15 Of The Best BYOB Spots In London
Hawksmoor, Various Locations
Superlative steak restaurant Hawksmoor throws its all-day ‘Wine Club’ every Monday across all seven sites. The club allows diners to bring in their own bottles of wine at a cost of £5 corkage each. Tuesday to Sunday corkage is available for £25, so it pays to take advantage of this early-week deal.
Various locations, Mondays only
Visit TheHawksmoor.com
12:51, Islington
This new Islington restaurant kickstarts each week with a five-course ‘taster’ menu served on Monday and Tuesday evenings in the upstairs dining room. Specially devised by chef James Cochran, the menu has the added bonus of being BYO so guests can enjoy dinner out with a bottle of their favourite tipple, corkage free. The menu comes in at £35 a head. Bargain.
107 Upper Street, Islington, N1 1QN; Mondays and Tuesdays only
Visit 1251.com
Foxlow, Various Locations
Every Tuesday, Foxlow invites guests to bring as many bottles of wine as they can carry –and they’ll offer free corkage on the lot. Don’t feel like trekking to your reservation laden down with bottles? The team recommends getting in touch with the gang at Vinterest.co.uk, who can deliver wine to your table up to one hour before your meal.
15-19 Bedford Hill, Balham, SW12 9EX, 8-10 Lower James Street, Soho, W1F 9EL and 69-73 St John Street, Clerkenwell, EC1M 4AN; Tuesdays only
Visit Foxlow.co.uk
HIX Oyster & Chop House, Farringdon
Mark Hix’s first solo restaurant opened in 2008, a stone’s throw from Smithfield, London’s historic meat market. A stalwart on the steakhouse scene, diners know exactly what to expect – namely, great steaks and chops, with a sprinkling of Hix’s signature British style. On Sunday nights and all day Monday, the restaurant offers BYOB with no corkage. To help, next-door Nicolas Wine Shop offers Hix customers 5% off bottles of wine.
36-37 Greenhill Rents, Cowcross Street, Farringdon, EC1M 6BN; Sunday nights and Mondays only
Visit HIXRestaurants.co.uk
Soif, Battersea
Clapham Common’s Soif is a charming, Parisian-style neighbourhood bistro and wine bar, bursting with character and atmosphere. Part of the same group as Terriors in Charing Cross and Brawn in Hackney, the spot focuses on natural and biodynamic wines. Not for you? Any day of the week you can bring whatever you fancy to drink and pay just £10 corkage.
27 Battersea Rise, Battersea, SW11 1HG
Visit Soif.co
Counter Culture, Clapham
Next door to The Dairy, Counter Culture is a small-plates restaurant which seats just 14. The kitchen is passionate about pickling, fermenting, curing and bottling the best of the season’s produce, and coupling it with the incredible meat, fish and vegetables. Each night the team offers BYOB with a corkage charge of £10 per bottle. Non-wine drinkers are also welcome to bring their own beer or spirits.
16 The Pavement, Clapham, SW4 0HY
Visit CounterCultureClapham.co.uk
Little Georgia, Hackney
Little Georgia is comprised of two authentic restaurants where you can enjoy traditional, home-made Georgian dishes. Little Georgia Islington is the bigger of the two and is licensed, offering a selection of Georgian wine and chacha grape vodka. Little Georgia Hackney is an intimate, cosy space with retro décor. This site is BYOB, and there is no corkage charge.
87 Goldsmiths Row, Hackney, E2 8QR
Visit LittleGeorgia.co.uk
Pappa Ciccia, Fulham
Expect massive portions at this popular neighbourhood pizzeria in Fulham. The long-standing restaurant’s BYOB policy means you can bring your favourite bottle of wine or beer to enjoy alongside traditional Italian food. There’s a charge of £4.50 per person, rather than per bottle.
41 Fulham High Street, Fulham, SW6 3JJ
Visit PappaCiccia.com
Lahore, Whitechapel
Since the 1970s Lahore Kebab House has grown from a small diner into an institution. It might not be the glitziest of spaces, but it really delivers on flavour, value for money and atmosphere. The whole place is BYOB – and there’s no corkage charge – making it a great spot for parties. If you haven’t booked, be prepared to queue.
2-10 Umberston Street, Whitechapel, E1 1PY
Visit Lahore-KebabHouse.com
Minnow, Clapham
Every Sunday between 4-7:45pm, Minnow throws its 'Sunday Evening Roast Club’, offering an organic roast with all the trimmings, a proper pudding and BYOB, for £24 per person. Expect roast topside of beef, roast chicken, pork belly and aubergine parmigiana, followed by apple and blackberry crumble or chocolate brownie, both served with homemade ice-cream.
21 The Pavement, Clapham Common, SW4 0HY; Sundays only
Visit MinnowClapham.co.uk
Kaosarn, Clapham
Away from its popular site at Brixton Market, authentic Thai restaurant Kaosarn has a neighbourhood spot by Clapham Common. While not essential, guests are invited to bring their own beer or wine, making an experience here great value for money. We like to order the grilled half chicken with sticky rice, and spicy papaya salad.
110 St John's Hill, Clapham Common, SW11 1SJ
Visit Facebook.com
Tayyabs, Whitechapel
The award-winning Tayyabs is one of the most popular curry houses in Whitechapel. It’s not unusual to see customers queuing down the street – but trust us, it’s worth the wait to sample some of the kitchen’s tandoori lamb chops. The team operates a BYOB policy all week long.
83-89 Fieldgate Street, Whitechapel, E1 1JU
Visit Tayyabs.co.uk
Tagine, Balham
This Moroccan restaurant is resplendent with hanging lamps, comfy cushions and low lighting and offers an authentic taste of North Africa. Expect to sample a variety of its eponymous tagines, plus top-notch couscous and mezze as you watch the chefs in action through the open-plan kitchen. The team operates a bring-your-own policy, with no corkage fee.
3 Fernlea Road, Balham, SW12 9RN
Visit ZizouTagine.com
The Breakfast Club, Soho
The original – and, in our opinion, best – Breakfast Club opened on D’Arblay Street in 2005. When it comes to throwing 80s-themed parties, this is the spot to head to, especially when you consider it offers BYO beer or wine from 5pm every night for just £5 corkage per person.
33 D'Arblay Street, Soho, W1F 8EU
Visit TheBreakfastClubCafes.com
Rochelle Canteen, Shoreditch
Melanie Arnold and Margot Henderson’s Rochelle Canteen sits in the converted bike shed of the old Rochelle School, looking out to the trees of Arnold Circus beyond. The team’s mission statement? ‘We like parties. Maybe that’s what we bring. No rules, everything will be great. We’re nice people and we have fun.’ On lovely days, guests can take advantage of the outdoor tables. The space is unlicensed and isn’t open at night – offering the perfect spot for some daytime drinking.
16 Playground Gardens, Shoreditch, E2 7FA
Visit ArnoldAndHenderson.com
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