Downtown Portland's Dining Scene Is Surging To Life In Anticipation Of A Dazzling New Market

Ranked among the top five foodie cities in America for 2025, Portland is a delicious dining destination. Boasting everything from humble food carts to top-rated restaurants serving elegant French fare, the city offers a diverse buffet of dining options that appeal to every taste and budget. However, the one thing that Portland has been missing is a year-round public market. 

Inspired by the famed Pike Place Market, Seattle's vibrant market with hundreds of unique shops, the forthcoming James Beard Public Market is expected to be fully open in Downtown Portland by September 2026. Named after James Beard, a renowned chef, restaurateur, and food writer who was born in Portland in 1903, the market will occupy the corner of Southwest Sixth Avenue and Southwest Alder Street, near Pioneer Square, adding a delicious new foodie destination to the heart of the city. If you're planning a Pacific Northwest getaway next year, catch a flight and take a bite into Portland's acclaimed dining scene with a visit to the new James Beard Public Market. 

Like Seattle's Pike Place Market, the James Beard Public Market will be open daily, year-round, rain or shine. According to its website, the market has a mission of "encouraging healthy eating for people of all cultural and economic backgrounds," and it will host a variety of vendors peddling everything from organic produce and artisan cheeses to fresh flowers and locally roasted coffee (after all, this classic West Coast city is the coffee capital of America). Of course, it wouldn't be a quintessential Portland destination without local beer, wine, and spirits, too. The market will comprise over 60 vendor stalls in total, as well as restaurants, a kitchen for live cooking demonstrations, and an event space. To further ensure its accessibility to various income levels, the market will also accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. 

Acting as a gateway to Downtown Portland, the market's location is comfortably nestled just west of the Morrison Bridge, which extends over the Willamette River. Though the market itself is planned to have an abundance of green spaces and sunny seating areas, it will also be situated about a 13-minute walk from the Tom McCall Waterfront Park, providing the perfect opportunity for riverside picnics in the warmer months. The conception of the project dates as far back as 2008, so it's certainly been a long time coming. After nearly two decades of delays involving various design and location changes, luckily, the wait is nearly over, and Oregon's beloved foodie city prepares to welcome its latest must-eat dining destination in the heart of downtown.