The Best BYOs In Wellington

Young Shing is a traditional Chinese restaurant that seeks to put a fresh twist on authentic cuisine. Young Shing is the perfect spot for bigger groups; the menu is generous and offers a dish for even the pickiest of eaters, and by this, we mean nuggets and burgers. For the more experienced palettes, you can indulge in a variety of noodle dishes, stir-fry’s, chow mein and fried rice. Expand your horizons with deep-fried squid tentacles or stick with the classic pork dumplings and chicken fried rice. Young Shing is a great restaurant for a bite to eat after work, catching up with friends or satisfying those BYO needs. It is a $5 corkage fee on bottles of wine and no fee for beer.

If you’re after the royal treatment, visit Istana Malaysia, aka, The Palace of Malaysia cuisine. The self-professed best Malaysian restaurant in all of Wellington has garnered a dedicated following; we can’t get enough of the fresh and flavourful dishes or the BYO privileges. Receive a warm welcome upon entry and settle in for a night of vibrant and colourful cuisine. Dig into delicious dishes like the lamb korma, beef rendang, seafood mee-goreng and Chinese black pepper steaks. Istana Malaysia’s BYO policy is wine only, and we’re not complaining.

Nothing makes us happier than authentic Indian cuisine; throw in BYO wine, and we’re in love. Curry Heaven has two Wellington locations Bond Street and Newtown; both restaurants are warm and intimate; great for relaxed dinners with family and friends. Score a nice cosy seat by the window and dive into a plate of onion bhajis, butter chicken with a creamy tomato sauce or the fish masala. While the venue is BYO, there is also a wine list available if you finish your bottle early, for non-alcoholic options we recommend the chai Indian spiced tea.

Tequila, tacos and BYO wine. What more could you want? Tequila Joe’s is the BYO restaurant we never knew we needed. This is our go-to spot for celebrating a special occasion, spicing up date night or participating in thirsty Thursday – basically, we’re here all the time. Challenge yourself to the all you can eat buffalo wing Wednesdays, taco Thursdays and weekend happy hours from 5pm – 7pm. After you’ve polished off your bottle of vino, peruse the margarita menu, kick things off with a frozen marg or something fruity. BYO is available Wednesday-Saturday with a $6 corkage; to indulge, you’ll have to line your stomach with something from the menu; we recommend the Baja quesadillas – they are divine.

Arashi Kushiyaki Bar is by far one of our favourite Japanese restaurants in Wellington! Being a BYO restaurant is the cherry on top. For those of you who haven’t visited Arashi, you’re in for a memorable night filled with beautifully flavoured food. We’d advise bringing a bottle of white wine to compliment the fresh fish or a red for the beef sirloin kushiyaki – if you are new to this style of cuisine, kushiyaki translates to skewer grilled; the first of its kind in Wellington. We couldn’t visit Arashi without indulging in the fresh sushi, sashimi and katsu don. Arashi is a great spot for work events, celebrations and mid-week catch-ups.