<i>Good Food Under $30</i> editor Angie Schiavone reveals her top picks of Sydney's BYO restaurants.
It's often the drinks order that can cause a meal to spill over from bargain to budget-busting. One thing that helps reduce the risk of such an outcome is BYO. The option of bringing your own wine or beer means you can be as frugal or fancy as you like, and keep closer tabs on the bottom line. In the spirit of that, here are a few of the best BYO options in Sydney's cheap eats scene.
BYO can be a saving grace for groups as it can save some of the "who-drank-what" drama come bill time. Bar Reggio and Top BBQ Chinese are perfectly set up for groups – they've got the space, the atmosphere and the share-friendly food to ensure a good night out.
Bar Reggio, Darlinghurst
BYO; corkage $1.50 per person
The very definition of boisterous, this lively Italian eatery offers groups of 10 or more a $29 all you can eat menu with pizza, pasta, breads and salad. Add BYO to the mix and it's a bargain and potentially very big night.
135 Crown Street, Darlinghurst, barreggio.com.au
Top BBQ Chinese, Dee Why
BYO; no corkage
Round up a few carnivorous friends for a meat-fest at this low-key Chinese restaurant. The meats – whether we're talking honey black pepper steak, or bitter melon roast pork – are succulent, and there's no corkage. Cheers!
828 Pittwater Road, Dee Why, 9982 808
If beer's your BYO drink of choice, it's a good idea to check with the restaurant before you rock up with a six pack, as a lot of restaurants limit BYO to wine only.
Spice I Am, Surry Hills
BYO; no corkage
The original Spice I Am is still pulling big crowds. Bring a couple of beers to help wash down some of the restaurant's spicier numbers, such as pla pad cha – fish pieces stir-fried with chilli paste. Don't get too comfy – tables are in high demand here and lingering with your BYO mightn't make you so popular with the throngs still waiting for a table.
90 Wentworth Avenue, Surry Hills, Spiceiam.com
Rosso Pomodoro, Balmain
BYO; no corkage
Bring a bottle, or a few, of something Italian to go with your authentically Italian pizza made by an "Italian certified" pizza maker. But it's birra, not beer, got it? There are plenty of pizza toppings to choose from, but the good old margherita with tomato, mozzarella and basil is hard to pass up.
Shop 90-91, 24 Buchanan Street, Balmain, rossopomodoro.com.au
The only thing better than BYO, is BYO with no corkage charge. No need to do the maths, just sit back, sip, and sup.
Let's Eat, Marrickville
BYO; no corkage
Ask the bottle-o for something that complements spice because this authentic Thai spot on a strip dominated by Vietnamese eats doesn't skimp on the spice. Try the pad prik king – pork belly with kaffir lime leaf and beans and spices.
352 Illawarra Road, Marrickville, 9558 9508
Holy Cow, Surry Hills
Licensed & BYO; no corkage
One of the quiet achievers in Surry Hills, this smart casual restaurant offers smart service, great Indian food and BYO with no corkage – even though they're also fully licensed. The "Holy Cow Chooza", a sweet and smoky chicken curry, is a house special and must try.
456 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills, holycowfood.com
Tan Viet Noodle House, Cabramatta
BYO; no corkage
Cabramatta isn't short on Vietnamese restaurants and each has its go-to dish. At this popular spot, crispy-skin chicken is king. Try it with noodles or rice, and your BYO of choice.
100 John Street, Cabramatta, 9727 6853
It's hard to resist the BYO option when there's a seriously good bottle-o a short walk from the restaurant you're headed to. Here are a few dynamic restaurant-bottle shop duos.
Hotel Saravana Bhavan, Croydon
BYO; corkage $1 per person
Go for one of the Sri Lankan specialties at this warm local favourite, matched with a bottle from the ripper little liquor shop, Strand Cellars, right across the road.
15 The Strand, Croydon 9747 8779
Silvas, Petersham
Licensed & BYO wine; corkage $2.50 per person
Portuguese food is king at this corner shop specialising in the humble charcoal chook. Right across the street, Petersham Liquor Mart has an impressive range of drops from the same region.
Shop 1, 82-86 New Canterbury Road, Petersham, silvas.com.au
Fu Manchu, Darlinghurst
Licensed & BYO; corkage $8 per bottle (8 bottle max)
We still love the Nonya dishes (don't miss the potato curry with roti) and now love the new location, even if it is somewhat further away from the reliably good Camperdown Cellars outlet at 233 Victoria Street.
229 Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst, fumanchu.com.au
Also try...
Jackie M, Concord
BYO; corkage $2 per person
A smart casual joint doing great Malaysian hawker food, including a mean char kway teow, Jackie M has a big following and a very reasonable corkage charge.
85 Majors Bay Road, Concord, 9743 0390, jackiem.com.au
Il Baretto, Surry Hills
BYO; corkage $3 per person
The current title holder of the Good Food Guide and Dan Murphy's BYO Restaurant of the Year, this streetwise Italian doesn't fit the "Under $30" rule, but the signature pappardelle with duck ragu is a worthy budget-stretcher.
496 Bourke Street, Surry Hills, ilbarettosydney.com
What's your favourite BYO spot in Sydney? Jump on the comments and share your top picks.
The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Under $30 will be sold for $5 with the paper this Saturday. It's also available in bookshops and at The Sydney Morning Herald online shop (smhshop.com.au) for $10.
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