Free (Or Almost Free) Corkage in Los Angeles

If you’ve got a hankering for some gourmet pizza and don’t have a reservation (or the desire to wait around for 3 hours) at Mozza, then head over to this Studio City pizzeria. Not only is the food pretty darn good, but since they don’t serve alcohol they have a BYOB policy. So you can bring a six pack of beer or a bottle of cab to go with your cheesy dinner.

If you’re lactose intolerant, then pop a Lactaid before heading to Cube, because this place is all about the cheese— you can even get a flight of cheese!!! (yes you heard that right). And if you’re not someone who can eat a dinner composed entirely of cheese (something I could totally see myself doing and then possible regretting later) Cube also has pizzas, pastas, and meat courses. Since the restaurant does not have a wine list to go with their tasty fromage you can bring your own bottle— after all, it’s sort of a crime to eat nice cheese without wine.

I don’t normally think of restaurants as being cute, but that’s exactly what Bloom is, cute. The menu is very eco-conscious, so if you’re a veggie or you’re trying to lose a couple pounds before that May wedding you won’t be hard pressed to find something to eat at Bloom. Since the restaurant only serves juice, tonics, and smoothies (when I said it was healthy-ish I wasn’t kidding), you can bring your own wine for no charge.

Most of the Patina Group restaurants won’t charge you for corkage and Pinot Bistro is one of them. So you might want to bring a red and a white just in case you decide you want to go with the hangar steak instead of the mussels.

All of the restaurants owned by the parent company Hillstone (Houston’s, Gulfstream, Bandera, R+D) offer free corkage. However, if you forget your Chardonnay in the fridge, don’t despair— they’ve got a pretty interesting and somewhat decently priced wine list.

This Larchmont Village Italian eatery is a longtime favorite with locals. The fare is no-nonsense Italian, but there are enough options to keep everyone happy (they also serve my all-time seasonal favorite pumpkin ravioli). There is no wine list here, so bring your own bottle of Chianti. Luckily, Larchmont Wine is just a stone’s throw from the restaurant.

Forgot your wine? Head here for an out-of-body wine experience.

The Los Angeles outpost of Tom Colicchio’s Craft empire offers free corkage every Sunday. Last year, I took advantage of this and came for dinner on a Sunday night with a fancy bottle of Cab in hand. The restaurant was pretty empty on a Sunday night, which was kind of nice. I was able to enjoy my braised short ribs in peace.

I’m a big fan of this upscale BBQ restaurant, and on Thursday nights they sweeten the already delicious deal with free corkage. Everything we had here was super tasty (I think we had ribs and tri-tip), but whatever you do don’t pass up on the deep-fried mac and cheese— it’s AMAZING.

On Monday nights, Josie offers free corkage— the rest of the week it’s about $20. You’ll probably want to bring a red wine when you come here, Josie’s usually got things like venison and buffalo on the menu .

Ok, so Providence is one the best (if not the best) and most expensive restaurants in LA. But if you’re going to say to hell with the recession and go hogwild you’re better off coming on a Monday night, when corkage is free. The food will still be crazy expensive, but at least you’ll save yourself some dough.

Ah, Bizou my perennial favorite. This restaurant is the king of quality control. I’ve been coming here for years and years and the food is always excellent— their baked mushrooms and vegetable strudel are serious deliciousness. Not to mention the fact that they haven’t seemed to have raised their prices in the past 5 years. So you better come armed with a reservation because in times like these Bizou is more popular than ever. Add in the fact that corkage is only $2 per bottle and you’ll find yourself waiting for a table even if you have a reservation. (And yes, I speak from personal experience.)

I love Fritto Misto, but I still get totally overwhelmed when I come here. Why is that, you ask? Well, aside from being able to order off the menu (the namesake Fritto Misto platter is divine), you can make your own pasta dish by choosing among pastas, veggie, meats, sauces, etc… I mean can you imagine all the pastarific possibilities!?! Thank goodness you can bring your own wine and pay $2 corkage per person. Otherwise there would be even more decisions to make!

If you’ve got a fire in your belly for some traditional French cooking but can’t afford a ticket to Provence, then make your way to La Cachette on a Monday night when corkage is just a $1.