Restaurants

The Best BYO Restaurants In Sydney Right Now

By Urban List Writers
20th Feb 2024

While we love to leave the wine pairings to seasoned sommeliers, BYO is a cheaper way to wine and dine. BYO restaurants also offer the chance to crack that special bottle you've been saving without having to deal with the cooking and clean up. Luckily, Sydney/Eora has loads of BYO restaurants, ranging from low-key neighbourhood joints to swanky occasion spots for date nights or celebrations.

Whether you're saving up or cracking a banging bottle from the cellar, these are the best Sydney BYO restaurants right now.

Mr Chen Beef Noodle

Prince Centre, 8 Thomas Street, Haymarket

spicy noodles and dumplings at sydney byo restaurant mr chen beef noodle
Image credit: Mr Chen Beef Noodle | Instagram

Mr Chen Beef Noodle is one of our favourite Sydney BYO restaurants for top-notch cheap eats. On top of whipping up dumplings and tasty noodle soups like a Lanzhou-style beef noodle creation, you can also choose from five types of freshly made noodles ranging from extra thin to super thick, all hand-pulled on site.

THE DETAILS

BYO is available at Mr Chen Beef Noodle Tuesday–Sunday with free corkage.

Bar Reggio

135 Crown Street, Darlinghurst

 Bar Reggio is a family-owned Italian restaurant that's been around since 1992 and has become a favourite for celebratory (but affordable) feasts. There's even a bottle shop just around the corner to pick up your drinks before dinner—or duck over to if you run dry.

There are more than 30 pizzas and 20 pasta sauces offered with various shapes to choose from, as well as salads, mains, desserts, and sides. They even offer gluten-free variations, making this spot a real crowd-pleaser.

THE DETAILS

BYO is available for wine, beers and spirits every day, for $3.50pp.

Sealevel

2 Kingsway, Cronulla

a seafood platter at sydney byo restaurant sealevel in cronulla
Image credit: Sealevel | Instagram

For fancy times without the hefty price tag, Sealevel should be your go-to BYO restaurant in South Sydney. This oceanfront beauty sports an Aussie menu with French and Italian flair.

The big focus here is seafood so you’ll want to make sure you splurge on the seafood platter for two with Sydney Rock oysters, blue swimmer crab, Balmain bugs, smoked salmon, BBQ prawns, scallops, and beer-battered fish.

THE DETAILS

Sealevel accepts BYO wine for a corkage fee of $10 per person, seven days.

Emma’s Snack Bar

59 Liberty Street, Enmore

people cheers at sydney byo restaurant emma's snack bar
Image credit: Emma's Snack Bar | Instagram

We love Emma’s Snack Bar for so many reasons, from the legendary dips like roast pumpkin hummus to the delicious pistachio halva bouca layered with vanilla ice cream.

We suggest hitting this BYO restaurant with your crew so you can max out on the feeding front—the fried cauliflower with tangy tahini, arak garlic prawns, and golden cheese balls are also a great idea. Emma's also does two generous banquets for $63pp, so you can plan an abundant celebration that keeps things affordable.

THE DETAILS

Emma's Snack Bar accepts BYO wine for a $6 corkage fee per person, Tuesday–Saturday.

Loulou Bistro

61 Lavender Street, Milsons Point

champagne and oysters at sydney byo restaurant loulou milsons point
Image credit: Loulou Bistro | Steven Woodburn

An elevated option for a BYO restaurant in Sydney, Loulou Bistro lets you pair a pick from the bottle shop (or your home cellar, if you're fancy) with their classic French goodness.

Sit out on the terrace with a favourite bottle of rosé and a seafood platter, or settle in for an indulgent spread of steak tartare, escargot vol au vents and grilled fish in sauce vierge with that bottle of pinot you've been saving.

The details

Loulou offers BYO wine for $35 per bottle for for lunch and dinner on Mondays and Tuesdays.

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Don’t Tell Aunty

414 Bourke Street, Surry Hills

Dont Tell Aunty BYO Restaurant Sydney
Image credit: Don't Tell Aunty | Instagram

Don’t Tell Aunty's rule-breaking menu spans all regions of India. Drop in to this Sydney BYO restaurant for mega tasty street food, cross-regional curries, and tandoori specialities with a modern twist.

We love signature dishes like Nachos of the Motherland, which is also known as papri chaat (a sweet, tangy, sour and spicy traditional street food meal using crisp fried dough wafers), and Colonel Tso’s cauliflower: Indo-Chinese-style, deep-fried cauliflower with a tomato and chilli sauce perfect with a refreshing glass of BYO wine.

THE DETAILS

Don't Tell Aunty accepts BYO wine with a corkage fee of $20 per bottle, seven days.

Brown Sugar

106 Curlewis Street, Bondi Beach

In the middle of Bondi's beachy action, Brown Sugar is a beloved BYO restaurant that's been kicking for over 25 years. Flavours here are Mediterranean, so pack something fresh to pair with plates like Tasmanian salmon with burnt butter, horseradish cream, potato crisps and chives, goat cheese gnocchi with asparagus, kale and pine nuts, or an epic fish pie.

The details

You can BYO for $25 per bottle, Tuesday–Sunday.

Thai Pothong

294 King Street, Newtown

If you haven't been to Thai Pothong, you clearly didn't go to the University of Sydney. This BYO restaurant serves banging Thai food packed with flavour (with bonus robots... you'll see), and absolutely pumps every night of the week. There are loads of vegetarian and vegan options, plus a few great-value banquets if you're splitting a bottle or two. 

THE DETAILS

Thai Pothong accepts BYO wine for $4 corkage per person, seven days.

Vacanza 

261 Bronte Road, Waverley and 414 Bourke Street, Surry Hills

Vacanza BYO Restaurant Sydney
Image credit: Vazanca | Instagram

You can't go wrong with traditional Italian pizza and antipasti paired with a glass of wine. Vacanza has two restaurants, and both are BYO-friendly, with a fun and vibey atmosphere.

Whether you want to head here for date night or get the crew together for a feast, the pizzas are winners (not to mention the gooey burrata), and a generous $45 set menu is a great option for an affordable group gathering.

The details

Vacanza's Surry Hills and Bronte locations accept BYO wine for a $14 per bottle corkage fee, limited to one bottle per person.

Ripples Chowder Bay

Deck C, Chowder Bay Road, Mosman

waterfront restaurant sydney ripples chowder bay
Image credit: Ripples Chowder Bay | Supplied

Ripples Chowder Bay remains a favourite Sydney waterfront venue with 180-degree water views—and it happens to be BYO as well.

Suited to sunset snacks or full meals, the menu spans nibbles like taramasalata-filled pastry cigars and a Middle Eastern-inspired take on beef tartare, or larger plates like pastas or 12-hour slow-cooked NSW lamb shoulder. If you polish off your bottle faster than expected, Ripples is known for its expansive wine collection and impressive wine fridge.

The details

You can BYO wine every day, with $16 per bottle corkage.

Chinese Noodle House

160 Thomas Street, Haymarket

Chinese Noodle House is one of the most beloved Sydney Chinatown BYO restaurants, so you might have to wait for a table, whether you end up crammed inside amongst the noise and wonderful smells, or out on the buzzing street.

It's fast, it's casual and it's definitely not glamorous, but it's downright delicious. You cannot visit without ordering the special braised eggplant, but the Northern Chinese dumplings and knife-cut noodles also have their fans.

THE DETAILS

You can BYO wine and beer for $2 per person, every day.

Sáng By Mabasa

98 Fitzroy Street, Surry Hills

Sang by Mabasa BYO Restaurant Sydney
Image credit: Sang by Mabasa | Instagram

Sang By Mabasa serves up authentic Korean fare in a contemporary and intimate setting—it's one of the top Korean restaurants in Sydney. The menu changes regularly, so bring along a versatile drop to accompany your feast of yassam, bossam, and daegu tang, then perhaps sample some of the restaurant's Korean liquors.

The details

Sang By Mabasa accepts BYO wine for a $10 per person corkage fee, Thursday–Sunday.

Mamak

15 Goulburn Street, Haymarket, 1-5 Railway Street, Chatswood and Shop 6.02 Parramatta Square, 10 Darcy Street, Parramatta

These buzzing Malaysian eateries are a big vibe for all things roti, satay and BYO feeds. The menu here channels the best of Kuala Lumpur roadside stalls peddling tasty Indian-Malay street food.

We highly recommend starting with a classic roti canai, then trying the spicy lamb curry and stir-fried tiger prawns.

THE DETAILS

Mamak's Sydney restaurants are open every day, and offer BYO for $4 per person.

Kepos Street Kitchen

96 Kepos Street, Redfern

This bright, sunny all-day restaurant is where modern Middle Eastern meets the Mediterranean—and you can pair your lunch with a glass of wine from the menu, or bring your own favourite.

The lunch menu has a lot of heart and loads of flavour, with falafel with green tahini, Moroccan lamb cigars with soft boiled egg, goats cheese and herb salad, and pitas filled with Wagyu mince, tomato salad, amba and tahini.

The details

You can BYO wine for $10 per person at lunchtime every day.

Macleay St Bistro

71A Macleay Street, Potts Point

Macleay St Bistro BYO Restaurant Sydney
Image credit: Macleay Street Bistro | Instagram

Sometimes BYO calls for a high-flying feed. Macleay Street Bistro has been serving up impeccable French fare for over 40 years (with a tiny location change recently), garnering loyal patronage and glowing reviews along the way.

Bring something French (or whatever your heart desires) to pair with perfect salmon mousse with baguette, grass-fed beef tartare, duck breast with peaches, eschallots and Armagnac jus, and flaming crepes Suzette.

The details

Macleay Street Bistro offers BYO for wine for $14 per bottle Monday–Saturday, and no corkage fee on Sundays.

Fatima's

296 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills

This iconic Cleveland Street Lebanese spot might have been your go-to for a late-night kebab (the garlic chicken, made fresh to order with hummous and tabouli), but Fatima's is also one of our favourite BYO restaurants.

Bring your favourite bottle of red and tuck into one of Fatima's never-fail banquets from just $40 for a cheap and delicious feed that will leave you stuffed—perhaps ready to shake it off with the belly dancer who drops in on Friday and Saturday nights.

The details

Fatima's does free BYO seven days.

Now check out

Main image credit: Loulou Bistro | Steven Woodburn

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