Little Thief logo (Instagram)
Wine, North Park

Coming Soon to North Park

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

We’ve been following on Instagram the interior design of Little Thief rapidly coming together through a series of posts that began appearing June 1 with a photo of a gloved hand holding keys to the gutted space.

The upcoming wine bar, which replaces the long-running Florence Ristorante Pizza on University Avenue, has begun showing off Art Deco-style light fixtures, ubatuba granite countertops, and leafy print wallpaper. It is expected to open within a couple of months.

The venture is the brainchild of Brian Jensen, who runs Bottlecraft beer shops and tasting rooms in North Park, Little Italy, Liberty Station, and Oceanside. Jensen is also in the process of opening a Euro-style pub in South Park called Bock, which formerly housed the beloved Hamilton’s Tavern.

Little Thief is named after an Old World apparatus called a “thief,” which is used for extracting wine samples from barrels. The establishment is slated to focus on niche and organic wines imported from various global regions. A menu of shareable plates will also be available.