In the basement of Tenjin Business Center II in Fukuoka's Tenjin district, a new easygoing bistro izakaya, "Taishu Sakaba Frenchman Tenjin" (Tenjin Business Center II B2F, Tenjin Gourmet Street, Tenjin Inachika South Side, 1-10-10 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture), opens on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. The restaurant is operated by Rakuchin Ltd. (head office: Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture; representative director: Tetsuya Watanabe), which runs a range of restaurants.
First Kyushu Location for "Taishu Sakaba Frenchman," a Midday-Drinking Destination
"Taishu Sakaba Frenchman" started as a new concept from the French bistro "Frenchman," which opened in front of Kyoto Station in 2014. The first Taishu Sakaba Frenchman location opened in Shin-Osaka in October 2020, and the brand has since grown to seven locations across the Kansai region, centered on Osaka, plus one location each in Tokyo and Nagoya. The new Tenjin location marks the brand's first store in the Kyushu region. Combining French cuisine with the casual feel of a neighborhood tavern, it serves authentic dishes created by a French chef, with items starting from a reasonable 198 yen.
The two signature dishes are the "Sea Urchin and Salmon Roe Cold Pasta" (2,728 yen), piled high with sea urchin and salmon roe, and "Foie Gras and Steak" (2,420 yen), which pairs seared foie gras with a Japanese black wagyu steak finished in a red-wine-based truffle sauce. The menu also offers plenty of small-portion options, including "small plates" displayed in a showcase (198 yen and up, with 8 to 10 varieties always available) and "skewers" that let guests casually enjoy French techniques one-handed (8 varieties, from 308 yen per skewer), making the restaurant a good fit for solo diners or a second stop on a night out.
On weekdays from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, a happy hour offers 20% off bottled wine and discounted prices on four drinks (beer, highball, lemon sour, and Sui gin sour). The restaurant has drawn a wide customer base, especially younger guests and women, and has earned a reputation as a midday-drinking destination.
Note: A table charge of 418 yen per person applies (an otoshi appetizer of mentai French bread is served).
Food Menu
The menu features about 50 easy-to-enjoy bistro dishes created by a French chef.
Frenchman's Meat Platter (Charcuterie) — 1,650 yen
A top recommendation to pair with wine. The charcuterie is aged in-house, and it can also be ordered on its own.
Truffle Cream Pizza — 1,870 yen (whole) / 968 yen (half)
A luxurious truffle cream made by concentrating the umami of mushrooms. A daily special pizza is also available.
Beef Tendon Stewed in Red Wine — 748 yen
A regional dish from France's Burgundy region. Adding a small bread roll (220 yen) is also recommended.
Whole Cheese Wheel Cream Pasta — Large 1,408 yen, Medium 968 yen
Don't miss the tableside performance of tossing piping-hot pasta in a whole wheel of cheese. It can also be customized with a soft-boiled onsen egg, bacon, and more.
Small Plates
Reasonably priced single dishes starting at 198 yen are ready and waiting in the display case.
French cuisine, often seen as intimidating, becomes easy to understand at a glance, and guests say the format makes ordering simple.
- Carrot rapé — 198 yen
- Whole salted tomato — 528 yen
- Chilled scallop chawanmushi (savory egg custard) — 572 yen
- Mentaiko cream cheese — 572 yen
- Garlic-marinated salmon roe — 638 yen
- and more, with 8 to 10 varieties always available
Skewers
Order just one skewer if you like. French dishes have been reimagined as easy, one-handed skewers.
Enjoy the pairing with wine.
- Beef tongue and daikon radish (wasabi cream sauce) — 572 yen
- Tsukune (chicken meatball) with blue cheese sauce — 572 yen
- Shrimp wrapped in kadaif pastry — 418 yen
- and more, 8 varieties in total
Drink Menu
The drink menu spans about 40 options, from standards such as draft beer (from 605 yen), highball, fresh lemon sour, and glasses of wine (each from 418 yen), to original creations including the crisp, apple-scented "Frenchman's Apple Highball" (528 yen), the refreshing "Shrub Sour" made with fruit vinegar and craft gin (3 varieties, 528 yen), and "Coffee and Orange Tonic" (605 yen), a cocktail made with a house brandy infused with orange and coffee beans in the traditional style of France's Brittany region.
Note: All prices include tax.
Interior
Marked by a light-blue noren curtain, the restaurant is designed to let guests enjoy French cuisine, often seen as upscale, as casually as at a neighborhood tavern. A live counter lets diners watch the kitchen at work, and the bright, open interior makes it easy for solo diners and women to feel comfortable.
The Tenjin location also has table seating (two tables for four), so groups can settle in and relax as well.
Store Information
| Name | Taishu Sakaba Frenchman Tenjin |
| Address | Tenjin Business Center II B2F, Tenjin Gourmet Street, Tenjin Inachika South Side, 1-10-10 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Phone | 092-401-3510 |
| Hours | 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM (food last order 10:00 PM, drink last order 11:30 PM); opens at 12:30 PM on the opening day, August 4 |
| Closed | Follows the building's closure days |
| Seats | 18 (10 counter, 8 table) |
| Average Spend | 3,200 yen |
| Floor Area | 15.61 tsubo |
| Opening Date | Tuesday, August 4, 2026 |
