What is the most you ever paid for a corkage fee and what would you say is the average fee?

I've only paid corkage up to $25. Most restaurants we dine at that offer corkage will waive the initial corkage if you order a bottle off of their list.

So, I tend to use their selection of Champagne to start the meal and have a bottle (or more) of my wines decanted while we order and wait to eat.

Works out well.

I think anything over $25 is reaching and don't think I'd pay it...unless I was bringing something incredible and the food was worth it. As far as the average fee, I'd guess around $15-20...I may be off though.

$50 highest; last night $6; no fee is best.

$30. Agree with QOH on no fee.

PH

I've paid $25, and I think I was once charge $50 for a magnum. I generally refuse, however, to patronize any restaurant that charges over $15, unless it's a really special place. Fortunately, there are a lot of local restaurants that charge under $5. Mostly, however, we eat at home these days -- we can afford to eat anyplace we want, but the food's generally better here (although the service sucks).

I think I've been stung for $30. Don't mind corkage if it's comped with purchase. I'll pay $20 without complaining too much though.

$35 at Picasso in The Bellagio last summer. I brought in a magnum in a decanter and was charged for one bottle.

Corkage fee at ANY BYO in Montreal?

$0.00

I have gone to places with insane corkage (50+), wind up drinking off of the places list. On average 10 if you factor in the no corkage/waive corkage establishments I frequent. Most is probably 35 or 40.

I don't think I have ever paid more than $25.

Average for me is $15 I would say.

I am happy now that I work at a country club where they waive the corkage for my wine dinners. Iv'e done alot of offlines in the twin cities and have never paid corkage but I don't travel alot and I'm sure when you travel alot you can't avoid corkage fees. I think $15 a bottle would be fair when you travel. I would assume vegas would be more expensive just because it is a different animal.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by differentdave:
I have gone to places with insane corkage (50+), wind up drinking off of the places list. QUOTE]

Homey don't play that.

Why does the chance to get some licks in usually come too late to matter?

More than ten years ago my wife and I ate with another couple at Campagne in Seattle. Locals know that Campagne is highly regarded here and nationally. We had enjoyed a number of superb meals there previously.

On this occasion my friend brought two well aged Burgundies from his cellar, and his own Reidel Sommelier stemware. I'm sorry I don't remember the exact wines, but even at the time they would have been in the mid three figures on a wine list. He had called and OK'd this in advance.

The meal was great, the wine was fabulous, but when the check came, the corkage was in the hundreds! The managers explanation was that the fee was based on the value of the wine and the "lost" mark-up if we had ordered similar wines from the list (there were none, of course).

It wasn't my place to put up a stink, but I have never gone back and never will.

quote:

Originally posted by Board-O:
$35 at Picasso in The Bellagio last summer. I brought in a magnum in a decanter and was charged for one bottle.

How did you know they would let you bring your own bottle? Did you call in advance or just bring it?

Just curious because I am going to Vegas soon and who knows which restaurants will let you bring a bottle and which won't. Having to call each one would get tiresome.

quote:

How did you know they would let you bring your own bottle? Did you call in advance or just bring it?

Just curious because I am going to Vegas soon and who knows which restaurants will let you bring a bottle and which won't. Having to call each one would get tiresome.

Parker Board has a section just for BYO places in different cities. I refer to it often for NY or when traveling.

Las Vegas BYO

quote:

Originally posted by Hunter:

quote:

How did you know they would let you bring your own bottle? Did you call in advance or just bring it?

Just curious because I am going to Vegas soon and who knows which restaurants will let you bring a bottle and which won't. Having to call each one would get tiresome.

Parker Board has a section just for BYO places in different cities. I refer to it often for NY or when traveling.

Las Vegas BYO

Thank you, I also was searching and found www.opentable.com lists certain restaurants which allow you to bring your own bottle as well.

Just made a reservation with opentable as well, nice site for those that are interested. I could even specify that I wanted flowers waiting at the table (you can specify what kind of flowers, add gifts, a card, etc. Just a nice touch and might come in handy for someone on Vday)

$30, but most of the time we buy a glass or bottle off the list as well, so generally corkage is waived....

Free! Being in the industry has its advantages...

quote:

The meal was great, the wine was fabulous, but when the check came, the corkage was in the hundreds! The managers explanation was that the fee was based on the value of the wine and the "lost" mark-up if we had ordered similar wines from the list (there were none, of course).

Wow that is pathetic, I would have slammed that restaurant online on every board. That is disrespectful to the guest and just plain crazy. Talk about losing a customer. I dislike corkage; I also dislike restaurants that mark up the wine 3 times. We rarely bring in our own wine because in Healdsburg most restaurants do not mark up too much since they need local business for the winter months and some like Dry Creek Kitchen do not charge corkage if you bring in a Sonama wine.

I have been fully prepared to pay $35/bottle and under the right circumstances, I would pay $50/bottle. Every time I've ever been to a restaurant that charges over $25/bottle, I have been comped or ha the fee reduced so my highest is actually only $25/bottle. Average used to be $15/bottle, I' say it is now more like $20 with a "buy off the list, get a comp" stipulation.

quote:

Originally posted by pape du neuf:
when the check came, the corkage was in the hundreds! The managers explanation was that the fee was based on the value of the wine and the "lost" mark-up if we had ordered similar wines from the list (there were none, of course).

Not only pathetic but infuriating!!

Your friend cleared bringing the bottles in advance. The gaul for a manager to pull this stunt would be considered 'criminal' in my book and I'd have likely refused to pay the fee, with the issue of 'returning' or not being a joke in itself. WOW.

i like free. here in park slope, there are three places i frequent(in case anyone is in the area):

scalino(italian)
mediterra(turkish)
watanna(thai)

worthy of an honorable mention is lucali's in carroll gardens. $4 corkage and the second best pizza in NYC(the first best is difara's which is free corkage as well, but hardly a fine dining experience).

quote:

Originally posted by pape du neuf:
The meal was great, the wine was fabulous, but when the check came, the corkage was in the hundreds! The managers explanation was that the fee was based on the value of the wine and the "lost" mark-up if we had ordered similar wines from the list (there were none, of course).

What do you mean by "hundreds"? That would seem to suggest at least two if not three--or more.

quote:

Originally posted by Board-O:
$35 at Picasso in The Bellagio last summer. I brought in a magnum in a decanter and was charged for one bottle.

I was considering bringing wine to Hank's in LV and having them decant it (drop it by earlier). How do you bring a magnum in a decanter to a restaurant? Is it a special traveling decanter?

As a waiter while attending graduate school, I found it humorous that people would often pay a $20 corkage fee for a bottle of wine that was in that same price range.

I also never cared to "comp" the corkage fee, and declined the offer to taste the cheap/semi-cheap wines in the customers' effort to initiate the "comp".