Five Must-Visit BYOB Restaurants in Dublin

Tired of paying extortionate prices for drinks in restaurants, but still want to experience great food? Below are five great BYOB options in Dublin!

Basil Pizza

This quirky pizzeria is well situated near the city centre and offers delicious pizzas and pasta at a reasonable price. Who doesn’t love great pizza and a few glasses of wine?

The funky restaurant offers a wide range of tasty Italian options including bruschetta and Caprese salad for starter and a variety of pastas and pizzas for main course. The restaurant’s signature pizza, the thin and crispy ‘Basil’, is a firm favourite of visitors. Basil offers excellent value to its customers with starters costing around €5 - €6 while pasta and pizza ranges from €12 - €17. Visitors can bring their own wine and beer with corkage costing €7.50 per bottle of wine and €1.50 per beer.

Situated in the childhood home of the owner just outside the city in Ringsend, the trendy restaurant is a must visit for all pizza lovers. Basil has proven particularly popular with young professionals from the nearby IFSC, who enjoy sitting in the restaurant’s outside area on warm summer evenings after work and feasting on the delicious food along with a few drinks. While Basil caters for both individuals and large groups, visitors should be aware that a booking is usually required, especially on weekends.

Zakura Noodle and Sushi

Popular Japanese chain Zakura operate restaurants on both Wexford Street and Upper Baggot Street in the heart of Dublin City.

While Zakura offers a wide range of dishes to its customers, their restaurants are renowned across Dublin for their sushi. The restaurants pride themselves on their sushi and offer customers a wide selection of the delicacy at reasonable prices. Nonetheless, for those of you who are not keen on trying the Japanese speciality, Zakura offers several other traditional Asian dishes such as Chicken Ramen and Katsu Curry. While prices vary depending on the dish chosen, visitors can expect to pay anywhere between €8 - €18 for their meal. Although beer must be bought on the premises, Zakura allow their guests to Bring Their Own Wine (BYOW). Corkage is charged at €6 per bottle of wine.

However, the great food is not the only reason why people love these spots. Zakura is known for having a great atmosphere. Both restaurants are busy seven days a week and the venues are a great choice for anyone looking for an upbeat vibe. These trendy venues are ideal for anyone looking for a tasty and affordable dinner in town before heading for a few drinks in some great pubs and clubs which are located nearby.

The Vintage Kitchen

Who said fine dining and BYOB can’t go together? The Vintage Kitchen is a highly rated restaurant centrally located on the banks of the River Liffey in Dublin’s South Inner City.

The Vintage Kitchen is a very popular restaurant and it has been recognised for its excellence by industry experts on numerous occasions. The venue specialises in upmarket Irish food, including meat, poultry and seafood. The Cajun Seafood Chowder and Slaney Slow Roasted Lamb are particularly popular with patrons. It is certainly obvious that all the produce is sourced locally and cooked and prepared to the highest standard. While undoubtedly one of the more-high end BYOB options in Dublin, its value for money compared to nearby competitors is undeniable.

Despite its eclectic décor, the Vintage Kitchen has a homely feel to it. This atmosphere is enhanced by the fact that the venue only seats thirty people and the close proximity of the tables to each other. Often after a meal in the Vintage Kitchen you come away knowing more about the people on the table beside you than you could ever have expected! The restaurant also has many quirky features such as a Vinyl Record Player and guests are encouraged to BYOV (Bring Your Own Vinyl) to play in the restaurant. While the size of the restaurant means securing a table can be difficult, this restaurant is a must visit for any fan of Irish cuisine.

Jerusalem Restaurant

Looking for something completely different? Jerusalem offers authentic, high quality Arabian and Middle Eastern cuisine on one of Dublin’s busiest streets.

Jerusalem is another popular BYOB spot in Dublin and it offers customers a wide range of Middle Eastern speciality dishes. While many of Jerusalem’s dishes have a lamb or chicken option, the restaurant has a diverse offering of vegetarian dishes making it perfect for vegetarians or people looking for an alternative to meat. Jerusalem’s hummus, falafel, cheeses and salads come highly recommended and even fervent carnivores have even been known to favour the restaurant’s vegetarian option. Starters range from €6 - €11 with main courses costing approximately €15 – €24. Corkage is charged at €5 per bottle of wine and €2.50 per beer.

Despite the ancient origins of its food, Jerusalem has a modern and polished feel to it while maintaining a communal and homely atmosphere. While there have been a number of reports of food being slow to come out of the kitchen, by all accounts the waiting staff offer an excellent service. Nonetheless, for those of you who are yet to try cuisine from this part of the world, Jerusalem is a must!

Asahi Asian Street Food

Asahi is located beside the Grand Canal at the top of Camden Street and offers genuine Asian street food to Dubliners at very reasonable prices.

While providing diners with a similar offering as Zakura, Asahi’s menu offers a much wider range of Asian food. Rather than focussing mainly on sushi, Asahi’s menu offers delicacies from right across Asia including China, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Korea and Singapore. Furthermore, Asahi is known for its large portions. Asahi’s Nasi Goreng and Pad Thai both come highly recommended because of their authentic taste. Starters in the restaurant cost between €4 - €7 and main courses range from €9 - €13. Corkage costs €6 per bottle and €2 per beer.

Asahi is able to cater for groups of up to thirty people and is well suited for big groups. While Asahi’s food is on par with Zakura, the restaurant does not have the same atmosphere, particularly at the weekend and so, is probably not as good a choice as Zakura if you are planning to hit some bars and nightclubs later in the night. Nonetheless, if you are looking for authentic Asian street food for great prices, Asahi is ideal for you!