The Best Restaurants on Turks and Caicos Islands

This breezy beach bar is hand’s down the best place to sample the island’s much-loved conch. Yes, there are burgers, tacos and jerk chicken on the menu – but the conch is the reason this Providenciales hot-spot is always rammed. Choose from curried conch, conch creole, cracked conch or the popular conch fritters, and make sure you wash it down with the almost-legendary rum punch.

It’s not much more than a wooden deck over the sand, but the Sandbar offers laid-back island dining at its very finest. The sea is just steps from the tables, the rum punch is rumored to be the best in Grand Turk, and everyone’s welcome, even without shoes and shirts. Seafood is caught fresh each day and might include grouper, lobster, conch, wahoo or mahi-mahi, which are served alongside the restaurant’s renowned burgers.

South Caicos may be smaller and more remote than Providenciales, but that doesn’t mean you’re stuck splashing out on pricey hotel restaurant dining. Instead, head to this friendly al fresco grill with picnic tables set up underneath palm trees strung with fairy lights. The family-run spot specializes in barbeque cooking, so don’t even think about ordering anything other than the jerk chicken or ribs, which come with a selection of homemade dips to die for.

Looking to dazzle someone special? The sunset views from this long-established restaurant at the Sands overlooking Grace Bay won’t fail to impress, but the food has plenty of wow factor, too. Think award-winning conch chowder using a traditional island recipe, lobster tail smothered in garlic butter and blackened salmon in guava-ginger sauce. It’s open from breakfast to dinner every single day, and there’s live music four nights a week, too.

Dress up, and indulge in exquisite fine dining at this restaurant and raw bar at the Grace Bay Club. Open for dinner only, Infiniti has bucketloads of chic charisma, with fire pits, lights in woven baskets swinging from palm trees and the sound of the waves close by. Order from the raw bar menu if you can for sublime ceviche and crudo, and get there in time for a pre-dinner drink at the adjacent bar, the longest in the Caribbean.

There’s no menu at Sweet T’s because this blush pink pavilion near the airport only offers two things – finger-licking chicken and crispy french fries. You can’t sit down to eat it, but it’s well worth stopping by (particularly if heading for a flight) and joining the locals feasting on the brilliantly priced chicken, where a huge portion costs less than $5 (£3.60). Ask for a dollop of hot sauce if you like a little extra kick.

Diners flock to this restaurant to eat food from celebrity chef Nikita “Chef Nik” Skippings, who presents the first televised cooking show on Turks and Caicos. Known to dance around the kitchen as he cooks, Chef Nik serves up traditional island food including jerk lamb rack, Caicos reef curry and slow-cooked goat. There’s live music every weekend and a bargain four-hour happy “hour” every Monday – though, be aware it’s closed completely on Thursdays.

For dinner with a difference, head to Bob’s Bar & Eats at the South Side Marina on Providenciales on Wednesday night, when the weekly potluck barbeque means you never know what you’ll end up eating. Bring your own meat to throw on the grill, and you’re welcome to join the party. On other days, the classic bar food suits the dreamy waterfront location perfectly. Choose from conch mac-and-cheese cakes, pork carnitas tacos or a range of gourmet flatbreads loaded with toppings.

Feeling brave? This casual cafe at the Salt Mills Plaza offers a Hot Conch Fritter Challenge for anyone who likes more than a dash of spice and fancies their name up on the Wall of Flame. Everyone else can order – unsurprisingly – fresh catch and local bites brought in straight from the ocean. Perfect if you’re sticking to a budget, the restaurant is a great choice for a bargain breakfast, too.

Seafood fans have their pick of the island’s freshest fish at this renowned beachside restaurant right next door to a wholesale fish market – that’s not the only reason to go, though. Tables are so close to the water, you’ll feel waves lapping your toes as you dine. There’s regular live music, and it’s a great place to give conch a go, as it’s served no less than ten different ways.