Sorso Bar & Bites, an Italian-inspired cocktail bar and restaurant, opens Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 2 Orinda Theatre Square, according to Patch.

Owner Daniele Carsano, a 13-year Orinda resident formerly of Walnut Creek's Montesacro and Berkeley's Casa Barotti, is filling the roughly 1,100-square-foot former Starbucks space near the Orinda Theatre. The restaurant announced the date on Instagram on Sunday, Sept. 13, with the countdown: "T-minus 10 days till Sorso opens its doors!"

The opening comes after a brief delay. A Diablo Magazine item in August noted Carsano was aiming for the week after Labor Day. A Sept. 2 update from the magazine said the debut would be "slightly delayed."

Sorso's menu will focus on Italian small plates built around seasonal produce and fresh seafood. The lineup will feature crudos, oysters and seafood towers inspired by plateau royal presentations along the French and northern Italian Mediterranean coast, according to Diablo Magazine's Aug. 19 item and its Friday, Sept. 11, profile of Orinda's dining scene. A full cocktail bar and wine list round out the drinks side. The name "Sorso" translates roughly to "a sip" in Italian.

"I'm trying to sort of put Orinda on the map and create a little buzz," Carsano told The Orinda News, as reported in a Thursday, Sept. 10, Patch article on the city's downtown revival.

Sorso joins a growing roster of Theatre Square and downtown Orinda dining spots, including Casa Orinda, Taverna Pellegrini, Piccolo Napoli, Fourth Bore Tap Room and Grill, and Boo Boo Lounge. Other recent arrivals in the area include Shemroon Cafe, Lamorinda Atelier, 8Moose Pizzeria and Nine Tailed Fox.

The Orinda City Council has allocated $75,000 for a downtown façade improvement pilot program, according to Patch. Under that program, businesses may receive up to $10,000 for smaller projects, while the city will match spending on larger improvements costing up to $30,000.

Michael Karp, owner of Fourth Bore Tap Room and Grill, who has operated in Theatre Square since 2010, told Diablo Magazine on Friday, Sept. 11, that Orinda is trying to match Lafayette's walkable dining scene, where visitors can park once and choose among several restaurants.

Sorso has not announced operating hours. The restaurant's Instagram page is the best source for updates ahead of the Sept. 23 opening.