Five of a kind: BYO restaurants

Rhone

There isn't a lot the good folk of Albert Park don't have. Several mid-range eateries offer the BYO option to entice budget-savvy locals. It's this market Rhone is keen to tap, offering top-notch dining with a neighbourly approach to embracing wine other than that on the restaurant's list. Bring a bottle, pay $9 corkage and dig in to "Spanish Mediterranean" tapas prepared by Sean Heist (ex-Garcia & Son, Hairy Canary and Tusk). It's a spread combining three versions of paella, arancini balls earthy with wild mushrooms and manchego cheese, or chargrilled lamb cutlets served with romesco sauce. And if the BYO well runs dry, the restaurant's list is stacked with wines from Portugal, France, Spain and Italy.
125 Victoria Avenue, Albert Park; 9682 2388; Tues-Sat 5-11pm; Sun 5-10pm; rhonewinetapas.com.au

A La Bouffe

It's a savvy restaurant that finds the line between making a margin through their wine list and keeping regulars happy by allowing BYO. A La Bouffe has found a workable balance. Much loved for its elegant Gallic atmosphere and traditional French dishes, A La Bouffe's owners Jacky Frenot and Gabrielle Dewan have a BYO policy encouraging diners to bring a bottle Sunday night through Thursday night.

Not that choosing a bottle in-house to match a seafood mille-feuille or pave a la bearnaise should be any hardship; except for a lean showing of Australian wines, the focus is unapologetically French. Corkage is $14.50 a bottle. Note: BYO Thurs-Sun only.
268 Toorak Road, South Yarra; 9077 2856; daily 11.30am-3pm, 5.30pm-late; alabouffe.com.au

Captain Baxter

Melbourne restaurants go mad for roasts when the barometer dips, and St Kilda's Captain Baxter rides the wave with Sunday lunch roasts and a BYO option until September 1. Pay $40 a head for a two-course meal including an entree of charcuterie (shared between two), followed by the rolled and roasted Cherry Tree organic lamb shoulder with sides of thyme-roasted potatoes, baby carrots and confit leeks. There's an open fire and, happily, no BYO fee. Sommelier Luke Campbell is happy to talk vintages and matches with fellow enthusiasts. The BYO offer is for one-bottle-a-table booking. Note: BYO Sunday lunch only until September.
10-18 Jacka Boulevard, St Kilda; 8534 8999; Thurs-Fri 5pm-1am; Sat-Sun noon-1am; captainbaxter.com.au

Jim's Greek Tavern

Greek hospitality is legendary, as anyone who has ever enjoyed an evening at the behest of Greek family or friends can attest. So it comes as little surprise that Melbourne restaurant institution Jim's Greek Tavern has taken the idea of BYO up a notch or three. No corkage fee; no per head charge; and (when it comes to alcohol) no limitations. Bring beer, wine, even spirits, to enjoy at your Greek table while feasting on a classic selection of Jim's dishes, from the taramasalata to the chargrilled seafood and the unmissable galaktoboureko (custard cake). The only beverage off BYO limits is soft drink, meaning it's only the kids who don't drink for free. If it wasn't such a family-friendly venue, you'd think it all the more reason to ring in the babysitter.
32 Johnston Street, Collingwood; 9419 3827; daily from 6pm

Scopri

It's not hard to imagine impressive home cellars behind the imposing frontages of those beautiful Carlton terrace houses, a supposition the team at Scopri is playing to. Though it offers an interesting wine list, the restaurant has made a point of encouraging BYO. This means taking care when decanting and providing appropriate stemware, says co-owner Anthony Scutella. "We think people who appreciate great wine also appreciate great food, so we are happy to have them come and enjoy their wine with us," he says. The cost is $10 a bottle, which is enticement to bring along that rich Chianti as an ideal match for braised onion and veal shank lasagne or a wild mushroom fettuccine.
191 Nicholson Street, Carlton; 9347 8252; Tues-Fri noon-3pm, 6-11pm; Sat 6-11pm; scopri.com.au