The Benjamin Hollywood

10 LA Restaurants With Great Cocktails - Los Angeles - The Infatuation

"The Benjamin is where you go when you want a martini but also want to keep your cocktail options open. This dark, sexy bistro on Melrose has nine variations on the menu and we’ve yet to try one we didn’t love. The house martini is made with gin and sunshine-bright lemon oil, and the smooth-as-silk Manhattan pairs nicely with the smoky bar burger, one of the best in town. If you’re looking for post-dinner drinks, head upstairs to Bar Benjamin, which is basically an extension of the restaurant, except with ambitious, culinary-leaning cocktails like a savory Gibson with “everything bagel” gin or a brandy and walnut liquor creation inspired by the Persian stew fesenjoon. Reservations are released at 9am a week in advance, but they're usually snapped up in minutes. The bar area is first-come, first-serve, though and if you arrive by 6pm, there are usually stools available." - sylvio martins, brant cox, garrett snyder