Café Pacifica is one of those restaurants that keep getting better with age. At 25 years old, she’s become a culinary landmark in historic Old Town without having to bait tourists with the so-called “authentic” Mexican cuisine that dominates the neighborhood.

Both menu and atmosphere are geared for the fine-dining set with a lively lineup of fine wines and expertly prepared seafood dishes served within a quaint, Spanish-style structure. And though the mostly white interior, lit dimly with string lights, longs for a few splashes of color, the adjoining 19th-century El Campo Santo Cemetery peeking through the side windows adds character to the dining room’s upper tier.

The restaurant is a perfect choice when hosting out-of-town visitors, assuming you can convince them to pass up tacos and guacamole for a single evening. Here they get to soak up the bustle of Old Town while coming away with crafty fare that won’t leave their stomachs rumbling.

With an East Coast family member in tow, we began with two memorable appetizers that shouldn’t be overlooked. The Grilled Portobello Mushroom stuffed with crabmeat struck a remarkable match to the puddle of balsamic-tomato sauce on the plate. And the fresh and flaky Petite Pacific Halibut proved a unique presentation with its carrot puree and accompanying grilled polenta, which tasted like gourmet cornbread dressing. The fish was drizzled with a subtle, sour plum-cabernet reduction that contrasted well to the flow of sweet flavors.

We advanced to the Sliced Pear and Caramelized Walnut Salad, loaded with both ingredients as well as blue cheese crumbles. It became obvious that walnuts toasted to such a high degree with a little sugar only get better as they approach the burnt stage. The roasted Corn and Blue Crab Claw Salad was also delicious, a swooped-up concoction with spoonleaf spinach and arugula contained in a fried wonton “bowl.”

Since my last visit two years ago, the entrée menu hasn’t expanded its red meat offerings, which it shouldn’t since the kitchen’s expertise lies squarely in fish preparation. Yet if you depart from the sea, you’ll find Pine Nut Encrusted Chicken Breast, Grilled Rack of Lamb, Cheese Tortellini and Filet Mignon in Madeira sauce.

My companion fished from the “Simply Grilled” category, choosing a not-so-generous order of four jumbo shrimp that left her hankering for a couple more simply because they tasted so good. With several sauces to choose from, she requested two – the papaya-cilantro being much better than the roasted garlic cream with fresh herbs, which didn’t make as strong of a statement. The dish came with celery root mashed potatoes and a stack of par cooked veggies, both very satisfying.

Impressed to death by our halibut appetizer, I stuck with the fish for my entrée; this time a seared, plump slab stuffed generously with marinated ginger. Coated evenly in sesame seeds, the halibut was masterfully cooked and popped with flavor in the pure Asian sense.

Other recommended entrées, based on my past visit, include Three-Herb Crusted Salmon, Linguini and Manila Clams steamed in chardonnay, Angel Hair Pasta with Rock Shrimp and Spicy Garlic Seafood Fettuccine, which reigns as a house specialty.

Consistency in food quality and detail-oriented wait service are clearly the no-brainer keys for surviving over a quarter century in the heart of “burritoville.” Eventually, I’ll come to resist the restaurant’s award-winning wine list and soak my lips in the lauded pomegranate margarita. (A rich and boozy Mauritson zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley kept me sated this time around.)

The dessert course fit our two differing palates. A chocolate torte with white chocolate ice cream pacified my companion’s sweet tooth while I lapped up a plate of fresh strawberries kissed with honey and drenched in a tart mango puree.

Old Town never tasted so good.