As an American, I love Thanksgiving. It is one of my favorite holidays mostly because I love to eat…in all seriousness, Thanksgiving is a time to spend with family and loved ones. Since I moved to Lisbon, there’s not so much family around. It was Antonio and me for the first year, and my mom recently joined us. Last year, we decided to invite some wonderful people we have met here; Guida (a wonderful Portuguese Jazz Singer), her hubby Stephane (who is a marketing and tech whiz), and a few other friends who we love…but prefer to stay out of the limelight.

Since they are not American (mostly French & Portuguese friends came by), it was a new experience for most of the friends that attended (Guida & Steph were already familiar with the holiday). That meant that we wanted to give them the best Thanksgiving experience we could. That meant hunting for certain American Thanksgiving items that are a bit harder to find. Use this list of stores to help you when purchasing things like your Thanksgiving Turkey in Lisbon.

Where to Buy A Whole Turkey in Lisbon

Buying A Whole Turkey In Lisbon for Thanksgiving

Turkey is not so popular in Lisbon. I can’t speak for the rest of the country, but here in Lisbon, I rarely see turkey…and when I do, it is usually during the Christmas holiday. Below is a  list of stores in Lisbon where you can buy a whole turkey…but before you get to that, you need to know how to say “I’d like a whole turkey”.

“Eu Gostaria De Um Peru Inteiro”

El Corte Ingles (Avenidas Novas)

If you go to the basement level of El Corte Ingles, you will find the SuperCor market. Make sure to go before Thanksgiving, they usually only have 2-4 whole turkeys, so either go early to purchase it, or go to customer service and have them save one for you. They’re usually pretty good with customer service (and since it is a higher ticket item, I am sure they won’t mind reserving one for you. That’s where we got ours last year. The company that supplied the turkey was Lusiaves. A 35 lb turkey costs €43 (€15.80/kg). They also sell smaller pavilas. I’m not 100% sure on what those are, but that one cost  €16.50 (€4.95/kg) for a 7 lb bird. El Corte Ingles is located at Av. António Augusto de Aguiar 31 in the Avenidas Novas Neighborhood).

Lidl (various stores throughout the city).

Lidl seems to have everything and this year, that included whole turkeys. Last year, this was not the case.  We checked it out and they did indeed have turkeys, but they were gone quickly. So if you want to save some cash – turkey at Lidl cost €2.29 per kilo this year –  make a little room in your fridge and pick it up soon.

Talharia (Benfica)

This is a fantastic butcher shop in Benfica. I would call ahead to make sure they have whole turkeys

Talharia is located at Estrada de Benfica 251B (Near the Sete Rios Station)

The Local Butcher

You can also give some love to your local butcher. If you order a whole turkey, you need to ask them ahead to make it pretty for you. At most butcher shops, you will get a whole turkey when you ask for one…so it will come uncut…head, feet, blood and more.

Where to Buy Thanksgiving Products in Lisbon

If you got the turkey, you’re halfway there. Unless you make your own, you’ll also need other items like cranberry sauce, stuffing, pumpkin puree, and gravy. The American stores in Lisbon are perfect places to get these…but again…go there before the holiday so you don’t miss out. Below is a list of American stores in Lisbon that sell Thanksgiving goodies like the ones listed above:

Liberty Store (Avenidas Novas)

This tiny American store is about a block away from El Corte Ingles. It’s a great place to satisfy your cravings for everything from Pop Tarts to Adobo Goya. They will sell out of Thanksgiving stuff during the holidays, but if you go a week before Thanksgiving day, you should be able to get all the basics you need to celebrate Thanksgiving in Lisbon.

Liberty American Store in Lisbon is located at Largo de São Sebastião da Pedreira 9D. 

Flavers International Store (Estrela)

If you’re in Rato, Estrela, or Campo de Ourique, this will probably be a more convenient choice for you. Flavers is smaller than Liberty, but they should have everything you need for Thanksgiving (except the turkey). Because this is an international store, they also have some fun items like Japanese Kit Kats, Brazilian beers (like Brahma), and even Milo!

Flavers International Store is located at Rua de São Bernardo, nº 128-130.

Have other questions about Lisbon or Portugal? Just ask in the comments below!