With value and a spirit of good times in mind, bringing your own can turn any occasion into one to remember. Here’s our pick of where best to bring a bottle in the West.
The BYO dining scene in WA has range. Whether it’s a mid-week cheap-and-cheerful dinner accompanied by a couple of easy-drinking cans of whatever beer happens to be in the fridge, or a special occasion earmarked for cracking that nice bottle of wine you’ve definitely been holding onto for too long, WA’s bring-your-own offering goes above and beyond the expectations of what a BYO restaurant can be.
Spanning Asian and Euro cuisines, cosy fine-diners, romantic haunts and hidden gems, the state’s BYO credentials are as far reaching as the idyllic South West, dotting the map of WA with options aplenty.
Alberta’s
When the team behind Alberta’s opened late in 2022, it was always going to be on their terms. Dining here falls within “must try” territory with refined fare from a kitchen that aims to get the most out of local produce. Dishes can be simple, like lightly dressed salad greens with green olives, or more robust, like Shark Bay prawns with preserved tomato, heirloom potatoes and mussels. There’s an admirable range of non-alcoholic options on the chalkboard menu, but the crew will happily let you bring a bottle for a $15 corkage fee, raid the cellar, or let the staff direct you to the nearby bottleshop or to neighbouring Rocky Ridge Brewery for locally made, sustainable craft beers.
3/55 Queen Street, Busselton; albertas.com.au
KCH
KCH might present as simple, but just one plate from its full-flavoured Malaysian menu should tell you this diner is something special. Chef Calvin Chong and his team serve hawker-style cuisine from his hometown of Kuching, and they’ve built a hell of a following in the process. The concise carte features dishes like char way teow, a “Grandma-style” meat roll and the house speciality laksa, all impressing with complex flavour and intense fragrance. For drinks, a well-stocked Thirsty Camel lies just across Angove Street and generously, KCH won’t even charge you corkage.
Unit 41, 10 Angove Street, North Perth; thekch.com.au
Rym Tarng
With just a handful of tables, Rym Tarng is a must-book if you plan on dining in. While they do a strong trade in take-away, sitting in and soaking up the surrounds of this lively suburban eatery will pay dividends with the scent of the woks permeating the space as the crew dole out plates of Thai street food. Sharing is recommended, perfect for dishes like crisp pork and prawn doughnuts, som dtum and pad see ew. At just $3 a head for corkage, a bottle will go nicely alongside shared dishes, with Wise Child Winestore just minutes away.
Shop 8, 258 Canning Highway, Bicton; rymtarng.com
Andly Private Kitchen
Possibly one of the best restaurants you’ve never heard of, Andly Private Kitchen carries little hype with its name. Instead, word of mouth and a commitment to high-quality Chinese cookery with a fine-dining edge ensures seats are almost always full. Intimate and highly detailed surrounds set the tone where traditional flavours are delicately balanced with contemporary touches. A unique selling point for a fine-diner, Andly’s offers BYO, and is just a few minutes away from Besk, the perfect spot to have a pre-drink before picking up a bottle for dinner.
1/50 Oxford Close, West Leederville; 0412 421 261
Monsterella
It’s hard to stuff up a suburban pizza joint, but in fairness, there isn’t a heap of pizza offerings in the ’burbs worth talking about, either. Monsterella changes the tone on what simple, family-friendly pizza can look like. All the boxes are ticked that make it a cut above, from fresh ingredients to 48-hour slow-risen dough and service that is equal parts brisk and attentive. BYO beer and wine adds to the simplicity, letting you take it in whichever direction – fancy or low-key – you’re feeling. Grab something from the cellar, or bring some refreshing brews and you’re set.
46 Grantham Street, Wembley; monsterella.com.au
Billy Lee’s Chinese Restaurant
Billy Lee’s reputation is that of legend, thanks to high-quality Cantonese cooking and its famed late-night persona. It feeds the masses when the bars and clubs close, and it provides a valuable service for the hospo crew and those working unsociable hours. Until midnight (4am on Fridays and Saturdays), Billy Lee’s offers an immense menu that includes dim sum, omelettes, noodles and hot pot. Whether it’s for a late-night fix, or you’re just looking for solid Cantonese dining, it goes down even better when you can bring along a drink of choice for just a $2 corkage fee.
15/68 Roe St, Northbridge; billylees.com.au
Tsukaya
Chef Pepe Tsukayama is masterful in his efforts in uniting Japanese and Peruvian influences at his Mt Hawthorn eatery. Yes, a sashimi taco often features, but it’s Tsukaya’s respectful approach to both cuisines that is at the apex of this dining experience, with traditional flavours and techniques rendered with clarity. Aside from a few Japanese sodas, BYO is the only option, and thankfully, a few noteworthy bottleshops are within walking distance, including Paddington Fine Wines, Porters Liquor and a BWS.
167 Scarborough Beach Road, Mount Hawthorn
Teddis Big Spoon
An institution to locals in Margaret River, the focus here is Korean barbecue and quality produce. A brief menu features locally farmed meats and vegetables for grilling, along with uniquely Korean dishes, like tteok-bokki, which here sees rice cakes flavoured with seafood and mozzarella, and beef hotpot. For those looking to pair dinner with drinks, corkage is just $5 a bottle and Margaret River Liquor Merchants – across the road – has a solid range of local and international wines, or why not bring one of the many bottles you’re likely to grab touring the world-famed wine region.
113a Bussell Hwy, Margaret River; @teddisbigspoon
Nolita
Perth has plenty of casual Italian diners, but few offer the opportunity to BYO like Nolita does. On Monday and Tuesdays, bringing your own plonk will cost you nothing. Nada. Zip. This is a rare opportunity to commit to that special bottle you’ve been hanging onto, and the food and service at Nolita make it worth it. Quality glassware and a polished, intimate setting elevate fresh pasta and small plates built around top-notch ingredients, including Western Australian seafood and Italian cheeses.
16 Bay View Terrace, Claremont; nolita.com.au
The Prophet Lebanese Cafe
The Prophet has been slinging Lebanese cuisine for more than 20 years from their Vic Park home, amassing a cult-like following in the process. There’s no alcohol on the menu, so BYO is the go, and will set you back a very reasonable $5 per bottle. It’ll be picking what to pair with you wine that will pose a challenge, however, as the menu enlists recognisable Middle Eastern stalwarts alongside house specialities and Lebanese dishes worth exploring, like chicken livers with garlic, chilli and lemon, or kibbeh naya of raw minced lamb with crushed wheat and spices.
907a Albany Highway, East Victoria Park; theprophet.com.au
