The Penrose

Outstanding array of appetizers, especially the fried pickles, plus a sunny outdoor seating arrangement ideal for people watching, and a decent beer selection to boot. Service was above average, especially considering the crowd. Nice all around.

A friend and I had lovely outdoor drinks and appetizers the other evening to celebrate being vaccinated! I hope outdoor dining is here to stay. I love the seasonal menu changes! The host let us take a table that had a reservation later that evening. We never felt rushed, everything was perfect as usual! I love this spot and am so pleased that it has survived; I’m looking forward to many more visits.

The Penrose is one of my go to staple spots on the Upper East Side. Both their brunch and dinner service are fantastic. The outdoor dining setup is one of the best in the area as there are dividers between the tables. We ordered the Penrose Burger and the Pickle Martini. The burger was perfectly cooked and the bacon was perfectly crisp! The Pickle Martini cocktail here is beyond amazing and one of the many reasons I continue to come back here. Highly recommend dining here!

Excellent cocktails. Delicious upscale pub food. I highly recommend the fried chicken sandwich and burger. Tomato soup is delightfully spicy & grilled cheese is a good one. Fantastic server. Be prepared to wait for a table. Good outdoor seating choice that aren't too plastic boxed in.

Best fried chicken sandwich in a while (space and time!) I load it up - cheese, bacon, and avocado as a minimum! But mostly because I'm like that.

Update: lukewarm!

Not changing my stars but last night at the Penrose was a little surprising. My friend and I were refused seating under the heated lamps under the guise that there was a reservation, which did show up and under the guise that 2 people couldn't sit at a 4 seat table. Yup on NYE when I was just sampling their amazing friend chicken sandwich. By the time we left there were 3 empty seating areas, 2 four seaters and 1 two seater and other patrons were still left out in the cold. It was surprising to see that this is how patrons would be treated even in the cold, during a pandemic, on NYE and when there were empty spaces available. I know things are tough at restaurants these days but that seemed like a real lack of compassion and customer care last night.

And if you're wondering, the hot toddy came out warm; after I sent it back, it came out warmer. It be would have been nice to get a piping got drink esp when I couldn't really keep my fingers warm while waiting for a chicken sandwich.

Happy to report that the fried chicken sandwich is good even when it's lukewarm!