"We periodically evaluate our tenant mix and long-term vision for the property." That was Del Mar Plaza property manager Tamara Failla in The Coast News, explaining why the Plaza decided not to renew Pacifica Del Mar's lease. She said the Plaza is moving on with "a new restaurant operator whose concept aligns with our goals for the future of Del Mar Plaza." She also said the change would "better serve the evolving needs of our community."
The statement also describes what the Plaza has been doing for more than a year. Since summer 2025, the building at 1555 Camino Del Mar has added a market, a casual Baja restaurant, a breakfast cafe and a French bakery. Each one is open every day, and together they cover the hours from early morning to late evening. Pacifica's December closing is the latest step in that reshuffle.
The Restaurant That Opened With the Building
Pacifica Del Mar opened in 1989 as one of the first businesses in the newly built Plaza, at the corner of Camino Del Mar and 15th Street. According to The Coast News, some day-one dishes are still on the menu, including the sugar-spiced salmon. The restaurant has outlasted recessions, the pandemic and a change in ownership: longtime owners Kipp Downing and Jacquee Renna-Downing sold it to Sangiv Chopra in 2016. Over the years it hosted race-week dinners, weeknight regulars at the bar, birthdays, anniversaries and wedding receptions.
The restaurant announced the closing on social media on May 15:
"Since opening in 1989, Pacifica Del Mar has been more than just a restaurant — it has been a gathering place, a tradition, and a part of the fabric of Del Mar and North County for nearly four decades."
The landlord made the decision, not the operator, and that is what makes this closing different from the usual restaurant turnover. Pacifica's owners didn't decide to wind down. The Plaza picked a different direction for its most visible dining room.
What the Plaza Has Added Since Summer 2025
Line up the Plaza's recent arrivals by date and the direction is clear. Every newcomer is built for repeat visits on ordinary days.
- The Cottage, summer 2025. The breakfast spot expanded to a new location at the Plaza. Its website lists the Del Mar location at 1555 Camino Del Mar, open 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
- Valley Farm Market, late December 2025. The market opened on the Plaza's first floor, and the grand opening followed on Saturday, January 10. The business dates to 1956, when Felix and Eleanor Marso opened the first store in Spring Valley. Del Mar is its third location, after La Jolla in 2019. The anchor is the butcher counter, with prime boneless New York steak, Mexican wild-caught shrimp and rockfish. The store also carries produce, wine, sushi, sandwiches and the house-made imperial carne asada.
- High Marea, January 2026. Third-generation owner Derek Marso opened this Baja-style restaurant next to the market. The menu runs to tacos, ceviche, seared ahi, Sonoran ribeye and tallow fries, cooked without seed oils.
- Desserts By Clément, June 2026. Chef Clément Le Déoré opened his second San Diego bakery in Suite 304, the former Paris en Rose space. His Pacific Beach flagship came first, and a Vista location is in the works, according to the Plaza's announcement.
Hours Tell the Story
Look at the posted hours side by side. The Cottage opens at 7:30 a.m. Valley Farm Market runs 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day, and High Marea serves 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. Desserts By Clément stays open until 9 p.m. daily.
So the four newest tenants keep the Plaza busy for about thirteen and a half hours a day, seven days a week. The lineup is built for repeat visits, and it gives Del Mar Village a walkable market it didn't have before.
The Coast News captured that in its opening coverage, quoting a Beach Colony resident who said being able to walk to the market was "killer." The paper described a market in the village as "a game-changer" for its customers. That is the "evolving needs" language from Failla's statement, put in a neighbor's own words.
The Businesses Holding the Plaza Steady
Not everything at the Plaza is changing. The longtime businesses give the new tenants a fixed base to build around. This month the Plaza is celebrating Tamarindo's fifth anniversary and 33 years of GARYS at the property. Il Fornaio is still in Suite 301 and still runs its afternoon happy hour. Monarch Ocean Pub still lists its Plaza address and daily hours.
With those anchors in place, Pacifica's space is the Plaza's single biggest open question. It is the restaurant most closely tied to the ocean view and to the building's original identity.
What Comes Next for the Pacifica Space
The Plaza hasn't announced who will take over. In June, Failla told The Coast News that a new operator would be named "in the coming months." In late May, Hoodline passed along a SanDiegoVille report that Water Grill, the King's Seafood Company brand with a Gaslamp Quarter location, was expected to take the space. The same report noted that Water Grill "has not yet publicly announced official plans." Until the Plaza or the operator makes an announcement, treat the next tenant as unconfirmed.
Hoodline also reported that no renovation or opening timeline has been released. If a national concept does move in, a transition of several months is likely. That means the second-floor ocean view may sit dark into 2027. Meanwhile, the daily tenants downstairs and next door will carry the Plaza through the first stretch of the new year.
Planning a Last Dinner at Pacifica
Pacifica is closing in December. No exact final service date has been published, so check pacificadelmar.com directly. According to Hoodline, the restaurant is taking reservations for the rest of the year. It also plans to honor longtime staff and loyal customers in its final months. The Coast News reported that many employees have worked there for years, some for decades.
December weekends will fill up with holiday events, so a November weeknight is the easier time to book. The village calendar below shows why.
The Village Calendar Through December
The Plaza and the surrounding village have a full calendar between now and the holidays.
- Seaside Sessions, Thursday, October 29. Louis Thomass plays the ocean-view deck from 5 to 7 p.m., part of the Plaza's ongoing live music series. Check the Plaza events page for the November lineup.
- Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m. The Del Mar Farmers Market marked its 40th anniversary in August. It runs in the Civic Center lower parking lot with nearly 40 vendors, prepared food, live music and yoga upstairs, according to the City of Del Mar.
- Through October 31. Pumpkin Station wraps up at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
- November 6 to 29. The fall thoroughbred meet runs at the Fairgrounds. Expect more evening traffic in the village on race days.
- December 6, 1 to 4 p.m. The Del Mar Village Association's Winter Taste & Sip fills downtown Del Mar Village with 15-plus restaurant tastings, 20-plus wine and beer pours and live music, with Santa photos at Del Mar Plaza. The annual tree lighting follows at 5 p.m. at the Jim Watkins Amphitheater at L'Auberge Del Mar, per the DMVA calendar. North Pole By The Sea runs throughout the village from 1 to 5 p.m. that afternoon, with letters to Santa, photo stations, characters and carolers, according to the DMVA's holiday events page.
- Opening December 11. Coastal Christmas debuts at the Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd. It has a light trail, synthetic-ice skating, Santa photos and food vendors, runs 4 to 9 p.m., and parking on site is paid.
Winter Taste & Sip falls in Pacifica's last month, so it may be one of the final village events with the original 1989 dining room still open upstairs.
If you live near the village and are wondering what a changing Plaza means for your corner of Del Mar, I'm glad to share what I'm seeing as the Pacifica space finds its next tenant. Reach out to Sue Otto-Calkins. Let's Connect.
