Franz Club
Head to this bustling pub for hard-to-find beers and authentic German cooking

Photos courtesy of Zato Trading Co.

The most difficult thing about visiting Franz Club is getting through the front door. On a recent Friday night, we were rebuffed in our attempts to book a table, so we figured we’d show up the following Monday when the scene was less hectic. But at Franz Club, the scene is never less hectic.

Luckily, after a 20-minute wait, a couple of spots at the bar opened up, and we were able to settle ourselves in for a night of excellent food and even better beer.
Located in the glittery new Shin-Marunouchi Building, Franz Club is the latest offering from Zato Trading Co, which runs German-style pubs under the Franziskaner banner in Nihonbashi, Kamiyacho and Ochanomizu, among other areas. The bars are popular with the city’s nightlife denizens for their rare German brews and authentic cooking, served up in fun, casual settings.

That formula works well at the current location, which is nestled among dozens of bars and restaurants on the fifth floor of Marunouchi’s newest retail and dining complex. In fact, Franz Club itself has every right to be called a restaurant, with a full menu of food items like Eisbein (¥3,900), salted herring (¥1,800), and the German-style pasta known as spaetzle (¥1,600). We particularly enjoyed the sausages, which are served on a sizzling platter heaped with sauerkraut, potatoes and spicy mustard. Four varieties are available (¥880-¥980), as well as a sampler plate (¥3,500). The side order of German potatoes (¥800) is a meal in itself, and if you’ve never tasted an authentic German pretzel (¥450), here’s your chance. Our only letdown was with the liverwurst (¥880). Though the pâté-like meat was tasty, the bread it was served on seemed stale instead of crusty.

Just like its sister bars, Franz Club has only a couple of beers on tap. But what a couple they are: Franziskaner and Spaten. On our recent visit, we fell in love with the Spaten Premium Bock (¥650/¥980), thanks to its malty flavor and gorgeous golden hue. On the bottled side, the Franziskaner Dunkel (¥1,300) is the go-to choice if you’re in the mood for something darker. Franz Club also offers schnapps (¥800), Jägermeister (¥800) and all the usual cocktails (¥900). Occasional special beers—like an Oktoberfest brew, which is available now—are on offer as well. These aren’t cheap drinks, but they’re not a bad value, either, considering their rarity in Tokyo.

Thanks to its prime location in Tokyo’s business district, Franz Club draws a crowd that can certainly afford the bill. During our visit, we were about the only people thankfully not wearing office attire, and the customers included a bunch of foreigners. The bar’s layout encourages conviviality, with two rows of tables all packed close together and an entirely open front. Now all you have to do is manage to squeeze yourself in.

5F Shin-Marunouchi Bldg, 1-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku. Tel: 03-5224-8678.
Open Mon-Fri 11:30am-4pm and 5pm-4am, Sat, Sun and hols 11am-11pm. Nearest stn: Tokyo, Otemachi or Nijubashimae. www.zato.co.jp

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