Last June, Jared Meisler, Ben Shenassafar and Kate Burr joined forces to open The Benjamin in Hollywood, and the accolades came as fast as spring temperatures change here in L.A.

Guests loved the restaurant’s burger, the Parker House rolls, crab beignets, deviled eggs, cocktail choices and more, but they also adored the hustle and bustle of the intimate space, which seats about 65 diners across deep mohair booths, a beautiful oak bar and two- and four-top tables. There are no windows, but the golden light cast from chandeliers hits the caramel oak wall panels just right, creating an ever-present, sunset-like glow.

“We wanted to create this little world unto itself,” Meisler says. “It’s so nice to sink into a place and forget everything that’s happening in the world — even if for just a couple hours.”

On any given night, it’s highly likely that The Benjamin’s leading trio are presiding over the room. They might seat a just-arrived party, deliver a cocktail or check in on a group mid-meal.

Shenassafar and Meisler are both dads, and their “work day” often begins after having dinner with their families. Meisler, who exudes a seemingly interminable calmness, is taking it all in. After decades in hospitality (he also helms L.A. bars The Roger Room, Bar Lubitsch, The Little Friend and more), his passion for the work hasn’t waned.

“I particularly love the inception or coming up with an idea and then actually bringing it to life,” he says. “Building something like The Benjamin, which feels like an old Hollywood classic — with chilled martinis and giant burgers and big platters of fish and steak — is exactly what I want to do.”

Getting a table at The Benjamin requires alarms and quick hands. Reservations are released via Resy at 9 a.m. every morning for the following week. Seats get snapped up within minutes.

Is the hype real? Meisler thinks so and credits the patience and persistence of his team for keeping the restaurant on top since opening day.

For example, Meisler says that Shenassafar and Burr tried different blends of beef for months in order to perfect the house burger. Then, they sampled burger buns from bakeries all around Los Angeles. When none sufficed, they plotted to bake their own at the restaurant — daily. Pickles are pickled in house and the hickory sauce is made from scratch. For cheese, they went with fellow L.A. restaurateur Eric Greenspan’s New School American cheese.

But Meisler is a barman at heart, and he’s happy to report that the cocktails are as much of a draw as the fare. And in some ways, the bar at The Benjamin is Meisler’s mid-life magnum opus. He opened Bar Lubitsch in West Hollywood nearly 20 years ago, and now, some of his early fans from that bar are posting up at The Benjamin for hours, chatting over the Wolves Manhattan (Meisler’s favorite cocktail on the menu, made with Wolves 5-Year Single Malt Whiskey, sweet vermouth, bitters and orange) or the aforementioned martini, which comes with a generous and crowd-pleasing sidecar.

Despite pleasing crowds since opening, running a restaurant has never been easy, especially not after the pandemic, the recent L.A. County fires and the downturn in the local economy.

“The cards are stacked against us — actually, the cards are stacked against everybody these days,” Meisler says. “So, we feel very fortunate to have created this beautiful little bubble. It’s really easy to get lost here.”

A Night In

Can’t make it out to The Benjamin? Meisler shares how to bring the bar to you.

Yuzu Spritz Cocktail

4 ounces Prosecco (or non-alcoholic sparkling wine)
1 ounce yuzu juice
½ ounce lemon
1 ounce simple syrup
Small pinch salt
Handful of mint sprigs

Build the ingredients in a large wine glass with ice.

Pineapple Fix Mocktail

2 ounces pineapple gomme
1 ounce lemon
Muddled mint
Muddled serrano pepper
Crushed ice

Shake the ingredients in a shaker, then pour over additional crushed ice and add a mint sprig.