The Best Wellington BYO Restaurants With Great Vegan Food

Beach Babylon is a popular restaurant on the Wellington waterfront that’s perfect for an outdoor dinner on a summer day. For most people, this is easily their first choice location for a BYO – so make sure you book ahead. We’d also recommend going here a few times in order to try everything, given that over half of the menu is vegan or is able to be modified. Not to mention they’re one of the only Wellington BYOs you are going to find chocolate and cheese fondu!

BYO is available after 5:30 p.m. and is a $7 corkage fee. There is a maximum of one bottle per person and an additional minimum spend of one main or two entrees per person. In terms of vegan options and food quality, this is one of the best Wellington BYO options out there.

Restaurant located on Oriental Parade, Oriental Bay, Wellington

When it comes to Wellington BYOs, it’s hard to find a better pairing for your bottle of wine than a rich, flavourful curry! Indian Alley is a small restaurant with an intimate, yet cosy atmosphere. If you are part of a large group make sure to book in advance, especially on a Friday or Saturday night.

After you are seated, make sure to ask for their vegan menu. Be warned though – there are so many incredible options that you won’t know what to order first. That being said, our one piece of advice is to order the vegan starter platter. However, as long as you grab yourself one of their fantastic curries, we can guarantee you won’t be leaving hungry!

Restaurant located on Wakefield Street, Te Aro, Wellington

If you’re walking down Cuba Street and craving some Indian food, you’d be missing out if you didn’t hit up Little India. Their $8 wine-only corkage puts them at a slightly higher price, but we can assure you it’s definitely worth it. There are actually multiple Little India venues spread around the Wellington area, so definitely give the one in your local region a go. These guys will consistently deliver a great feed every time.

They have a fully separate vegan menu here, which contains all of the tasty plant-based Indian staples you know and love. Did we mention they have vegan garlic naans too? This is one of the few places in Wellington you can find it. Whenever we go here, our standard order is either an aloo gobi or dahl. Pair that with their garlic naan and you know you’re in for some great tucker.

Restaurants located across 5 venues: Blair St., Cuba St., and wider Wellington locations in Lower Hutt, Paraparaumu and Porirua

If you’re over Western meals and need a break from Indian too, head out to Mother of Coffee for a completely different take on the idea of a Wellington BYO. The flavour combinations of the Ethiopian food here will simply blow you away. They have a whole vegan menu with heaps of options to choose from. But if you’re struggling to pick, order the vegan combo as we do and try a bit of everything!

With plenty of outdoor and indoor seating, it’s a great option for larger groups. If you’re worried about being seated outside in winter you can relax as they have plenty of heaters. Their BYO cost is a bit pricy at $10 per bottle, but they don’t sell alcohol here. They also have Ethiopian coffee and hot chocolate to bring your night to the perfect close.

Restaurant located down Left Bank off Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington

Good Korean food can be hard to find in Wellington and even harder to find with vegan options. If you are looking for a fun karaoke night with a BYO beforehand, Newkor is the place for you.

We tried the Jiajang and Japche, two very different noodle dishes. The portions were large, filling, and perfect for soaking up all of those drinks. They also had fried cauliflower and dumplings to choose from as well. The BYO costs $7 per bottle of wine. The price of karaoke will vary based on the amount of people.

Give them a go next time karaoke is on the cards or you’re in the mood for Korean.

Restaurant located Dixon Street, Te Aro, Wellington

Saffron Haveli is located right at the end of Courtney Place. This large restaurant caters well to larger groups and tends to be pretty quiet and relaxed. The staff are friendly, helpful, and happy to answer questions.

With a $5 corkage, this is one of the cheapest BYOs you can go for, making it an ideal spot for students or those wanting to save a bit of cash. The vegan options are well-labelled, full of flavour, and bound to have you coming back for more! Their aloo gobi might just be one of the best in the city. This is one of our favourite places for a Wellington BYO.

Restaurant located on Kent Terrace, Mount Victoria, Wellington

Saigon Taste is a small and cosy Vietnamese takeaway and BYO restaurant in Mount Victoria. They don’t have a huge amount of vegan options, but the ones they have are tasty. Having had both the fresh spring rolls and the fried spring rolls (you can never have too many spring rolls), we can confirm that they’re absolutely delicious.

The BYO cost was $5 per person with a minimum spend of $15. There are three different vegan main options; a noodle salad, rice noodle soup and a Vietnamese pancake. The pancake (Bánh xèo) is one of our favourite foods and Saigon Taste is one of the few places you can find a vegan version in Wellington.

Restaurant located on Majoribanks Street, Mount Victoria, Wellington

When we think of a BYO restaurant, this is what we think of. Satay Village is a family-run diner serving up hearty, cheap and delicious Malaysian food. The vegan options are marked clearly and there is plenty to choose from; the mee goreng and nasi goreng being our favourites. This is one of the few places that lets you bring your own beer for $2 and wine for $6 a bottle. The staff were lovely and our hot meals came out in no time at all.

A great option for students wanting to go somewhere cheap but filling. Located on Ghuznee Street, just off Cuba. It’s in the best location for a meal to finish your night out.

Restaurant located Ghuznee Street, Te Aro, Wellington