s a small archipelago
, it’s no surprise that seafood is the cuisine that’s done best in the Turks and Caicos. Our restaurants offer a great range of local and international styles of fish, conch, and lobster dishes.
Of the islands in the Turks and Caicos, Providenciales has by far the greatest selection of restaurants to choose from, which offer widely varying ambiances and interesting and creative cooking styles.
What is Local Seafood?
The Turks and Caicos has three basic types of local seafood widely available: conch, fish, and lobster.
Queen conch is probably the quintessential seafood in the Turks and Caicos, and there are not many destinations in the world where it can be found on menus. Conch is often prepared in a salad, fried as ‘fritters’ or ‘cracked conch’, or serves as a foundation for soup.
Fresh fish is a staple in the Turks and Caicos, and common catches include several types of snapper, Nassau grouper and other types of grouper or hind fish, and tuna, mahi-mahi, wahoo, and mackerel. Traditionally, the offshore and pelagic fish weren’t pursued much, yet are more common today as some of the sport fishing charters bring in their catch. Of the local fish, Nassau grouper is one of the most desirable.
The Caribbean spiny lobster (sometimes called crayfish or crawlfish here) is a general favorite with locals and visitors. The Turks and Caicos
fishing season for lobster, which is typically open from August to April. From about May to July, you won’t be able to get lobster in restaurants.
Beyond conch, fish, and lobster, there isn’t much else that’s commonly collected. Occasionally, turtle,
shark, and small mollusks such as the
West Indian top shell are eaten, yet such practices are becoming uncommon.
Imported Seafood
Imported fish is a bit of a contentious issue, and is actually just as common in restaurants as fresh local seafood is. In some cases, there’s no confusion, as products such as salmon, sea bass, oysters, clams, and shrimp simply can’t be harvested anywhere near our tropical nation. However, unscrupulous establishments sometime attempt to pass off imported fish as local, with the most common scenario being tilapia species marketed as grouper.
Once you’ve had real Turks and Caicos grouper, it’s easy to tell the difference, as tilapia will often be a very consistent fillet with mild flavor and white and flakey meat, whereas local grouper usually isn’t as consistent in shape, has a much clearer and fresher taste, often has a discernible cut that clearly show it came from a mid-sized fish, and in many cases is cooked with the skin still on. Most snapper is cooked whole, so there’s no mistaking a local fish!
Many of the gourmet restaurants on Providenciales and at the Grace Bay resorts feature a menu of both local and imported seafood, and the seafood that’s brought into the Turks and Caicos is usually brought in refrigerated directly from the United States.
Turks and Caicos Cuisine Seafood
What is a traditional Turks and Caicos seafood dish? It’s actually a difficult question to answer, as the day to day fare in the Turks and Caicos has historically been directly impacted by contact to other nations, and as imports varied over time, so did the food.
Available imports defined the cuisine. Before reliable trade, seafood was often complimented with grits made from locally-raised maize, okra, or beans. Later on, rice was imported and became a staple, and eventually cooking oils, sugar, and produce were obtainable. Tastes and cooking styles in our islands were influenced by nearby Caribbean countries as time went on, including the Bahamas, Haiti, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic.
Today, dishes that would be considered to be authentic Turks and Caicos would include conch, fish, and lobster stews, soups, and souse, conch or lobster salad, and fish or lobster that’s grilled, blackened, steamed, poached, or fried, often with sides that may include grits, peas n’ rice, coleslaw, fried plantains, or baked mac n’ cheese.
World-class Seafood Dining
The fine dining restaurants in the Turks and Caicos offer a delectable array of seafood dishes, which may incorporate either local or imported products, and restaurants often have their own specialties, interpretations, and fusions. Coco Bistro and Bay Bistro have their famous rare seared tuna, Seven restaurant and Caicos Café offer excellent grilled lobster tail, and Mango Reef and Coyaba are well-known for their grouper.
Seafood Restaurants in Turks and Caicos
Turtle Cove
Baci Ristorante is a popular Italian and seafood restaurant, located at Turtle Cove Marina in central Providenciales. Discover handmade pastas, local fish and lobster, classic pizzas, and more.
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, pea n’ rice, BBQ, souse, conch, lobster, and more.
Beachfront restaurant at the Sibonné Hotel. Serves freshly caught seafood and freshly made desserts and ice cream. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Bugaloo’s Conch Crawl is one of the best-known restaurants in the Turks and Caicos. Located on picturesque Five Cays Beach, the restaurants features seafood and conch dishes, a great location, live music, and dining in a coconut grove, on the beach, and in the ocean.
Oak Avenue
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. Reservation recommended.
Bonaventure Crescent
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. Coyaba is complemented by an extensive wine cellar, beautiful garden ambiance, and attentive staff.
Crackpot Kitchen is a popular Turks and Caicos cuisine restaurant, located in the heart of Grace Bay at Ports of Call plaza. Discover a wide menu of locally caught seafood and Caribbean favorites.
Blue Hills Road
This popular open-air beachfront restaurant specializes in locally harvested conch, seafood and Caribbean dishes including jerk chicken and ribs. Local bands play every Reggae Wednesday. House-made desserts include Key Lime Pie, Ginger Cheesecake and Rum Cake. Family and group friendly.
Casual beachfront café dining. Located between Ocean Club Resort and Club Med.
Mango Reef features waterfront fine dining at Turtle Cove on Providenciales. Explore a menu of seafood, Caribbean, and international favorites.
Fisheries Row
Omar’s Beach Hut is a popular beachfront Jamaican and Island Cuisine restaurant, and is located at the turquoise waters of Five Cays Beach. The restaurant specializes in fresh seafood, including fish, conch, and lobster.
Grace Bay
Discover seafood and international dishes at Pelican Bay Restaurant, located at Royal West Indies Resort on Grace Bay Beach.
Suzy Turn Road
Simone's Bar and Grill is a Turks and Caicos and Caribbean cuisine restaurant located in Turtle Cove in central Providenciales. Enjoy fresh conch, fish, and lobster dishes in a casual and comfortable environment.
Grace Bay
The Grill is a casual beachfront restaurant, located at the Grace Bay Club Resort. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and serves a menu of international, Italian, and seafood dishes.