5 Best Restaurants in Turtle Cove, Turks and Caicos Islands

Aromas redolent of Mediterranean cuisine waft from the open kitchen as you enter this local favorite directly on Turtle Cove. Outdoor seating is on a lovely canal-front patio, or enjoy your meal from a table in the open-air, covered restaurant. The menu offers a small but varied selection of Italian dishes. Veal is prominent, there's also a lovely bruschetta, superb lasagna, and great seafood. The owner personally visits each table, reciting the specials and assisting with wine selection.

Dine alfresco while watching yachts sail in and out of the Turtle Cove Marina at this restaurant located well west of the hustle and bustle of Grace Bay. Casual and popular with families, Mango Reef serves standard island and American fare for lunch and dinner, including lots of conch, quesadillas, burgers, and salads. In season, they offer a special lobster menu for lunch and dinner.

The hands-on owners ensure a terrific experience at this hilltop spot with great views of Turtle Cove Marina and the north shore. Expect well-prepared, uncomplicated dishes, such as cognac–garlic butter escargot and sesame-encrusted, rare-seared tuna. Another must-try is the housemade vodka sorbet that changes flavors depending on the chef's mood. The bar deck’s atmosphere is romantic, with only a few tables tucked off to the side.

At this casual local favorite, the standard fare includes everything from the local catch of the day, sandwiches, and island specialties to wings or nachos and beer along with other bar snacks. It's a casual place for lunch—the deck overlooks Turtle Cove Marina, where you may be lucky enough to see sharks passing by. Friday-night happy hour is very popular, but don’t take the table at the corner of the deck; several locals might get annoyed if you sit there. For dinner there is an excellent almond-crusted grouper. You can expect to have Lobster Night in season. Sit on the deck outside if you want to avoid the sports crowd enjoying the big-screen TVs that hang over the bar. They have a great souvenir T-shirt that you may want to purchase.

Order a coffee, tea, bagel, deli sandwich, salad, or dessert at this island institution (opened in 1992) on Leeward Highway, just south of Turtle Cove. There's also great pizza, which you can order by the slice or by the pie, and the deli case and market shelves offer all the foods—plus some beer and wine—you need for a fancy picnic. There are tables in air-conditioned comfort, as well as on a shaded patio outside. The location's not close to where most tourists stay, but it's worth the drive.