The Best Corkage Fees in Chicago

This charming neighborhood bistro and wine bar adds a French accent to seasonal Midwestern ingredients in dishes like steak frites, tarte flambée, and a simple salade maison with Champagne vinaigrette. Owner Matt Sussman keeps markups modest on his mostly French wine list, but if you bring a bottle from home, corkage is $25 a pop. He also works with collectors to plan special dinners, often building a reduced corkage fee into the package. Even cooler? You can buy a bottle to go and take home something special for next time.

Who says going out to a fancy steakhouse has to break the bank? On Mondays, this British import waives corkage on any bottles you bring. Yes, bottles. There’s no limit on how many you can bring or how big they are, though you’ll need to check with Hawksmoor first if you’re booking a private room or bringing a party of eight or more. Corkage is $50 Tuesday through Sunday, so why not make a night of it on Monday?

Can’t make it out on a Monday? Then make it a Tuesday. At this Italian spot, you can bring up to two 750 mL bottles or one magnum per reservation and pay no corkage at Tuesday dinner. Pop in for the tail end of aperitivo hour and kick off your night with a $10 Negroni or Aperol spritz before settling in for house-made pasta or chicken piccata.

Chefs David and Anna Posey have created a cozy spot for Danish-inspired New American cooking at their Michelin-starred Elske, and wine director Emily Sher gives you plenty of reasons to order from the list. But if you’ve got a bottle you’d rather open over dinner, corkage is $35 per 750 mL bottle. You can bring one bottle per person, up to four per table, as long as the wines aren’t already on the list. Did we mention Elske means “to love” in Danish? Now you know why.

Chef Phillip Foss has spent 15 years inviting diners to hang out in the kitchen at this off-the-beaten path Michelin-starred restaurant. The tasting menu keeps changing, but the french fries with potato-leek soup and liquid nitrogen-poached vanilla ice cream stick around. And yes, you might be encouraged to lick your plate clean. There’s no corkage fee, and Foss says guests can bring whatever they want to drink, “but we request moderation with liquor.” Sounds fair.

Sushi Mike has been serving sushi at Tanoshii since 2004. You can order à la carte, but the way to go is to set up at the sushi bar and let Mike take over. His omakase comes with seared tuna salad and his take on fish and chips: spicy tuna and avocado on a tortilla chip. Then he’ll keep putting sushi in front of you until you say stop. That can add up by the end of the night, but you’ll save some scratch on drinks: corkage is just $3.50 per bottle. Seriously. So bring in that grower Champagne or junmai daiginjo sake and have at it.

As if Lula Cafe needed another reason to love it, what with its pioneering farm-to-table cooking and funky art, there’s the $25 corkage fee. Sure, you can order from the list to pair with classics like beet bruschetta, chickpea and fennel tagine, or the seemingly simple spaghetti with pancetta and sweet-and-spicy salsa rosa. If you’d rather bring a bottle from home, Lula could gouge you. But that’s not very Lula. At $25 a pop, it’s one more reason chef and owner Jason Hammel’s original spot has such staying power.

Schwa has always been an outlier. More than 20 years in, this Michelin-starred spot is still Chicago’s fine dining rebel. One of the chefs might greet you at the door, and the people who cook your dinner are the ones who bring it to the table. As for drinks, chef and owner Michael Carlson and his team provide water and ice. The rest is up to you, and corkage is included in the service charge.

For about 30 years, Tango Sur has given friends and family a place to gather over an Argentine asado without spending a fortune. Start with beef or chicken empanadas, then split a parrillada of grilled short ribs, flap steak, and sausages. Or go for the skirt steak with salad and Vesuvio potatoes. The bonus? Corkage costs, ready for this? Nothing. There’s no limit on how many bottles you can bring, and spirits are welcome along with wine and beer. ¡Viva la Argentina!