Tuk-Tuk Thief Steals £24K in Wine from Celebrity London Restaurant in Targeted Heist

The owner of a well-known celebrity restaurant has opened up about the stress and sleepless nights he endured after a burglar stole £24,000 worth of wine in what he believes was a targeted heist. Nikita Ivanov, the 28-year-old proprietor of Piazza Italiana on Threadneedle Street in London, said he suspects the theft was carried out “to order,” possibly for an unscrupulous buyer who gave the burglar a list of specific bottles to steal.

The thief, 61-year-old Iuliu Kubola, was caught on CCTV using a crowbar to break into the restaurant’s wine cellar, where he selected 73 bottles of high-value wine. He was seen transferring the bottles into a wheelie bin, then loading them into the back of his tuk-tuk, parked outside the venue. Kubola then cycled away on his pedicab in the early hours of May 6.

Not content with the first haul, Kubola returned to the restaurant on June 15, when he stole three more bottles valued at around £680, and came back once again four days later, though he left without taking anything during that visit.

Mr. Ivanov said the burglary was more than just a financial blow—it was personal. “It was a nightmare,” he told the Evening Standard. “When you work in a restaurant, it becomes like a second home. Someone coming in at night and stealing from you—it changes how the place feels. It doesn’t feel the same.”

According to Ivanov, many of the bottles stolen were vintage, making it hard to pin down their exact value. However, he noted that the cheapest bottle taken was worth at least £150, indicating that the thief knew exactly what to look for. “He ignored the cheaper bottles,” Ivanov said. “In one clip, you can even see him checking a note—like he had a shopping list.”

Ivanov believes the wine was likely stolen for resale, possibly to someone in the industry willing to take the risk. “London’s wine scene is small. These bottles are somewhere—he must be selling them. But they haven’t been found,” he said.

He also suspects Kubola was aware of police response times, noting that he was “in and out in five minutes” during the initial break-in. “I couldn’t sleep properly,” Ivanov added. “I was always afraid I’d get a call from the alarm system in the middle of the night.”

Despite the losses, no staff members lost their jobs, and the restaurant has since upgraded its security systems. The venue, housed in the Grade II-listed former British Linen Bank building, opened during the pandemic when many other businesses were forced to shut down. Piazza Italiana has survived and even thrived, featuring on shows like Made in Chelsea and Celebs Go Dating, and hosting celebrities such as Jacqueline Jossa, Charlotte Crosby, and Sam Faiers.

Kubola, of Richie Street in Islington, was eventually caught on June 22 by City of London Police officer Jordan Felstead, who recognized him from a prior briefing. He was stopped near a bar, and police body-worn footage captured the moment of his arrest.

Kubola has since pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary and is scheduled to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on September 8.