Today’s post is something new: a guide to my favorite restaurants in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos. We have been to Provo three times, visiting many of the same places each time. The food is some of the best I’ve had, and I can’t wait to share our favorite eats with you. Please note: Many of the addresses don’t include street numbers (or even street names). This is pretty common for the island. You won’t have a problem finding these places if you ask your hotel concierge or property manager, or just look at a tourist map.
A few general tips:
- Try the island food. Yeah, it should go without saying, but I’m saying it anyway. There are plenty of non-Caribbean options for any meal, but we thought the Caribbean food was the best.
- Try the island beer. Turks Head beer is widely available and quite good.
- Keep an open mind. Some of the best restaurants truly looked like dives, but did not disappoint.
- The grocery stores near Grace Bay carry a lot of American staples. We bought things like cereal, yogurt, and fruit for breakfast, which was a lot easier than going out with two kids.
- Most restaurants are kid-friendly. That being said, I would ask ahead if you plan to go somewhere nice. I tried to note which places were appropriate or inappropriate for children.
Mr. Grouper’s
Lower Bight Rd, The Bight Settlement
Kid-Friendly
Easily, my favorite every day, casual restaurant on the island. The restaurant itself is a bright green cheerful building, with most seating out on the deck, surrounded by tiki torches and palms. Mr. Grouper’s serves typical Caribbean fare. Favorite dishes include grouper or red snapper prepared almost any way you can think of: blackened, coconut crusted, grilled. The jerk chicken is not to be missed. I branched out this year and tried oxtail, which was cooked until tender and oh so yummy. Choose from a variety of sides, like peas and rice or mac and cheese.
Coco Bistro
Grace Bay Road (next to Sunshine Nursery)
Leave the kids home
The highlight of our trip is always a special meal at Coco Bistro. I was impressed with recent renovations to the property, which included an expanded bar and more seating under a canopy of lighted palms. The menu has remained mostly the same over the last 5 or more years, with something for everyone. Favorite dishes are the lobster egg roll appetizer, mahi mahi with thai red curry, and West Indian curry shrimp. For dessert, try their famous coconut pie or crème brulee. Be sure to make reservations well in advance of your trip (we made ours about 2 months in advance).
Cocovan
Grace Bay Road (next to Sunshine Nursery)
Kid-Friendly
Cocovan was a pleasant addition to our trip this year. An Airstream camper-turned-restaurant next to Coco Bistro, they serve fun dishes in a casual, outdoor environment that is just as beautiful as their sister restaurant. Don’t miss the Peking duck tacos, tandoori chicken, and fried grouper tacos. Our kids loved their hot dogs (which were actually really good). Order drinks at a separate bar, and don’t miss the pretty (and super yummy) pitcher of rum punch.
Jack’s Fountain
Grace Bay Road (across from the casino)
Kid-Friendly
Another new addition, this place opened up just a few doors down from Coco Bistro. Jack’s Fountain gives off a fun, beachy vibe almost instantly, with white tables and turquoise chairs on a covered deck. Off to the side, there are plenty of bar games (cornhole, darts). We stopped in just for drinks, and could not have been more impressed with the insanely large and delicious frozen mango daiquiri.
Caicos Bakery
Caicos Café Plaza, Grace Bay Road
Take-out
We were lucky to stay right across the street from this gem. Croissants, filled donuts, and other pastries abound in this cute little shop. We prepared our own breakfasts each morning, and the croissants were a wonderful addition to our menu.
Turkberry
The Salt Mills, Grace Bay Road
Kid-Friendly
You can never have enough ice cream, and Turkberry made sure of that. With about 6 flavors of frozen yogurt and lots of toppings, everyone was happy. We especially loved their truck at the weekly Fish Fry, which served up big portions for low prices. The prices at their brick and mortar were a bit higher, but still much more reasonable than the other places on the island.
Lemon 2 Go
Grace Bay Road (across from the The Salt Mills)
Take-out, with a few seats
Hidden inside a flower shop, this is a hybrid café/gift shop that is really cute. I love their iced tea, but they also offer coffee and bottled drinks (kombucha, anyone?).
Yoshi’s Sushi
The Salt Mills, Grace Bay Road
Kid-Friendly
We decided to change things up a bit with sushi on our last night of vacation. There were numerous options for everyone, ranging from traditional sushi rolls to more inventive sushi plates. For those who don’t like sushi, there were plenty of cooked entrees, as well. I enjoyed tempura udon, which was prepared a little differently than what I’ve tried at home. Interestingly, this was the only restaurant with indoor seating that we visited during our trip!
Las Brisas
533 Chalk Sound Rd
Kid-Friendly
This place seems to be an island favorite, so I’m sad I can only comment on our take-out lunch. Across the street from Sapodilla Bay, it was easy to walk over and grab some food to eat at the beach. We shared a variety of sandwiches, from jerk chicken to blackened fish, with side salads and fries. We will definitely try dinner next time.
Mango Reef
Turtle Cove Marina
Kid-Friendly
Mango Reef is located in the Turtle Cove Marina, which is a short drive from the more touristy areas of Grace Bay. Beautiful lighted trees are scattered throughout the dining area, which sits right at the water’s edge. They menu offers a little bit of everything, ranging from island-inspired seafood to pork and steak. They have a kids menu with a number of options, as well.
Da Conch Shack
Blue Hills Road
Kid-Friendly
It seems that you have to visit Da Conch Shack at least once. We didn’t make it this year, but in the past we enjoyed their conch-heavy island dishes. My favorite was the conch chowder, which was in a tomato-based broth. If you’re getting drinks, don’t miss the rum punch, which you can get by the pitcher. This is a great spot for lunch, and you can enjoy the beach while you’re there. We were warned about an increase in burglaries outside the restaurant, so if you visit, please be careful.
Bugaloo’s
Five Cays (next to Sunny’s Fish Plant)
Kid-Friendly
Another spot that we missed on our most recent trip, but have visited on vacations in the past. Bugaloo’s is on the south side of the island, situated on the beach not too far from Sapodilla Bay. The restaurant serves island fare with a heavy emphasis on fried seafood. Visit during the day to enjoy the shallow waters of the beach, or at night to hear live music and entertainment. The James Brown impersonator is well worth the drive.
Somewhere…Café & Lounge
Coral Gardens Resort
Kid-Friendly (no kids upstairs at the bar)
This restaurant/bar is one of our favorite restaurants on the island for so many reasons. How could it not be? It’s located on the beach adjacent to the Bight Reef, an easy-access snorkeling spot. The menu is focused on Tex-Mex food, but still has something for everyone. We loved the variety of tacos, fajitas, and salads. Not to be missed are the excellent frozen drinks, most of which are made from scratch. The pina colada is well worth the calories, especially while consumed from the upstairs deck overlooking the ocean.
Solana
Ocean Club West Resort
Kid-Friendly
Directly on the beach at Ocean Club West was Solana, an Asian-inspired restaurant and bar. We enjoyed lunch and late afternoon snacks and drinks in a beautiful setting—think modern patio furniture, strung lights, surrounding dune grass—and didn’t have to leave the comfort of our hotel. The staff was warm and friendly, and the setting perfectly serene.
Fish Fry
Next to the Bight Park
In the parking lot of the Bight Park is the weekly Thursday night Fish Fry. Restaurants and vendors from all over the island set up stands selling island food, drinks, and gifts. There’s music and fun for everyone. We’ve loved attending, but be warned that this is a very crowded event. My impatient children did not enjoy the long lines to get food, and the wait to find an open table, but we all liked the food (hot dogs, jerk chicken, fried fish). The adults liked our tropical drinks served in coconuts or pineapples, and we ended the night with some Turkberry frozen yogurt.
Heading to Turks and Caicos in Feb, total of 3 couples, and 1 kid (age 5). This is a great list of restaurants – my husband and I were in T&C about 8 years ago, and loved Coco Bistro and Somewhere. Looking forward to trying out many of the others you listed that we didn’t have time for. Wondering if you have any recommendations for babysitter services, as we’d like a couple nights to just hang out with the adults?
Thanks! Glad you liked it. We actually traveled with my parents, so we did not need to use sitters on the island. I know that the point person for the condo we rented offered to help us with babysitting services, if we needed them. If you’re staying at a hotel, I would ask the concierge. If renting a condo, ask ahead of time if they can help with this. Good luck!