Kumo Izakaya & Sake Bar is the new venture from self-confessed Japanophile and sake professional Andre Bishop. Situated on the corner of Lygon and O’Connor Streets in East Brunswick, ‘Kumo’ aims to deliver a unique izakaya experience, with the most extensive sake list in Australia, in an area of Melbourne hankering for city-savvy restaurant offerings.

Kumo fulfils a long-term vision of Andre’s to establish an authentic yet progressive Melbourne izakaya, with the site itself, an iconic former bank building, taking some five years to find.

“The space had to fit with my vision for Kumo; the culmination of years of personal and professional experiences I’ve had, both in Japan and Melbourne. I wanted Kumo to walk a line; we’re serious about what we do. We want to offer a lot of fun but be true to the concept of an izakaya. It’s not fine dining, but it’s on that scale, without the pretention,” says owner Andre.

Built in 1956, Kumo has been transformed by designer Bryce Ritchie and his team from Ritchie Built Designer Builders, winners of the Award for Sustainable Architecture 2010. As lead designer in the build, much of the detail and intricacy you see at Kumo can be credited to Bryce and his skill for developing concepts. Collaborating with Ritchie Built was Melbourne-based Japanese architect Victor Isobe, responsible for some of the city’s most admired Japanese restaurant designs, including Yu-U, Tempura Hajime and Heirloom.

Kumo is the realisation of a dream for Andre, who, after 10 years in the hospitality industry as a bar and restaurant owner, had a vision for the perfect izakaya, a social place where food and drink play equal importance. Andre wanted Kumo to reflect modern and ancient Japan, as well as staying in touch with Melbourne’s urban roots, a concept grasped perfectly by Bryce.

“We didn’t want to be too slick or offer up a concrete box with white tables, we wanted Kumo to have personality, and warmth,” says Bryce, Director of Ritchie Built. Bryce and his team opted for natural, recycled materials. They kept the space at Kumo open and crafted

thin ironwork to add an industrial/deco feel, staying true to older areas of Japan. This ironwork can be seen around the mezzanine eating area, and at the bar, where iron cages hold a selection of Kumo’s 80 plus sake selection - the largest in Australia. The block-glass wall at the end of the restaurant dates back to the 1950s and inspired Ritchie Built to use old glass around the banquet seating, and pictures of industrial Japan. These pictures are framed in light boxes and bring a sense of Japan back to the space.

Bespoke tables constructed by Bryce and his team are made from recycled Victorian Oak and Tasmanian Oak. An eight-meter communal table seats 26 people, five booths lined in vintage American-leather seat six each and for the eight-meter bar – a prefect spot for solo or paired dining, for which Bryce took inspiration from the Reading Room in the State Library of Victoria. Steve Edwards, of Steve Edwards Furniture in Northcote, designed and custom built the chairs at Kumo and Gregory’s Antiques and Lighting in North Fitzroy was the source of the table lighting. Soft, low lighting is mirrored on both sides of the bar and small, low lights are placed throughout Kumo, flooding the dining space with hot spots of light, adding a sense of intimacy.

There’s an air of old school charm about Kumo and an elegance throughout which comes from the precision given by Bryce and his team. Staying to modern day Japan, Kumo challenges people’s preconceptions of what an izakaya should be.

“Japanese culture today steps aside from what’s seen as traditional and people crave unique design. There are elements in Kumo that bring Melbourne into the mix, from the recycled materials used throughout, to the bespoke furniture and industrial/deco feel of the steel work. It’s representative of modern, new thinking Japan, and fitting with the East Brunswick vibe that we loved,” says Bryce.

“It’s amazing to be able to take an iconic piece of Melbourne and give it a new lease of life. After four years of searching for a venue, we’ve found the perfect spot,” says owner Andre.