An off-licence (or offie) is the British term for a licensed shop selling alcoholic beverages for consumption off the premises, as opposed to a bar or public house which is licensed for consumption at the point of sale. It is analogous to the way that take-away food contrasts with a restaurant.
Off-licences may be specialist shops, convenience stores, parts of supermarkets, or attached to bars and pubs. Typically, prices are substantially lower than in bars or pubs.
The name derives from one particular division of British licensing laws. Some public houses will also posses an off licence as part of their regular licence, allowing them to sell sealed alcoholic drinks (e.g. unopened bottles of wine) for consumption elsewhere.
When restaurants refer to themselves as fully licenced this is usually misleading: they generally only have an on-licences.
See also
Pub
