The Winding Stair

4.7

2447 Reviews

€31 to €50

Irish

Make a reservation

2 people

Feb 17, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 27 times today

Charming
Good for special occasions
Great for scenic views

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 2,447 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
Irish
Dublin 1
Best Overall
Dublin 1
Best Food
Dublin 1
Best Service
Dublin 1
Best Ambiance
Dublin 1
Best Value
Dublin 1
Healthy
Dublin 1
Neighborhood gem
Dublin 1
Great for fine wines
Dublin 1
Romantic
Dublin 1
Vegetarian-friendly
Dublin 1
Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

The Winding Stair offers a delightful dining experience with "gorgeous food" and "lovely staff." Its "wonderful view overlooking the Liffey" and charming, bookish ambiance set it apart. Renowned for dishes like the "smoked haddock" and "Dingle crab," this restaurant is a "fabulous spot" for a memorable visit in Dublin.

2,448 Reviews

J
James
Greater Boston
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
lovely location... view over the Liffey And great vibe n buzz to your restaurant ....
Is this helpful?
M
Mal
Bedfordshire
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Straight forward menu, not pretentious and lovely ambience. We had the charcuterie board, and strip loin steaks, these were cooked to perfection! Would definitely recommend.
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D
Dale
Greater Boston
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
In town on vacation and had dinner here. Tad confusing getting in but once you are there things are wonderful. Great service and 👍 recommendations on bottle.of wine. Dinner was excellent had the haddock and the pork! Great meal!
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FB
FionaB
Dublin
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food lovely and wonderful service as per usual! Thank you
Is this helpful?
V
Vanessa
London
11 reviews
5.0
11 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
We loved the food and our table in the upper floor with a window view. The only thing to note is the service, not bad but just a bit abrupt. It wouldn't make much different in the overall experience but something we thought could be improved.
Is this helpful?
B
Bernadette
Munster
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Wonderful venue, super service, excellent food. We had a marvellous lunch. Will be back. Highly recommend. Well done.
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N
Noelle
Dublin
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 8, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Delicious Irish food and perfectly calm ambiance as always
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D
Dom
Kent
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 7, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Really nice Irish food. Great atmosphere with view over the river
Is this helpful?
D
Dora
Dublin
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 7, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
The vegetarian main course (aubergine with creamy tomato lentils and chickpeas) was absolutely delicious, and we also enjoyed the stake very much! The apple crumble was a great finish to my meal. The atmosphere is lovely, and it's in a central location. Unfortunately, they forgot our salad order, and when we asked them if they are bringing it, they said yes, but ended up bringing steamed greens instead. Those also tasted good, but we would have enjoyed the salad more. Nevertheless, the staff was otherwise very polite, and we had a wonderful evening overall.
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S
Susannah
Yorkshire
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on February 2, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Very unusual small restaurant. No frills just good food and service. Would definately recommend you visit.
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FAQs

The Winding Stair is rated 4.7 stars by 2447 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Feb 17, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 27 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 2,447 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