Da Conch Shack restaurant in Blue Hills.
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Providenciales Restaurants & Dining

Gourmet wahoo dinner at the Beach House Restaurant in the Turks and Caicos
Wahoo crudo with an edible martini.

Providenciales is the culinary center of the Turks and Caicos. There are over 60 great restaurants and cafés to discover, with cuisines ranging from timeless local seafood dishes to international favorites.

Several fine dining restaurants are led by award-winning international chefs, who combine unique dining backgrounds from around the world with Turks and Caicos tastes.

Fine Dining

While you can find gourmet dining on the other main islands, Providenciales offers the best range of gourmet restaurants. There’s always a great restaurant, café, or bistro to explore and new dishes to try.

As you might expect from the many luxury resorts in the area, Grace Bay is home to most of the island’s restaurants. Many restaurants are within walking distance of the hotels or are on the properties themselves.

New York strip at BLT Steak restaurant
New York strip steak at BLT Steak, located at the Ritz-Carlton.

Although the Turks and Caicos is a small tropical archipelago with limited agriculture, local food and produce is fresh, as it’s either imported via a short journey from the United States or locally grown in one of the hydroponic or organic farms. Some restaurants even grow produce and herbs onsite.

Many restaurants offer a tantalizing menu of desserts, which can include crafted gourmet ice cream and sorbet, crème brûlée, chocolate and fruit fondue, and more.

Reservations are recommended for dinner at most of the Grace Bay and fine dining restaurants. During the winter high season, availability may be limited at popular establishments, so it's best to book well in advance.

A great experience is going deep-sea sport fishing on a local charter and having a restaurant expertly prepare your catch. It’s difficult to surpass fresh tuna, mahi-mahi, and wahoo when it’s cooked right.

Dining at Resorts

Food from Noori restaurant
Sushi and light fare from Noori.

If you're looking for a resort that has great dining choices onsite, a few properties stand out.

The Ritz-Carlton, located in central Grace Bay, offers four excellent restaurants and several bars. There’s BLT Steak, the fine Italian Casa Nonna, Coralli Restaurant, and Noori, which offers sushi, raw foods, and light fare. The resort also has an elegant lobby bar, a beachfront bar, a café, and the Beach Buggy, which serves refreshments in a casual and fun retro Volkswagen van.

The expansive and family oriented Beaches all-inclusive resort undeniably has the widest selection of onsite dining, with over 21 dining options representing a full range of cuisines.

Seven Stars also has nice dining options, with Seven, The Deck, and The Farm located on the grounds of the resort.

Featured Dishes from Local Restaurants

International Influences

Giant hamburger at Las Brisas Restaurant in the Turks and Caicos
The Ultimate Burger at Las Brisas restaurant.

You can find a wide array of cuisines and countries represented at local dining establishments.

All of the European flavors can be found here, including Italian, French, Mediterranean, and contemporary fusion cuisine.

There are quite a few Asian cuisines to choose from as well, from traditional Japanese sushi, Thai food, and Indian food to kebabs.

Many Providenciales hotels and resorts include free breakfast. Alternatively, you can grab a light meal of a croissant and coffee at one of the several bakeries and cafés.

Providenciales has a wide range of lunch and family options too, including places to get a burger, pizza, pasta, or sandwich.

There’s one dining aspect of the Turks and Caicos that very few other countries can boast: there are no chain fast food restaurants. You won't find a McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, or KFC here. If you’re craving fried chicken, there’s Sweet T's or Pizza Pizza on Leeward Highway.

Turks and Caicos Cuisine

Grouper with coleslaw and mac and cheese at Mangrove Bay Restaurant
Steamed grouper with coleslaw and mac n' cheese from Mangrove Bay Restaurant.

The favorite dishes and foods of the Turks and Caicos have traditionally been prepared from freshly caught seafood, local greens and produce, and imported rice and grains. These ingredients were used to make fish stews, pan-cooked fish with peas n' rice (actually beans and rice in most cases) and flavored rice, and seafood chowders, among other dishes.

The ocean provides a lot to the Turks and Caicos, and fishing has always been good. Grouper, snapper, jacks, tuna, mahi-mahi, and wahoo are commonly caught fish. Lobster is a very popular catch that's harvested seasonally.

The most popular seafood of the Turks and Caicos is the queen conch. This giant sea snail thrives in the shallow seagrass beds of the Caicos Banks and is prepared in a number of ways, including fried as conch fritters, served raw in a conch salad (the acids in the added lime juice essentially “cook” the meat), and boiled as conch stew.

You can try conch, lobster, and other local seafood at one of the local cuisine restaurants. Many of the top island dining restaurants and bars are beachfront in the old settlements of Blue Hills and Five Cays, so you’ll also be able to get a drink and enjoy the view and sunset while enjoying your meal.

If you're interested in authentic Turks and Caicos dishes, consider taking a day trip to the islands of North Caicos and Middle Caicos. In addition to the scenic natural attractions and beaches, the islands boast some great island restaurants that usually incorporate local produce into dishes.

Caribbean Fusions

Jerk chicken with pea n' rice and coleslaw
Jerk chicken, peas n' rice, and coleslaw at Hole in the Wall restaurant.

The Bahamas has had the greatest influence on the dishes of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and there's quite a bit of overlap in food and recipes borrowed from one another. For example, fried conch fritters was a largely unknown dish in the Turks and Caicos until the latter 1900s, when Turks and Caicos Islanders who emigrated to the Bahamas for work after the salt industry's decline returned with new ideas for the kitchen.

Although the Turks and Caicos can’t quite claim the invention, Caribbean-style BBQ is done by many of the local eateries. These dishes aren’t quite as sweet as the famous varieties from the United States, yet they’re just as good. Although commonly known as an American flavor, barbecue actually originated not far from the Turks and Caicos in the northern Caribbean and on the island of Hispaniola. The indigenous peoples would slow-roast meat with green wood fires, and early European explorers adapted this cooking method.

Another Caribbean classic is spicy Jamaican jerk. There are several great spots on the island to try jerk chicken, pork, fish, and beef. If you want to try Jamaican-Chinese fusion, look no further than Chinson’s on Leeward Highway. There has also been an emergence of Haitian restaurants, where plantain, fish, rice, and vegetables are combined in spicy flavors.

Cultural and Culinary Festivals

The Turks and Caicos is home to a growing number of local culinary (and by extension cultural) festivals and events held throughout the islands.

The Caribbean Food and Wine Festival is one of the most well-known. Typically hosted in October, the multi-day festival includes a number of culinary events, such as a Gourmet Safari that stops at a different Providenciales restaurant for each course.

There's also the weekly Thursday Fish Fry, which is a great place to sample Caribbean and Turks and Caicos foods from over a dozen local vendors.

Deciding Where to Eat

Assortment of craft beers at the Turks Head Brewery on Providenciales
Craft beer sampler at the local Turk's Head Brewery.

Providenciales has many restaurants to choose from. Most establishments are located in the Grace Bay area within walking distance of many resorts.

Dining prices tend to be higher than equivalent restaurants in much of the United States, yet are on par with cities such as London, Toronto, and New York.

Looking through the local Dining Guide magazine published by the editors of Where When How magazine is one way to narrow down your search. This thorough guide has a listing of all restaurants on Providenciales and includes a sample menu with prices. It’s also free. You can find the Dining Guide at your hotel and at many local businesses.

Minimum Drinking Age in Turks and Caicos

The minimum drinking age in the Turks and Caicos is 18 years old. Persons appearing younger may be asked for an ID.

Private Chefs

The Turks and Caicos has numerous private chefs who prepare food from a range of cuisines, including local and Caribbean meals to European and Asian dishes. A private chef can be the perfect complement when staying at a villa and, of course, is likewise ideal for accommodating dietary and allergy restrictions.

Popular Turks and Caicos Restaurants

BLT Steak
The newly opened BLT Steak at The Ritz-Carlton, Turks and Caicos offers a contemporary take on an American steakhouse, with a full complement of 100% naturally raised and certified Black Angus, as well as fresh seafood, salads, and a premium wine list that represents the world.
Mangrove Bay Restaurant
Mangrove Bay Restaurant is a Turks and Caicos cuisine establishment near Downtown on Providenciales, and specializes in fresh local seafood dishes. Enjoy island favorites such as whole steamed fish, peas n’ rice, BBQ, souse, conch, lobster, and more.
Bay Bistro
Bay Bistro is a beachfront restaurant at the Sibonné Hotel. It serves freshly caught seafood and freshly made desserts and ice cream. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Coco Bistro
Coco Bistro is one of the best-loved Turks and Caicos gourmet restaurants, and is located in central Grace Bay. The restaurant serves a wide menu of international dishes. Reservations are recommended.
Coyaba Restaurant
Coyaba is an award-winning open-air restaurant, headed by British Chef Paul Newman, a graduate of Westminster Culinary College. Paul has worked as a chef at top resorts throughout the Caribbean, with a culinary style of aromatic spices, unusual fusions of flavor, and beautifully presented cuisine. The restaurant features an extensive wine cellar, beautiful garden ambiance, and attentive staff.
Mango Reef
Mango Reef features waterfront fine dining at Turtle Cove on Providenciales. Explore a menu of seafood, Caribbean, and international favorites.
Las Brisas Restaurant
Located at Neptune Villas on the scenic Chalk Sound lagoon, Las Brisas Restaurant offers Caribbean-Mediterranean fusion dining. Serves lunch and dinner.
Crackpot Kitchen
Crackpot Kitchen is a Caribbean and Turks and Caicos cuisine food truck restaurant site, located near Grace Bay on Leeward Highway. Discover a wide menu of locally caught seafood and Caribbean favorites.
Chinson's Grill Shack
Chinson's Grill Shack is a popular restaurant and bakery on Leeward Highway, and serves a menu of Jamaican jerk, Caribbean BBQ, and Chinese dishes. Fresh bread is available for purchase.
Da Conch Shack
This popular open-air beachfront restaurant specializes in locally harvested conch, seafood, and Caribbean dishes including jerk chicken and ribs. A junkanoo band performs every Wednesday. House-made desserts include key lime pie, ginger cheesecake, and rum cake. Family and group friendly.
Sharkbite Bar and Grill
Sharkbite Bar and Grill is located on the water at Turtle Cove Marina. This popular casual restaurant serves seafood, wings, burgers, sandwiches, and much more.
Bugaloo’s Conch Crawl
Bugaloo’s Conch Crawl is one of the best-known restaurants in the Turks and Caicos. Located on picturesque Five Cays Beach, the restaurant features seafood and conch dishes, a great location, live music, and dining in a coconut grove, on the beach, and in the ocean.