Nightwatch is a new wine bar set to debut in late 2026 in the Grand Central District.
Fresh on the heels of Neighborhood Wine Shop’s one-year anniversary, owners Bryce Kennedy and Sydney Knowlton are set to open this new wine bar.
They activated an Instagram account for it last week.
Nightwatch will offer 20 to 30 revolving wines by the glass with a deep by-the-bottle list of 250 to 300 selections with some crossover from Neighborhood’s library. Beers, wine-based amaros and non-alcoholic beverages will round out the drinks list.
The wine bar will have a small food menu of picnic sides for snacking. Expect items like a rotating curated cheese and charcuterie selection and a tartare dish.
The space will be almost equal parts back patio and indoor space. On the patio, the duo plans to host food pop-ups with occasional live music.
“We want to be a wine bar first,” Knowlton said at the shop.
“We focus on honest winemakers, smaller production and we’re always going to carry that ethos with us wherever we go,” she said.
With an easygoing philosophy of approachability and reading the room as seasoned bartenders, Knowlton has found that the questions that make people the most comfortable are: “What are you in the mood for?” and “What do you like to drink?”
“That’s the idea, trying to get people where they want to be,” Kennedy said.
“Really our main goal, the core of what we’re trying to do between here (Neighborhood) and there (Nightwatch) is we’re trying to get people to drink wine,” he said.
Kennedy credited CellarMasters, which opened in 2020 and closed last year, for accelerating the growth of the wine scene in St. Petersburg. Neighborhood, 86 Wine Bar, Small Bar, the soon-to-open Spitz Wine Bar and the forthcoming Mozza Paninoteca are all wine-focused spots with a similar bent contributing to the scene’s growth.
“This city’s kind of been bitten by the bug, at large, which is really nice,” Kennedy said.
“Drinking wine to us is a very communal thing,” Knowlton said. “It’s just like eating food, it’s best if shared.”
2817 Grand Central Ave., St. Petersburg. @nightwatchwine
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