Time Out Market at Union Square Opens Its Doors
- Ata Erdal Yazgan
- 8 hours ago
- 5 min read
Manhattan’s dining scene just got a new centerpiece; Time Out Market New York has landed in Union Square, steps from NYU. Better yet, discounts are upcoming for NYU students. Opened on Sept 26, 2025, this is the second Time Out Market in New York City after the location in Dumbo, Brooklyn. Though more modest in scale than its Brooklyn counterpart, the Union Square installment aims to channel a neighborhood-market energy into the food hall, creating a curated gathering spot for food, drink, performance, and discovery.
Time Out itself began in London in 1968 as a magazine dedicated to highlighting what was cool, current, and worthwhile in city life: food, culture, arts, and experiences. Over the decades, it has expanded globally, building a reputation for local authority, telling residents and visitors where to go, what to eat, and what to see.
In more recent years, the Time Out brand has evolved to include physical versions of their editorial curations called Time Out Markets happening in cities around the globe. These markets serve as a place to bring together the best food and drink a city has to offer under one roof—often via a handpicked roster of chefs, restaurateurs, and cultural programming.
Each Time Out Market aims to reflect the local flavor and showcase up-and-coming culinary voices in the city. These venues often integrate food, drinks, performance stages, and digital content, such as screens showcasing local editorial recommendations.
The Time Out Market in Dumbo, Brooklyn, which opened in 2019, brought the model to New York with 24,000 sq ft of rooftop dining, art, and rotating chefs. Union Square’s version, at 10,000 sq ft, is smaller but carries the same mission: showcase top local talent under one roof.
Courtesy of Ata Erdal Yazgan
Located at 124 East 14th Street in the Zero Irving development, right next to Palladium and University Hall, the market runs daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. If you’re coming from somewhere else, it can be conveniently reached through the 14 Street-Union Square subway station served by the 4, 5, 6, N, Q, R, W, and L trains. It replaces a former Urbanspace food hall and now features seven kitchens, a central bar, performance stage, communal seating for 240 people, and an outdoor terrace—ideal for groups with varied tastes.
Though smaller than the Brooklyn location, the design fosters community with long tables, digital content displays, and a stage for talks or performances. The terrace captures Union Square’s energy, offering prime people-watching and casual outdoor dining.
Fornino
The lineup wouldn’t be complete without some good pizza, and the market surely provides in this aspect. Fornino is the excellent Neapolitan-style pizza place by chef Michael Ayoub, who has already made a name for himself at the market in the Dumbo and his long-running Williamsburg restaurant of over 20 years. It’s placed in the corner furthest away from the entrance, but it was the first to catch my attention as I made my way in. The centerpiece in the stall is the brick oven with the products inside it forming a delicious smell.
The menu isn’t huge, as expected for a market stall. First of all, there are a few salads: gem, kale, and caesar, as well as a daily special. For those not in the mood for a pizza, a roasted chicken and a chicken parmesan sandwich are available, which looked delicious as I observed someone collecting their order. Now, of course, the pizzas: ranging from a classic margherita to mushroom to prosciutto, there are seven options to choose from. In addition, there is the greenmarket special. It is notable that vegan mozzarella and gluten free dough can be substituted for all of them. The $15 lunch deal with a choice of margherita or market special pizza and any of the salads as a side.
I wasn’t going to miss the chance to try something interesting, so I had the lunch menu with the market special pizza and the gem salad. It had prosciutto, peaches, pistachio, pesto, mozzarella, fontina, ricotta, fresno chili, and was topped with spicy honey. Patiently waiting for it to come out of the oven, I instantly knew I made the right choice as I took my first bite. A wonderful mix of savory prosciutto, the sweet of the peaches, and the slight sourness of the cheese. As in a neapolitan pizza, the middle is rather soft while the raised and browned crust has a crisp with a wonderful texture. A thing to improve; I couldn’t taste the hot honey at all. The gem salad was perhaps as good as the pizza. The combination of endive, arugula, pear, cranberry, sunflower seeds, and a white balsamic vinaigrette dressing provided a refreshment that perfectly complemented the pizza. If you have the space for it, you can have a tiramisu to finish it all off. The lunch menu was the perfect amount of food for me, and I left full and very satisfied. So, I feel it was a good deal. Certainly, Fornino should be one of your first targets when you visit the market.
Kam Rai Thai
Returning for its third location after Astoria and Hudson Yards, this familiar Thai spot brings the aroma of street-food classics to Union Square. As I went in on the opening day of the market, there was quite a line, and I thought that so many people couldn’t be wrong and gave it a shot. I’m glad I made that choice. Alongside the smells, I noticed the fast-paced environment as the chefs worked quickly to deliver.
The menu is focused on street food classics, but also includes some interesting and authentic options that are rather uncommon. Among them are crab-meat fried rice, kraprao, khao soi with chicken confit, pork buns, northern Thai sausage, noodle soup with beef, and the Hat Yai fried chicken with sticky rice. Noodle favorites like pad thai and pad see ew are also available as expected.
I went with the crab fried rice. The silky smooth texture of the perfectly cooked and aromatic jasmine rice and the subtle sweetness of the crab meat at the first bite were impressive. The basil sauce and cucumbers served on the side were a unique touch and provided a fresh note to the dish. There is also a starter of larb wings available, as well as a classic Thai iced tea. I definitely can’t wait to go back and try more of their dishes.
When entering the market, there is no doubt you will be overwhelmed by the options available, and the smells coming from the stands won’t help. However, whatever your choice is, you can’t go wrong. Make sure to visit the market and give all the global options brought together a try.