the closest we could find to a turkey was a chicken, not paying attention to the butcher, we returned home only to find the bird with it;s head and feet still attached. We were so freaked out (in those days) that we marched the chicken right back to the butcher so HE could cut off the undesirable parts! Needless to say, no turkey, lumpy mashed potatoes, bad wine BUT good company made for a very memorable meal!

Laduque ... that made me smile .. my parents and grandparents lived in the country so i've been used to "unsanitised" meats .. But when I had a party at my apartment last year I went to my local market and bought a beautiful big free range chicken ... head , feet .. everything . I had to prepare it at 8 o'lock in the morning and felt like an executioner when I chopped that sad head off hahahaha ... The chicken tasted delicious !!
MM ... you want some company , then I'll be there ... maybe James Joyce would be better .. I'll call you when I get back .

Steve .

Why dont you organise your own thanksgiving dinner party?

HA! That'll be the day!! But sure, it's a good idea in theory.

While I do like to cook I don't have "the facilities" (i.e. THE SPACE!) of your typical American kitchen. And then there's all that cleanup! Certainly better to go to a restaurant or, better yet, to SOMEONE ELSE'S HOUSE, eat, burp, watch some football, doze-off, and then go home, leaving the mess behind.

Plus, my dinner table only seats about 6 persons maximum - with no extra room to move.

Saludos, MadridMan

Hehe yes I have the same problem - mt parents are coming to Madrid with 4 friends (from Benidorm where they live) and in the UK I would have invited them all for a meal one evening, but here I just cant, we dont have the space for 8 people to sit and eat.

WOW, we've been here since 1998 and we have always found a turkey. I can get small ones at the German store LIDL around this time of year. I'll have to check to see if they have them yet. Also, I got a HUGE turkey last year for a party I had at MAKRO. If they don't have a frozen one, just ask the butcher and he'll order one. We found them to be very helpful at the Makro in Alcala de Henares.

Doing a search I found the same question was asked this time last year and in 2001. In 2001 LostinMadrid ended up going to TGIFridays at Bernabeau for a Thanksgiving lunch. There was also a post for the Bluefish Cafe-Bar doing a Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings and gave an address in Malasana and phone numbers for reservations. Don't know whether it is still in existence, and if so, if they plan to do it again. I remember from my four recent Thanksgivings in Madrid that Alfredo's Bar-b-que near Retiro and maybe the one near Plaza Cuzco advertised Thanksgiving meals. Also don't know if they still do.