Thanksgiving week in Midtown runs on its own clock. Cousins land on Monday, the group chat starts planning a Friendsgiving by Tuesday, and by Wednesday night half the city seems to be heading toward the Theater District. If you are searching for thanksgiving dishes Times Square can serve to a full table all week long, Boqueria at 260 West 40th Street has a Spanish answer for every course, from the centerpiece to the pie.
Here is the headline for planners: Boqueria Times Square is open on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26, from our regular opening time until 9pm, serving our regular menu. There is no special holiday menu and no turkey, just the tapas, paellas and sangría we serve every day. Monday through Wednesday of that week are regular hours, Black Friday is regular hours with brunch served alongside the regular menu, and the weekend after is business as usual.
Below, we map each holiday tradition to a dish on our West 40th Street menu, lay out the week’s hours, and suggest orders by group size.
Key Takeaways
- Thanksgiving Day hours: Boqueria Times Square is open Thursday, November 26, 2026, from our regular opening time until 9pm, with the regular menu. Reserving ahead is a smart move.
- The rest of the week is regular hours, and on Black Friday brunch is served alongside the regular menu, a good reset after a morning of shopping.
- Every Thanksgiving role has a Spanish stand-in: paella or the Roasted Chicken for the centerpiece, Patatas Bravas for the potatoes, Pan con Tomate and croquetas for the bread basket, churros or Crema Catalana for the pie.
- It suits a Friendsgiving early in the week, a Wednesday-night kickoff with friends home for the holiday, or a family dinner before a Broadway show.
- Groups can plan a private or semi-private Friendsgiving earlier in the week, or a dinner the weekend after, with the NYC events team.
1. Thanksgiving Dishes Times Square Groups Can Share, Course by Course
A Thanksgiving spread is really a lineup of roles: one big showpiece, a potato dish everyone fights over, something green, a bread basket, a sweet-tart accent, a board to nibble before dinner, and dessert. A tapas table fills each of those roles naturally, and the passing and reaching is exactly the same. Here is how the cast lines up on our West 40th Street menu for a Friendsgiving or any holiday-week dinner.
| Holiday role | What to order at Boqueria Times Square | In plain English |
|---|---|---|
| The showpiece | Seafood, Short Rib or Vegetable Paella; Roasted Chicken (half or whole) | Saffron rice cooked in a wide, shallow pan; or a roast chicken with lemon, herbs and salsa verde |
| A second main | Secreto de Ibérico | The “secret cut” of the Ibérico pig, seared, with white romesco and a sherry-honey reduction |
| The potatoes | Patatas Bravas; Tortilla Española | Crispy potatoes with spicy brava sauce and garlic allioli; a thick Spanish omelet of eggs, potato and onion |
| Greens and roasted vegetables | Espinacas a la Catalana, Grilled Broccolini, Crispy Sweet Potatoes, Escalivada, Market Salad | Catalan spinach with garbanzos, pine nuts and golden raisins; charred broccolini; sweet potatoes with mojo verde; fire-roasted eggplant, pepper and onion |
| Bread and stuffing | Pan con Tomate; Croquetas de Jamón or Croquetas de Setas | Toast rubbed with tomato, garlic and olive oil; creamy ham or mushroom croquettes |
| The cranberry accent | Bacon-Wrapped Dates; quince purée with the ham croquetas; PX Chicken Wings | Sweet-salty bites and wings glazed in a sweet-and-sour Pedro Ximénez sherry reduction |
| The pre-dinner board | Aged Manchego, Aged Mahón, Caña de Cabra, Valdeón, Jamón Serrano, Jamón Ibérico de Bellota | Spanish sheep, cow, goat and blue cheeses, with cured hams |
| The pie | Churros con Chocolate, Crema Catalana, Basque Chocolate Cheesecake, Orange Olive Oil Cake | Fried dough for dipping, a Catalan custard with a burnt-sugar top, and two cakes |
| The toast | Sangría (red, white, rosé or Hugo), cava, sherry | House-made wine punch, Spanish sparkling wine and fortified wines from Jerez |
2. Thanksgiving Week Hours at Boqueria Times Square
Holiday plans fall apart over one question: is the place actually open? Here is the full week, straight from our 2026 holiday schedule.
| Day | Boqueria Times Square |
|---|---|
| Mon–Wed, Nov 23–25 | Regular hours |
| Thu, Nov 26 (Thanksgiving Day) | Open from our regular opening time until 9pm, regular menu |
| Fri, Nov 27 (Black Friday) | Regular hours, brunch + regular menu |
| Sat–Sun, Nov 28–29 | Regular hours |
A few notes on making the most of each day:
Monday and Tuesday: the Friendsgiving slot. Gather friends before everyone scatters for the holiday, while nobody has a flight to catch.
Wednesday: Thanksgiving Eve. The night before the holiday is one of the liveliest of the year in Manhattan. Old friends are back in town and nobody has to work the next morning, so a pitcher of sangría and a round of croquetas make an easy reunion.
Thanksgiving Day: open until 9pm. On Thursday, November 26, we are open from our regular opening time until 9pm with the regular menu, so you can make a paella the center of your holiday meal. It is a good fit for visitors staying in Midtown, couples who would rather not cook, and families who want a long, unhurried table. Book ahead, since holiday tables go quickly, and note that our bar seats are kept for walk-ins.
Black Friday: brunch plus the regular menu. After a morning of crowds on 34th Street, sit down for Torrija (a Spanish French toast stuffed with sweet cream and blackberry compote), Huevos Estrellados (shoestring fries, truffle potato cream, Jamón Serrano and a fried egg) or the Brunch Paella with roasted chicken, chorizo and farm eggs. The regular tapas menu is on offer too.
The weekend after. Saturday and Sunday bring weekend brunch, including the family-style Brunch Feast: the table marks two tapas and three brunch dishes, everything is portioned to your party size, and churros finish things off. It is a fine send-off before the out-of-town crew heads home.
3. The Centerpiece and the Sides: Paella, Roast Chicken and Bravas
Every holiday table needs the dish that gets a round of applause when it lands. Ours is the paella pan. The menu describes paella by three things: saffron, bomba rice and socarrat. Socarrat is the prize, the layer of rice at the bottom that toasts into a thin, crackly crust. Run a spoon along the base and you can hear it.
- Short Rib Paella is the richest of the three, with braised short rib, those Turkish figs, Piparra peppers and roasted bone marrow. Gravy lovers, this one is yours.
- Seafood Paella is loaded with monkfish, sepia (cuttlefish), squid, shrimp, clams and mussels, for the guest who always reaches past the bird.
- Vegetable Paella brings eggplant, broccoli, peas, grape tomato and piquillo peppers, so friends who skip meat get a true centerpiece.
If somebody at the table insists on carving, the Roasted Chicken comes as a half or whole bird with lemon, herbs and salsa verde. The Secreto de Ibérico, a buttery, marbled cut of Ibérico pork with white romesco and fine crispy potatoes, makes a strong second main for a bigger group.
Then the sides:
Potatoes and greens. Patatas Bravas, one of our starred favorites, get their kick from pimentón (smoked paprika). Espinacas a la Catalana is the dish we would set beside any green bean casserole, and Crispy Sweet Potatoes are a livelier cousin of the marshmallow casserole.
The sweet-tart bite. Bacon-Wrapped Dates are stuffed with almonds and Valdeón blue cheese, and the ham croquetas come with quince purée, a fruit paste with a tang close to cranberry sauce. If someone truly needs cranberry, the Lychee Cosmo on our cocktail list actually contains it.
Several dishes are marked gluten-free on the menu, including the paellas, Patatas Bravas and the Roasted Chicken. Tell your server about any allergies before ordering. And if you want to try the rice at home sometime, our older post on paella de mariscos walks through a seafood paella from scratch.
4. Broadway, Bryant Park and a Full House on 40th Street
Our location page sums up the West 40th Street regulars well: fashion creatives, Hell’s Kitchen locals and wide-eyed visitors under the glow of Broadway. During Thanksgiving week, add every family that came to town for a show and the parade crowds that spill across Midtown.
Before the curtain. The Pre-Theatre Menu is built for a show night: one starter for the table (Pan con Tomate or Pimientos de Padrón, blistered shishito peppers), two quick tapas per person from options like Gambas al Ajillo (garlic shrimp), Espinacas a la Catalana and Croquetas de Setas, then Orange Olive Oil Cake or Classic Churros. Mention your curtain time when you sit down.
A loop through Bryant Park. Walk east along 40th Street to Bryant Park, where the Bank of America Winter Village opens for the season on October 28, 2026, according to the park, with free-admission skating at The Rink, the Holiday Shops and The Lodge. By Thanksgiving week the shops are in full swing, so skate a few laps, cross a few names off the gift list, then head back west for tapas and a glass of sangría.
5. Planning Your Friendsgiving or Holiday-Week Group
Friendsgiving has become a tradition of its own: a chosen-family dinner where nobody has to wrestle a bird into a tiny Manhattan oven. Here is how we would order for different crowds across the week.
| Your crowd | What to order | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Two or three, a relaxed holiday dinner | Pan con Tomate, Espinacas a la Catalana, Patatas Bravas, half Roasted Chicken, Crema Catalana | The classic holiday plate in miniature |
| Four or five friends on Wednesday night | Cheese and charcuterie board, Bacon-Wrapped Dates, Croquetas de Jamón, Crispy Sweet Potatoes, Short Rib Paella, Churros con Chocolate | One star pan and plenty of plates to pass |
| Family with a few non-meat eaters | Escalivada, Grilled Broccolini, Croquetas de Setas, Tortilla Española, Vegetable Paella, Orange Olive Oil Cake | Everyone gets a real centerpiece, not just sides |
| Six to ten, an office Friendsgiving | The Classics or The Boqueria Experience Chef’s Menu | The kitchen chooses the spread, paella included, so nobody has to play host |
| Out-of-town family seeing a show | Pre-Theatre Menu | Quick shared tapas and dessert before the curtain |
On the Chef’s Menu, The Classics is a customized assortment of guest favorites that includes one of our paellas, while The Boqueria Experience adds seasonal dishes and a taste of hand-carved Jamón Ibérico de Bellota.
For a bigger Friendsgiving earlier in the week or a family gathering the weekend after, our location offers private and semi-private spaces for pre-theater groups and full-table feasts. Start with our NYC events page, and see our earlier guide to group dining near Times Square for how large parties come together here.
6. Visit Us in Times Square
Boqueria Times Square is at 260 West 40th Street, a short walk from the Broadway houses, in a room that buzzes with Theater District energy. It works for a quiet dinner for two as easily as a long holiday-week table.
- Book a table on our reservations page. Thanksgiving Day, when we are open from our regular opening time until 9pm, and the evenings around show times fill up first.
- Hosting a Friendsgiving at home earlier in the week? Order to-go through the Order Online link on the Times Square location page for your Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday gathering.
- Say thanks to your host. A Boqueria gift card makes a thoughtful thank-you for whoever hosted your Friendsgiving.
Conclusion
Thanksgiving was never really about one bird. It is about a crowded table, food passed from hand to hand, and people you only see a few times a year. Tapas were made for exactly that.
At Boqueria Times Square, the whole week is open for it: a Friendsgiving on Monday or Tuesday, a Wednesday reunion before the holiday, Thanksgiving Day itself from our regular opening time until 9pm with the regular menu, Black Friday brunch after the shopping, and a weekend Brunch Feast before everyone heads home. Swap the turkey for a pan of paella with crunchy socarrat, the mashed potatoes for Patatas Bravas and the pie for churros dipped in hot chocolate. Reserve your table and check the Boqueria Times Square page for menus and the latest details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Boqueria Times Square open on Thanksgiving Day?
Yes. Boqueria Times Square is open on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26, 2026, from our regular opening time until 9pm, serving our regular menu. There is no special Thanksgiving menu. We recommend reserving ahead, since bar seating is kept for walk-ins.
Does Boqueria Times Square serve turkey?
No, turkey isn’t on our menu. The centerpiece role goes to a paella (Seafood, Short Rib or Vegetable) or the Roasted Chicken, served as a half or whole bird with lemon, herbs and salsa verde.
What are the most Thanksgiving-like dishes on the menu?
For the closest match to a classic holiday plate, order the Roasted Chicken or a paella, Patatas Bravas, Espinacas a la Catalana, Crispy Sweet Potatoes, Pan con Tomate, Bacon-Wrapped Dates and Churros con Chocolate. Together they cover every role from the showpiece to the pie.
Is brunch served on Black Friday?
Yes. On Black Friday, November 27, Boqueria Times Square keeps regular hours and serves brunch alongside the regular menu, so you can choose Torrija or Huevos Estrellados or go straight for tapas and paella.
Is there a service charge for a large Friendsgiving group?
According to the menu, for parties of 6 or more, a taxed 20% service charge will be added. For bigger gatherings or a private space during Thanksgiving week, reach out through the NYC events page so the team can help you plan.
Are there gluten-free or meat-free options?
Several dishes are marked gluten-free on the menu, including the paellas, Patatas Bravas and the Roasted Chicken. Guests who skip meat can look at the Vegetable Paella, Escalivada, Grilled Broccolini and Croquetas de Setas. Ask your server about ingredients and mention any allergies.