THE first Valentine's Day date my husband and I ever had was in a Chinese restaurant.

Not the most romantic of settings, perhaps. But that's what happens when you realise at 2pm that you really ought to book a table for dinner.

As luck would have it, we had a very nice evening. The service was appalling, but when you're young and in love, things like that don't matter. It goes without saying that waiting an hour between courses would leave me in a foul mood now.

But I have very fond memories of that night, so I have no hesitation at all at the thought of another pre-Valentine's date with chopsticks and chicken and sweetcorn soup. (Not at the same time, of course. That could get messy).

Fast forward 15 years and the venue is thankfully much more upmarket.

This time, we headed for Ruby, a real jewel in Cheltenham's crown which shocked everyone who loved its famous Sunday banquet when it closed down late last year.

Much to the relief of its regulars, which are known to include Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall, it's back again, offering the same Cantonese cuisine with top quality ingredients as before.

Immaculately decorated in an ornate, but not cliched Chinese style, the red, gold and mahogany decor gave off an air of style and sophistication.

It certainly impressed my children – whose presence was another obvious difference from that first Valentine's date.

The Ruby's staff seemed delighted to have them, with the waitress making a big fuss of them from the moment we sat down.

The restaurant itself is small but perfectly formed, with private dining areas ideal for parties and special occasions.

We opted for the Sunday family lunch, at £13.50 per adult and £6.50 for children where we could choose dishes from a well thought out set menu.

From the starters, we chose the obligatory chicken and sweetcorn soup, which was thick, tasty and a huge hit with our two-year-old, and the sweet and sticky king po ribs, which were meaty and very moreish. The waitress kindly brought us spring rolls and crispy wontons on the house – fresh and, as promised, crispy and a world away from the greasy offerings often presented instead.

The adult set meal allowed us to choose two mains each while the children could chose one, so we had a great selection, including crispy pork in Hoisin sauce, fragrant shredded chicken in a yellow bean sauce and the classic crispy shredded beef, cooked to perfection in garlic, chilli and a tangy but not at all sickly sweet and sour sauce. It was the best Chinese food we'd tasted in a long time.

And when the ice cream turned out to be creamy and of the highest quality, Ruby quickly made it on to my list of places to visit again.

Elaine McLaren