Restaurants in Turks and Caicos

Whether dining on fresh conch in an outdoor beach shack or sampling a chef's multicourse tasting menu in an elegant five-star resort, you will dine well in the Turks & Caicos. Here are some top picks.

• Bay Bistro, Sibonné Beach Hotel, Grace Bay, Provo (https://baybistrorestaurant.com): Set in a whitewashed wooden open-air porch above Grace Bay beach, with flickering torches, Bay Bistro has the TCI ambience you're looking for. The food is reliably good and good value for Grace Bay -- and superstar bartender Junior Brown is in the house.

• Coco Bistro, Grace Bay, Provo (https://www.cocobistro.tc): It's both a special-occasion place (with a deeply romantic setting under a grove of 100 palms) and a foodie haven. Even the glitterati have to have a reservation -- just ask Bruce Willis.

• Cocovan, Coco Bistro Palm Grove, Grace Bay Road, Provo (www.cocovan.tc): If you don't have a reservation at Coco Bistro, all is not lost: Just step over to the Airstream next door and order up some curried pot pies, grouper tacos and Peking duck tacos, tuna tartar, and more -- along with a full bar and tables under fairy lights.

• Da Conch Shack, Blue Hills, Provo (https://daconchshack.com): Like many of its Blue Hills compadres, Da Conch Shack has a great setting (on the beach overlooking the sea) and good, fresh food (conch pulled out of its shell on the beach below and prepared to order). Is it filled with tourists? Sometimes, but the vibe is chill and you've got your toes in the sand. And the cracked conch and fritters are delicious.

• Magnolia Restaurant & Wine Bar, Turtle Cove, Provo (www.magnoliaprovo.com): The view alone is worth the trek up the hill above Turtle Cove marina, but the food easily stands on its own. Sesame-crusted seared rare tuna is a house specialty. Have a drink and watch Grace Bay glitter.

• Mango Reef, Turtle Cove Marina, Provo (http://mangoreef.com): This popular resto has moved again, this time to a cheerful, sprawling space along the water at Turtle Cove Marina. The food is still exemplary, island cuisine at its finest. We're talking curry grouper, Dominican paella, and lobster every which way.

• Parallel23, the Palms resort, Grace Bay, Provo (www.thepalmstc.com/dining/parallel23): Dine on the terrace of the resort's gracious Mansion to flickering gas lamps (from New Orleans) and the rustle of flamboyant trees. The food more than matches the setting; you may not have a better meal anywhere on the island.

• Pat's Place, Historic South District, Salt Cay (tel. 649/946-6919): Pat taught school on Salt Cay for 28 years. She now serves home-style island cooking on a modest porch behind her home. You'll feel like Mom is behind the stove when she brings out her family-style platters of barbecued chicken, potato salad, and peas 'n' rice.

• The Sandbar, Duke Street, Grand Turk (www.grandturk-mantahouse.com/sandbar): The Canadian sisters who run this wooden shack with glorious sea views punch way above their weight when it comes to food and drink. They do it all well: great burgers, cracked conch, grilled lobster (in season), and interesting dishes like shrimp quesadilla. Sip a Turks Head lager and watch the sunset from the covered deck.

• Seven, Seven Stars Resort, Grace Bay, Provo (www.sevenstarsgracebay.com): Fine dining and a welcoming staff bring repeat diners to Seven Stars signature restaurant. The menu is island-tinged continental, with such dishes as chateaubriand for two, pappardelle with lobster, pea risotto, and pumpkin ravioli.

• Sui-Ren, Long Bay, Provo (www.theshoreclubtc.com/dining): The indoor/outdoor space is gorgeous, the vibe is celebratory, and the food is utterly delicious. It's a little Japanese, Peruvian, and Asian fusion, with a kick of island thrown in, but it's all fresh and beautifully prepared.