Turks & Caicos boasts one of the best supermarkets in the Caribbean – IGA Graceway – so "dining in" isn't a problem on Providenciales, it's a pleasure (don't even think about doing your grocery shopping anywhere else!)...
IGA is open every day, 365 days a year (7am–9pm Sunday-Thursday, and 7am–10pm Friday-Saturday). Located on the Leeward Highway, mid-island, less than a 10-minute drive from Five Little Cays House. 1-649-941-5000.
IGA accepts cash, traveler’s checks, and most major credit cards.
Garden produce is flown in fresh. Fresh baked bakery goods created daily. A gourmet delicatessen. Fresh dairy section. Frozen food. A sprawling grocery department. Fresh butchered meats. Beverages include water, juices, beer, wine, and liquors.
Shop at IGA, bring the food and drinks back to Five Little Cays House, and stock up for the week. You may never have to leave the property!
Wine/Liquor
Also try DL/Discount Liquors and Wine Cellar on the Leeward Highway. Stocks 56,000 bottles of wine. Open Monday-Saturday 8:30am-5:30pm. 1-649-946-4536.
Turks & Caicos also boasts some of the best restaurants in the Caribbean (including many which rank right up there with Blanchard’s on Anguilla, or Maya’s on St. Barts), with over 60 quality eating establishments to choose from. The following is a list of some of the more popular places to “dine out” on Provo, as well as some of our favorites (it's best to call ahead for reservations, especially in the high season)…
Anacaona
At The Grace Bay Club. One of the few restaurants right on Grace Bay Beach. Hands down the best view from any restaurant or any bar on the island. Expensive, but, for a special occasion, worth it. Great food. Call about the dress code – it used to be semi-casual (a jacket and trousers for men), but they’ve dropped the jacket and sometimes will even allow shorts and sandals now. Also, try the Grace Bay Club's two newest additions, The Lounge, a cool, relaxed drinking/dining area off Anacaona's circular, Cheers-like Captain's Bar (named for "Captain Bill," one of Provo's most distinctive "characters"), and The Grill, the resort's new al fresco restaurant and swim-up bar. Cool new pool. 1-649-946-5050.
Aqua
Jimmy Buffet calls this indoor/outdoor eatery on the dock at the Turtle Cove Marina “the best seafood in the world.” Our thinking is he may have had one too many margaritas the night he said that, but his point is well taken – Aqua is great seafood, but we wish the menu had another page of offerings. 1-649-946-4763.
Bay Bistro
At the Sibonne hotel (formerly Le Deck). One of the few restaurants right on Grace Bay Beach. Same chef as Aqua. Go early and enjoy the sunset. Above average. 1-649-946-5396.
Baci Ristorante
Fine Italian dining on the water at Turtle Cove Marina. Lunch and Dinner. 1-649-941-3044.
Back of Beyond
A nice little place right on the canals that empty into Cooper Jack Bight on the south side of the island (on the way to Five Little Cays House, on Venetian Road). Also a bed and breakfast for hardcore divers. 1-649-941-4555.
Beach Cafe
A quaint little joint right on the beach at Coral Gardens. Great for drinks or a light snack. The snorkeling right out front in the shallow waters off Grace Bay Beach is some of the best on Provo. 1-649-941-3713.
Bella Luna Ristorante
Great Italian food. 1-649-946-5214.
Calico Jack's
New owners have breathed some new life into this open-air, 2nd-floor bar/restaurant at the Ports of Call mall. Drink and dance while listening to local bands on Friday night. Local fare prepared nightly. Karaoke on Wednesdays. Casual.
Coco Bistro
Dine amongst hundreds of palm trees (literally). The food is very good but the atmosphere is great. 1-649-946-5369. 1-649-231-0504.
Coyaba
Coral Garden’s fine dining establishment. Way above average. Named after the Arawak Indian word for "heavenly" – and we couldn't agree more. 1-649-946-5186.
Da Conch Shack (formerly Bugaloo’s)
Bugaloo used to be the most famous local restaurateur in the Turks & Caicos Islands. He had this cool little pastel-yellow wooden beach shack with picnic tables right on the beach, and conch salad so fresh it was still wiggling. But Bugaloo has since sold his place, and the new owner has changed the name, moved it closer to town, made it more modern, and tweaked the menu. It's still an interesting place to go in the local area of Blue Hills, but it's now overshadowed by longtime stalwarts Smokey's on the Bay, Three Queens, and newcomer Sailing Paradise Restaurant & Bar (the latter is our favorite). All are on the way to Northwest Point/Malcolm's Beach, where the new Amanyara resort is located.
Danny Buoy’s Irish Pub & Restaurant
A full-fledged public house that offers you “Cead Mile Failte” – a hundred thousand welcomes – right in the heart of the resort district. Go, enjoy a pint of Guinness, and unwind from a hard day in the pool. Billiards. Darts. Satellite TV. Music. On Grace Bay Road, across from Villa Renaissance. Open for lunch and dinner daily from 11am. 1-649-946-5921.
Fairways Bar & Grill
A good place to drink and/or eat before/after 18 holes on one of the most picturesque courses in the world. Check out Tiger Woods' scorecard (he shot a "disappointing" 62!). 1-649-946-5833.
Flamingo Cafe
Great new locally owned beachfront bar and restaurant right on Grace Bay (between Club Med and Ocean Club East). At the newly opened pastel-yellow Cultural Center funded by the Turks & Caicos government, where you can buy souvenirs and handmade hats, jewlerey, etc., from local Turks Islanders. Take the beach access road past Gecko Grille, all the way to the beach. Call ahead to make sure Ricky and Stacey have local spiny lobster, fresh fish, and cracked conch in stock. 1-649-242-7545.
Gecko Grille
At the Ocean Club. Fresh fish and certified Black Angus beef are specialties at this casually elegant Grace Bay restaurant. Live music Sunday and Wednesday nights. 1-649-946-5885.
Gilley’s at Leeward
Great location for a restaurant. Low-brow chow overlooking Leeward Going Through Channel, where the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Grace Bay Beach meet the waters of Provo’s windward side and the Caribbean Sea. Beautiful turquoise color you may never see again. Check it out. 1-649-946-5094.
Grace’s Cottage
One of the best restaurants on the island. At the Point Grace resort (recently voted “Best Small Luxury Hotel in the World” by readers of Caribbean Travel & Life magazine, and rated # 7 on the Caribbean's "Best Resort" list), set in a beautiful, lush garden. Dress appropriately (long trousers for men, with collared shirts). 1-649-946-8147.
Hemingway’s on the Beach
At the Sands resort. A great place for breakfast or lunch, right smack dab on the beach at Grace Bay. A view you could look at all day. Always hopping. 1-649-946-5199.
Iguana
Provo's newest fine dining restaurant. Nice small bar, and outdoor seating. Be sure to make reservations (even in the off-season), or expect to wait.
Magnolia
A great view from their expansive patio overlooking the north shore of Provo. At the Miramar resort. A great wine bar/restaurant. 1-649-941-5108.
Mango Reef
One of our favorites. A Caribbean culinary adventure at the Royal West Indies resort on Grace Bay, with a hint of French (new owner Isabelle and chef Florent have transformed the place into something truly special). Casual, as it’s located poolside. Great Cheers-like covered outdoor bar, poolside dining, or eat inside. After your meal, take a short walk to the sand and stroll down Grace Bay Beach (Club Med is right next door). 1-649-946-8200.
Orchid
Cool alfresco beachfront and poolside breakfast and lunch dining at The Alexandra resort. Very casual. Dine under umbrellas on the beachfront deck, or under pergolas or at the swim-up bar poolside. Try the cracked conch, it's amazing.
Parallel 23
The best new dining experience in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Superb bar and lounge, and a magnificent restaurant, with some of the best cuisine in the Caribbean. At The Palms resort, which has been written up in every major publication from Conde Nast Traveler to Vogue since its opening in 2005. Make reservations, and dress smart casual (long trousers and collared shirts for men). Also, dine alfresco at The Palms' poolside swim-up bar and restaurant, Plunge, during the day.
Sailing Paradise Restaurant & Bar
At the newly opened multi-colored pastel beach shacks in Blue Hills (near Smokeys, Three Queens, and Da Conch Shack), surrounded by souvenir shops run by local Turks Islanders. Great food and beer right on the beach. Outdoor DJ and local bands and dancing on the weekends.
Seaside Café
At Ocean Club West. Dine alfresco poolside right off Grace Bay Beach. 1-649-946-5880.
Sharkbite Bar & Grill
Another Turtle Cove phenomenon. Stop by for drinks with the locals. 1-649-941-5090.
Simba
Poolside at the Turks & Caicos Club. 1-649-946-5588.
Smokey’s Pub on the Bay
A local hangout in Blue Hills right on the water (order across the street, then go sit at the picnic tables and wait for them to bring you your meal), where you’ll get the local specialty – cracked conch with rice and beans (don’t be fooled by the dish’s name, “rice and peas,” they’re really beans) – and enjoy the rolling surf and a Corona and lime under a covered tiki hut. Eat on the way to or from Northwest Point/Malcolm’s Beach. 1-649-941-3090.
The Salt Mills Cafe
Good lunch place, with outdoor seating. Grab a bite before or after shopping at the Salt Mills mall.
Tiki Hut Cabana Bar & Grill
A local hangout with specials nightly, including “rib night.” Very casual dining that will remind you of home. Always packed. Big bar area. 1-649-941-5341.
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