BYOB Restaurants: Etiquette and Tips

There may be times where you want to bring your own bottle of wine to a restaurant. Perhaps it’s a special occasion or you have been saving a bottle of wine and want to open it up at your favorite restaurant. This is where understanding the delicate dance of the corkage fee comes in. Here are 5 tips to consider next time you want to BYOW!

Call ahead. The first step in deciding whether or not to bring your own bottle is to find out if it’s allowed.  If you can’t find your restaurant of choice on the corkage fee app, simply call ahead and ask what the restaurant’s corkage policy is. This is your chance to add the corkage fee to the app!

Accept the corkage fee. While a restaurant may allow you to bring your own wine, it is up to them to decide how much they want to charge you to do so. Fees typically range from $2-$10 per person or $10-$25 a bottle, but they can go as high as $150 per bottle. Pricing tends to match the type of restaurant you are visiting.

Pick the right bottle.  If you decide to bring your own bottle, bring something nice; we stick to the general rule that it should have cost you at least $25.

Tip generously. After the bottle’s been opened and poured, a nice gesture is to offer your server a taste, especially if the bottle is special or the person serving it to you seems to take a particular interest in it. Corkage fees usually go to the house, so be sure to tip generously.

Keep it classy. Bring your bottle in a nice carrier, or simply carry it on its own (not in a paper sack). As soon as you check in and sit down, inform the staff you’ve brought a bottle of your own that you’d like to drink, and then let them take over.