The Mitre, Culloden Hotel in North Down

We went to Vespers for a family birthday. The location is hard to beat and made for a great occasion, with drinks in the lounge first then taking our table in the beautifully-appointed dining room looking out to the grounds. The scene was set, then, for a sumptuous meal, one of us taking the vegetarian option (gnocchi) and the others the roast beef. Whilst the beef was reportedly melt in the mouth, the roast potatoes were deemed to be leathery and tough to get through (perhaps sitting under heat as we were a later sitting), with a rather tasteless gravy to boot. The gnocchi was oily and very over-salted; it didn’t get finished. I had a beautiful, subtle red with the meal. Desserts were somewhat ‘nouvelle’ in both portion and interpretation and would have gone down better with the table if they had followed a more classical approach. The Culloden Hotel and Vespers within it are top class locations for a special occasion. Service was polished and unobtrusive as you would expect. The food does need attention and we would not consider a return as things stand. With some attention to bring the menu up to par we’d look at it again for something special.

Having went to the hotel for a special occasion. We stayed Sunday night an we eat in the bar in the hotel grounds. We were looking forward to Fine dining in the hotel on Monday evening ,to be told it is only open Thur-Saturday. There is no notice at restaurant to tell you this. We had to go to bar again to eat ,The same soup was on both night. The same fish special was on the 2 nights. We were the only 2 people in bar /restaurant on Monday at 8 pm. Would never go back to the 5 star hotel again that has no dining room for most of week.avoid.

We attended for an evening meal to be I formed the Restaurant in 5 star Hotel had no a la carte menu no Table D'hote menu no menu only a 6 course Tasting "menu" for an expensive £80 pp. Too bad if you do not like the Tasting dishes. Are they even published on the website?

The menu is limited with little for vegetarians. My husband could choose mushroom soup or tempura brocolli followed by a mushroom main . The manager was delightful and said that the chef would make a dahl. The food was ok, nothing mouthwatering. Hotel itself is gorgeous but if you want food modern cooking go to the Fitzwilliam or Cathedral Quarter

We first had the afternoon tea and it was lovely. There was plenty of food, excellent tea, and attentive staff. Moving on to dinner, we found two wait staff servicing 23 people. Our waitress was lovely and personable. Our food was good but we found a group of very loud people at the opposite side of the room. It looked like a fine dining restaurant but diners were dressed in shorts, t-shirts, and jeans. Because the room itself was beautifully decorated, I thought there might have been a dress code or a least a more appropriate kind of clothing worn by the diners.

Food was outstanding, nice menu with each dish equally great. The Scotch Egg starter was delicious, and the beef main course was the best I can remember having, it was cooked perfectly. Not a big fan of deserts but what I saw arriving for family members looked really good. Beautiful surroundings, nice atmosphere, rounded off with good service from friendly staff. Altogether a great family Sunday lunch experience

Small birthday celebration afternoon tea for my 10 year old. She decided this was what she wanted, so away we went along with her daddy and Nana. The food was lovely. All very well presented and tasty. Plenty of choice and more than we could possibly eat. The staff were attentive and did a great job. They made a fuss of the child and made sure she had everything she wanted. Can't fault this experience at all. It was expensive, but there is no doubt in my mind that it was worth it.

Our meal in Vespers at the Culloden Estate and Spa was absolutely incredible. This is the first time I have eaten here in a few years, and what a night we had. First of all, the setting is incredible, a real winter wonderland with that old world style and character, a beautiful classic hotel, tastefully decorated for Christmas, with the Pianist playing all of the Christmas classics. The staff are amazing! They are so attentive, anticipating our every need, exactly the level of service that you expect from a five star hotel. They are also friendly and genuine. The food was stunning! There was clearly a lot of time and effort spent sourcing the best ingredients, prepping the dishes and presenting them in a way that requires a great attention to detail. Everyone at the table was blown away by the flavours. Thank you to Chef Mark, Sam Denning, and your teams for what was an incredible night. The food and service was first class.

Service can be a little inconsistent. A small menu available, recommend the delicious smoked salmon. We had some items missed from our order, but every effort was made to amend.

Strange experience at the hotel, a mix up over the booking led to us sitting in the bar but being served afternoon tea.At £35 per head we had high expectations which were not met.Sandwiches were very basic , egg mayo and ham and pickle,no offer to replenish as there is in the Merchant. The scone is filled with lemon curd and is not pleasant and a teacake type bun was dry and tasteless.We left ours and advised one of the staff it was dreadful, no reaction. Plenty of refills of tea and coffee but overall feel there are better quality afternoon read available elsewhere. Not sure what the recency connection is other than a reference to the dry scones and teacake.

Fantastic restaurant and amazing food and atmosphere. We were made to feel very special and thoroughly enjoyed our beautiful food.

My Husband and I decided to treat ourselves to a visit to the 5* hotel restaurant Vespers. An expensive mistake ! The menu was very limited and 3 items were unavailable. How can things be unavailable with such a restricted menu ? I had the steak which was 2 mouthful size pieces of steak. A disgrace for the price tag of £30 . For a further £5 Parmesan chips which were so salty they were unpleasant. The extra veg of Brocolli, Beans and asparagus, only had beans and they didn’t have the other ingredients. It was no wonder we were the only ones in the restaurant . Much better quality food for more reasonable prices else where . We won’t be back !

I recently visited Vespers for dinner following on from and an amazing Spa day at the Culloden Estate and Spa with my mum and Aunty and what a perfect end to the day it was! The waiter (Aiden) couldn’t have been nicer or more accommodating and the food prepared by the chef Andy was spectacular. They have recently changed the menu and each and every course we had was delicious! We were presented with a gorgeous amuse bouche to start followed by superb starters and main courses. We decided not to opt for dessert but on hearing that we were from Scotland (which the chef also was) he sent out a beautiful plate of sweet treats for us to enjoy along with our coffee. He then took the time to pop out and say hello in person, which was such a lovely personal touch! From start to finish we were so well looked after and every single thing that was presented to us was of exceptional standard. A beautiful dining experience to rival any of the top hotels I’ve had the opportunity to dine in world over! Couldn’t recommend this hotel and restaurant highly enough and I will definitely be returning the next time I’m in Belfast.

having had an excellent lunch here just before Christmas last year we thought we would come back. A terrible mistake. Not only had the price gone up from around £35.00pp to £55.00PP for 3 courses the quality had plummeted. The starter was pleaseant enough if uninspiring for a restauarant of this supposed quality. having been delighted to note that Roast Sirloin was on the menu I ordered this as last year it really was excellent. On this occasion I received a piece of meat that was barely 5mm thick and was as hard as nails. Last year it was 1/2 inch thick so I did request medium to well done this time round. I did return this piece of meat, I swear I have had thicker cuts of bacon. I then opted for the turkey which was ok but again uninspiring. The gravy was the same on both dishes and was clearly a generic mix. The waiter asked if we would like more gravy so i said yes please but wish i hadn't bothered as it was so runny and almost pink, tasting of nothing more than weak cranberry juice. Both my wife and I finished with the cheese board which was the best thing we had all lunch. The wine was excellent and the serving staff were most helpful and pleasant. To say we were disspointed was an understatement and my wife so much so on my behalf e-mailed details of our experience. (we were not looking for a refund or anything but given the reputation of this business she felt they ought to be made aware. Three weeks later she has not had a response so i can only assume they care as much about their customers as the chef does. We shall not be returning and have had far, far better food at most other restaurants east of Belfast such as Coast in Holywood, Harbour & Co in Donaghadee and Coq & Bull at Clandeboye.

Unbelievably fabulously wonderful From start to finish. Was greeted with a friendly smile personality escorted to bar and then again to Vespers The presentation and service was exquisite could not have faulted it in any way. Special thanks to Charlie & Michael who made a great night into a wonderful evening. Highly recommend for that special dinner 😀

went to vespers with my wife and 3 friends for a meal at the culloden. the attention to detail and service were of course 5 star I had a very good French onion soup to start,with the steak as my main,cooked to perfection. three of...

We recently visited this restaurant to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary. It was an exceptional experience from start to finish. A 7-course tasting menu with matching wines. The food was delicious and expertly presented. The wines were carefully chosen by Charlie the well-travelled, highly-experienced sommelier....

Our experience in the restaurant was amazing. Charlie was our lead server, and was both knowledgeable and friendly. His insight on food and wine was awesome. We came back a second night and he had our wine decanting and the champagne on ice. He is...

Visited Vespers recently and while the food was nice enough, the service just wasn’t up to par for the cost and the room itself really lacked any atmosphere. While everyone there was lovely, the restaurant seemed understaffed and the staff perhaps a bit inexperienced so...

Dined on two delicious courses in the Mitre Hotel. The dining room has been completely refurbished is a most relaxing place to enjoy a meal. Waiting staff were attentive without being overly so and our every need was catered for. We ordered Rack of Lamb...

Just had a most enjoyable evening at the mitre restaurant at the Culloden hotel 😀 changing the bar and restaurant is just wonderful. Your team in both where friendly and polite with impeccable service along with a beautifully presented meal. Would highly recommend, this wonderful...

We stayed at the Culloden Hotel and were very much looking forward to eating at The Mitre Restaurant for my husbands birthday. We were not disappointed. The staff were efficient and friendly and couldn’t do enough to help. We were lucky enough to have a...

We were staying the Culloden for two nights and decided on a meal in the restaurant on one of the nights. Perhaps it was that our expectations were high - the receptionist herself had deemed it 'more special' than anywhere else in the venue. Certainly...

Attended this restaurant for breakfast after an overnight stay. Food and service were great! Staff were friendly and polite.

Took my wife here for afternoon tea. How much do I want to go to afternoon tea? Not a lot. Its a great location for it, but everything takes ages. We were seated then left for a while then a man with very hushed tones...

4 of us had booked for a pre Xmas get together and chose the Culloden. We’d booked for 8pm and met up at 7.45 in the bar. After about 10 mins we eventually caught the eye of a waiter and ordered drinks.. 10 mins later...

We enjoyed a superb lunch in this terrific restaurant. We both had the blue cheese salad to start with and then the pan-fried duck. The presentation was great and the food was super.

The service in this restaurant runs like clockwork the staff are attentive to your needs and go out of their way to accommodate any food allergies or dislikes by offering an alternative so that you have a lovely dinning experience. Thank you for making my...

Easy service , slightly drowned out by a party but once they left , calm returned , staff go the extra mile. Our guests had their reception in the hotel 20 years ago , we mentioed this to our server and he appeared later with...

My wife and I ate at this restaurant three times whilst we were in Belfast. Great quality food at reasonable prices. Service was excellent and the Chef was open to minor changes to the food served such as grilling fish rather than frying.

We were so disappointed by our recent visit for apparently a 7 course tasting menu with matching wines.

A party of nine of us attended the Culloden to Celebrate my daughters graduation. Starters, Main and service was very good and fitting for the restaurants reputation. The complete selection of deserts were selected amongst us for the table, not one of them were acceptable,...

Party size - 11 adults and one child - aged 4 years. From the moment we arrived our party was made to feel 'special' - we had a drink prior to moving to our table in the Dining Room. The staff were very attentive &...

Went there for a late dinner with a friend. The Culloden Hotel is an old and nice building lying by the sea. We first had a drink by the fire place, where we ordered our dinner. When it was ready, we moved to our table...

Booked into the Abercorn Suite which was immaculate. Champagne Tea which again was flawless. Use of the spa was a...

For breakfast, there was an adequate cold buffet of fresh fruit, yoghurts, cereals and smoked fish or cheese but the hot food was first class. I had perfectly poached eggs, buttered toasted sourdough, sliced avocado, wonderfully crisp and flavourful bacon with a piece of spicy...

Words can hardly express the horrific experience of Sunday lunch earlier today at the Culloden Mitre restaurant. Firstly, after two telephone calls both to book and then confirm an 80th celebration Birthday Sunday lunch, they were under the impression that we were having afternoon tea,...

We had a meal in the Mitre restaurant during our stay and the food and service was excellent. Staff are so attentive.

Not too long ago we had a disappointing Anniversary meal at the Mitre but we thought we'd give the Culloden - in such a beautiful location - another try and popped in for a light lunch at the Culloden bar area. We knew we were...

Booked for a celebration dinner. We come to Mitre regularly for celebration meals. Over the years the silver service has deterioted, but tonight was poor. We have had great dinners here, but tonight this manager and staff did not get it.We were asked if we had any allergies. We were sorry we said yes. Every conversation with the service staff revolved around the allergy, either because they were ignoring it and serving food not suitable or because the food came out different to how it was described on the menu. We could have managed better if we had not declared an allergy. Staff were very pushy in offering just one option. Is an intolerance to dairy so unpopular?The evening was very stressful. The atmosphere was poor. Only three tables (6 people) in the entire restaurant and we were the last to leave at 9pm. Even though there was no one else in the restaurant, we left without finishing our meal due to the time it took staff to orgianise. We were promised table by the fire for tea and coffee, but staff just kept on forgetting things and confusion was every where. Food did not arrive together, I had finished my desert before my wife’s arrived. I remember the Mitre when the staff came to the table with the food at the same time and they didn’t even need to ask who was having what. Finally manager arrived due to a no WiFi card payment issue, when they asked for my card payment 3 times. I entered PIN 3 times, one of which the waitress actually saw my pin on the screeen due to her not knowing how to work the console. When I made my concerns about my security, the manager response was that the ‘staff are very trust worthy.’Unfortunately I remember the good old days when the service at Mitre was a little different from the service you would expect from your local chippy. At least the chippy had atmosphere. I expected a much better attitude from a manager of a 5* Hotel. To be so dismissive and flippant was just disrespectful to paying customers.A small discount was offered, but it was no way comparable to the ruined evening and the stress encountered dining at Mitre. I wasn’t going to stand and discuss money in the middle of a hotel reception, but the hotel manager already knew that. I have been a loyal customer at the Culloden for 15 years and tonight I think I’m finished. The manager and staff were just not interested. (Did I mention the waitress and harp player talking loudly across restaurant about how they wash their greasy hair with Pantene. It works best for greasy hair apparently!). I had to listen to this conversation while I tried to eat my dessert. The conversation said it all about the new standards I experienced at the Culloden.

To cut a long story short, at the end of July we hosted two special friends to help celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary - we had our wedding reception at the Culloden 40 years ago. Our breakfast experience fell way short of our expectations, we...

Firstly the service here was really excellent. I had the scallops to start which were delicious. I was disappointed with the menu choices as being on the coast I would expect more seafood. The only fish available for main was farmed salmon (organic but still...

Food and service most definitely 5-star. It's all the little extras that make this truly an unforgettable experience. I dined here with my almost 9 year old son. The canapés were lovely. The amuse bouche was smoked duck with blue cheese. I knew my son...

I recently visited Belfast with family and stayed at the Culloden Estate and Spa. What a wonderful experience. 5star luxury. We had a very lovely bedroom. The Culloden stands in 12acres of gardens and woodland which we could enjoy. The breakfast is very good we...

Our group of people had the actual menu that was served to First Class Passengers on the Titanic. There were actually five courses, the second, third and fourth comprising the main courses. The meal was outstanding and the service was efficient and friendly.

We found the food rather heavy and it was also expensive. We asked for a Pimms and about an inch of Pimms on its own appeared! I had to show the staff a photo I had taken of a glass of Pimms at the Portmeirion...

Wonderful breakfast in a beautiful, comfortable and calm setting. Service was excellent and the staff very courteous and friendly.

Forty years ago we had our wedding reception at the Culloden Hotel. So, as part of our celebration, I invited my best man and his wife to join us for breakfast. It goes without saying the Hotel and its setting is superb - must surely...

3 of us ate here on a Sunday night. Food was pretty good, service was a little off, but they were busy, so maybe a reason for that. I will try them out again next time I am there and give it a second chance.

This was an exceptional dining experience. Not only was the choice and quality of food on offer outstanding, but the service was the best we had experienced anywhere for a long time.The ratio of waiters is nearly one per table and they are very attentive and genuinely want to please.The menu is refreshing and imaginative and couples the newly refurbished restaurant. A very fine dining experience.