Bar Benjamin
Cocktail bar · Fairfax District ·
Inventive cocktails inspired by global travels, bar bites
Inventive cocktails inspired by global travels, bar bites
"I’d been wanting to visit this hotshot restaurant on Melrose, opened in 2024 from the team behind the Hundreds, and finally slid up to the bar for a martini and a few snacks. Among a compelling slate of starters, the orange chicken wings stand out for their deviation from the Panda variety — something you might expect at a longtime Chinese American restaurant like Formosa Cafe more than at what feels like a sleek softcore steakhouse. Huge chicken drumsticks and wings arrive in a neat pile, shellacked with orange‑infused sweet-and-sour sauce and pocked by sesame seeds. They’re sticky and hedonistic, just what you want before indulging in a second (or third) martini, and they pair beautifully with a side of fries and the house pickled cauliflower for an impeccable bar trinity." - Eater Staff
"Bar Benjamin is just upstairs from The Benjamin, which might make you assume this low-lit lounge with the same retro decor is a holding pen for people waiting on a table below. And sure, we wouldn't talk you out of a pre-dinner drink here, but the intricate cocktails at Bar Benjamin are also practically meals on their own—savory gibsons with “everything bagel” gin, a tomato negroni that tastes fresh off the vine, and a walnutty tequila-brandy number inspired by Persian fessenjoon. Over the top? Maybe on paper, but the bartenders never lose sight that the space demands a stiff, well-balanced drink. The bar area is held for walk-ins, but if you plan on ordering a few miso manhattans and hanging around, make a reservation for one of the big booths in back." - brant cox, sylvio martins, garrett snyder
"Bar Benjamin is upstairs from The Benjamin, but it's more than a pre-dinner drink stop—the intricate cocktails here are practically meals on their own. A tomato-enhanced negroni tastes fresh off the vine, margaritas are spiked with Sichuan peppercorn, and a walnutty brandy number takes inspiration from the Persian stew fessenjoon. If it all sounds a little over the top, know that the bartenders realize the cool Art Deco space demands a stiff, well-made drink. The bar area is held for walk-ins, but if you plan to hang around, make a reservation for the booths in back." - brant cox, sylvio martins
"Melrose hotspot the Benjamin has taken over the upstairs space of its Melrose venue, which used to house disco-infused cocktail bar the Moon Room, and transformed it into Bar Benjamin. The bar comes from a continued partnership between the Benjamin founders Ben Shenassafar, Kate Burr, and Jared Meisler, with cocktails by Jason Lee (n/soto, Baroo) and Chad Austin (the Mulholland, Bootlegger Tiki). Bar Benjamin is inspired by Shenassafar’s travels through cities like Mexico City, Tokyo, London, Chicago, Paris, and New York, and the unique cocktail bars each destination offered. Find a menu of inventive and classic cocktails like a miso-infused Manhattan, the tom kha flavored Tommy Boy, and a fesenjoon-inspired brandy and tequila cocktail. Bar bites are available to pair, like beef tartare, strawberries and cream, and deviled eggs." - Matthew Kang
"Opened May 13 by the Benjamin founders (Ben Shenassafar, Kate Burr, and Jared Meisler) in the upstairs space on Melrose that formerly housed the Moon Room, this cocktail bar features drinks from Jason Lee (n/soto, Baroo) and Chad Austin (the Mulholland, Bootlegger Tiki). Inspired by Shenassafar’s travels through cities such as Mexico City, Tokyo, London, Chicago, Paris, and New York, the menu blends inventive and classic cocktails — examples include a miso-infused Manhattan, the tom kha–flavored Tommy Boy, and a fesenjoon-inspired brandy-and-tequila cocktail — alongside bar bites like beef tartare, strawberries and cream, and deviled eggs." - Mona Holmes
