The best BYO restaurants in Melbourne

Corkage: Free of charge, but only during weekday lunches

Pieter Buijsse (Jackalope, Laura at Pt. Leo Estate) has recently joined South Yarra's Bar Carolina team as Head Chef, and BYO is also now available at weekday lunches with no corkage charge.On Mondays, the new 'Icons Only' program will offer a weekly-changing classic pasta for $30, featuring the likes of spaghetti alle vongole, carbonara and puttanesca. Bring a bottle of something juicy and make a long lunch of it!

Corkage: $8 per bottle of wine.

South Yarra institution France-Soir has been wining and dining since 1986. Proudly French, the restaurant has maintained its allure and stature as one of Melbourne's most stylish venues. Although its authentic French food is common knowledge, the fact that they are BYO for lunches is one of the city's best-kept secrets. It's a little pricey for a casual lunch, but you can squeeze out plenty of value by bringing your own bottle. Then kick back and enjoy buttery snails, duck à l’orange and beef bourguignon with whatever verre de vin you choose.

Teta Mona is a boho-chic all-day restaurant where brothers Antoine and Bechara Taouk are serving simple Lebanese with plenty of pickles and very little fuss. This is everything a neighbourhood restaurant should be. It's loud, and it’s BYO, with service that's personal if a little bit shambolic during peak times. There are street-side seats for locals with dogs, while inside you’re sitting in a room that looks like a cross between the share house of an anthropology enthusiast and a stall at the Dandenong markets: couches, plenty of intricately carved tables and a big display of those blown glass water pitchers (aka briks).

Corkage: $0 – beer and wine.

Corkage: $25, lunch only from Thursday to Sunday.

Alta Trattoria isn't just “another Italian joint”.  The restaurant’s specialty is a little different, zeroing in on the northern Italian region of Piedmont, which is located at the foot of the Alps and home to some of the boot nation’s most prized culinary exports. In addition, the team behind Alta Trattoria includes Luke Drum (Carlton Wine Room), chef McKay Wilday (Victoria by Farmers Daughters), Carlo Grossi (Ombra, Grossi Florentino) and vino expert James Tait (King and Godfree). The restaurant's just launched BYO lunches from Thursday to Sunday.

Corkage: $0

Corkage: $3.50 per person

Corkage: $4 per person – wine only

Corkage: $30, lunch only on Saturday

Antara 128 is an all-day bakery and restaurant in the heart of the CBD, from the Hotel Windsor Group. As well as the elegant high tea restaurant, this is the same crew who also run Sunda and Aru, so at Antara you can expect some mighty sophisticated eats. The open kitchen works with a rotation of seasonal ingredients for its menu of snacks and small plates to go with wine. As of June 2024, the venue started doing BYO for Saturday lunch so grab a friend and bring a bottle!