ElNico

With its impressive space, food and cocktails, this rooftop bar is a triple threat. Located on the 11th floor of the Penny hotel in Williamsburg, ElNico has two huge terraces with views of North Brooklyn and Manhattan, and a palatial, sunroom-like interior, with walls of windows, cacti, and comfy couches in every shade of green.

If the setting doesn’t already inspire deep conversation, then the menu definitely will. Try their take on an Old Fashioned for a double numbing effect from both bourbon and Sichuan peppers, or a seasonal cocktail like the savory pickled ramp martini. The food is primarily Mexican—inspired by the chef’s travels and childhood in Mexico City—but has unexpected touches like Pepto-pink galangal sauce with raw scallops, and tzatziki on a veggie-loaded tlayuda that’s almost too pretty to eat.

photo credit: Eric Medsker