The Winding Stair

4.7

2419 Reviews

€31 to €50

Irish

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 22, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 22 times today

Charming
Good for special occasions
Great for fine wines

The Winding Stair Bookshop & Café became a famous Dublin landmark in the 1970s and 1980s. Named after the Yeats poem and in honour of its winding staircase, it is overlooking the river Liffey, with an iconic view of the Ha'penny bridge. As a popular meeting place for writers, musicians and artists, it was a well known hub for debate and creativity with many poems written, novels penned and movies shot within its walls. In 2006, Elaine Murphy brought this much-loved spot back to life as a restaurant, championing seasonal, Irish produce. The bookshop, located on the ground floor, was retained, as were many of the old bookshelves, photos and memories. The room retains its timeless charm with stripped wood tables and floors, and Bentwood café chairs.The view remains as quintessentially Dublin as ever.
The food is good, old-fashioned home cooking, with produce sourced from artisans within the island. Drink sare local and international craft beers & wines from stellar producers.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
€31 to €50
Cuisines
Irish, Seafood, Vegetarian
Hours of operation
Lunch Wed–Sun 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Dinner Mon, Tue, Sun 5:30 pm–9:00 pm Wed–Sat 5:30 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(01) 872 7320
Website
http://winding-stair.com/
Payment options
Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress

Location
40 Ormond Quay Lower, Dublin, Co. Dublin D01 R9Y5
Neighborhood
North City Centre
Parking details
Public Lot
Additional
Beer, View, Wine

Pigs on the Green piggy Scotch egg with bacon dust mayo€9.00
Veggie Scotch egg with confit garlic mayo€9.00
Recommended with a drop of Artuke 'Pies Negros', Tempranillo, Rioja, Spain, €14.25
Roasted butternut squash soup, Dublin hills goat cheese crouton, pickled red onion€9.00
Recommended with a drop of Badajo, Verdejo, Rueda, Spain €10
The Wooded Pig Irish charcuterie board with house-cured vegetables & breads€20.00
Recommended with a drop of Kaiken Malbec, Argentina, €11
The Winding Stair Fish Plate: Belvelly, Goatsbridge Farm & home-made smoked fish pâté, chive crème fraîche, treacle bread, cornichons & caper berries, good for sharing€25.00
Recommended with a drop of Azevedo, Vinho Verde, Portugal, €11
Potted Dingle Bay crab with pickled cucumber, toasted soda bread & organic leaves€18.00
Recommended with a drop of Macon Villages, White Burgundy, France, €13.75
Macroom Dairies' burrata, roasted Kinsealy onion squash, cranberry, spiced hazelnuts & roasted red onion€18.00
Recommended with a drop of Tokaji Dry, Furmint, Tokaj, Hungary, €13.50
Doyle's hand-smoked haddock, poached in milk with onions and white Cheddar mash€32.00
Recommended with a drop of Idiart Rosé, France, €10
Goatsbridge Farm trout, baby potato, spinach & goats bridge trout roe beurre blanc€29.00
Recommended with a drop of Los Aljibes, Sauvignon Blanc, Spain €9.50
Garryhinch wild mushroom ragu with crispy polenta & parsley pesto€27.00
Recommended with a drop of Lyrarakis, Assertiko, Greece €13
Youngs' 9 oz Black Angus Irish striploin, homemade chips, steamed greens & garlic herb butter€42.00
Recommended with a drop of Willunga 100, Grenache, Mclaren Vale, Australia €14
Pork Chop, cider-braised savoy cabbage, apple ketchup, mash & root veg€30.00
Recommended with a drop of Ca Di Alte, Pinot Nero, Veneto, Italy, €10.25

Snacks & Sides

All €7

Homemade chips with garlic aioli
Legal Eagle homemade crisps with salt & vinegar
Steamed greens or Mixed green leaves
Irish spud buttery mash

What 2,419 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7

4.7 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.7Service
4.6Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Dublin
Great for scenic views
Dublin 1
Best Overall
Dublin 1
Best Food
Dublin 1
Best Service
Dublin 1
Best Ambiance
Dublin 1
Healthy
Dublin 1
Neighborhood gem
Dublin 1
Great for fine wines
Dublin 1
Vegetarian-friendly
Dublin 1
Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

The Winding Stair in Dublin offers a delightful dining experience with its charming riverside setting and impressive views of the Ha'Penny Bridge. Guests rave about the "unreal food" and "exceptional service," highlighting dishes like the crab starter and smoked haddock. The atmosphere is cozy yet lively, making it a must-visit spot for both locals and travelers.

2,420 Reviews

H
HEATHER
Dublin
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
The service was not great. Our waiter was quite rude, one of our party asked for pepper sauce with her steak and he basically rolled his eyes at her. My guinea fowl was over cooked, the veggies were lukewarm. The food came out almost instantly after ordering so surely everything should have been hot. Restaurant was a bit chilly. Overall disappointed as we were very excited for this meal and it was all of my party’s first time there. I understand that it’s Christmas but to pay €37 for an over cooked yet cold dish is a joke.
Is this helpful?
B
Barbara
New York City
10 reviews
4.0
10 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Lovely restaurant and food was very good. Service was attentive. The only thing we didn’t like was that everything was rushed. It would have been better to have a gap between courses
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K
Kate
Dublin
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food was absolutely fabulous, well worth the money. Would have expected a little bit more veg with the mains but other than that everything was amazing. Staff lovely and ambiance is very homely
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s
siobhan
Dublin
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had a beautiful meal , in the party we had a vegan and 2 vegetarians and everyone was catered for fantastically… We had a great view of the Liffey and Hapenny bridge . The atmosphere was lively and the staff very friendly. Would definitely recommend The Winding Stairs!
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G
Gillian
Dublin
5 reviews
3.0
5 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 2
The restaurant was very noisy. Tables super close together. Food was good but hugely expensive. €18 for a starter, €9 for a small bowl of soup and over €30 for a main course. We had come for lunch in a bookshop. However the only nod that was two small bookshelves fulled with tatty ‘prop’ books . Fabulous view if you were near/ facing the window. Lovely staff but overall far to expensive for the experience.
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L
Lotte
Dublin
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 2
We hadden hele hoge verwachtingen, helaas viel het een beetje tegen. Het eten was lekker maar niet geweldig.
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R
Robert
Dublin
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic customer service and great choice of very tasty food.
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B
Bobby
Dublin
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
food was very good. food came quickly. service was great. couldn't fault them.
Is this helpful?
M
Muriel
Dublin
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on December 14, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Food was fab Guinea fowl melt in the mouth real Christmas’s y feel had the mixed platter For starter plenty for 4 waa Devine Will defo return
Is this helpful?
K
Katherine
Columbus
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 14, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic food, great service in an unique location. We really enjoyed it!
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FAQs

The Winding Stair is rated 4.7 stars by 2419 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 22, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 22 times today

40 Ormond Quay Lower, Dublin, Co. Dublin D01 R9Y5

Additional information

Neighborhood
North City Centre
Hours of operation
Lunch Wed–Sun 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Dinner Mon, Tue, Sun 5:30 pm–9:00 pm Wed–Sat 5:30 pm–10:00 pm
Price
€31 to €50
Cuisines
Irish, Seafood, Vegetarian
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Public Lot
Payment options
Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Beer, View, Wine

Website
http://winding-stair.com/
Phone number
(01) 872 7320

The Winding Stair

Make a reservation

Additional information

Menu

Lunch Menu

Pigs on the Green piggy Scotch egg with bacon dust mayo€9.00

Veggie Scotch egg with confit garlic mayo€9.00

Roasted butternut squash soup, Dublin hills goat cheese crouton, pickled red onion€9.00

The Wooded Pig Irish charcuterie board with house-cured vegetables & breads€20.00

The Winding Stair Fish Plate: Belvelly, Goatsbridge Farm & home-made smoked fish pâté, chive crème fraîche, treacle bread, cornichons & caper berries, good for sharing€25.00

Potted Dingle Bay crab with pickled cucumber, toasted soda bread & organic leaves€18.00

Macroom Dairies' burrata, roasted Kinsealy onion squash, cranberry, spiced hazelnuts & roasted red onion€18.00

Doyle's hand-smoked haddock, poached in milk with onions and white Cheddar mash€32.00

Goatsbridge Farm trout, baby potato, spinach & goats bridge trout roe beurre blanc€29.00

Garryhinch wild mushroom ragu with crispy polenta & parsley pesto€27.00

Youngs' 9 oz Black Angus Irish striploin, homemade chips, steamed greens & garlic herb butter€42.00

Pork Chop, cider-braised savoy cabbage, apple ketchup, mash & root veg€30.00

Snacks & Sides

Homemade chips with garlic aioli

Legal Eagle homemade crisps with salt & vinegar

Steamed greens or Mixed green leaves

Irish spud buttery mash

What 2,419 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is The Winding Stair restaurant rated?

Is The Winding Stair currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information