Best BYO Restaurants in London

Best BYO Restaurants in London

How good is BYO? Whether you're eating on a budget or itching to try a bottle stashed at home, there's a certain satisfaction in walking through the door and pouring yourself exactly what you want to drink. Here are our favourites.

 

1: Mangal 1 Dalston

This East London neighbourhood kebab house is now a legendary institution and one of Top Cuvee’s favourite places to chow down. For more than 20 years, these kebab kings have been luring passers-by with enticing smells from its enormous ocakbasi mangal. Meat is their main currency and the ocakbasi tradition of letting customers choose their meat from the fridge is coupled nicely with their BYO all week, no corkage fee rule – encouraging customers to eat and drink as if they were at home.

 

Address: 10 Arcola St, London E8 2DJ
FREE Corkage

 

2: Singburi Leytonstone

Singburi has cemented itself as a serious jewel in London’s Thai food crown, without all the fuss and bother that comes with the title. This tiny family-run Thai café scores in every department. The BYO policy is key to its boozy appeal, but the food is also a blast – staunchly traditional, potently spiced and delivered without ceremony from the open kitchen. The whole menu slaps hard from the staples to the specialties, but be warned: Singburi might be tiny in size, but it’s goliath for value.

 

Address: 593 High Rd Leytonstone, London E11 4PA
FREE Corkage

 

3: Tayyabs

A huge, full-on East End curry house that has gained almost mythical status since launching back in 1972, Tayyabs remains as frantically busy as ever – don’t come here expecting a relaxed chilled-out Ruby. No matter, because the food at this Punjabi stalwart is a bargain and the flavours are potent – tuck into the fiery grilled lamb chops, rich dahls and generous karahi bowls (‘small’ versions are big and cheap enough for one person). Corkage-free BYO is a budget-friendly bonus.

 

Address: 83-89 Fieldgate St, London E1 1JU
FREE corkage

 

4: Andu Cafe

Ethiopian, vegan and BYO, this Dalston café knocks out hearty plant-based food in a friendly no-frills setting of fairy lights, religious prints and artificial plants. Decide whether you want traditional injera brea,d or rice to go with your six-dish ‘sampler platter’, which is all about greens and aromatic stews made with beans or lentils, and pimped up with plenty of garlic, ginger and turmeric. Prices are ridiculously low (£7 per person or £12 for two) and you don’t even have to pay corkage. They’re so good they convert carnivores weekly.

 

Address: 528 Kingsland Rd, London E8 4AH
FREE Corkage

 

5: Bintang

Bamboo walls, tribal masks, lanterns and tropical paintings set the scene at this pan-Asian stalwart on Kentish Town Road – with an outdoor garden area that transports you to Thailand on those balmy days and nights. The menu moves from Malaysian satays, to Japanese katsu curries, Thai som tam salad and Filipino adobo chicken – so a round the world trip in your mouth for dirt cheap. This place

 

Address: 93 Kentish Town Rd, London NW1 8NY

BYO all week; no corkage Mon (with a minimum £10pp spend on food); Tue-Sun £3 per bottle (wine), £1 per bottle (beer). 

 

6: Little Georgia 

Little Georgia is a slice of eastern European home-cooked heaven in the heart of South Hackney. Retro café by day, this bustling gaff switches its focus to traditional Georgian family recipes and packs a serious flavour punch. We love shining light on lesser-eaten cuisines, and this place needs minimal introduction as it’s on any food map.

 

Address: 528 Kingsland Rd, London E8 4AH
FREE Corkage


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