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Reverse BYO

Uno reverse card – bring your own food to these bars.

from the cellar

in good company

edges of reason

bottom of the bottle

Reverse BYO

words

Darryl Tirtha

images

No items found.

Craving a decent drink but cbf with small plates, pricey dishes or pub food? Got a perfect pairing in mind? These drinks venues flip the script on BYO culture and let you bring your own food while having a Veraison-approved booze list. In the spirit of cozzie livs, you could probably bring home-cooked dishes to have at these places– but maybe don't ask to use their microwave.

Mr West

A westside stalwart with a wide selection of minimal intervention wines, wild beers and rare spirits. While they have a selection of cheese and charcuterie, open yourself to the possibilities of doro wat with a wild pinot, bánh xèo with a textural rose, or a bottle of bubbles with sushi.

what to order:

Nearby places we like: Elka Sushi for a sushi and oyster platter, Afghan Master Kebab for a mixed kebab plate, Banh Mi Ba Le for the ‘special’ bánh mì (not for the faint-hearted), Ras Dashen for Ethiopian, Bánh Xèo Tay Do for bánh xèo.

106 Nicholson Street Mall, Footscray

‍

Cardwell Cellars

Still severely underrated (but getting more packed every time I visit), this bottleshop-cum-wine bar has Melbourne’s best skewers 100m away. You’ll likely find an untapped pairing from a curated selection of Eastern European wines and left-field cuvees from well-known producers.

what to order:

Nearby places we like: Oriental Impressions for skewers and spicy garlic noodles, Pacific BBQ for Mixed BBQ platter on rice, Cô Thư Quán for barramundi salad and bun with grilled chicken, Warkop for their Dabu Dabu sandwich (lunch only).

461 Victoria St, Abbotsford

‍

Small Patch

Small Patch carries the feeling of a wine shop that you wished you had down the road, with a great range from entry-level to high-end chardonnays to suit most occasions. Small Patch has a lovely personal selection of producers from the well-known to obscure.

what to order:

Nearby places we like: iSpicy for the best pad khana moo grob (crispy pork belly with chinese broccoli) on rice in Melbourne, Gopi Ka Chatka for Indian snacks, Glenferrie Gourmet Meats for S-tier chicken nuggets, Samurai for a don.

707 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn

‍

Surly's

Perhaps just an excuse to have a buttery chard with El Jannah, Surly’s has got that classic not-quite-pub bar layout with a beer garden a la Monty’s and Rook’s Return and a well-priced booze list and a speical beer selection.

what to order:

Nearby places we like: El Jannah for a half chicken plate (this is the only correct order), Maharaja for an Indian feast, Takeaway Pizza for some of the best pizza in the North.

570 High St, Preston

‍

Eydie’s

I believe this place is the OG of ‘BYO food’ joints, bringing in this feature long before any of the other places listed even existed (citation needed). Cosy space with a cute garden out the back, you could spend all day chatting shit, drinking from the vibrant wine list while munching down on all of NoBru (north of Brunswick Road) has to offer.

what to order:

Nearby places we like: 400 Gradi for a Margherita, B.east for a burger, BBQ Lounge for a biryani, Teta Mona for a falafel plate, Eat Pierogi Make Love for pierogis.

86 Lygon St, Brunswick East

Darryl Tirtha probably gets at least three texts a week from people asking where they should eat– and he doesn't even live in Melbourne anymore. He's a trusted source for food intel because he considers the right things in the right order: flavour > value > vibe.

No items found.

from the cellar

in good company

edges of reason

bottom of the bottle

Reverse BYO

words

Darryl Tirtha

images

No items found.

Craving a decent drink but cbf with small plates, pricey dishes or pub food? Got a perfect pairing in mind? These drinks venues flip the script on BYO culture and let you bring your own food while having a Veraison-approved booze list. In the spirit of cozzie livs, you could probably bring home-cooked dishes to have at these places– but maybe don't ask to use their microwave.

Mr West

A westside stalwart with a wide selection of minimal intervention wines, wild beers and rare spirits. While they have a selection of cheese and charcuterie, open yourself to the possibilities of doro wat with a wild pinot, bánh xèo with a textural rose, or a bottle of bubbles with sushi.

what to order:

Nearby places we like: Elka Sushi for a sushi and oyster platter, Afghan Master Kebab for a mixed kebab plate, Banh Mi Ba Le for the ‘special’ bánh mì (not for the faint-hearted), Ras Dashen for Ethiopian, Bánh Xèo Tay Do for bánh xèo.

106 Nicholson Street Mall, Footscray

‍

Cardwell Cellars

Still severely underrated (but getting more packed every time I visit), this bottleshop-cum-wine bar has Melbourne’s best skewers 100m away. You’ll likely find an untapped pairing from a curated selection of Eastern European wines and left-field cuvees from well-known producers.

what to order:

Nearby places we like: Oriental Impressions for skewers and spicy garlic noodles, Pacific BBQ for Mixed BBQ platter on rice, Cô Thư Quán for barramundi salad and bun with grilled chicken, Warkop for their Dabu Dabu sandwich (lunch only).

461 Victoria St, Abbotsford

‍

Small Patch

Small Patch carries the feeling of a wine shop that you wished you had down the road, with a great range from entry-level to high-end chardonnays to suit most occasions. Small Patch has a lovely personal selection of producers from the well-known to obscure.

what to order:

Nearby places we like: iSpicy for the best pad khana moo grob (crispy pork belly with chinese broccoli) on rice in Melbourne, Gopi Ka Chatka for Indian snacks, Glenferrie Gourmet Meats for S-tier chicken nuggets, Samurai for a don.

707 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn

‍

Surly's

Perhaps just an excuse to have a buttery chard with El Jannah, Surly’s has got that classic not-quite-pub bar layout with a beer garden a la Monty’s and Rook’s Return and a well-priced booze list and a speical beer selection.

what to order:

Nearby places we like: El Jannah for a half chicken plate (this is the only correct order), Maharaja for an Indian feast, Takeaway Pizza for some of the best pizza in the North.

570 High St, Preston

‍

Eydie’s

I believe this place is the OG of ‘BYO food’ joints, bringing in this feature long before any of the other places listed even existed (citation needed). Cosy space with a cute garden out the back, you could spend all day chatting shit, drinking from the vibrant wine list while munching down on all of NoBru (north of Brunswick Road) has to offer.

what to order:

Nearby places we like: 400 Gradi for a Margherita, B.east for a burger, BBQ Lounge for a biryani, Teta Mona for a falafel plate, Eat Pierogi Make Love for pierogis.

86 Lygon St, Brunswick East

Darryl Tirtha probably gets at least three texts a week from people asking where they should eat– and he doesn't even live in Melbourne anymore. He's a trusted source for food intel because he considers the right things in the right order: flavour > value > vibe.

No items found.

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Dining In Groups

March 6, 2026

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Veraison's "Internatty" guides are a tool for navigating the broader world through a local lens. Our favourite discoveries from across the globe.

We published a lot of wonderful writing from friends and colleagues back in Veraison's days as a physical publication, and we wanted to give some of it a permanent home. Our "From The Cellar" articles are a curation of our favourite pieces from Veraison's print days, brought online for you.

Veraison's "Microclimate" guides are focused on what's happening here in Naarm. These guides try to shine a light on some of the often overlooked aspects of this ridiculous city of ours.

"Edges Of Reason" is a recurring chit-chat between besties Claire and Moira; a (very) loosely structured exploration of ideas, sometimes over a bottle of wine, with much vim and vigour.

The "Bottom Of The Bottle" article series is our long-form meandering exploration of ideas, championing the kinds of conversations you might get into when you're 750ml deep with a friend or two.

"BYO Club" is Darryl's routine roundup of the best spots to bring your best botts (and friends, of course). Each BYO Club Guide is compiled with a different theme in mind.

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