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Outwardly The Fitzwilliam Arms in Castor would not immediately strike you as the country cousin of nearby Stamford-based Fratelli's. To add to any confusion there is another Fitzwilliam Arms only three miles away, such is the staunch loyalty to the family who own the picturesque 20,000 acre estate to the west of Peterborough upon which both pubs are located.

Since 2001 however, the transition from gentleman's country pub to smart Italian restaurant has been accomplished with spectacular and award-winning apparent ease. Ours was a business lunch and the momentum of service was subtly changed to take account. The antipasto Italiano contained a worthy array of delights with some particularly delicious salami.

Opposite me I witnessed the appreciative passage of some very good-looking asparagi con proscuitto and just hoped that the asparagus was the result of local enterprise. My colleague's spaghetti alla carbonara caused me one of those moments of indecision but it was, as ever, too late and when my risotto marinara arrived I was reassured anyway. It was delicious, creamy and flexible, full of body and flavour. Coffee was of the same ilk.

The wine list is unashamedly Italian and our modest and law-abiding glasses of the Sicilian house wine very good value.

The lively La Tasca chain caters for parties, children's events and family gatherings in addition to anytime dining. These restaurants capture well the warm and vibrant spirit of Spain, and are best known for their tapas and traditional paellas.

Their star player is tapas, which can be had solo or in tandem with a meal. The calamares andaluza, deep-fried squid rings, served with roasted garlic mayonnaise and lemon, is great for sharing, while the chorizo frito al vino, spicy Spanish sausage flavoured with paprika, garlic and herbs, sautéed in red wine, offers a real treat. Chicken lovers order alitas de pollo, marinated chicken wings, or have skewers of chicken breast and pepper, marinated in paprika.

Valenciana is an interesting paella that combines seafood with chicken, and if you have a taste for trivia, you may be surprised to learn that 'la paella' actually refers to the utensil in which the dish is cooked.

Other than liqueurs and beer, there are wines from Spanish vineyards and sparkling cava. All of these, especially the dry rosé wines combine well with tapas. And you would be really getting into the spirit of things if you rounded off with the crema Catalana, traditional Spanish-style vanilla custard, topped with caramelised sugar.

La Tasca Spanish Tapas Restaurants and Bars today have over sixty outlets across the UK, so it is odds on there is a branch fairly close to your home.

Operating from an unassuming little shop in Market Deeping, five miles from Peterborough, for three generations, the Linford family has been keeping the true blue British souls happy with its unusually tasty fish and chips - fish that's caught straight from the sea and chips from the Lincolnshire fields. The menu has something for everyone in the family, from a children's menu which offers little portions of good food packed in a special children's box along with half portion of chips, a raspberry or orange drink and a toy.

The mains for adults go something like chicken leg and chips, nuggets, burgers, haddock, scampi, jumbo fish, fish cakes, spring rolls, sausages, coleslaw and several of the other usual suspects. The atmosphere is lively and the service excellent. Just the kind of place you want to come to, to catch up with good friends over delectable food and long conversations. Linfords Traditional Fish and Chips has also been voted one of the top 10 fish and chips shops in the UK and holds the Sea Fish Industry's Quality Award for Fish and Chips Shops since 2000.

One of the pleasant tokens of permanence in Ely is the Lamb Hotel, dating from the 14th century, snug with the Cathedral, a refuge for pilgrims and in the days of the 19th century Militia serving as an Officer's Mess.

For me one of life's little pleasures is smoked eels and I have never had them done better than here. Follow them with stir-fried pork and oyster cream sauce and enjoy some of the excellently kept cheeses on offer, and you will see that the pilgrims had a point.

Off the a la carte menu you can eat well at £20.00, set-price dinner at £16.95. This is not haute cuisine but it is comfortable, well-cooked food served in a homely way in traditional surroundings.

House wine at £8.95.