Coco Bistro — Restaurant in Providenciales

We just returned from our dinner at Coco Bistro, and left thoroughly disappointed . We went for an early meal with our children aged 8 and 10 — without reservations — and were seated at the high tables beside the bar where we received appalling service. From the moment we sat down, it took our server, Hinson, ages to bring us the menus. When he did return, it was with a bottle of still water; we had ordered sparkling. We should have left immediately as these mistakes were simply red flags of what was to come. The most frustrating ‘mistakes’ were our server’s complete disregard for the food allergies we communicated to him when placing our order. Our child has a dairy allergy, therefore, we requested the children’s vegetables and regular side of broccoli be dairy free. We went so far as to spell out: no dairy, milk or butter on the broccoli. No matter, when the food came both of the vegetables dishes were made with dairy. We noticed this and waiting quite some time for Hinson to return to our area to share this with him. Then, when we requested replacements for the children’s vegetable side and the regular broccoli side, we were give ONE children’s side of mixed vegetables. When we asked Hinson when the broccoli was coming out, he told us the broccoli side had been ‘combined’ with the kids’ side of mixed vegetables and it was all being served to us in one bowl with fewer vegetables than the original child’s portion. Which is to say, he lied to us. I explained as much and told him to remove the broccoli from our bill, as it was never replaced. His poor attitude and service persisted — he disappeared from our table and the section entirely — and we needed to request our bill and to-go boxes from the bartender. Perhaps Hinson couldn’t be bothered, given 10% service is included in the bill. Alas, while my shrimp dish was excellent and my daughter’s fish sticks were tasty, paying hundreds of dollars for such poor service leaves a bad taste in our mouths. We will not be back…and unless you have a reservation, I would avoid dining in the bar area at all costs. And if you have a food allergy, skip this...

Our dinner at Coco Bistro was by far our favorite meal during our whole vacation in Turks & Caicos!

Be warned, reservations at Coco Bistro fill up very quickly because it is the number 1 restaurant on the island. And after our experience, I can see why! Everything about this restaurant is perfect -- the food was delicious, the service was impeccable, and the ambiance is unmatched. The seating area is outside in the middle of a palm tree grove! We went for dinner on a hot, humid, July night, but we didn't feel any of the heat or humidity during dinner. I don't know how they manage to keep it feeling cool and dry, but they do a fantastic job! I reserved a table a couple of months in advance, and it was 1000% worth it.

We ordered the Conch Two Ways for our appetizer, and it was a large enough dish to split between two people. This was delicious! I really liked the conch ceviche-- it was a nice fresh alternative to the fried conch we ended up eating all week! For our entrees we ended up ordering the NY Striploin and the West Indian Style Shrimp Curry. I highly recommend the Shrimp Curry-- the flavors were on point, and this was my favorite dish of the entire vacation!

Also, as someone with a tree nut allergy, I really appreciate how thoughtful everyone at Coco Bistro is about customers with nut-allergies. The menu clearly indicated which dishes contained nuts, and the wait staff knew which dishes had allergens, and could easily explain the ingredients and process of most dishes. For example, we were served pesto filled dinner rolls with oil shortly after we were seated. Pesto usually contains pine nuts, so when I asked our waiter about it, he assured me that the kitchen omitted pine nuts from this pesto recipe specifically to accommodate more people.

Lastly, I recommend getting late dinner reservations, especially if you're traveling as a couple. We arrived shortly before sunset, and while the grove and ambiance is beautiful, it was breath-taking after dark when the trees...

3.5 out of 5 (can't give a 1/2).

1.5 star for atmosphere 1 star for food 1 star for speed of service

Overall our experience was positive. We made reservations months in advance for our party of 5. When we arrived (about 5 minutes early), we were seated immediately.

The speed of service flowed well and our food was great! My highlight was the lobster bisque!! It was everything that I needed it to be! Smooth, Creamy, rich and just the right amount of lobster meat to satisfy!

We also had the seasonal lobster dish, Skirt Steak + Smoked tenderloin. Everything came out quickly and had the right amount of seasoning.

The atmosphere was beautiful and makes for a perfect evening with ideal weather.

My removal of additional stars is based on the quality of service. The restaurant was filled with non-natives. The staff seemed to turn up the smiles for the tables that had patrons who visited more frequently but seemed to talk through their teeth for those who didn't look like the tourists that drive revenue. I was a bit disappointed (and annoyed). We make a point to try to engage anyone who is helping us for the evening as service is important. Our primary server Ronnie was more focused on the table of regulars behind us and our supplemental helper Charles seemed irritated by our presence (despite how many times we thanked him for everything).

My last star removed is due to the fact that they charge you $8 for each bottle of water and DONT tell you!! And they refill you and NEVER mention or ask if you're okay with paying the additional fees. On top of that, they build in their own gratuity . When I see this, it is usually an indicator that service is just okay as people don't have to go the extra mile if their gratuity is built in.

We liked the restaurant overall and would eat here again. I'd be more conscious of some of these shortcomings though...