Where to Find BYOB in Philadelphia For Your Dinner Or Event

BYOB (bring your own bottle) is one of the best ways to liven up an upcoming special event. People most often think of BYOB as a policy that certain restaurants allow you to do. But it’s tightly woven into the hospitality fabric of Philadelphia; in fact, the city has some of the friendliest BYOB policies in the nation, with few restrictions compared to other areas. What’s more, you can also find BYOB art studios, party halls, clubs, and other venues for a special event that’s sure to have your favorite wine or beers! Peerspace is a site dedicated to event planning so we’d like to help you better understand how to find a BYOB Philadelphia venue!

Is BYOB allowed in Philadelphia?

Philadelphia is a very BYOB-friendly city! So long as you inquire beforehand about a venue’s policies, you’ll have no trouble bringing your own bottle. That is because BYOB is great for both customers and restaurants! Customers get to save some money by not having to buy drinks that are significantly marked up at a restaurant. Plus they can bring exactly the beverage they want rather than hoping something to their taste is on the menu. 

Restaurants and bars also see increased traffic when offering BYOB options. Venues without a liquor license can invite people in for an alcoholic drink or three without the cost of obtaining one.

What events are made better by BYOB?

BYOB isn’t just for eating out. You can make BYOB a part of almost any event. Wedding receptions where you have an intimate party and you want to serve a particular wine or champagne due to it holding special significance can easily be held at a BYOB Philadelphia venue. A girl’s night or bachelorette party can be held at a loft, basement bar, or party hall with BYOB-friendly policies. Artistic events like paint and sip parties or art and wine gallery shows are often BYOB as well!

Check out these creative sip-and-paint ideas for an unforgettable painting party next!

BYOB-friendly venues in Philadelphia

Where can we find BYOB Philadelphia venues? Start with restaurants because a drink with your meal (or other drinks) is one of the most socially acceptable ways to enjoy alcohol! For a party where you want to stand and dance, socialize, and drink, check out clubs, bars, party halls, and lofts that let you bring in a drink. 

What about a quieter, more relaxed event, like an art show or DIY crafts course? Check out lofts and party halls; these venues are flexible enough to accommodate almost any kind of event. Many cooking classes are BYOB; especially when wine is an essential part of the cuisine or culture being explored. A kitchen at a culinary arts school or a home kitchen listed on Peerspace is the best place to host a cooking class where guests are free to bring a few bottles!

What should I expect at a BYOB venue?

If a venue advertises BYOB as an option, make sure to read the fine print! Sometimes you have to pay a corkage fee for each bottle; essentially the restaurant charges you anything from $5-$30 per bottle. 

The corkage fee does a few things:

• Pay for the cost of providing and cleaning glasses
• Allow the restaurant to make a little money even though you aren’t drinking
• Discourage people from drinking too much at the venue.

Large, drunk parties lead to rowdy behavior, messy bathrooms, tipping mistakes on receipts, and other hassles for the venue.

That said, corkage fees are uncommon in Philly compared to many other cities in the country. People also tend to get upset when a restaurant charges you to drink your own alcohol. Therefore, most places offering BYOB in Philadelphia do so without a corkage fee.

A venue may also insist that you have a licensed bartender or other professional serving drinks. Or they may have staff available to serve drinks for free or with an extra charge. Policies like these can feel like a hassle. But it is mostly about keeping the venue clean and ensuring all attendees can legally drink.

What venues are BYOB-friendly in Philadelphia?

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As one of the most bring-your-own-bottle-friendly cities, Philadelphia restaurants, clubs, and other venues offer flexible terms for customizing your special event! Corkage fees and other limitations are rare here. Here are a handful of our favorite BYOB Philadelphia venues! 

Restaurants

Have you been to Apricot Stone yet? Featuring some of the best Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Armenian food in the area, they go beyond the wraps and salads most of these restaurants feature for truly creative takes on the cuisine! Apricot Stone also has a BYOB policy, so bring a few bottles of wine from Armenia, one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world!

The classic BYOB Philadelphia experience is one with no corkage fees or other restrictions. For that, check out Little Fish for seafood with Asian and Mediterranean inspirations along with your bottle! They have a seasonal pop-up restaurant at Spruce Street Harbor Park but you’ll want to make a reservation at their flagship restaurant on S. 6th St. for the full BYOB experience. Little Fish does not serve alcohol at all, so bringing a bottle is the only way to enjoy a drink along with blackened cod, scallops, and raw oysters!

A Mano offers a similar “quintessential Philly BYOB experience:” one where there are few complications to bringing a bottle of your favorite wine to go along with their handmade Italian cuisine! They offer set menus with 3 or 4 courses that include a broad swath of what Italy has to offer!

Try a local cooking class

BYOB isn’t just about restaurants, however. Looking for a fun date night, birthday, anniversary, or team building idea that’s BYOB-friendly? Check out cooking classes with Taste Buds Kitchen! They offer classes throughout the nation, including at Penn State College. Their adult BYOB cooking nights feature cuisine from around the world. Best of all, you get to enjoy a meal with your fellow students after the lesson is over!

Explore your artistic side

Art lovers have plenty of options for a BYOB evening as well. AR Workshop Malvern is just one of the many Philadelphia art event providers that also allow guests to bring a bottle into their studio. You can also book a BYOB-friendly art studio separately and invite event planners like Painting With a Twist to bring the paint, canvases, and other essentials.

Wondering how to find an Airbnb for events in Philadelphia? We explain what you need to know here!

Book a private BYOB venue in Philly with Peerspace

One of the best ways to host a BYOB event is by reserving a private venue. Whether you’re planning an anniversary dinner, a DIY crafting night with wine, or a dance party, Peerspace has hundreds of venues near you suitable for the event. Why should you book a venue with Peerspace instead of a restaurant, club, or art studio?

You have complete control over who is there

By booking a venue through Peerspace, you can customize every aspect of the venue. If you have a bartender in mind, you can book them separately. That way, you can have them pour drinks instead of using the staff of a particular venue. A private dinner venue, like this dining room inside Rowhouse Grocery Store in Newbold, ensures you won’t be sharing the space with the general public. Any staff won’t be splitting their attention between your party and everyone else! 

There are no limitations on the kind of event you’re hosting

Restaurants are great for dinner parties but what if you want to clear tables away for a dance party or anniversary speeches? They may not be so accommodating. Listings on Peerspace state exactly what each venue is usable for and the majority are accommodating of all your party needs! This BYOB Secret Lounge in Center City is a fine example! It’s a space designed with flexibility in mind; whether you’re hosting a birthday, game night, or social mixer, you can host it with ease in this Philadelphia venue of ours!

Where to find BYOB in Philadelphia: conclusion

Philadelphia makes it very easy to bring your own bottle to most event venues. Corkage fees are rare and so long as you’re being reasonable the venue places few restrictions on bottle volume, coolers, or types of alcohol. Wedding parties, date nights, paint-and-sip classes, and social gatherings can all be made better with a few bottles of your favorite wine!

By the way, did you know that Peerspace is more than just a place to learn about event planning? We also offer event venues near you for special occasions of all kinds! We are in the business of helping people make lasting memories together. So let us know how we did here and if we can help you plan a future BYOB Philadelphia event!

Find unique gathering spaces for BYOB in Philadelphia on Peerspace