Club Rules
General
As a BYO Wine Club member, you are entitled to bring your own bottles of wine and Champagne to the restaurants currently listed on this website, subject to the restrictions set forth in each restaurant's listing.
Please review these Club Rules prior to making a booking. They are a list of common sense guidelines and 'do's and don'ts' which should not detract from your BYO experience, unless you have a penchant for boxed wine or alcopops (and if you do you are definitely in the wrong club!). Nevertheless, they are important to our participating restaurants. Any serious breaches of these Club Rules could (gulp) result in termination of your membership — and we would hate to do that.
Bookings
Our list of participating restaurants changes from time to time as venues opt in and out of the program, so please check our website prior to making a booking.
Always reserve a table in advance of arrival by telephoning the restaurant directly (rather than using an online booking service) and identifying yourself as a BYO Wine Club member.
Unless otherwise indicated, members' Bring Your Own privileges are available for bookings of up 8 people only and cannot be combined with other offers.
Special Requests
If you have any special requests, such as decanting or chilling your wine prior to the time of your booking, please arrange these in advance with the restaurant. While most restaurants will endeavour to accommodate, any such requests may be granted or refused at the discretion of the restaurant.
Upon Arrival
Please present your BYO Wine Club membership card to the restaurant upon arrival. At such time, also please discreetly present your bottle(s) of wine to the Maître d' or waitstaff, preferably in the tote provided to you on joining. When this is not practical, our fine dining establishments would greatly appreciate it if you would discard any carrier bags or other packaging before entering and present the bottle on its own.
Corkage Fees
Each restaurant's corkage fee is set forth in its respective listing on this website. This is a flat rate for both regular (750ml) and half (375ml) bottles. Magnums (1.5L) are considered two bottles and will be charged at twice the standard corkage fee. Bottle formats larger than 1.5L may be permitted or refused at the discretion of the restaurant. Should a restaurant permit a bottle format larger than 1.5L, the corkage charge shall be determined by the restaurant.
Minimum Spend
Where a restaurant's listing includes a minimum spend per person, each diner will be required to purchase at least this amount in food and beverages at the venue. The restaurant will have the right to charge you for any shortfall should this minimum not be met.
Except where indicated, any minimum spending requirement is inclusive of corkage fee but excludes any service charges.
Fortified Wines
Fortified wines (i.e. ports or sherries) are permitted at the discretion of the restaurant. Please speak with the restaurant in advance if you would like to bring your own bottle. Sweet or pudding wines are always permitted.
BYO "No No's"
Bring Your Own is a privilege extended by participating restaurants to BYO Wine Club. If abused, these restaurants may remove themselves from our website — to the detriment of all of our members. Accordingly, please:
Do not bring any bottle format smaller than 375ml (half). Bottles larger than 1.5L (magnum) are permitted at the discretion of the restaurant.
Do not bring an open bottle of wine unless agreed with the restaurant in advance.
Do not bring homemade wine or boxed wine. Only commercially made wine in a sealed bottle is permitted.
Do not bring beer, cider, alcopops or spirits. Only wine and champagne are permitted.
Do not ask restaurants to allow BYO on non-Club days or times — they don’t like that.
Do not nip out to the off license during your meal to purchase more wine — it's just bad form.
BYO Etiquette
While not steadfast rules, the following guidelines reflect proper BYO etiquette. Please bear them in mind when visiting participating restaurants:
Endeavour to bring wines on par with at least some of the wines on the restaurant's own list. If you feel the need to bring a truly inexpensive bottle, it's best to do so at a comparably inexpensive restaurant.
Whenever possible, try to avoid bringing the same wine that is on the restaurant's list.
We encourage you to peruse the wine list whilst at participating restaurants. Owners and managers have spent a lot of time and effort putting them together and you might find some hidden gems that you want to try should you return on a non-Club day.
Consider offering the sommelier a taste of your wine — it's just a nice thing to do.
Questions and Comments
We hope you enjoy your BYO experience!
If you have any questions or comments about these Club Rules, please call us at 0845 643 2031 or send us an
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