Restaurants

I've heard it time and time again from seasoned travelers to the Caribbean: The food in the Turks & Caicos is of a higher caliber than that found at most other islands. You will eat very well in Provo -- the quality and freshness of the food, much of it flown in daily, is remarkable for an island that has to import just about everything in the larder -- but you will pay to do so. That may be why so many resorts and hotels offer fully equipped self-catering facilities, to help offset the costs of paying for double-digit-entree meals. Know, too, that economical fast-food restaurants and chain eateries are nonexistent here (for the time being, at least). Luckily, most resorts offer complimentary breakfasts, either full American style or Continental, and you can get a good slice of pizza or a burger for a reasonable price in a number of venues. But by all means, look for restaurants that serve local specialties, like the laid-back beach shacks that dot the Blue Hills, where you can sample such regional favorites as peas 'n' rice; curry goat, fish, and chicken; oxtail stew; all things conch (conch fritters, conch chowder, and conch ceviche); all things lobster (in season); hominy grits; and banana bread. The food is fresh, good, and well-prepared, and you won't pay an arm and a leg for it. On some of the less-traveled islands you'll find places where celebrated home cooks prepare traditional island meals for visitors (such as the Pelican Beach Hotel on North Caicos, where owner Susie Gardiner is happy to cook up your own day's catch, conch fritters, and fruit cocktail cake). If you want to try your hand at cooking the local cuisine once you're back at home, pick up a copy of the Turks and Caicos Islands Food cookbook.

You can sample cuisines from around the world here, from Italian to Asian to Mexican. You will dine on dishes that have melded Continental-style cuisine with Caribbean influences. But what will you eat that actually comes from the Turks & Caicos? Like many other Caribbean islands, the TCI grows little of its own food and must import much of its foodstuffs to meet the demands of an international tourist clientele. Local hydroponic farms provide restaurants with fresh lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and herbs. The true bounty comes from the sea, in the form of fresh conch, Caribbean lobster (but only in season, Aug-Mar), and a range of fish from the local waters, such as red snapper, grouper, and mahimahi.

Keep in mind that the government adds a 10% tax on all restaurant bills. A few restaurants will add a service or gratuity charge, particularly for tables of six or more people. Always check your bill before tipping to make sure a gratuity has not already been figured in to the total.

Currently, Providenciales and the Caicos islands are not late-night dining destinations. Most restaurants stop serving around 10pm and close down altogether by 11pm.

Turks & Caicos Islands Cookbook -- If you want to take home treasured recipes from the Turks & Caicos Islands, from both professional and celebrated local home cooks, look for a copy of the Turks and Caicos Islands Food cookbook, a colorful hardcover published in 2005 by the Turks & Caicos Islands Red Cross ($20/£10; proceeds go to support the Red Cross). Among the recipes are Love's Fried Fish with Tamarind Sauce, from Isadora Emanuel (known as Love), who runs Love's Restaurant in South Caicos; island jerk encrusted Chilean sea bass, from executive chef Alberto Artiles at Grace's Cottage in the Point Grace resort; and Pat's Dreamy Coleslaw, from Pat Simmons of Pat's Place in Salt Cay. You can buy the cookbook through the Red Cross or at various resorts throughout the islands and in the Unicorn Bookstore on Leeward Highway in Provo.

Buying Spirits -- Liquor, liqueurs, wine, and beer are sold at liquor stores, grocery stores, and convenience stores, but no alcohol is sold in these venues on Sunday. Liquor by the drink, wine, and beer are available 7 days a week in restaurants and bars. While you're on the islands, be sure to try the local beer, Turk's Head, produced in a microbrewery in Providenciales. It comes in a light, delicious lager and a heavier amber. Note: The legal drinking age is 18 on the islands.

Shopping for Self-Catering -- Staying in Provo and have a full kitchen at your fingertips? Stock it with the following self-catering options. Get your meats, produce, snacks, and kitchen staples at the Graceway IGA (tel. 649/941-5000; www.gracewayiga.com) on Leeward Highway (which also sells beer, wine, and liquor, but not on Sun -- you can only get alcohol in restaurants and bars on Sun). Buy fresh fish straight off the Heaving Down Rocks Marina docks; arrive at 5 or 6pm when the boats come in. Or head to LTC Fisheries (tel. 649/941/7358) in Five Cays. For liquor, beer, and wine, go to the Wine & Spirits Liquor Store (tel. 649/941-8047), in the Regent Village shopping plaza on Grace Bay Road; the Tipsy Turtle, in Turtle Cove Marina; or the Wine Cellar (tel. 649/946-4536), on Leeward Highway -- you can also buy soft drinks and water at liquor stores. You can buy prepared foods (like dinner entrees, appetizers, or savory meat pies), hard-to-find exotic ingredients, and gourmet groceries at Gourmet Goods (tel. 649/941-4141; www.gourmetgoods.tc), in Grace Bay Court on Grace Bay Road. Gourmet Goods will also prepare and serve complete catered dinners in your villa or condo.

Providenciales

Most of the dining choices in Provo are found in the Grace Bay area. Provo has two other good dining neighborhoods in Turtle Cove and the Blue Hills.

If you don't have a car and the restaurant is not within walking distance, you can have your hotel call a taxi for you.

Blue Hills

Dining Da Blue Hills -- The welcoming beach-shack bar/restaurants along the Reef Harbor shoreline of northwest Provo represent what one local describes as a "taste of old-time Provo." For a therapeutic immersion in the TCI art of studied languor, you can't beat a meal at one of the shacks in Provo's oldest settlement along the rural Blue Hills road, dotted with pastel-painted churches and schools. In fact, many visitors come here straight from the airport, kicking off their cold-weather armor and city-slicker shoes to dig their toes in the warm sand, stare out at the sun-dappled azure seas, and dine on conch freshly pulled from the sea. Even better, the food at these shacks is as fresh and soul-satisfying as anything you'll find in Provo. Horse-Eye Jack's has a deck overlooking the beach and Jamaican-style jerk meat, and Da Conch Shack is where live conch is held in pens in the shallows below and brought up to order. Smokey's on Da Bay (tel. 649/241-4343) serves barbecued ribs and has a happening Wednesday-night fish fry. At the brightly colored Sailing Paradise (tel. 649/946-5885), you dine on beachside decks on fresh cracked conch and fried fish. The oldest of the Blue Hills restaurants, Three Queens (tel. 649/941-5984), is a favorite local hangout, especially on Friday nights. Hours for all the Blue Hills shacks vary, so call before you go, but the general opening times are Monday to Saturday from 11am until past sunset. Bring cash.

Grace Bay

By the time you read this, more resorts will have opened along Grace Bay, each with one or more restaurants for your dining pleasure. Two that look promising are Le Pergola, fine dining at the Seven Stars resort; and the Veranda House, an oceanfront restaurant at the Veranda Resort.

Dining Out on an Evening Pass -- Even if you're not staying there, you can sample the food at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa by purchasing an evening pass. For $160 (£80) per adult ($80/£40 per child), you can enjoy all the food and drink you want from 6pm to 2:30am. Just keep in mind that two of the restaurants, Kimonos (Japanese steakhouse) and Sapodilla's (the resort's signature white-glove restaurant serving international cuisine), require advance reservations (and they book up quickly). Also keep in mind that Sapodilla's is an adults-only eatery. Prefer to eat breakfast and lunch and make a day of it at Beaches? Purchase a day pass for $140 (£70) adults ($70/£35 per child), and from 9am to 5pm you can partake in the resort's numerous all-inclusive watersports and other activities -- a great option for the kids in your party. For more information, call tel. 649/946-8000.

Celebrating the Conch -- The Caribbean queen conch may be endangered elsewhere, but here in the Turks & Caicos, it's plentiful and a tasty staple for the creation of many dishes, whether served raw, fried, curried, or even jerked. For a sampling of all things conch and a real taste of Blue Hills hospitality, it's hard to beat the Turks & Caicos Conch Festival, held the last Saturday in November. Local restaurants vie to win top honors for best conch concoctions, including conch chowder, conch curry, and conch salad, to name a few of the contested dishes. In 2007 the Best in Festival honor was awarded to Aqua and Iguana Seafood & Steakhouse at the Saltmills Plaza was awarded the Best Conch Chowder. Just in its fifth year, the conch festival has become a popular celebration, with music, food, conch-blowing, and a great Blue Hills Beach location. For more information, go to www.conchfestival.com.

Island Scoop: Locally Made Ice Cream -- For a sugary frozen treat and a break from the island heat, try one of the locally made ice creams and sorbets at Island Scoop. Fill a cone with traditional flavors such as chocolate or peach or try something a little more exotic like white mint. You can also get a range of shakes, smoothies, sundaes, and cookies. You'll find two Provo locations: Grace Bay Plaza (tel. 649/242-8511) and in Downtown Providenciales, next to Hole in the Wall restaurant (tel. 649/243-5051).

Northwest Point

The Restaurant at Amanyara accepts non-resort guests, but you must reserve at least 2 days in advance. The menu features Asian- and Mediterranean-infused cuisine (with an emphasis on local seafood) and is served either indoors or on a terrace overlooking the water at Northwest Point. I highly recommend arriving early so you can have a drink on the bar terrace and watch the sun go down. Call tel. 649/941-8133 to reserve a table.

North & Middle Caicos

Currently, there are few restaurant choices in North or Middle Caicos. Big changes are coming to the islands, so more dining options should be available soon.

On North Caicos, Pelican Beach Hotel (tel. 649/946-7112) serves homemade meals prepared by the owner, Susie Gardiner, but you must call ahead to reserve a table. The Silver Palm restaurant (tel. 649/946-7113), in the Ocean Beach hotel/condo complex, is a full-service restaurant with a menu that includes conch dishes (chowder, fritters, cracked conch), grilled or pan-fried fish, lobster (in season), and homemade breads and desserts. Other recommended local spots to catch a bite to eat are two places near the airport: My Dee's (tel. 649/946-7101) and Titters (tel. 649/946-7316), both of which serve local food like conch, fish, lobster, and peas 'n' rice. Super D Café (tel. 649/946-7258), the restaurant in the airport, offers local food.

Middle Caicos has largely self-catering options, although Sapodilley's, a small restaurant at the Middle Caicos airport, offers a few local specialties and a bar. Daniel's Cafe (tel. 649/946-6132), at the Middle Caicos Co-op, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner by reservation only.