Time Out Market New York ★9.1

Time Out Market New York: Twenty-One Kitchens, Three Bars, One Rooftop

Most nights out force a choice: barbecue or hand rolls, pizza or tacos, cocktails or dessert. Time Out Market New York abolishes the choice altogether. Inside a landmark warehouse on the DUMBO waterfront, the city’s editors assembled a greatest-hits mixtape of New York eating — and topped it with an open-air roof pointed straight at the Manhattan skyline.

The Concept

The formula was born in Lisbon in 2014: let critics, not leasing agents, pick the tenants. Time Out New York’s editorial team applies a single test — if it’s unmissable, it goes in the market — and in May 2019 the result landed in Empire Stores, a brick coffee warehouse from 1869 reborn as two floors of eating and drinking with around twenty-one kitchens and three bars.

What to Order

Treat it as a crawl. Start at Mori Mori, Masaharu Morimoto’s first hand-roll bar — lobster and spicy tuna temaki next to cheesesteak and hot-dog riffs — then move to Bark Barbecue, where pitmaster Ruben Santana smokes brisket low and slow over white oak. Jacob’s Pickles covers Nashville hot chicken and biscuits, Fornino fires pizza, Felice twirls pasta, Mexology by Ivy Stark handles tacos, and Doughnuttery closes the loop with mini doughnuts in flavors like chai masala. Morning people get Ess-a-Bagel and pancakes from Clinton St. Baking Company.

The Space

Exposed brick, heavy timber and long communal tables keep the ground floor buzzing around seventeen stalls and two bars. The fifth floor is the trophy: a handful of chef-driven counters, a full bar and a rooftop terrace with head-on views of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge and the skyline beyond.

Who It’s For

Groups that can never agree on one cuisine, bar-hoppers who like a view with their drink, and anyone building the perfect DUMBO evening: golden hour on the roof, a lap of the stalls, one last doughnut on the way out.

Good to Know

Do I need a reservation? No — the market is walk-in only. On weekends, arrive early if you want a rooftop table at sunset.

Is the rooftop free to visit? Yes, access to the fifth-floor terrace and its bridge views comes at no charge.

Does the market open for breakfast? Yes — doors open in the morning, with bagels and pancakes leading the early shift.

Can a big group find seats? Communal tables absorb crowds well, and group bookings and private events can be arranged with the market’s team.

Is it kid-friendly? Very — casual counters, pizza, bagels and doughnuts make it one of the easiest family stops in DUMBO.

Opening hours