The Best Beachfront Restaurants on Providenciales
When vacationing in the Caribbean, dining at a beachfront restaurant is a must, and there’s a great selection of tantalizing choices on Providenciales.
If you’re looking for a more authentic Turks and Caicos dining experience, one of the restaurants in the historical fishing settlements on Providenciales is a great choice.
Fresh seafood and fish are of course the primary fares at many of the local restaurants. Local fish favorites are grouper or snapper that is grilled, blackened, poached, or fried, often with sides of peas n’ rice and mixed salad. When in season, the Caribbean spiny lobster and the queen conch are staples of local cuisine. Lobster is often grilled, and conch can be made into conch salad, fried fritters, or be pan sautéed.
Nearly all of the beachfront restaurants on Providenciales are near a beach access or function as one, so children will have something to do while you wait for the food!
Bay Bistro
Bay Bistro is located at the boutique Sibonné hotel on Grace Bay Beach, and is a perfect spot for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Headed by Chef Clive Whent, Bay Bistro offers a menu of contemporary international classics with a Caribbean flair. The restaurant typically offers a great selection of fresh seafood options.
Bay Bistro’s weekend brunch is also very popular with visitors and locals alike. Their lunch hamburger is excellent, with a price that competes with almost any other restaurant on the island. A favorite with locals is their occasional brunch specials, which are typically very busy.
When considering both food quality and price, Bay Bistro is one of the best beachfront restaurants on the island.
The Deck at Seven Stars
The Deck at the eye-catching Seven Stars resort on Grace Bay Beach combines elegance with an incredible beach location, and is great for dining or drinks. Dishes are international classics with local flair. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are available.
Ricky's
Ricky’s, (also known as Flamingo’s), is located on an amazing stretch of Grace Bay Beach and is an incredible location to watch the sunset. There’s often activity out on the water to watch, including parasails gliding by, Hobie Cat sailboats, and many boats.
Mangrove Bay
Although only waterfront on a wetland at Cheshire Hall Creek and not actually beachfront, another restaurant well worth considering is Mangrove Bay, which in our opinion is one of the top local seafood restaurants on Providenciales.
Mangrove Bay is consistently excellent, and serves the quintessential island favorites of whole local fish that may be fried, stewed, grilled, or blacked, conch salad and conch fritters, and several lobster dishes. Their great collection of sides is also very well crafted, and includes peas n’ rice, baked mac and cheese, coleslaw, white rice, grilled vegetables, and more. On top of everything, the restaurant’s rates are very reasonable.
Froggies on da Beach
Froggie’s on Da Beach is found on the quiet Wheeland side of Blue Hills Beach, and away from the hustle and bustle of central Providenciales. Froggies is best known for their ATV tour and rental business, yet the beachfront restaurant is also a popular gathering spot.
Dishes are heavily influenced by Turks and Caicos and Caribbean cuisine, and include varying lunch specials of seafood, BBQ, jerk flavors, and baked chicken.
Hemingway’s on the Beach
Hemingway’s Restaurant, located in the dunes above the beach at the Sands Resort on Grace Bay, offers a casual yet quiet atmosphere, that’s a little more tranquil than some of the other beachfront establishments.
The menu at Hemingway’s features a wide collection of international breakfast, lunch, and dinner favorites, including burgers, tacos, seafood, and sandwiches for lunch, and steak, seafood, chicken, and vegetarian options for dinner. Gluten-free dishes are also available.
Breakfast is served until 11:00 AM on weekdays and until noon on the weekend, with choices ranging from the classic eggs and toast, to pancakes, fresh fruit, bacon, sausage, bagels, and much more.
Da Conch Shack
Da Conch Shack is another popular eatery and bar with a local ambiance. This restaurant has been a mainstay of tourism and resident dining for years, and specializes in seafood dishes, including freshly-caught conch, lobster, and fish. There’s seating directly on picnic tables on the beach, or alfresco around the bar and garden steps from the ocean.
On the menu is a selection of Turks and Caicos, Bahamian, Jamaican, and international grill favorites, including their famous conch fritters.
Da Conch Shack is located on Blue Hills Beach on the east side of the scenic Blue Hills Drive coastal road.
Bugaloo’s Conch Crawl
The famous Bugaloo’s Conch Crawl restaurant is located on the beach fronting the rustic fishing village of Five Cays on the southern coast of Providenciales.
The term conch crawl refers to a low rock wall enclosure that was built in shallow water to contain live conch that was gathered by fishermen until they were used as food, due to limitations in food preservation previous to refrigeration. The practice was common for centuries in the Turks and Caicos, and was even used by the Taino indigenous peoples prior to the arrival of Columbus in the late 1400s.
The menu at Bugaloo’s is of course centered on conch, yet the restaurant also serves a wide selection of other fresh and imported seafood dishes, burgers, and chicken dishes. Five Cays Beach is definitely an interesting setting. Late in the day, the small fishing boats can be seen coming in with the day’s catch, and the beach offers shallow turquoise water and soft white sand. Bugaloo’s often has live music, outdoor games and activities, and is a great place to see conch.