Wine Steals has given birth to a darling British baby of un-measurable weight, and whose diet consists of beer, liquor and newfangled pub food. Swaddled in plush dark-stained wood, the owners have named him Proper.

The freshly opened venture in the East Village marks the fourth location of Wine Steals, which began in Hillcrest six years ago before expanding also to Point Loma and Cardiff. The new operation, however, allows visitors to glide between the familiar lounge-retail setting of Wine Steals and into a separate space adorned with convincing pub trappings — that being Proper. Journey through a few hallways and up a couple flights of stairs, and you arrive at the spacious rooftop patio overlooking the lawn fronting Petco Park.

“We knew we wanted to grow, but honestly, I could not have envisioned this,” said Ken Mills, one of the primary investors in the Wine Steals empire.

Situated in the historic Simon-Levi building, which operated as a wholesale grocer in the 1920s, Mills and his partners sunk about $1.5 million into the sprawling design and hired 65 employees to staff the operation. Part of the renovation included refurbishing detailed elements of the building’s façade.

Visitors first enter a foyer adorned in barrel-wood flooring and paned glass. Hang left to enter Wine Steals. Turn right and Proper unfolds, giving way to a full bar, Tiffany lighting, masculine woodwork and an open kitchen headed by Chef Sean Magee (formerly of Grant Grill and Urban Solace).

The pub is further distinguished by numerous flat screens, including a jumbo white screen framed in wood, all of which will be utilized for presenting major sporting events occurring on both American and European turfs. Having grown up part of his life in England, Mills wanted to capture pub life in its most accurate sense. “Pubs are where everyone goes to watch soccer and rugby,” he notes.

Fueling the vibe is Magee’s accommodating menu of gourmet pub food, a culinary concept that aligns to England’s “gastropub” scene. Dishes are kept under $18.50 and they include pork belly over white beans; lager-braised beef cheeks served with sweetbreads and a breaded deep-fried egg; shepherd’s pie made with lamb; and mac-and-cheese swooped up with Guinness, Harp lager, caramelized onions and lardons (small pieces of pork fat).

“We’re providing food a few steps above what you’ll find in a normal pub, although we have the classics as well,” he said, referring to fish and chips, sausage rolls and ploughman’s platters.

Additionally, mussels are available in four different preparations and the condiments are all imported from the Mother Country – HP sauce, malt vinegar, Coleman’s Mustard and Heinz Salad Cream.

Bottle flipping and other forms of mixology showmanship can be seen at Proper’s bar, where pub manager Justin McIntyre of London pays homage to some of England’s oldest and most famous gins, such as Plymouth and Hendricks.

“We’ve reached back into the annals of time to cocktails being as old as the distillation process itself,” he says.

Despite its split layout, patrons can indulge in the bounty of wine, beer, mixed drinks, pub food or pizzas (baked on the Wine Steals side) anywhere in the building, including the heated roof patio, which is served also by a full bar.

The doors to Wine Steals and Proper open at 11 a.m., daily. 795 J St., 619-255-6118.