Perched on the 11th floor of The Penny hotel, ElNico offers inventive Mexican cuisine, creative cocktails, and stunning skyline views that make it a must-visit in Williamsburg.
"There’s usually at least one annoying thing about a rooftop bar, whether it’s the line, the crowds after you get through the line, or the fact that it’s in Midtown. ElNico, on the 11th floor of The Penny hotel in Williamsburg, presents no such problems. It’s spacious, takes reservations, and has two huge terraces. There are also comfy couches in every shade of green among cacti and floor-to-ceiling windows. The house cocktails incorporate interesting ingredients, like an panettone Negroni, and the Mexican dishes have unexpected touches: a carmelized onion tlayuda, for example, which is almost too pretty to eat." - bryan kim, neha talreja, kenny yang, molly fitzpatrick
"We mostly just go to ElNico for drinks. The view from the top of the Penny Hotel in Williamsburg is nice, and we’re fans of the Santo Pepino cocktail that a bartender here once accurately described as "spa water that gets you drunk." But there are plenty of tables where you can sit down for a full meal in the plant-filled space, and the Mexican-inspired food is pretty interesting. Reservations are easy to snag, so keep ElNico in mind for a last-minute meal with some out-of-towners. They’ll love the terraces, cacti, and comfy green couches." - neha talreja, bryan kim, carina finn koeppicus, hannah albertine
"ElNico, the hotel restaurant, offers inventive Mexican cuisine by chef Fernanda Serrano. The rooftop bar and restaurant provide panoramic views of the Williamsburg and Manhattan skylines, and the menu features imaginative twists on traditional Mexican dishes. The cocktail menu, run by Leo Robitschek, focuses on agave-based spirits and seasonal ingredients, with sections for classics, fresh ingredients, preserved items, and nonalcoholic options." - Katherine LaGrave
"ElNico is an easy experience, and that’s saying a lot for a rooftop bar in Williamsburg. It’s spacious, takes reservations, and has two terraces and a sunroom-like interior with comfy couches on the 11th floor of the Penny hotel. The house cocktails and pretty Mexican dishes incorporate interesting ingredients—there’s an Old Fashioned with Sichuan pepper for example, and a tlayuda made with tzatziki that reminds us of a painter’s palette. Check the forecast, find the next sunny day, and head to ElNico to test drive your new pair of shorts." - Bryan Kim, Kenny Yang, Nikko Duren, Matt Tervooren
"Williamsburg isn’t exactly a sleepy part of town. So how is it that this rooftop bar on the 11th floor of The Penny hotel isn’t the least bit annoying? First, it has a lot of space inside, and two separate terraces, so you won’t be bumping up against people lathered in sweat. Second, there are tons of comfy couches in every shade of green where you can sip pretty cocktails and Mexican dishes with unique touches, like a scallop aguachile with galangal. And third, they take reservations—nothing’s more valuable than a guaranteed table on a Friday night." - Bryan Kim, Kenny Yang
