London’s Best BYOB Restaurants

Something special happens to people when you say the letters B, Y, O, and B in front of them. Uttering those magical letters, in that magical order, can light up the eyes and brain of a human in the same way that the words “walk” or “park” can drive a poodle into an elated frenzy. BYOBs are an integral part of British life – they’re a rite of passage for many friendship groups – and they’re an under-appreciated aspect of the nation’s restaurant patchwork.

There’s a satisfying ritual involved in going out to a BYOB that you don’t get when you go to any other kind of restaurant. There’s the gentle clinking of cans and bottles in an invariably blue plastic bag – a symphony of glass and aluminium that broadcasts to everyone around you that you’re about to have a good time. There’s pulling out wads of cash from a card machine and hoping no one else in your party accidentally “forgot” to bring some with them. There’s genuinely forgetting to bring a bottle opener and being forced to prize out the cork of a pinot gris with a knife and fork and, somehow, making it work.

Crack open a few big Cobras snagged from the corner shop at the last-minute or bring a bottle of that Austrian Riesling you’ve been saving for a special occasion because it “pairs gorgeously” with Thai food, there’s no wrong way to do a BYOB. But what are London’s best BYOB restaurants? Where can you get your laughing gear around good food while paying a respectable fee to drink your own alcohol? Here’s where.

Get yourself to Peckham Rye station and make a beeline to Yada’s. This Kurdish joint has been operating since 2015 and remains one of the best spots in the area to get stuck into heaping mezze platters and falafel with bright green innards that wouldn’t look out of place in the Wizard of Oz’s Emerald City. The original 1939 version, of course – not the crap James Franco remake from 2013 that no-one remembers. Fluffy Kurdish flatbreads are essential for mopping up any juices that spill from a plate of chicken shawarma or chargrilled lamb kebabs. Oh, and the BYOB policy is in place everyday. Yes, Yada’s is almost too good to be true.

104 Rye Lane, SE15 4RZ

Eating at an ocakbaşı like Mangal 1 – an immovable Arcola Street icon which looks out over a street fogged with an intoxicating smell of grilled meat – won’t just fill you up with more animal than you can handle but it will scratch a prehistoric itch loitering at the back your psyche that can’t be reached by a Caesar salad. The mixed grill here is immense in just about every sense of the word; a platter laden with a mountain of çöp şiş, lamb chops, chicken wings, ribs, adana, and chicken shish. Every juicy morsel of meat is imparted with more than just a kiss of smoke. The adana kebab hasn’t just reached first base with the mangal but gone the whole nine yards and met its parents, too. I’d recommend coming here with an arsenal of cold beers and eating as much as humanly possible for the proper Mangal 1 experience. They don’t make ‘em like this anymore.

10 Arcola Street, E8 2DN

1972 was a big year for the world. It was the year The Godfather came out. It was the year of the Watergate scandal. It was the year that Lahore Kebab House opened. This iconic outpost is the other popular BYOB restaurant in Whitechapel. Think of it like the Albert to Tayyabs’ Costello, an excellent Pakistani restaurant where keema curries and biryanis come out the kitchen thick and fast. The Lahore Kebab House website confidently claims that it’s “the most famous halal restaurant in the world”. And who am I to disagree?

2-10, Umberston Street, E1 1PY

Marie’s Cafe is a wonderfully no-fuss cafe that deals in standard British caff food by day and Thai food by night. Marie’s Cafe can do it all. The aesthetic of this place alone – with its retro frontage and wooden tables – made it a shoo-in as one of London’s best BYOB restaurants but it’s the quality of the food, combined with the low prices, that take it to the next level. The dishes aren’t likely to blow your head off but you’ll find a decent spread of recipes that range from simple green curries and pad Thai to the likes of pla sam rod (crispy sweet and sour cod fillet) and ped makam (duck breast coated in tamarind sauce). Corkage is just £1 per person.

90 Lower Marsh, SE1 7AB

Kingsland Road is dotted with a host of Vietnamese restaurants that allow you to bring in your own booze. Along with Sông Quê Café, there’s Tây Đô, Mien Tay, and BúnBúnBún, to name just a few. All of them are worth a visit. I’ve selected Sông Quê as the pick here because it’s my personal favourite. It’s the spot I’ve felt most at home with a bowl of beef phở and one of those large beers that always, sadly, ends up warm by the end. Take your mates. Take your family. Take your lovers. Sông Quê is a wonderful place.

134 Kingsland Road, E2 8DY

Specialising in the style of street food found all over the Shan Xi province of China, Xi’an Impression is an enduring icon of the London food scene. Especially for Arsenal fans. It’s been one of London’s best BYOB restaurants ever since it opened its doors and it’s not hard to see why it’s still a go-to for so many. The hand-pulled noodles are chewy and addictive; the cold skin noodles are highly slurpable; and the Xi’an pork burgers are like no burger you’ve ever had before. It’s the perfect drinking food. Bring a dry bottle of white wine and get involved.

117 Benwell Road, N7 7BW

It doesn’t matter whether you live five minutes away or two hours away, a trip to Leytonstone to eat at Singburi is a must for anyone who considers themselves a serious eater. Open from Thursday to Sunday, Singburi and its fêted blackboard of specials has been a go-to spot for people who consider themselves to be in-the-know of all the hottest places to eat in London. The food is, needless to say, very fucking good. The fact it’s BYOB is just the cherry on top. Bring an appetite and don’t be afraid to order something you’ve never had before. It’ll be good. Trust me. And, above all else, trust in Singburi.

593 High Road Leytonstone, E11 4PA

First things first: I know that the queue at Roti King is insane. I know that you might have to wait upwards of 40 minutes to get a table if you rock up at primetime. I’m not saying that you don’t have anything better to do. But what I am saying is that waiting in that line becomes a lot more bearable if you bring enough drinks to keep you occupied and that, honestly, once you’re tearing off chunks of freshly made roti and baptising it in mutton curry, you won’t be thinking about the wait. Roti King is one of London’s most popular BYOB restaurants, but don’t hold that against it.

40 Doric Way, Euston, NW1 1LH

If we’re talking about London’s best BYOB restaurants, we can’t not talk about Tayyabs. This Punjabi restaurant in Whitechapel is popular with just about everyone. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a hen do or a rugby team or a group of friends looking to reconnect over a chicken karahi, Tayyabs is suitable for just about any occasion. The chaos of service is part of the appeal so try not to stress when you’re inside. There’s a great beer and wine shop next door for you to load up on drinks beforehand. Embrace Tayyabs for what it is and you’ll have a great time.

83-89 Fieldgate Street, E1 1JU

The set-up at Andu Cafe is simple. You can choose between the ‘Sampler’ menu and the ‘Traditional’ menu… and that’s that. The former is a selection of Ethiopian curries and dishes which come heaped on a platter plate while the latter is loaded onto a huge circle of injera. It’s very good and, considering it’s on this list of London’s best BYOB restaurants, you shouldn’t be surprised to find out it’s got a great BYOB policy. I once had a fairly disastrous date here but I still left feeling exceedingly happy. You know why? Because I got to spend the evening eating Andu’s excellent misir wot. That’s the power of Andu Cafe.

528 Kingsland Road, E8 4AH

Persepolis would be the perfect addition to any neighbourhood and the people of Peckham are extremely lucky to call it their own. This cornershop and restaurant sells high quality produce, take away pastries, and even has its own line of merch. It’s a haven of halva and faloodeh that’ll remind anyone who grew up in the Middle East of home. Coming for dinner is an excellent idea so you can make the most of the BYOB policy. Sharing is what Persepolis is all about and the mezze platters, which are just £10, are the perfect size for two. Bring along someone you love.

28-30 Peckham High Street, SE15 5DT

Indian Veg offers a canny combination of two of life’s greatest inventions: BYOB policies and all-you-can-eat buffets. Priced at just £7.95, the buffet here is one of London’s most affordable and worst-kept secrets. The popularity of this north London spot helps, however, as it means the dishes are regularly replaced and rarely left sitting out for too long. If there’s one thing guaranteed at Indian Veg it’s that you’ll keep coming back for more.

92-93 Chapel Market, N1 9EX

The game plan at Little Georgia is simple: bring your own wine, pay the £5 corkage, and fill your boots with freshly baked cheesy khachapuri. Little Georgia is a gem of a restaurant that punches well above its weight, especially considering the friendly price point where most items are kicking around the low teens. If you’ve got nothing drinkable at home, there’s a great selection of Georgian wine, spirits, and beer in the shop literally across the road. Cheers.

87 Goldsmiths Row, E2 8QR