The best BYOB restaurants in London

East London’s most famous ocakbasi restaurant (aka Mangal 1) has been around for decades, but this kebab king still lures in passers-by with enticing smells from its enormous mangal grill. Meat is the main event here – so hold out for the succulent cubes of grilled lamb in the insuperable ‘cop sis’, or the garlicky lusciousness of the minced chicken beyti. They stock a few Turkish wines, but BYOB if you fancy something different. 

BYOB all week; no corkage.

A veteran of the Leytonstone scene, this tiny family-run Thai café scores in every department. The BYOB policy is key to its boozy appeal, but the food is also a blast – staunchly traditional, potently spiced and delivered without ceremony from the open kitchen. Staples such as pad thai and massaman curry are terrific value, but also take a look at the chalked-up specials board. Be warned: Singburi is rampantly popular and closes for much of winter. 

BYOB Wed-Sun; no corkage.

Our favourite thing about this green-fronted café near Waterloo station is the fact that jungle curries and pad thai are as popular as plates of fried eggs and chips. By day, the Formica-heavy interior functions as a full-on greasy spoon serving gut-busting fry-ups; by night, it’s a Thai restaurant packed with nattering cabbies and spice-loving locals scoffing authentic food at bargain-basement prices – think chicken satay, som tam salad, stir-fries, noodles and banana fritters.

BYOB Mon-Sat (dinner only); corkage £1.

The Uyghurs are a Muslim ethnic group found in westernmost China and Central Asia. Their cuisine is a curious blend of influences – Chinese, Middle Eastern, Persian – all facilitated by the historical to-ing and fro-ing along the Silk Road. Four thousand-odd miles to the west, on a quietish stretch of Walthamstow’s Hoe Street, is Etles: a small, family-run restaurant specialising in Uyghur dishes. BYOB from the offy two doors down. 

BYOB, no corkage 

A huge, full-on East End curry house that has acquired almost mythical status since launching back in 1972, Tayyabs remains as frantically busy as ever – don’t come here expecting a relaxed chilled-out Ruby. No matter, because the food at this Punjabi stalwart is a bargain and the flavours are potent – tuck into the fiery grilled lamb chops, rich dahls and generous karahi bowls (‘small’ versions are big and cheap enough for one person). Corkage-free BYOB is a budget-friendly bonus.

BYOB all week; no corkage.

Chef Wei Guirong’s no-frills restaurant by the Emirates Stadium peddles street food from her birthplace, Xi’an (home to the Terracotta Army). Trained in the cuisine of Shan Xi province, her cooking is marked by rich combinations of spices and soft hand-pulled noodles – although hardcore fans come for the stonking Xi’an pork burger with special sauce, the pot-sticker dumplings, the smacked cucumber with garlic, and the shredded Xi’an bread in beef broth.  

BYOB all week; corkage £5.50 per bottle (wine), £1.90 (beer).

If you're considering eating in King's Cross and immediately think of Coal Drops Yard, you’re doing it wrong. Paolina’s Thai Café is a cracking little BYOB restaurant just a few minutes’ walk from the station, and the food is well-priced and comforting with very generous portions, from pad sieyu to kang massaman. Definitely order the mixed platter for two to start but don’t be fooled, it’s more than enough for three. Or maybe four.

A fixture of Drummond Street’s ‘Little India’ since the 1970s, this no-frills vegetarian café still pulls in the crowds, despite its cramped tables and bench seating. Prices are low, you can BYOB and the menu is all about Gujarati street food – not only the namesake bhel-pooris but also dosas, aloo papri chat, dahi vada, samosas and so on. Veggie thalis are excellent value if you want a bit of everything.

BYOB all week; no corkage.

Compared to its more expansive Islington offshoot, Little Georgia’s Hackney branch is a much simpler prospect – a retro café by day and an unlicensed BYOB restaurant by night. The place is famous for its Georgian breakfasts, all-day lunches, deli-style sandwiches and homemade cakes, while evening brings authentic dishes based largely on family recipes – perhaps borscht or beetroot salad followed by tabaka (roast poussin with chicken livers and Georgian plum sauce). Either way, don’t miss the freshly baked khachapuri (traditional cheese bread).

BYOB Tue-Sun; £5 corkage if your meal is under £25 per person. Otherwise free.

As the name suggests, this teeny Euston backstreet basement serves up astounding Malaysian rotis, either stuffed or with first-rate curries for dipping. They’re crisp, chewy and feather-light but also dense – perfect with an ambrosial glass of teh tarik (chilled sweet tea). Also look out for ‘local’ dishes such as nasi goreng and beef rendang. RK is really is small, so go early evening to beat the queues – and don’t forget to BYOB (M&S in Euston station is just 30 seconds away).

BYOB Mon-Sat; corkage £10 per table.

Colourful, crowded and charmingly bonkers, Sally Chambers’ Middle Eastern café is shoehorned among the paraphernalia of Peckham’s Persian delicatessen. Expect a full-on veggie interpretation of Levantine and Persian cuisine, from traditional meze and wraps with seasonally inspired fillings (quince, halloumi and caramelised celeriac) to daily soups and hotpots and all-day fillers such as baked sweet potato topped with Persian baked beans. Also, don’t miss the lush Turkish delight sundae. BYOB for supper.

BYOB all week; no corkage.

Just round the corner from Crouch Hill station, this incredibly cheap Indian vegetarian spot also comes with BYOB – so pop across the road to Jack’s off-licence if you need to stock up. The decor’s basic but the food is delicious and authentic, from dosas, idli sambar and aloo tikki to all sorts of veggie curries – not only the usual cauliflower, chickpeas and spinach but also bitter gourd, mooli and long beans. Great-value thalis too.

BYOB Mon-Sat.

A colourful and entertaining restaurant/bar that does a roaring trade with the local party crowd, Guanabana is all about spreading the love and dispensing Caribbean/Latin sunshine with its lively menu and drinks. To eat, expect everything from pickled cactus fries and crispy shakalaka shrimps to fajitas, jerk chicken, curry goat, steaks, wings and salads. Guanabana’s BYOB offer extends to bottles of spirits, but you’ll still need to buy your mixers and soft drinks.    

BYOB all week; £1-6

Kilburn’s pride and joy, this modest Afghan spot also attracts people from across London with its excellent cooking, budget prices and BYOB policy. Dumplings, tikkas, curries and kebabs show the cuisine’s cultural diversity, but also look for more distinctive ideas – from mantu (minced meat in steamed pastry topped with yoghurt, chickpeas and mint) to the must-have kabuli palow (slow-cooked lamb shank buried in a mound of yellow rice dotted with pistachios and peppers). To drink, order minty yoghurt ‘dough’ or ‘happy’ cardamom tea.

BYOB all week; no corkage (‘no water or juices please’).

There’s usually a queue at this ‘Med-inspired’ Turkish grill, but no-nonsense service means you’ll bag a table pretty quickly. While you wait, get the juices flowing by watching Fez’s meat maestros as they rotate the hefty barbecue skewers and shave slices off the own-made doners. They also score with cut-above accompaniments including crunchy red cabbage, spice-rubbed flatbreads and tangy Turkish yoghurt.

BYOB all week; no corkage.

Ethiopian, vegan and BYOB, this Dalston café knocks out hearty plant-based food in a friendly no-frills setting of fairy lights, religious prints and artificial plants. Decide whether you want traditional injera bread or rice to go with your six-dish ‘sampler platter’, which is all about greens and aromatic stews made with beans or lentils, and pimped up with plenty of garlic, ginger and turmeric. Prices are ridiculously low (£11 per person or £20 for two) and you don’t even have to pay corkage.

BYOB all week; no corkage.

Battling it out in the lamb chop stakes with its local rivals Tayyabs and Lahore Kebab House, this cramped Indian delivers the goods against a gaudy backdrop of bright red walls, leather benches and blaring flatscreen TVs. Aside from the grilled meats and kebabs, what you get are succulent karahi dishes, biryanis and buttery naans, although pre-prepared snacks can be disappointing. Like its neighbours, Needoo is a BYOB spot with swift service, although it doesn’t suffer from the same interminable queues.

BYOB all week; no corkage.

KaoSarn has always been one of the crowd-pullers in Brixton Village Market and quite rightly so; the food is not only cheap, but also bursts with authentic Thai flavours. The menu is pared down to a handful of classic curries, noodle dishes and stir-fries, although everything is up to standard. Soft drinks include fragrant homemade lemongrass tea, and you can also BYOB. Service is matter of fact, but staff are unfailingly friendly. Branches in Tooting and Battersea.

BYO Tue-Sun; no corkage.

A suitably spartan place of pilgrimage for East End curry devotees who want to avoid the touts, this consistently reliable Whitechapel canteen deals in full-flavoured Punjabi street food, from snacks and karahi bowls to the eponymous grilled meat-on-a-stick. Despite the moniker, there are only two kebabs on offer – one seekh (a ‘sausage’ of seasoned, finely minced lamb on a skewer), and a classic chicken kebab: both are excellent. If you need booze, there’s an off-licence next door.

BYOB all week; no corkage.

This tiny fuss-free Vietnamese eatery not only serves very decent food at very decent prices but also does BYOB. The decor won’t get you excited and there are only a few tables, but crowds are still happy to wait in line. Huge bowls of pho are one of the main attractions, although the short menu covers most of the popular Vietnamese classics, from rice paper rolls to spicy bun bo hue (a pork/shrimp paste broth with thick vermicelli noodles).

BYOB all week; wine only, corkage £10 per bottle.

This aptly named Indian is still wowing Borough’s curry fans with its offer of BYOB and reasonably priced regional dishes from across the subcontinent. Beyond the unfussy black and yellow frontage is a light, airy dining room festooned with paintings of Indian railway scenes, while the menu travels far and wide, taking in everything from South Indian dosas and Keralan prawns to Punjabi tandooris, Sri Lankan burjis (pulled lamb pao) and even the odd speciality from Tibet.

BYOB all week; no corkage.

Located down a dingy cobbled alleyway opposite Peckham Rye station, Yada’s is a ramshackle Kurdish joint with zero interest in PR but a huge talent for producing honest, flavourful food. Its shish kebabs, shawarma and kubba (lamb-stuffed rice balls) are all grand but do save room for a qawarma lamb wrap with cheese and pickles. They also do Irn Bru shisha, if you’re interested. 

BYOB Tue-Sun; no corkage.

Named after an Italian comedy double-act from the ’70s, Pappa Ciccia was set up in 1995 by Tino and Shelly Mereu, who still run it as a genuine family pizzeria. As part of the fabric of Fulham, it feeds the locals with a menu of traditional antipasti, pastas, risottos, salads and pizzas with perfectly crisp crusts – all washed down with bottles of Sardinian house red or your own BYO. There’s a second branch on Fulham High Street.

BYOB all week; corkage £5.95 per person

This family-run south Vietnamese restaurant specialises in serving delicious low-cost food in rather garish surroundings – don’t expect much in the way of atmosphere. Instead, focus on the big portions of authentic oriental nosh – cavernous bowls of hu tieu soup, bánh xèo (Vietnamese pancake stuffed with all sorts of savoury goodies), a fiery dish of chicken with chilli, lemongrass and soothing coconut milk, and so on.

BYOB all week; £2 per person.

A popular Indian canteen on Islington’s Chapel Market, serving an all-you-can-eat buffet in karmic (some might say preachy) surrounds. As the name suggests, it’s totally veggie and a lot of the stuff also ticks those vegan boxes – think vegetable curries, dhals, colourful salads and feather-light parathas. No wonder this place is a stalwart for cheap dates and early-evening carb loading, especially if you BYOB. 

BYOB all week; no corkage.

A Brick Lane stalwart, Sheba has been knocking out dishes from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan since 1974 and it’s still run by the original family. Spread over two floors, it deals in typical curry house fare with a regional slant – from tandooris and biryanis to Bengali fish dishes and veggies options. Beware the mouth-numbing ‘Bollywood blast’ (lamb cooked with kidney beans and four varieties of super-hot chilli). Sheba is licensed but you can also BYO.

BYOB all week; no corkage.