So you’re spending Thanksgiving in Rome this year? Don’t worry, you won’t have to trade turkey for tonnarelli or skip the holiday altogether!
November is the perfect time to discover new food traditions, honour gratitude, and—yes—even catch some football.
While Italians don’t celebrate Thanksgiving (known here as il Giorno del ringraziamento), Rome has plenty of ways for Americans, expats and locals alike to honour this cherished tradition. The spirit of harvest feasting and coming together runs deep in Roman culture, especially in autumn.
Rome and Thanksgiving Actually Make Sense
Here’s something that might surprise visitors: the themes of Thanksgiving (gratitude, harvest, community) are deeply woven into Italian culture. Its roots actually stretch back to ancient Roman harvest festivals honouring Ceres, goddess of agriculture.
Similarly, in some regions Catholic feast days offer opportunities to “give thanks” for harvests and good fortune. Rome itself celebrates patron saints with elaborate masses and public feasts, especially in November.
The Ides of November on November 13 comes to mind, when they honoured Jupiter with feasts featuring their best dishes and wine.
Italian families also gather in November for “sagre” (local festivals) and elaborate autumn meals to celebrate the season’s bounty. If not a turkey, you’ll find roasted poultry, pumpkin risotto, chestnut desserts, and regional delicacies worthy of any holiday table.
Sound familiar?
San Martino, Italy’s Thanksgiving Twin
The closest Italian equivalent to Thanksgiving happens on November 11: the Feast of San Martino.
This day marks the traditional end of the agricultural year, when crops have been harvested and vino novello (new wine) is ready to drink. According to legend, Saint Martin cut his cloak in half to warm a freezing beggar, and the sun broke through the clouds in gratitude creating unseasonably warm weather. That warm spell before winter still bears his name: Estate di San Martino, or Saint Martin’s Summer.
Italians celebrate with roasted chestnuts, goose dinners, and light fruity wines. It’s a feast of gratitude that mirrors Thanksgiving traditions perfectly.
Throughout November, harvest festivals pop up across Italy celebrating chestnuts, truffles, and olive oil. The themes of abundance, community, and giving thanks are unmistakably alive in Italian culture during this month.
Italian Autumn Traditions That “Feel” Like Thanksgiving
Tailfeathers intertwine even further when it comes to Italian November and American Thanksgiving.
Chestnut Festivals (Sagre delle Castagne): All over Italy, especially Tuscany and Piedmont, November is for roasted chestnuts. Street vendors serve “caldarroste” in cones, and local markets burst with chestnut-infused breads and desserts.
Truffle Fairs: Emilia-Romagna and Umbria host truffle sagras in November featuring earthy, aromatic truffles paired with pasta, risotto, and cheese. These festivals celebrate foraging, farming, and the culinary bounty of Italy’s forests.
Eurochocolate in Perugia: Chocolate lovers, unite! This massive chocolate festival runs in mid- to late-November in the regional capital of Umbria, guaranteeing decadent fun and a sweet “grazie” for the year.
Patron Saint Days: Rome’s Saint Peter (San Pietro) celebrations at the Vatican and local parish feasts offer community spreads of regional foods. It’s the Thanksgiving spirit you’re looking for.
Where to Eat Your Thanksgiving Feast in Rome
Multiple restaurants across Rome serve traditional American Thanksgiving dinners, though reservations book up quickly.
Traditional Thanksgiving Dinners
Hard Rock Café on Via Veneto offers classic Thanksgiving fare with live music, serving turkey and all the trimmings from Thanksgiving Thursday through Sunday.
The American International Club of Rome hosts their annual dinner at EMME Ristorante on Via Margutta 19, featuring pumpkin soup, stuffed turkey with chestnuts and cranberry sauce, and traditional desserts.
Bakery House locations around Rome serve both dine-in and takeaway options, with traditional menus at €49 per person for dine-in and €39 for takeaway.
VIVI Bistrot offers Thanksgiving with an Italian twist at their Piazza Navona and Le Serre locations for €45 per person, including vegetarian and vegan options.
Italian Dishes with Thanksgiving Vibes
Can’t snag a reservation at one of the American spots? Many Roman dishes share Thanksgiving’s hearty, comforting spirit.
Pollo con i peperoni (slow-cooked chicken with peppers and tomatoes) offers that same home-cooked warmth Thanksgiving is famous for.
Abbacchio al forno (roasted lamb with potatoes) delivers similar savoury, roasted flavors to a Thanksgiving turkey.
For something closer to a turkey meal, try saltimbocca alla romana (tender veal with prosciutto and sage, cooked in butter and white wine). And trippa alla romana with its rich tomato sauce, pecorino, and mint brings that satisfying comfort food energy every Thanksgiving table needs.
Why Not Make Your Own Meal?
Why not make Thanksgiving extra memorable by creating your own Italian feast? At Rome with Chef, we offer cooking classes that capture that same spirit of gathering, learning, and sharing food with people you care about.
Family-Friendly Options
Our Pizza & Tiramisu Class lets families work together creating two Italian classics from scratch. It’s perfect for making new Thanksgiving memories abroad.
The Pasta & Tiramisu Class teaches traditional handmade pasta techniques alongside Italy’s most beloved dessert.
Both classes welcome kids and create that warm, family-focused atmosphere that makes every Thanksgiving Day special.
Adult-Oriented Celebrations
Looking for something with a little more buzz? Our Spritz & Spaghetti Class combines pasta-making with cocktail crafting for a truly Roman celebration.
The Pizza & Cocktails Class delivers the same fun vibe, teaching wood-fired pizza techniques while you sip creative drinks.
These classes capture that Thanksgiving party atmosphere while giving you authentic Italian cooking skills to take home.
Surprisingly Thanksgiving-like Historic Sites
Rome is brimming with fascinating historical connections to Thanksgiving’s core values of gratitude, community, and resilience.
Ancient Roman Gratitude
The Roman Forum and Palatine Hill witnessed countless thanksgiving ceremonies where Romans honoured their gods with feasts and offerings.
The Temple of Saturn, visible in the Forum, hosted ceremonies where Romans gave thanks for successful harvests. The Basilica of St. Patrick on Via Boncompagni 31 (known as America’s Catholic church in Rome) hosts a Thanksgiving Day Mass with music at 10:00 AM on November 28, followed by a reception with home-baked muffins, coffee, and juice.
This beautiful tradition connects the American practice of gratitude with Rome’s sacred spaces.
Harvest Connection Sites
The Museo della Civiltà Romana showcases ancient agricultural tools and harvest traditions. It illustrates how central thanksgiving and harvest celebrations were to Roman life.
The Castelli Romani area outside Rome’s center still celebrates traditional harvest festivals throughout November, offering a glimpse into the agricultural roots both cultures share.
Where to Watch the Big Game
No Thanksgiving is complete without football, and Rome’s got your back. There are plenty of Irish Pubs in Rome where you can watch the game. Here are our favourites:
The Highlander Pub specializes in American sports, showing every major NFL game upon request, including Thanksgiving matchups.
Abbey Theatre Irish Pub near Piazza Navona features 16 screens across multiple rooms and regularly broadcasts NFL, NBA, and college football.
Scholars Lounge Irish Pub offers 22 screens and takes special requests from bar staff for specific games.
La Botticella near Piazza Navona is known for showing NFL, NCAA, and other American football games on their screens.
All these venues serve food and drinks, letting you settle in for the full game-day experience surrounded by fellow fans.
Tips for Your Roman Thanksgiving
Start planning early! Thanksgiving events in Rome require advance booking, and the sooner, the better.
Consider combining American traditions with Italian ones by attending a San Martino celebration earlier in November, then doing Thanksgiving later. Many restaurants offer both lunch and dinner seatings, giving you flexibility to explore Rome’s sites during the day.
If you’re cooking at home (or your hotel), specialty shops in Rome stock American ingredients, though availability varies. Remember that Thanksgiving is not an Italian holiday, so most shops, museums, and restaurants operate on regular schedules. Use that to your advantage.
Why Thanksgiving in Rome Works
Spending Thanksgiving away from home might feel strange at first, but Rome offers something special: the chance to honour gratitude traditions in a city that’s been doing exactly that for thousands of years.
Whether you’re raising a glass of vino novello like the Italians on San Martino’s Day, carving turkey at an American-style feast, or learning to make fresh pasta with new friends at one of our cooking classes, you’re taking part in the universal human tradition of giving thanks.
The Romans understood that gratitude isn’t about one perfect meal. It’s about recognizing abundance, honouring tradition, and sharing experiences with others. This Thanksgiving, Rome invites you to do exactly that, with ancient ruins as your backdrop and new memories as your feast.
Want to make this Thanksgiving unforgettable? Book one of our cooking classes and create delicious memories in the heart of Rome.
Buon appetito, and Happy Thanksgiving!
👉 Make your own family-friendly feast with our Pasta & Tiramisù Class
👉 Wine and dine at a Spritz & Spaghetti Class
