Free corkage specials allow Toronto diners to enjoy the best of both worlds: a restaurant quality meal and a bottle of wine that won't break the bank. It's no secret that the mark-up on wine at your average restaurant borders on the outrageous, but it's through booze that many establishments make their money, so it's hard to get too upset about it. That said, restaurateurs tend to understand that on slow nights, it sometimes makes sense to offer an incentive to get diners in the door. Enter the BYOB corkage deal. Grab yourself a decent bottle from the LCBO, and the places below will open it for free. Everybody wins!

Nota Bene
Nota Bene's free corkage special after 9pm might be my favourite one of the bunch. 9pm doesn't strike me as particularly late, and it's on offer every night of the week. The food ain't half bad, either — so bring something worthy. One bottle limit.

Cava
Head here for Iberian tapas on Sundays when the corkage fee is waived. Just don't bring Cava, that'd be tacky.

Universal Grill
This cosy diner-like restaurant at Dupont and Shaw has been offering free corkage on Sundays for a few years now, which all the more incentive to head over to try their excellent ribs.

The Wine Bar
Head here on Mondays for no corkage. The staff will even help pair what you bring with the locally focused small plates on offer.

The Rosedale Diner
Probably the best thing about the Sunday and Monday no-corkage special at the Rosedale Diner is that the restaurant is like 50 metres away from the biggest LCBO in the city. Also, the menu is decidedly un-diner like, so suitable for a good bottle.

Tabule
Monday and Tuesdays are free corkage nights at Tabule, a great Middle Eastern spot near Yonge and Davisville (and now at 810 Queen East). Think Gewürztraminer for something that will work with most of the menu offerings. Limited to groups under 10.

Il Sogno
Nearby Italian joint Il Sogno breaks with the standard Sunday/Monday practice by offering free corkage on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Quince
Completing the trifecta of Yonge and Davisville area restaurants with free corkage nights, Quince wants you to BYOB on Mondays and Tuesdays to pair with its French fare. Do yourself a favour and snag something from the south of France at the LCBO. It'll save you coin and complement the food.

Trevor Kitchen and Bar
Trevor won't force you to dine altogether that early in the week to get its corkage special, either. Available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, it's a great way to make fine dining much more affordable. Drop $30 on a bottle of wine at the LCBO and that's about what you would have paid for something that's $75+ on the regular list.

Table 17
Head to Riverside's Tavble 17 on Sundays and Mondays for free corkage, a busy room, and great bistro fare.

THE $1 CLUB

OK, so it's not free, but both Crush Wine Bar and the Miller Tavern offer $1 corkage on Mondays. That's not too bad, either.

For more corkage deals in and around Toronto, check out Corkage Toronto. I can't verify that all the information is accurate, but it's certainly a good start. Know of a free corkage deal in Toronto? Let us know in the comments.

Thanks to the New Listerine UltraClean for sponsoring our wine-soaked adventures.