Fine dining - BYOB, reasonable corkage
 

I have noticed all the BYOB fine dining places in Chicago have put on pretty high BYOB charges lately. $25-$50 per bottle!

Great steal if I am bringing Krug Grand Cuvee or La Perrier Grand Siecle to the table but that hasn't happened yet! And with those kind of corkage charges any savings are moot for midrange booze.

Any places still on fine dining list that allow BYOB with none or reasonable corkage fee?

Bavette's Au Cheval, Gilt Bar and other Sodikoff properties. No fee for one bottle; you have to offer a glass to a neighboring table.

Ann Sather, no fee (listed since it has been discussed recently).

BellyQ, Sunday's no fee, one bottle.

El Ideas and Schwa are the two fine dining spots that immediately jump to mind. Pretty good BYOB list here.

Fine dining - BYOB, reasonable corkage
 

Han 202 on 31st St. qualifies.

And both are well worth the effort to get a table, though I will say that the reservation system at Schwa leaves much to be desired.

"Much to be desired" might even be an understatement. I've eaten there once, but doubt I'll return. Too many other fantastic Chicago restaurants to put up with the Russian Roulette reservation system*.

* "Plumbing problems" seems to be their catch-all excuse for cancelling a reservation at the last minute. In their case, plumbing problems could refer to the chef doing another stint in rehab or getting arrested for shooting off illegal fireworks or simply wanting to free up a table for comedian Patton Oswalt.

In my case, we scored a reservation relatively easily. Two days before the dinner I got a message on my phone to call back and reconfirm, which was, of course, impossible because the voicemail box was full. The day of the reservation I got another message saying I needed to reconfirm or my reservation would be canceled. After about 10 attempts I actually got through and managed to have dinner. The food was fabulous, but it was far too difficult to get in to make another try worth it.

I too went through the reservation rigmarole. Friend left several messages requesting a table for two on a particular night. No response. I subsequently left the same message. Want to guess which one of us got our call returned? (Hint: It wasn't the person who called Schwa first.)