BYO in London

[Nayan Gowda]

I'm organising a dinner in London for some serious winos, and am looking for a half decent restaurant that will allow us to BYO some very special bottles without being thoroughly penalised for the privilege.

Somewhere central would be ideal, but I am not discounting travelling further out to a decent venue.

Any help or suggestions would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[Scott]

depends on what you mean by half decent.

half the london wine trade dines regularly at Rotisserie Jules. great roast chicken, and the trimmings.

St John, allows BYO and has a private room. would fit the bill if you don't mind a produce restaurant where the produce is only pretty good.

Pied a Terre, has a fairly friendly policy if you speak to them in advance.

but basically, as long as you tee it up, plenty of places are ok with BYO. they just don't advertise it.

[MoGa]

These may present a real challenge pairing wines with the food, but first places that came to my mind as bring your own venues are

http://www.huongviet.co.uk/

and

http://www.mirchmasalarestaurant.co.uk/mm/restaurant.htm

When I had to entertain a group of Tokyoites who had come to London for my wedding, I had to think of somewhere with the high standards they were used to but which was still affordable. We went to the East London Mirch Masala, a huge success.

The much lauded Lahore Kebab house (also BYO) is just around the corner, but the decor there is less attractive, and the food choices for those who don't eat meat are much smaller. Personally, I prefer the Mirch Masala. The difference in price also seems to be negligible.

[howardlong]

I'm organising a dinner in London for some serious winos, and am looking for a half decent restaurant that will allow us to BYO some very special bottles without being thoroughly penalised for the privilege.

Somewhere central would be ideal, but I am not discounting travelling further out to a decent venue.

Any help or suggestions would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

←

I haven't done BYO for a year or so in the UK, but Whits on Abingdon Road just off High St Kensington will do it. £10 corkage. I recommend taking your own glassware, as I did, if you are serious winos.

http://www.whits.co.uk

Call up for their menu - it changes frequently. It's not Michelin but it's pretty good IMHO. The chef is decent guy, classically trained.

FWIW This is the same place that Mike Gooley's restaurant used to be (Head hancho of Trailfinders).

Cheers, Howard

[Nayan Gowda]

Thanks for the tips folks.

Scott, by "half decent food" I meant good honest cooking; nothing spoofulated, or style over substance. RJs is kind of what I had in mind, but I know that a number of the group often go to other wine dinners there, and I wanted to offer something fresh. It's definitely on the list though.

I've contacted a fair few places that have sounded good, and the response has been somewhere between a flat refusal to no problems for a $x corkage, oh and there'll be a $xxx charge for the private room; which I reckon would kind of take the sheen off the evening.

MoGa, great suggestions, and I used to eat at the Lahore when I lived in London; unfortunately not the right kind of food for this wine dinner. But as I want to organise a wine with Indian food event later in the year...

Howard, Whits sounds about what I'm after. Not too far out from the centre, straight forward food, and no stranger to the concept of byo. I often do take my own glassware with me, but I was just wondering what you found lacking with what they offer there.

[SBonner]

How about Vinoteca, Wine Wharf, Ransom's Dock, or the dining room at the Narrow in Regents Canal.

Stephen Bonner

[Scott]

Thanks for the tips folks.

Scott, by "half decent food" I meant good honest cooking; nothing spoofulated, or style over substance.  RJs is kind of what I had in mind, but I know that a number of the group often go to other wine dinners there, and I wanted to offer something fresh.  It's definitely on the list though.

well go to RJ's then.

if the wine is serious enough, that's what matters.

let me tell you though, no one in that group goes to wine dinners there. no one!

RJ's doesn't do anything sophisticated enough for that moniker! they eat there, but no one ever had a wine dinner there.

Ransome's dock is pretty good and they will def accommodate you.

[Nayan Gowda]

In the end I hired the private room at Vinoteca (St John Street, EC1).

Great room, plenty of glassware and decanters and the food was very good.

Cost was 750GBP split between the participants.

I highly recommend this as a venue for groups, and will definitely be doing another wine event here in the future.

[Scott]

good god man, Share!

what did you have

[Nayan Gowda]

good god man, Share!

what did you have

←

The Food

Selection of Spanish Cured Meats from Jabugo, Almonds & Olives

Salt & Pepper Squid, Chilli, Rocket, Lemon & Mint

Buffalo Mozzarella, Roasted Vine Tomatoes & Oregano

~~~~~~~~

Baked Line-Caught Pollock, Broad Beans, Peas, Ratte Potatoes & Sauce Vierge

Roast Lamb Rump, Smoked Aubergine Purée, Spinach, Chickpeas, Tahini & Yogurt Dressing

Char-Grilled Quail, Pecorino Polenta, Parsley & Walnut Pesto

Warm Salad of Golden & Red Beetroot, Baby Artichokes & Cave-Aged Goats Cheese

~~~~~~~~

Selection of Seasonal Cheeses, Homemade Oatcakes, Apricot & Rosemary Chutney

~~~~~~~~

Chocolate Tart, Marinated Cherries, Cream

Grappa Pannacotta, Raspberry & Strawberry Sauce

Blackcurrant Sorbet

The Wines (in serving order)

Hanging Rock Macedon IX (Macedon, Vic)

02 Mesh Riesling (Eden Valley, SA)

92 Moss Wood Semillon (Margaret River, WA)

00 Wartina Estate Chardonnay (Yarra Valley, Vic)

98 Bindi Quartz Chardonnay (Macedon, Vic)

95a Penfolds Chardonnay (SA)

88 Eileen Hardy Shiraz (McLaren Vale, SA)

92 Henschke,Mount Edelstone (Eden Valley, SA)

99 Mount Mary Quintet (Yarra Valley, Vic)

94 Best's Thomson Family Shiraz (Grampians, Vic)

87 Magill Estate (Adelaide Plains, SA)

98 Torbreck Descendant (Barossa Valley, SA)

96 Torbreck Runrig (Barossa Valley, SA)

99 Torbreck Runrig (Barossa Valley, SA)

02 Yering Station Shiraz Viognier Reserve (Yarra Valley, Vic

02 D'arenberg Laughing Magpie (McLaren Vale, SA)

93 Yalumba Oaktavius (Barossa Valley, SA)

93 Penfolds Bin 707 (SA)

96 Peter Lehmann Stonewell Shiraz (Barossa Valley, SA)

96 Jim Barry Armagh (Clare Valley, SA)

98 Wynn's John Riddoch (Coonawarra, SA)

98 Bannockburn Shiraz (Geelong, Vic)

86 Yarra Yerring No. 1 (Yarra Valley, Vic)

Campbells Merchant Prince, Rare Muscat (Rutherglen, Vic)

Not bad for a lunch...

[PhilD]

Wow - a wine list to make me homesick. Where were they from; a local supplier in London, an importer or a private cellar?

[Nayan Gowda]

Wow - a wine list to make me homesick. Where were they from; a local supplier in London, an importer or a private cellar?

←

I organised a group of 13 who each brought one or two bottles from their cellars. The three 96s we had continue to confirm my view that it is the best South Australian vintage from the 1990s.

I'll be organising another one at the beginning of next year; you can either keep your eyes peeled on the UK Wine Forum or PM me with your contact details and I'll give you a heads up if you're interested.

[Scott]

Wow - a wine list to make me homesick. Where were they from; a local supplier in London, an importer or a private cellar?

←

The three 96s we had continue to confirm my view that it is the best South Australian vintage from the 1990s.

1991 by the length of flemington straight