A late-night Tokyo acid trip – DKO’s rebellious design for Tombo Den

DKO’s design team has given a psychedelic nod to 1990s Tokyo at Tombo Den, the latest venture from Lucas Restaurants.

The Japanese restaurant on Chapel Street in Windsor, Melbourne, takes its cues from many sources – from brutalism to illegal gambling dens – funnelling them into one sleek design story.

The Lucas Restaurants experience

Lucas Restaurants owner Chris Lucas approached the designers with a high-level narrative, informed by the three years he spent in Roppongi in the 1990s. He characterises Roppongi then as a neon “24/7 part of Tokyo” where “anything goes”.

“You’ve got to have a unique DNA,” Lucas explains, referring to his renowned hospitality concepts. “Everyone else copies what we do, which is fine, but we don’t like to copy anyone else. We really like to be able to come up with our own original ideas, [which is] not always easy in this space. We wanted it to be fun and accessible, and give it a bit of a wow factor.”

Lucas says DKO’s design team did an “amazing job” picking up his instructions, which tended to change by the week.

“For me (unfortunately for designers), I change my brief as I see what they come up with and I go, ‘Well actually let’s scrap everything and start all over again,’” he says

“…It’s an expensive way to do things, but for me, it works because I get to learn what they’re thinking [and] they get to learn more about me.”

Once this designer-client relationship has been established, Lucas says he likes to continue collaborating with the same studios.

“Because it’s all like a marriage right?” he says.

Layering a concept

The other half of the Tombo Den marriage was DKO’s design team, led by senior associate Isabel Munro, director Michael Drescher and interior designer Dylan Rodan. They worked closely with Lucas to build upon his concept.

“With projects like this, we draw references from film, music and even urban legends to inform every aspect of the design in order to create something authentic and unique,” Munro says.

The team took inspiration from an urban myth that sushi hand rolls originated in the illegal gambling dens of Japan. This narrative complemented the site’s history as a former bong shop – a seediness that DKO “leaned into”.

“Every detail at Tombo Den, from the interiors to the menu, the music and the art, comes together to tell a seamless story from the moment you step inside until you leave,” Munro says.

Tombo Den’s material contrasts

From the street, Tombo Den’s brutalist concrete façade hints at the mystery within. Unlike the wide windows of neighbouring venues, this intentionally controlled reveal intends to stir curiosity and anticipation.

Once inside, a high-gloss sliding door opens into a velvet-curtained entryway, transitioning guests from the bustle of Chapel Street to an intimate, almost secretive dining room.

The ground floor, which seats 74 people, is anchored by a sculptural granite sushi counter, with solid timber detailing inspired by traditional Japanese dovetail joinery. The material palette juxtaposes raw concrete, exposed steel beams and cast aluminium lights – locally designed by Volker Haug – with warm timber accents and plush velvet banquettes, creating a rich, tactile atmosphere that feels both industrial and inviting.

“I love brutalism, it’s one of my favourite styles, but it can be a hard place to be in,” Munro says.

DKO balanced Tombo Den’s more sculptural and monumental elements – like the sushi bar – with the comfortable finishes necessary for hospitality, such as hand-dyed shibori fabric banners, which hang from the ceiling to introduce movement and texture.

Taking a trip to the 1990s

In another contrast, Tombo Den melds traditional Japanese design with the neo-psychedelia of the 1990s.

Rich reds and blues salute the era alongside black and white contrasts, while pops of Sottsass veneer feature downstairs.

At the far end of the room, a staircase leads to a more intimate space upstairs, where low, sloping ceilings compress the atmosphere, enhancing the sense of privacy. Seating for 92 guests, a sake bar and a karaoke lounge give the upper level its playful, irreverent energy.

Red lighting and textured glass amplify this mood, while a lacquered red corridor, reminiscent of a hidden alleyway, leads to bathrooms adorned with stainless steel fixtures and red VOLA taps.

The cherry on top of Tombo Den’s design is the AI-generated artwork by photographer Tom Blachford. These conjure the dystopian aura of a Japanese gambling den, adding an edge of unease and humour to the setting.

‘Sensory overload’

“One of the key terms they kept coming back to in every meeting was ‘sensory overload’,” Rodan says of his time working with Lucas Restaurants.

He says the fitout, the food and thus the overall experience layer to “consume” patrons as they enter Tombo Den, welcoming them into a “different world”.

“We wanted to create something sophisticated yet dynamic, where materiality becomes part of the experience,” adds Munro. “The interplay of textures and the theatrical quality of the space creates a dining environment that’s intimate and memorable.”