Bar Benjamin

On our list of the best cocktail bars in Los Angeles.

Above The Benjamin Hollywood, up a private staircase from the Melrose Avenue entrance, this lounge keeps the same retro decor as the restaurant below but turns the lights down further. The cocktail list runs to specifics like a savory gibson made with everything-bagel gin and a walnut-heavy drink modeled on Persian fesenjoon stew. Food stays snack-sized - a bowl of chips, a pastrami slider with a caviar upgrade, carrot cake for dessert. The bar itself takes walk-ins, but the booths in back need a reservation.