The Best Restaurants to BYOB in Central London
For the final part of our BYOB series, we're bringing you our top recommendations from Central London. We've handpicked 13 restaurants that we know you'll love - each one is a perfect spot to bring your favourite Marlo bottle and save on that hefty drinks bill. You'll find some well-known, award-winning eateries and some yet to be discovered, all offering either free or low cost corkage. Let us know if you visit any, we'd love to hear your feedback!
Where: 39 Whitfield St, Bloomsbury, W1T 2SF
BYO Deal: £25 a bottle, unlimited bottles.
Food: Mathieu Germond, proprietor, and wine enthusiast, boasts an exceptional array of wines at Noizé. His vision is to infuse London's Fitzrovia with a French, rustic charm and a welcoming ambiance. Hailing from the Loire Valley in France, Mathieu's upbringing in the quaint village of Noize, where his grandparents managed a farm, profoundly influenced his passion for wine and the joy of communal dining. Drawing from his formative years, he aspires to recreate the sensations, flavours, and convivial experiences of his childhood at his restaurant.
Where: 24-26 Maddox Street, London, W1S 1QH
BYO Deal: £30 a bottle.
Food: Diverging from the norm, their connection with exceptional steaks doesn't originate in the kitchen; it commences in the verdant fields of The Lake District and Nebraska. Each Goodman establishment boasts its dedicated dry-aging chamber. Here, meticulously selected beef undergoes a minimum 30-day aging process in meticulously controlled, dehumidified conditions, enhancing its flavour profile to its fullest potential.
Where: 28 Upper Grosvenor St, W1K 7EH
BYO Deal: £50 per bottle of wine & £60 per 750ml bottle of Champagne or £100 for a magnum of wine or champagne. A maximum of one type of wine is allowed (one red, one white, one sparkling, one sweet).
Food: At Corrigan's Mayfair, provenance takes precedence, whether it's furred, foraged, finned, or feathered. Utilising solely seasonal ingredients sourced from trusted artisanal providers, Corrigan's Mayfair blends Chef Corrigan's rural Irish heritage with quintessential British dining. From reimagined British and Irish classics to seasonal European fusions, the culinary team at Corrigan's prioritises the finest offerings from land, sea, and air, crafting exquisite menus based on the day's fresh arrivals and pantry staples. Their commitment extends to sourcing produce only from individuals and businesses that share their deep-rooted values, ensuring that their ever-evolving menu showcases the pinnacle of our land's offerings.
Where: 16-18 Beak St, London W1F 9RD
BYO Deal: £25 a bottle.
Food: A follow up to his Brat restaurants, Mountain is Tomos Parry's highly anticipated Soho establishment, an ode to Spain via Wales. This restaurant is a hotspot for metropolitan food enthusiasts. The glitzy venue offers small, shareable dishes transitioning seamlessly from snacks to starters. Meticulously crafted offerings like grilled peas and Pembrokeshire cockles dazzle with their freshness and inventive flavours. The standout spider crab omelette is both a social media sensation and a culinary triumph, showcasing Mountain's prowess in modern gastronomy. Mountain delivers a memorable culinary journey, marrying innovation with impeccable execution.
Where: 2 Greek Street, London W1D 4NB
BYO Deal: £35 per bottle.
Food: Noble Rot Soho, located in the historic site of the Gay Hussar, boasts a rich political legacy, hosting luminaries like British Prime Ministers Clement Atlee, Gordon Brown, and Tony Blair. The restaurant's period features have been beautifully preserved, complemented by Martin Rowson's vibrant artwork. Overseen by Head Chef Alex Jackson and executive chef Stephen Harris, the menu pays homage to the Gay Hussar's past while offering delightful dishes like roast chicken with morels and vin jaune sauce, reminiscent of France's Jura region.
Where: 113 Great Portland Street, London, W1W 6QQ
BYO Deal: £40 per bottle.
Food: Portland, conveniently located near Oxford Circus, effortlessly blends casual and refined dining, earning its place as one of the city's top eateries. Despite its world-class status, it exudes a relaxed vibe where patrons unwind with wine and shared plates, akin to a cosy neighbourhood wine bar. While precision and creativity shine in dishes, flavour remains paramount, ensuring each bite delights. The Mediterranean-inspired menu offers familiar yet inventive flavours, presented and explained by attentive chefs who genuinely care about your experience. Their single bottle wine menu would also draw a crowd.
Where: 12 Archer St, London W1D 7BB
BYO Deal: £20 for the first two bottles, or £40 for a magnum. £50 for bottles and £100 for magnums after that.
Food: Jacob Kenedy and Victor Hugo launched Bocca di Lupo in November 2008, earning numerous awards for their authentic regional Italian food. Despite its chic ambiance, the restaurant remains a humble family trattoria at its core. Specialising in unique dishes and wines from all twenty regions of Italy, Bocca di Lupo prides itself on crafting much of their fine Italian fare in-house, whilst sourcing only the very finest ingredients from Italy. This Italian eatery enjoys a vibrant atmosphere, complete with an open kitchen and bustling bar, paired perfectly with its delectable offerings. From tantalizing small plates to perfectly cooked pasta and tender salt-baked sea bream, each dish perfect for sharing or devouring alone. Don’t miss the puddings, they are worth the wait.
Where: 11 Langley Street WC2H 9JG
BYO Deal: £5 corkage (Mondays).
Food: At all the Hawksmoor restaurants, corkage is a flat rate of £5 on Mondays. No daunting conversations with their sommeliers, they happily invite customers to arrive with a bottle (or more) of exceptional wine. Optimal value is achieved by bringing a Nebuchadnezzar of Champagne and a Balthazar of Burgundy, both subject to only £5 corkage each. From Tuesday to Sunday, corkage is available at £25 per 750ml bottle equivalent.
Where: 34-35 Southampton St, London WC2E 7HG
BYO Deal: £50 per bottle £100 per magnum.
Food: Adam Handling MBE, launched his career as Gleneagles' inaugural apprentice chef and swiftly rose to become the Fairmont's youngest Head Chef. He's earned accolades including Scottish Chef of the Year and Restaurateur of the Year by British GQ. An advocate for zero-waste, his career's pinnacle includes The Frog Restaurant Group's establishment in 2016. Frog, Adam's inaugural restaurant, marked a significant leap, fuelled by his determination and creativity. Dubbing it "The Frog," he likened the endeavour to a test, he said, ‘frogs live in water, so they are either going to sink or swim.’ Adam believes adaptation ensures success. The restaurant’s most recent achievement is being awarded a Michelin star in the 2022 Michelin guide.
Where: 16 Cavendish Square, London
BYO Deal: £50 per bottle. 1 bottle per table.
Food: Nestled near Oxford Street, Les 110 de Taillevent in London embodies the essence of the coveted Parisian sister, Le Taillevent, the iconic two-star Michelin restaurant. With a relaxed yet sophisticated ambiance, this brasserie boasts an extensive wine selection, offering 110 wines by the glass. The menu has been created by Head Chef, Raphael Grima and each of the 110 glasses has been chosen to pair with 30 seasonal dishes.
Where: 26-29 Dean Street, Soho, London, W1D 3LL,
BYO Deal: £30 per bottle, £50 per magnum.
Food: Nestled in Soho, Quo Vadis was once a brothel and the home to Karl Marx. This quirky restaurant exudes a timeless charm. Its restaurants, curated by Jeremy Lee, celebrates seasonal bounty and regional ingredients from top suppliers. Indulge in smoked eel sandwiches, fresh oysters, retro-lux pies, or the decadent St Emilion au Chocolat.
Where: Dean Street, 26-27 Dean Street, W1D 3LL
BYO Deal: £25 per bottle, £50 per magnum.
Food: Barrafina is a legendary Soho tapas restaurant, modelled on one of the great Barcelona tapas bars-Cal Pep, run by chef Nieves Barrigan, who clearly knows her stuff. Barrafina’s Dean Street restaurant stands out among London's five branches, earning a coveted Michelin star. With owners overseeing operations upstairs, every dish on the menu shines, from crispy-skinned chicken to mouth-watering tortilla. Watch the chefs work their magic and indulge in favourites like smoky octopus or honey-drizzled zucchini flowers stuffed with goat's cheese.
Where: 24 Great Windmill Street W1D 7LG
BYO: DEAL: “We do Corkage! It’s £10 and should you need it decanting, it would be our pleasure.”
Food: Nestled within the walls of a former Soho brothel and the renowned "Le Reims" lap dancing club, Blacklock's location on Great Windmill Street adds to its vibrant history. Once a hub of 1950s Soho nightlife, the street boasted the infamous Nosh Bar, a salt beef institution frequented by celebrities, showgirls, and even the late A.A. Gill for four decades. While the atmosphere pays homage to Soho's lively heritage, occasional former patrons may find themselves surprised by the transformed establishment.
From the outset, Blacklock's mission has been clear: to provide exceptional meat at affordable prices. Their journey took them across the country in search of the finest cuts, eventually leading them to Cornwall, where they forged a lifelong partnership with Matt Chatfield and the esteemed Warren Family. Since 1880, the Warrens have upheld a tradition of breeding the highest-quality native and rare breed meat. Philip and Ian Warren, father and son, carefully oversee the Blacklock herds, ensuring sustainable practices that allow the animals to thrive on the lush Cornish grasslands, in harmony with nature's design. The ‘ALL IN’ is seriously popular for those who love to share, at just £27 a head,
‘Pre-chop bites followed by a heady mix of beef, pork and lamb skinny chops piled high on charcoal-grilled flatbreads with a choice of side each.’