In a desperate bid to reign in our spending we’ve come to a solution – BYO. Champagne on a beer budget anyone? Here’s the low down on Brissy’s best BYO restaurants.
PUBLIC | CBD
BYO is so often associated with cheap, suburban restaurants, so when we found out that chic, inner-city restaurant Public has BYO wine Tuesdays you can bet we were first in line. Build up the courage to ask Jenny from accounting out for contemporary dishes like Vietnamese BBQ chicken, hay baked lamb shoulder, and if you really want to impress – salmon ceviche, prawn crackers and black ants. Team that with a bottle of wine above $13.99 and that second date is in the bag. 
WAGAYA | FORTITUDE VALLEY
Valley favourite Wagaya has saved our lives on more than one occasion. Great for hangovers, (booths and touch screens when you don’t want to see, or actually speak to anyone), dates (impress them with your chopstick skills and then wow them with karaoke) or just catching up with friends before a Valley crawl, Wagaya rules – and it’s BYO. Slurp down a big bowl of ramen or gorge yourself on yakitori sticks, just book in – this place is POPULAR.
CHOP CHOP CHANGS | WEST END
If Monday was a food it would be that banana you squashed in your bag and found a week later. No one likes it, but Chop Chop Changs are here to brighten up your day with BYO Mondays. Sink your teeth into street food options including dumplings, karaage chicken and squid tentacles, or get spicy with curries and stir-fries. Sweeten up the beginning of the week with a plate of spiced apple dumplings and a glass or two of wine.
SOUL BISTRO | MILTON
You’re already sharing food, so why not share a few bottles of wine too? Enjoy share plates including slow cooked meat balls, melting camembert and pork, crab meat and water chestnut gyoza. Smaller bites not going to cut it? Get stuck into double cooked duck Maryland with wagyu fat roasted potatoes and wine Dutch cabbages.
LEFKAS TAVERNA | WEST END
Opa! For comfort food that’s as affordable as it is delicious, zorba your way to Lefka’s Taverna. Wednesday to Friday is BYO, which gives you heaps more pocket money to spend on moussaka, plates of grilled octopus and mouth-watering lamb yiros. Better still, there’s a bottle shop right next door – convenient much? 
DEER DUCK BISTRO | AUCHENFLOWER
You’re going to want to duck out to grab a couple of bottles of wine before settling in for the spread at Deer Duck! With a focus on innovative, refined cuisine, this hidden suburban restaurant serves drool-worthy modern degustations and a la carte dining. Tuck in to venison carpaccio and sous vide duck – as long as you don’t feel bad eating the restaurant namesake!
SUPER BOWL | FORTITUDE VALLEY
The OG Valley Chinese restaurant has been the unofficial pre-party for years. With favourites like Kungpo chicken, sizzling Mongolian lamb and dimsum, it’s the perfect place to line your stomach before a big night on the…waters. With its cheerful décor, cheap and filling menu and friendly staff – it’s no wonder this joint is always packed on the weekend. They’ll even refrigerate your wine for you – now that’s hospitality.
So grab a couple of bottles of old faithful, your crew and hit the town – you’ve got no excuse to stay home.
