A process for separating benzene from a reactor effluent in which the reactor effluent is passed to a first separation zone to separate the effluent into a bottom benzene lean stream and an overhead stream. The bottom benzene lean stream does not need to be processed further to remove benzene. The overhead stream may be cooled and is passed to a second separation zone in which it is separated into a bottom benzene rich stream and a second overhead stream. The bottom benzene rich stream contains at least 80% of the benzene from the reactor effluent. The operating temperature of the first separation zone is greater than the operating temperature of the second separation zone.