The Glasshouse, Kew, restaurant review I had the celeriac soup with spaetzle, girolles and chives; it doesn't sound as exciting and, in truth, it wasn't, but I'd read that girolles enthusiasts had gone crackers this season (the rain has made them particularly tasty). They were exceptional. Spaetzle is knobbly pasta. Imagine uncooked croissants the size of mini-macaroni: nice, if weird. The soup was lovely, with a vegetal clarity that reminded me of those purists who won't use stock (it clouds the issue, they say). Things turned a bit Boxing Day when it came to the mains, as T put it. He had daube of beef, a bizarre thing to put on a menu in late summer. You could argue, I suppose, that he was the bizarre one for ordering it. It is my view that you can serve a stew at any time of year, but it might be worth signalling your awareness of the seasons by not serving it with potato dauphinoise. I think there's a very traditional sensibility in the kitchen, and to suggest tinkering with such a classic would upset them horribly. Needless to say, the meat was marvellous, meltingly soft and sweetened by its own graceful disintegration. I had the fried cod with white miso, soy and coriander dressing, pak-choi and oyster beignet. The cod was a fraction overcooked, but very fresh and attractive. The soy and coriander was judged well, zesty and aromatic, not fierce or salty. I love oyster beignets with a passion. Neither of us was over-enthused by the puds in description: a carrot cake? It seemed a bit WI and wrong, like accidentally wearing an apron to a dinner party. Amusingly, T's chocolate mousse was among the best things either of us had ever tasted, literally the perfect pud for anybody with a sense of adventure but without a hugely sweet tooth. The chocolate was rich and swish but not bitter, there were nuggets of nougatine that added a nutty bass note, and a milk ice cream that brought more to the dish than I can account for. I had the rum baba with chantilly, which did nothing unexpected, but how much more would you want from a dish that is already so syrupy and characterful? In sum: people who like things done the way they've always been done, and perfectly, will love it. People who like things done differently will find enough to divert them. And everyone will be suffused with a deep contentment. The Boathouse 5 Annesdale, Ely, Cambridgeshire (01353 664388) Bag a table by the window or, better still, on the patio overlooking the Ouse and start with the filo parcel of confit duck leg and pickled cabbage (£7). Then try the honey and mustard sausages with spring-onion mash (£11.50) The Doll's House 3 Church Square, St Andrews (01334 477422) At £6.95 for two courses the lunchtime set menu offers brilliant value for money and features a hearty beef curry with chickpeas and spiced rice. In the evening you can expect French-inspired dishes including creamy rabbit stew with roast garlic mash (£15.25) The Moat House Lower Penkridge Road, Acton Trussell, Staffordshire (01785 712217) Backed by the Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal and with a beautiful lake in front, this timbered hotel is a peaceful spot for a leisurely lunch. The 'canon' of lamb comes with goat's-cheese dauphinoise, salsa verde and aubergine caviar (£24)