Hiding behind a much-needed valet parking post, and a curbside spectacle of fanny packing tourists, sits a beloved and divine culinary landmark that has taken me 18 years to discover.

I always presumed that Star of the Sea was nothing more than a place where gaggles of cruise ship travelers rushed in to eat after buying their seashell lamps at the nearby Maritime Museum store. With the Star of India berthed on one side of it, and restaurant’s casual Fish Grotto sitting alongside the other, I imagined the scene as nothing more than a fishy page out of a Harbor Excursion brochure.

But Seaport Village this is not. Instead my dining companion and I were seated above the twinkling bay, several yards from shore, in an elegant atmosphere flowing with fine wines and beautiful food. The land of Hawaiian shirts and Bermuda shorts suddenly seemed a million miles away.

For those who have eaten here in the past, there are two things you may not know. The first pertains to the restaurant’s new executive chef, Paul McCabe, who landed here recently from La Jolla’s Top of the Cove with an innate proficiency for liberalizing even the most persnickety of appetites. His Trio of Tartare appetizer, for instance, comprised of raw salmon, ahi and scallops, can send squeamish fish eaters diving into the ocean for more. Each miniature mold of tartare is given its own light and flavorful binding — mustard vinaigrette, wasabi-cream and lime, respectively. And with a couple of glasses of J Champagne on our table, it became obvious that we were drifting into a sensational dinner experience.

Secondly, many patrons aren’t aware of the restaurant’s “taster menu” since it isn’t listed or advertised. Simply request it upon arrival or when making a reservation — and then sit back and allow Chef McCabe to manage your meal like he did for us. Each course is expertly paired with different wines that range from blended reds to sauternes, depending on what dishes McCabe decides for you.

A less hardcore appetizer from the sea, yet equally on par with the tartare in terms of flavor and presentation, is the Pacific Lobster Tempura, served atop a snappy arrangement of petite greens with Ponzu dipping sauce on the side. Our next course evolved into a brilliant dish of Agnolotti pasta for the companion, stuffed with a sweet potato-apple mixture and crowned with brown butter and shaved black truffles. The accompanying duck prosciutto gave the dish a luscious protein boost, as did the Seared Foie Gras with butternut-maple flan that glistened beneath my chin.

After polishing off our first few wines and refreshing our tongues with some Cabernet sorbet, my light-drinking companion declared herself as giddy upon witnessing a couple of black olives roll out of her bread. “Is this restaurant floating?” she asked.

Our savory good time continued with two remarkable main courses — a Duo of Beef for her and Roasted Monkfish for me. The beef plate consisted of a boozy, boneless short rib braised in more wine, plus a Niman Ranch Grilled Filet that we agreed was the best piece of meat we ever tasted. Adding to the heavenly arrangement was a tubular-shaped bone filled with soft, rich marrow.

My light and fluffy monkfish was also commendable — and topped with Foie du Lotte, the fish’s sweet and intense-tasting liver. The plate included truffled fingerling potatoes and mustard greens, all surrounded by a zippy puddle of black Asian vinegar.

Given its well-heeled patronage, the ever-changing menu naturally offers the best “jewels” of the sea — Caviar, Oysters and various preparations of Abalone, which has become increasing difficult to find in local restaurants due to its slow-growing cycles and high cost. Yet meat options are scant, at least the night of our visit, with Molasses Seared Elk Loin being the only other one listed on the menu.

Service was impeccable. The owners obviously have the foresight to staff the dining room adequately with highly experienced waiters who know how to pamper. Silverware is replaced with each course. Cloth dinner napkins are refolded (and seemingly re-starched and ironed) if you step away. And for my companion’s freshly baked chocolate soufflé, the unrushed server topped it tableside with spiced cream and hot Belgian chocolate — a starry performance by all standards.