BYOB tasting menus
BYOB means you bring your own drinks. Schwa provides water and ice. Its booking listing says the service charge includes gratuity, water and corkage. Ask for the service rate and whether the displayed menu price already includes it. Ask about bottle limits, glassware and alcohol restrictions before buying bottles.
EL Ideas offers BYOB with no corkage fee, according to its OpenTable listing. Check the service percentage and total on the invoice. The restaurant works with Perman Wines, which can deliver. Ask about delivery arrangements and bottle limits before ordering. Your wine purchase remains a separate expense at both restaurants.
Corkage fees by restaurant
These are the policies in the restaurant guides. Each date is the guide's "Sources checked" date. Confirm the fee and your bottles before arriving. Follow the bottle limit even if you are willing to pay more corkage.
| Restaurant | Corkage fee | Limits and rules | Guide date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alinea | $125 per bottle | One 750 ml bottle per person. Excludes wines on the list or in the pairings. | |
| BOKA | $50 per bottle | 750 ml bottles. Two per table. Excludes wines on the list. | |
| EL Ideas | No corkage fee | BYOB with no corkage fee, per its OpenTable listing. Ask about bottle limits. | |
| Elske | $35 per bottle | One 750 ml bottle per person. Four per table at most. Excludes wines on the list. | |
| Esmé | $65 per bottle | One 750 ml bottle per two guests. Excludes wines on the list. Confirm service and tax. | |
| Ever | $125 per bottle | One per drinking adult. Excludes wines on the list. Get approval first at frontservices@ever-restaurant.com. | |
| Feld | Corkage not allowed | Use the restaurant's drinks options. | |
| Galit | $50 per bottle | 750 ml bottles. Two at most. Ask about wine-list exclusions. | |
| Indienne | $50 per bottle | 750 ml bottles. Two at most. Excludes wines on the list. | |
| Kasama | $50 per bottle | Up to 750 ml. Two at most. Larger bottles cost more. | |
| Mako | $50 per bottle | Excludes bottles on the beverage menu. Ask about size and bottle limits. | |
| Oriole | $50 per bottle | Up to two 750 ml bottles per reservation. Ask about wine-list exclusions. | |
| Schwa | Included in service | BYOB. Ask for the service rate and bottle limits. | |
| Sepia | $75 per bottle | 750 ml bottles. Two per table. Ask about wine-list exclusions. |
Feld does not allow corkage. That differs from EL Ideas' no-corkage-fee BYOB. For Esmé, two guests can bring one bottle under the stated rule. Do not apply another restaurant's two-bottle allowance to that reservation.
Corkage or the pairing?
These calculations compare drinks for two people. They leave out dinner. The wine's own cost is extra in every corkage example. Two bottles and two pairings are different quantities of wine. Compare the spending without assuming they provide the same pours.
- Alinea. Two Standard pairings: 2 × $195 = $390. Corkage on two bottles: 2 × $125 = $250, plus the wine. Pairings are before service and tax. Everyone taking a wine pairing must choose the same level.
- BOKA. Two standard wine pairings: 2 × $95 = $190. Corkage on two bottles: 2 × $50 = $100, plus the wine. Ask BOKA to confirm that the pairing price is per person.
- Elske. Two wine pairings: 2 × $65 = $130. Corkage on two bottles: 2 × $35 = $70, plus the wine. Two juice pairings: 2 × $35 = $70.
- Indienne. Two wine pairings: 2 × $95 = $190. Corkage on two bottles: 2 × $50 = $100, plus the wine. Ask whether the service charge applies to drinks.
- Kasama. Two beverage pairings: 2 × $195 = $390. Corkage on two bottles: 2 × $50 = $100, plus the wine. Confirm additional charges.
- Mako. Two beverage pairings: 2 × $110 = $220. Corkage on one bottle: 1 × $50 = $50, plus the wine. Ask about a second bottle before budgeting for it.
- Sepia. Two prix fixe wine pairings: 2 × $70 = $140. Two tasting-menu wine pairings: 2 × $95 = $190. Corkage on two bottles: 2 × $75 = $150, plus the wine.
These are base-price calculations before tax and other charges. BOKA and Elske add a removable 4% surcharge to every check. Sepia adds 3.5% to every check. Ask how those charges apply to your bottle plan. At Ever, corkage on two bottles is $250 before any service charge. Ask Esmé whether service and tax apply to corkage. Ask Ever, Esmé and Oriole for pairing prices before comparing them with corkage.
Restaurants without a published corkage policy
For Cariño, Kyōten, Moody Tongue, Next, Smyth and Topolobampo, ask about corkage before bringing a bottle. Confirm the fee, permitted size and number of bottles. Ask whether wines on its list or in its pairing are excluded.
Sources and updates
This page uses the restaurant guides below. Their source dates remain separate from this page's October 26, 2026 publication date. Confirm the policy for your reservation before buying wine.
Alinea · BOKA · Cariño · EL Ideas · Elske · Esmé · Ever · Feld · Galit · Indienne · Kasama · Kyōten · Mako · Moody Tongue · Next · Oriole · Schwa · Sepia · Smyth · Topolobampo
Found a change? Send a correction with the source and the detail that needs updating.