The oldest establishment in the New York municipal market system, Essex Market’s latest re-invention arguably strikes the perfect balance between supermarket and food hall. The old Essex Street Market, created in the 1930s as the flagship of the city’s public market system, became essentially obsolete in the 21st century.

The latest transformation, which opened in 2019, nails changing tastes and approaches to food in New York. Essex Market (88 Essex St., New York, N.Y.; essexmarket.nyc), as it’s now called, is as much a gathering space as a shopping destination. It’s located in a fancy new complex with luxury condos and a movie theater. The basement level is technically a separate operation called the Market Line.

As you enter Essex Market from Delancey Street, the Indian restaurant and bar Dhmaka (dhmaka.nyc) sets the tone. It’s bright and splashy, and jumping with customers. Times food critic Pete Wells adores the place. He is obsessed with the $180 whole rabbit dish, which is above our pay grade. But there are plenty of regional Indian dishes in the more usual $30-$50 range. Midday, the main action seems to be at the beautiful bar. Ironically, like Market Line, Dhmaka isn’t part of Essex Market either.

But the name on the various leases really don’t matter. The gestalt of the Essex Market complex is an upscale food hall with smart-looking counters for snacking and some eye-popping displays of meat, fish, bulk spices, pastas, and even grocery store staples. Oh, and cheese. One of the cheesemongers sells only vegan cheeses, satisfying an important niche in plant-based eating.

Roughly 50 vendors fill the official market. You might come to pick up comestibles for the home kitchen, but you might also stay to grab fancy pizza slices, a plate of Dominican patacones, Puebla-style Mexican tacos, or Peruvian rotisserie chicken.

And before you leave, pop downstairs to the Market Line for a crunchy spear from the Pickle Guys or take a bite of the Big Apple, a glorious pastry (shown below) filled with chocolate mousse.