Dinner with friends is excellent. Really, it’s as simple as that. But there are times when you’d really like to drink that special bottle you’ve been saving, without the hassle of cooking. Or, you’d prefer to spend your hard earned dollars on the food and bring the wine your mum gave you for Christmas. Either way, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite restaurants that let you bring your own wine.
Jim’s Greek Tavern
Jim serves us some of the best Greek food in town. Tucked into Johnston Street in Collingwood, this neighbourhood favourite won’t offer you any kind of menu, you just go with the flow there. And when you can bring your own wine, you won’t mind at all. Expect the likes of saganaki cheese, dips and breads, grilled meats and seafood, and dessert platters to tip you over the edge.
Jim’s Greek Tavern
32 Johnston Street, Collingwood
Abla’s
Opened back in 1979 after Abla Amad’s friends begged her to start a restaurant, Abla’s has been serving up no-fuss Lebanese cuisine for years, long before Carlton was as popular as it is today. This little lady is well known for her homely and authentic cooking. Dips of hummus, tahini and baba ghanoush start the evening, while mains see flavoured rice pilaf served with minced lamb, chicken, almonds, and pines nuts, and the Ma’hshi koussa of white zucchini filled with rice, chickpeas, parsley, tomato, and spring onion. All you need to do is choose the perfect drop.
Abla’s
109 Elgin Street, Carlton
(03) 9347 0006
ablas.com.au
Ladro
Red wine and pizza is one of life’s great combinations. And thanks to Ladro’s $5 Monday night charity BYO night, you can enjoy just that while giving back at the same time. Every Monday bring your favourite bottle while you enjoy your lightly fried calamari and crispy pizza and all proceeds go to either the Fitzroy Vinnes Vannies Matthew Talbot Soup Van, or the Prahran Mission Christmas Day Lunch. Tuesday to Sunday you can still enjoy BYO for $15.
Ladro
224A Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
162 Greville Street, Prahan
ladro.com.au
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Peko Peko
Japanese with a casual relaxed vibe goes very well with bottles (yes, plural) of wine. The small space on Smith Street in Fitzroy serves up the classics of sushi and sashimi, agedashi tofu, and okonomiyaki as well as chilli tofu soba noodles, sweet potato gyoza and soft shell crab. You can end the meal with nutella gyoza and black sesame ice cream. What wine would go with that?
Peko Peko
199 Smith Street, Collingwood
(03) 9415 9609
France Soir
A French Bistro in the heart of South Yarra? It would be rude not to enjoy a class of something French. Or the whole bottle, let’s be honest. And luckily we can bring our own to France Soir. The extensive menu serves up all the French things you can dream of from snails in garlic butter to a Nicoise salad, to Scotch fillet serves with frites and salad.
France Soir
11-13 Toorak Road, South Yarra
(03) 9866 8015
www.france-soir.com.au
Pizza Meine Liebe
Pizza Meine Liebe is a simple Northcote pizza place serving up your more traditional pizzas like the margherita and the capricciosa, as well as The Chong, a combination of tomato, jalapeno jack, hot sopressa, and japapenos, or the Piggy in the Middle, topped with mozzarella, gruyere, pancetta, egg, parsley, with a lid. Choose a pizza, choose a drop to go with it. Job done.
Pizza Meine Liebe
231 High Street, Northcote
(03) 9482 7001
www.pizzarocks.com.au
Mamak
Mamak brings us the flavours of Malaysia through their authentic and expensive menu. Go for Roti Bawang, rich buttery flat bread with sweet red onions, flamed grilled satay chicken, a stir-fry of tiger prawns in a fiery sambal sauce, or perhaps the Mee Goreng of hokkien noodles, eggs, prawns, fish cake slices, and bean sprouts. You’ll be be thirsty after all that spice. Lucky they do BYO.
Mamak
366 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
(03) 9670 3137
www.mamak.com.au
Hu Tong
BYO wine and dumplings. Anyone else feeling a little like they’ve time travelled back to their university days? Well, Hu Tong manage to take dumplings and wine and make it a little more classy. With some of the best dumplings in town, you’ll find anything from vegetable dumplings, pan fried pork dumplings, and of course the wontons in hot chilli soup.
HuTong
14-16 Market Lane, Melbourne
(03) 9650 8128
www.hutong.com.au
