The 7 Best BYOB Restaurants in London

The key to eating good in London without spending a fortune? BYOB restaurants. If you fancy having a drink with your dinner, alcohol significantly ramps up the bill. There are many restaurants in London that let customers bring their own beer, wine, and other drinks, to help keep costs low while enjoying delicious food. Most BYOBs are locally-owned, multicultural restaurants too, so you’re also supporting the local community. Never overpay for booze again: here are the 7 best BYOB restaurants in London. 

Eat for cheap in London at these BYOB restaurants

1. Mangal 1, Dalston

No corkage

This East London Turkish joint goes way beyond your usual expectations of a kebab shop. It’s been around for decades and is no secret, but the enticing smells of meat cooking on the huge mangal grill still get passersby to cancel their small plates reservations. It’s reliable, efficient, and of course, BYOB. Wash down Adana kebab, dripping in meaty juices, or cöp şiş (marinated lamb skewers) with a cold beer from the corner shop across the road. Mains come with pickled, colourful salads, and warm bread is key for mopping up the meat juices, or scooping up ezme (tomato salad) and smoky aubergine dip.

2. KaoSarn, South London

No corkage 

KaoSarn is a Brixton Market institution and now has branches in Clapham and Tooting. All three restaurants are BYOB, loved for their zingy, authentic Thai flavours and generous portions. Slurp perfectly sour tom yum soup, try crunchy som tam (papaya salad), and spoon ladles of coconutty, peanutty curry onto sticky rice – whatever you eat, it will be good. Most dishes have pescetarian or vegetarian options, with chicken and pork being easily swapped for tofu and prawns, so everyone can try the mouthwatering goodness of kao pad kra-paw (basil stir fry with rice).

3. Tayyabs, Whitechapel

No corkage

Spreading across multiple floors, Tayyabs is the perfect spot for big groups looking for a proper East End curry house. The Punjabi restaurant has stuck around for over 50 years, and if its signature frantic energy has anything to go by, it shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. It’s loved for its affordability, no corkage fee, efficient service, and outrageously delicious food. Flavours are rich and potent, from the pumpkin curry to the ultra-succulent lamb chops, best mopped up with charred paratha. It’s a place you’ll come back to again, and again.  

4. Tagine, Balham

No corkage

Find this slice of Morocco in the heart of South West London’s Balham. The cocooning ambience takes you right to Marrakech, with deep red touches and low-lit lanterns. The atmosphere is just a bonus – people come here for the food. On the menu is lamb shank tagine, sea bass tagine, chicken and preserved lemon tagine – really any tagine you can think of – as well as excellent houmous, chickpea soup, baba ganoush, merguez sausages and more. 

5. Jai Krishna, Finsbury Park

No corkage

No frills, good-sized portions, and cheap – what more could you want from a neighbourhood curry house? This unpretentious spot is 100% veggie, with many vegan dishes, but even the most insistent of carnivores will leave satisfied. The food is authentic and delicious, with an impressive menu of curries, street foods, and thalis that showcases the versatility of vegetables, pulses, and Indian cooking. Compare aubergine bhajis and cauliflower bhajis with the usual onion bhaji, and try popular Indian street foods – bhel puri, papri chaat, gol gappa, dhokra chaat, and many more. And of course, it’s no-corkage BYOB. Pop across the road to the off-licence and stock up. 

6. Ariana 2, Kilburn

No corkage

The story begins in New York, 1986. Noticing the lack of Afghan restaurants, a family opens a spot that becomes wildly popular: the first Ariana. Following the success of their New York restaurant, the family opened Ariana 2 in Kilburn, one of London’s most multicultural areas. It’s grown to be the pride and joy of Kilburn High Road, with Londoners from all corners of the city travelling to try diverse Afghan cuisine, from pillowy dumplings topped with yoghurt and a lentil sauce to ultra-juicy Afghan-style kebabs over fragrant rice. The modest eatery delivers on all five fronts: excellent service, decent prices, generous portions, delicious taste, and of course, it’s BYOB. 

7. Singburi, Leytonstone 

No corkage

Singburi is London’s worst-kept secret, and getting a table at this hyped-up Thai restaurant is no small feat. Reservations are released monthly (sometimes even two months in advance) and there is no online booking system – bookings are taken by phone. It’s quite amazing that this unassuming, hole-in-the-wall eatery is now widely known as one of the best in the city, and it’s even more amazing that it’s kept its BYOB policy and low prices. Maybe it’s the scarcity and exclusivity, or maybe it’s the truly incredible food, but there’s no doubt that Singburi is one of the best restaurants in London, let alone one of the best BYOBs. 

Honourable mentions: Roti King, X’Ian Impression, Little Georgia, Lahore, Andu Cafe