Everything about the Inglewood Hotel's restaurant reeks of comfort.

From the gas-fired heater, to the decor and paintings, to the atmosphere.

But most of all the food. It's comfort food cooked pretty well. You can't ask for much more.

We availed ourselves of the restaurant - which has picked up a few awards in recent years - on a recent Saturday afternoon.

As the Dockers were losing to the Crows, we could get a running commentary from the noises from the bar area. It all added to the atmosphere.

We knew what we were in for when trying to order dessert with the rest of our meal.

"I suggest you order that later because you might be full by then. We have very large meals," the waitress said.

And so it proved. Not much time to enjoy the pint of Little Creatures Bright Ale ($9.20) before the food started coming.

We shared the chicken, chilli and coriander sausage rolls with pumpkin aioli ($10.30) and the better-value wedges with sweet chilli sauce and sour cream ($8) for starters.

All done with an 18-month-old in tow, heartily enjoying his serving of fish and chips ($10) which was as kids meals should be, a smaller portion of what would be offered up to adults.

On to the mains. I went for the grilled 300g scotch fillet ($34) while the better half took on beer battered flathead fillets with chips, salad and tartare sauce ($19.30).

The steak was rarer than I usually get when asking for one, but still on the medium side. It was covered in a too-sweet red wine juice but came with a delicious potato and bacon cake.

No complaints about the fish, except maybe about the price, despite the large serving.

The waitress was almost right. The meals were hearty and filling, but dessert still needed to be tried.

So we tried the more-than-passable white chocolate and cookie cheescake with raspberry coulis ($8), washed down with a hot chocloate ($4).

A nice way to top off a nice meal. Nothing flash, just simple food done reasonably well. Eaten in nice surroundings. Almost perfect surroundings on a wet winters day.

Just what you'd expect really. With excellent facilities for toddlers thrown in for good measure...