5 Star Belfast

The Culloden is where ladies come for afternoon tea, wedding parties for photos in the grounds, and couples in cashmere sweaters for spa and golf weekends. It is, in fact, a Belfast institution.

The Hastings family who own it are, I suppose, the Fortes of Northern Ireland. They also run the infamous city centre Europa hotel, and a string of others, including the Slieve Donard in Co Down, on which they are about to lavish a cool £15m.

They've just spent over £500,000 on a cool beech-and-granite spa at the Culloden, too. A few bob on paintings as well, by the look of things.

Perhaps it's the family ownership, but somehow it feels really homely.

You’ll be in in veggie heaven in the Mitre restaurant - cream of celeriac with truffle, spinach and pine nut ravioli; onion tarte tatin with chèvre; and a shoehorn to get in steamed orange pudding with orangey syrup and ice cream.

Then it's off to the pub in the grounds, the Cultra Inn, for a nightcap.

Civilised, that's what this place is.