Alright y'all, this is my favorite cocktail bar in LA right now. From ambiance, to drinks, and top notch customer service. Definitely recommend making reservations. They start you off with a welcome cocktail that was fruity & fresh. We ordered their matcha martini, more cowbell, & sky daddy & tzatziki martini. Our favorites were the more cowbell (Vodka, Pear Brandy, Salt-cured Pears, Roquefort, Michelleberger, Lemon, French Baguette Air) The last ingredient AIR was mind blowing!! Another favorite is the tzatziki martini which was like a Mediterranean martini (Gin, Aquavit, Cucumber, Dill, Mint, Lemon, Yogurt, Clarified) The sky daddy is as also good with a mix of unique ingredients- Fig and Sumac Rye, Brown Butter. Banana, Bitters. Great option for the whiskey lovers. The ambiance is old London vibes without the British accents. The cocktails are great quality. And our server Rose took incredibly great care of us. Looking forward to being back, cheers! read more

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Bar Benjamin has been on my list for a while, and it finally happened in the most Los Angeles way possible: I just walked in without a reservation and decided to see if the universe wanted me to have a cocktail. Spoiler: it did. This is a proper little upstairs lounge with a separate entrance from the restaurant. It's small, dim, and vibey in a way that makes you immediately lower your voice like you're in a movie scene. The sound system is legit, too. The music leaned more R&B than "generic cocktail bar playlist," which I appreciated. It feels intentional without trying too hard. They started me with a welcome drink that had tequila and fennel. I had a couple sips. Not my favorite flavor combo, but also not offensive. Kind of like a polite handshake you forget about five minutes later. For my actual drink, I ordered the Uptown Girl. Very boozy, which I say as someone who respects a cocktail that shows up ready to work. It's one of the few whiskey drinks on the menu and it landed in that Manhattan-adjacent zone. Spirit-forward, smooth, and absolutely not something you throw back unless you want to text your ex. I drank it slowly and felt extremely mature about it. The cocktail menu is fun, too. Creative names, lots of concoctions, and you can tell the bartenders are really making things, not just pouring and stirring. Even if you're not a cocktail nerd, it's entertaining to watch. If you want a low-lit lounge with great music, a strong drink, and the kind of atmosphere that makes a random weeknight feel like an occasion, Bar Benjamin is worth the visit. read more

Bar Benjamin - Uptown Girl - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Well....not sure what to say. The drinks are odd, not good. Went with a group of four girls and each one ordered a different drink and each was awful. The drinks tasted like stale feet. Cute vibe, love the ambiance and service was decent but boy these drinks were bad. read more

I came here for Valentine's Day drinks. We tried the more cowbell which was a 10/10. I love salty drinks and the baguette foam was insane. The sky daddy was delicious and very boozy, the banana was prominent. Girl dinner was not bad but I probably wouldn't order again. The tzatziki martini was definitely the most interesting and surprising. I also tried the tiramisu martini because ....well I had to. It was okay! The steak tartar was delicious and it came with these everything bagel chips that I wish I could have had a whole bag of. Overall, the ambiance of the place is perfect if you love a moody dim lighting sexy vibe. The bartenders are really good at their craft and the drinks come out so quickly. The drink menu is exciting and different and if I could have kept trying them all in one sitting I would have but that would have been crazy lol. Anyway I WILL be returning. read more

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Fun and creative drinks that are well-priced in a cool bar! My wife absolutely loved the 5 cocktails we ordered: Ceremony, Tommy Boy, Last Laugh, Dead Heat, and the BB Negroni. I thought some of the drinks were not balanced (eg. too salty, too sweet), but the menu was playful and exciting. Service was a mix of slow and fast: we had to wait a while for our orders to be taken, but once placed our drinks arrived quickly. Getting refills on water was a lot harder than it needed to be. I'm excited to see how this bar evolves and I can't wait to be back. read more

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We've been to both the restaurant and now the bar and I have to say I really like the intimate vibe of the bar more. It felt more cozy, and Japanese inspired. The entrance is completely separate from the restaurant and it's on the Melrose side towards the left. You go up the stairs and you'll be greeted by the host by the door. I tried a couple drinks, my favorite being the Matcha cocktail my least favorite being La Bruja. We also ordered almonds and those made very well. The service was fast and friendly, and everyone was so nice and welcoming. I would definitely come back with friends and explore the different cocktails they offer before heading to dinner. read more

Bar Benjamin - Good menu - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Loved the hospitality, food and drinks here. 10/10 would come back again. Their fries were delicious. read more

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I walked into Bar Benjamin with three friends on a Wednesday night last month. It was too late to check for reservations, so we took a calculated risk, and it paid off--while this bar does get busy, you can walk in after 8:00 on a school night. We even got free street parking nearby. I'd been to the Benjamin a couple times, but this was my first visit to the upstairs bar. It was as beautiful as the restaurant, expensively built out with sumptuous furniture and lustrous wood paneling on the bar, the walls, and the ceiling. I like a fancy bar with comfortable seating in my old age, and at this one, you can get a whole booth lined with velvet. The table service is nice, too. Our waiter was great, attentive and helpful. The drinks were excellent, starting with a small complimentary welcome cocktail. It had more ingredients than I could memorize, but they included tomato gin, Pisco, lemon, coconut, corn, and peach, and as complicated as that sounds, they blended into a lovely whole. All the cocktails on Bar Benjamin's menus are like that, real mixologist magic with a multitude of components. It's a good place to drink if you want to pay like $19 to $25 for something you can't make at home. I tried the Last Laugh and the Miso Caramel Manhattan, and they were both genuinely delicious. The Last Laugh was fresh and savory, with mezcal, yellow bell pepper, fermented mango, acid-adjusted pineapple and saffron. The Miso Caramel Manhattan was strong, balanced, and classic at its core, with miso-washed rye, Carpano Antica, toasted milk, and bitters. We wanted a little something to munch on and ordered the fried pickle dip and crudités, plus a side of chips to scoop up the extra dip. This was a flavorful spread of whipped ranch with diced pickles and crispy breadcrumbs, served with a crisp, colorful abundance of farmers market vegetables: carrot, radish, asparagus, snap peas. I rarely bother with crudités and dip, but these were absolutely addictive, and we needed those golden chips to scrape the bowl clean. There were more snacks and bar bites on the menu, as well as a dozen and a half more fascinating cocktails. I have a feeling I'll be back at Bar Benjamin soon. read more

Came to Bar Benjamin a few weeks ago as I heard nothing but good things. Ambiance wise this place is great for date night drinks and appetizers, I also heard the restaurant is really good as well. As for the drinks, I thought they were good but not great. We had a drink that had miso which sounded interesting, but wasn't for our taste buds. The old fashion was decent, but the reason for the 5 stars was the potato chips and service. Words can't describe, but the chips were seasoned perfectly and had a really nice crunch. I asked if I could order a bag of chips to go which I couldn't, but the bartender overheard me and packed some to go for us. Gestures like that definitely go a long way. Would I go again? Absolutely! read more

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Decided to walk-in on a Friday night around 10:30pm. We had to wait around 15 mins for a seat but got one. Recommend reservations over the weekend and you should be able to walk in during the weekdays. We liked the ambiance, very clean and nice bar with upbeat music. They offered us a sweet welcome drink which was nice. The bartender was friendly and made excellent drinks. We got a Manhattan and old fashioned and both of them were on point. Would definitely go back with friends! read more

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All I can say is that I ordered a cocktail that the server described as an "intellectual drink." I was a little worried that this spot might be a little too full of itself. But holy hell, when I tell you that my drink actually tasted like a Thai entree in a glass and that it was ridiculously delicious, I mean it! They also offered a welcome cocktail immediately upon seating us which was one of the best tequila-based drinks I've ever tasted. The light bites didn't look all that inspiring but go here for the drinks; early and often. This is high-level mixology at work. read more

Came here on a Tuesday night around 7 PM and it wasn't very busy. We sat at the bar but they also have tables. Really loved the innovation in the cocktail menu. I was really only expecting to get a drink or two but ended up with three because each one made me curious to try another. I especially liked that they had more savory cocktails. Couldn't recommend this place enough and definitely want to go back. Between the three of us we had tried seven of their cocktails and they were all delicious. read more

A truly romantic and vibey spot for some stiff cocktails or wine. Perfect for date night!

Bar Benjamin is one of my go-to spots for a smooth night out elite cocktails like the Last Laugh and the yuzu gin & tonic, plus the vibe hits different on Thursday Vinyl Night with real music-head energy. They just added a pastrami sandwich that's actually fire and even the almonds they serve are addicting. Great drinks, the bartenders know their stuff, great vibe, easy hang. read more

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Bar Benjamin is a beautiful bar with the proper dim ambience and music where its a vibe but you can still hear the person next to you quite well. The drinks here are quite creative and tasty - a lot of prep work done behind the scenes that comes through. And service is excellent - the little welcome drink is lovely followed by attentive water glass refilling. The bonus is when they will proactively swap out your glass with a new, chilled one when you babysit it for a bit too long (though they can benefit with a heads up as first time seeing it feels like they're just pouring your drink away). Tommy Boy - loved the curry, rum, gin flavor. Just worked very well together. Might even give it the edge against the Thai Curry at Double Chicken Please in NY Last Laugh - comes presented well with what appears to be a lot of saffron (it isn't). But the drink itself is a good balance of sweet from the mango/pineapple and the mezcal, which isn't as smoky as one may think but is tasty. Mala Margarita - a good level of heat while still being tasty. They also bring a set of tinctures in case you want to add more spice which is a fun add on Inherent Vice - very easy to drink though may be a bit sweet for some, but there definitely will be others that love it. Presentation is great since it comes with a little carafe of the rum drink that you pour over a strawberry daiquiri ice. Miso Manhattan - mostly a classic manhattan with a miso finish La Bruja - prob the only miss of the night for us as flavors were not what we like - more spirit forward but in a funky way. Great place to chat up with friends or go on date ($19-24 drinks though). Bartenders are solid. And you may see Ben Hundreds strolling around as well. read more

Came last night and enjoyed some great apps and even better cocktails at the bar! Everyone was extremely friendly from the hostess to the incredible bartenders who were able to make us a few drinks off the menu. They were very accommodating and kind! Did not feel rushed at all and with the cozy, cool atmosphere, it's definitely a great place to spend an evening out with friends! read more

I came here with my girlfriend on opening night which happened to be my birthday, & just celebrated her birthday here last night. We went to Bar first then ate dinner downstairs after (little backwards, but we like it). The vibes in the upstairs bar are immaculate. The dimmed, soft lighting against the beautiful wood paneling offer a more intimate setting that pairs perfectly with the restaurant downstairs. The cocktail program is superb, Ceremony being my girl's favorite & Paddington being mine. Even after it got busy, the wait staff was prompt, cordial, & attentive. We will definitely be back, & highly recommend it to anyone looking for a new top bar in LA. read more

Bar Benjamin - Paddington & Ceremony - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California