Fifth Street Market Area

Since it opened in 1997, Marché (296 E. 5th Ave., 541/342-3612, 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m. and 5:30–9 p.m. Sun.–Thurs., 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m. and 5:30–10 p.m. Fri.–Sat., dinner entrées $21–34) has set the standard for fine dining in Eugene [1]. The restaurant, in the ground-floor southwest corner of the Fifth Street Market [2], is as close to a French bistro as you’re going to find in this town, and the food is decidedly French-inflected, with an emphasis on fresh local produce and meat.

Don’t feel like you have to dress up or take out a second mortgage to eat here. The atmosphere is crisp but not fussy, and if you sit in the bar, you can while away an enjoyable but not particularly expensive evening with drinks and small plates, which can be fairly substantial, such as steak frites with a little salad for $14.50. Another good deal is the $25 three-course set-menu dinner.

For a more casual take on Marché’s food, head upstairs in the Fifth Street Market to the Marché Café (296 E. 5th Ave., 541/342-3612, 8:30 a.m.–7 p.m. Mon.–Sat., 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Sun., $7–9 for a light meal), where the food spans the hours from late breakfast to early dinner with quiche, tasty open-faced sandwiches, soups, and salads. Marché also operates a café at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art [3] on the university campus.

A couple of blocks from the Fifth Street Market is Red Agave (454 Willamette St., 541/683-2206, 5–9 p.m. Mon.–Thurs., 5–10 p.m. Fri.–Sat., small plates $6–12, entrées $14–26), a casual and appealing Nuevo Latino restaurant. Although it can be bustling and loud, the bright colors, pomegranate daiquiris, and friendly staff can quickly put you in a mellow Latin groove. The menu has lots of fish, and it’s all more sophisticated and alluring than your standard Baja fish taco. The bar is open late with a bar menu, but not full dinners, available until close.

You’ll find vegan food and lefty politics at Morning Glory Café (450 Willamette St., 541/687-0709, 7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. daily, $5–10). Some menu items do contain dairy, but this is the place to come for a very tasty tempeh sandwich.

In a complex across the street from the Fifth Street Market [2], Café Lucky Noodle (205 E. 5th Ave., 541/484-4777, 11 a.m.–midnight Mon.–Fri., 9 a.m.–midnight Sat.–Sun., $13–20) serves both Asian and Italian noodle dishes as well as breakfast, espresso, and gelato in a airy stylish space. Somehow this works…and although the prices are a bit on the steep side (pad Thai is $13), the food is flavorful and the portions are generous. Lucky Noodle’s sister restaurant, Ring of Fire (1099 Chambers St., 541/344-6475, 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Mon.–Sat., noon–11 p.m. Sun., $11–16) is also recommended.