15 Great BYOB Restaurants In London
Roti King, Various Locations
Hidden gem Roti King serves up authentic Malaysian dishes, and BYOB is an option. Tucked in a basement around the corner from Euston station, the restaurant is small and simple, and features an open kitchen where guests can watch roti (Malaysian flatbread) being made on the spot. There’s now also a Battersea site. Given its name and reputation, the roti is a must order – we love the chicken murtabak with minced chicken and egg filling, which comes with dahl.
Visit RotiKing.info
Salt Yard, Various Locations
Salt Yard is an award-winning charcuterie bar and restaurant serving modern tapas inspired by the flavours of Spain and Italy – and it now has a few dotted around the capital. Its wide range of tapas, charcuterie and cheese boards are complemented by its selection of excellent wines and sherries. Come Monday, the team goes BYOB. We recommend sticking with something Spanish, or opting for a bottle of cold sherry.
Visit SaltYardGroup.co.uk
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. Just make sure to order one of the bar’s cherry negronis to kick things off.
Visit TheHawksmoor.com
Kitchen W8, Kensington
Kitchen W8 is a rare thing – a genuinely relaxed Michelin-starred restaurant. From the same team as Elystan Street and Church Road, part of what makes the Kensington restaurant so accessible and a favourite with locals is its Sunday-night BYO wine policy with no corkage fee (with the exception of Valentine’s Day or New Year’s Eve dinners). During the week, a £25 charge per bottle applies. Just let the team know when you book.
Visit W8Kitchen.com
Xi’an Impression, Bloomsbury
Xi'an Impression champions authentic food from China and is much loved for its spicy dishes – and BYOB offering. Noodles are the star here – regulars love the hand-pulled biang biang noodles served in a signature special chilli sauce – but the kitchen also turns out excellent dumplings, soups and street food such as the Xi’an pork hamburger.
Visit XianImpression.co.uk
Soif, Battersea
Soif is a charming, Parisian-style neighbourhood bistro and wine bar, bursting with character and atmosphere. Part of the same group as Brawn in Hackney, this spot focuses on excellent natural and biodynamic wines. If that’s not your thing, any day of the week you can bring whatever you fancy to drink and pay just £15 corkage.
Visit Soif.co
Little Georgia, Hackney
Little Georgia comprises two authentic restaurants where you can enjoy traditional, home-made Georgian dishes – think chopped beetroot salad and cheesebread. 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 – best of all – there is no corkage charge.
Visit LittleGeorgia.co.uk
St John, Smithfield
St John was opened in 1994 by Trevor Gulliver, Fergus Henderson and Jon Spiteri on the premises of a former bacon smokehouse. The trio are the original champions of nose-to-tail eating, with a devotion to offal and other cuts of meat not always seen in restaurants. Gulliver oversees the restaurant’s own vineyard in France, which makes excellent, good-value wines, but there’s a corkage fee if you'd like to bring in your own wine or champagne for special events.
Visit StJohnGroup.UK.com
Pappa Ciccia, Fulham
Expect massive portions at this popular neighbourhood pizzeria in Fulham. The longstanding restaurant’s BYOB policy means you can bring your favourite bottle of wine or beer to enjoy alongside traditional Italian food every Sunday to Thursday. There’s a charge of £4.95 per person, rather than per bottle, which means you can bring as much as you’d like.
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.
Visit Lahore-KebabHouse.com
Kaosarn, Clapham
Away from its popular site at Brixton Market and new spot in Tooting, 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 a side of spicy papaya salad.
Visit KaosarnLondon.co.uk
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 restaurant’s seasonal, daily changing menu is small and pleasing, combining classic and modern European styles – think roasted winter tomatoes from Sicily, or whole shoulders of roasted lamb and whole brill, designed for sharing. On lovely days, guests can take advantage of the outdoor tables. While a selection of cracking St John wines are on its list, BYOB is an option too.
Visit ArnoldAndHenderson.com
Minnow, Clapham
Every Sunday between 4-10pm, Minnow throws its 'Sunday Evening Roast Club’, offering an organic roast with all the trimmings, a proper pudding and BYOB, for £26pp. 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.
Visit MinnowClapham.co.uk
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 Punjabi-style tandoori lamb chops. The team operates a BYOB policy all week long.
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. It’s BYOB, with no corkage fee.
Visit ZizouTagine.com
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