The Winding Stair

Name: The Winding Stair
Address: 40 Ormond Quay Lower, Dublin, Co. Dublin, Ireland, Republic of, D01 R9Y5
Telephone: (01) 872 7320
Price range: €31 to €50
Rating: 4.6

4.6

2389 Reviews

€31 to €50

Irish

Make a booking

2 people

27 Nov 2024

9:30 pm

Booked 35 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
Area
North City Centre
Parking details
Public Parking
Additional
Beer, View, Wine

Pigs on the Green piggy Scotch egg with bacon dust mayoEUR 9.00
Veggie Scotch egg with confit garlic mayoEUR 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 onionEUR 9.00
Recommended with a drop of Badajo, Verdejo, Rueda, Spain €10
The Wooded Pig Irish charcuterie board with house-cured vegetables & breadsEUR 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 sharingEUR 25.00
Recommended with a drop of Azevedo, Vinho Verde, Portugal, €11
Potted Dingle Bay crab with pickled cucumber, toasted soda bread & organic leavesEUR 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 onionEUR 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 mashEUR 32.00
Recommended with a drop of Idiart Rosé, France, €10
Goatsbridge Farm trout, baby potato, spinach & goats bridge trout roe beurre blancEUR 29.00
Recommended with a drop of Los Aljibes, Sauvignon Blanc, Spain €9.50
Garryhinch wild mushroom ragu with crispy polenta & parsley pestoEUR 27.00
Recommended with a drop of Lyrarakis, Assertiko, Greece €13
Youngs' 9 oz Black Angus Irish striploin, homemade chips, steamed greens & garlic herb butterEUR 42.00
Recommended with a drop of Willunga 100, Grenache, Mclaren Vale, Australia €14
Pork Chop, cider-braised savoy cabbage, apple ketchup, mash & root vegEUR 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 2,389 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.7Service
4.6Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Dublin 1
Best Overall
Dublin 1
Best Food
Dublin 1
Best Service
Dublin 1
Best Ambience
Dublin 1
Good for business meals
Dublin 1
Innovative
Dublin 1
Healthy
Dublin 1
Neighbourhood gem
Dublin 1
Great for fine wines
Dublin 1
Good for special occasions
Dublin 1
Vegetarian-friendly
Dublin 1
Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

The Winding Stair offers a "unique, quaint, and friendly" dining experience with stunning views of the Ha'Penny Bridge. Renowned for its superb Irish cuisine, the restaurant boasts "flawless food," a "wonderful ambiance," and "attentive service." It's perfect for special occasions or a relaxed meal with a touch of nostalgia.

2,389 Reviews

P
Paul
Vancouver
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent food. Highly recommended. Busy so get a reservation
Is this helpful?
C
Carles
Dublin
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Nice venue and with good views of the river if close to the window
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D
Dick
Dublin
7 reviews
4.0
7 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
The Winding Stair is always busy and can be noisy. This was the case on this visit. We were a table of six and it was very hard to have a conversation that included the whole table. The restaurant is a long time favourite and the food and service were up to the usual high standards.
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K
Klaire
Dublin
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Lovely lunch, staff and food were great but lighting in bathroom was so low it was dangerous. Both I and my elderly mother tripped over a bin in the cubicle because we could barely see. It's an accident waiting to happen
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H
Hugh
London
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Attractive venue,,great food, good wine list for wines by the glass and excellent friendly service.
Is this helpful?
M
Marieles
New York City
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Nourriture très bien mais l’endroit très bruyant . Les autres clients aucun respect pour les autres.
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P
Peter
Kent
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 19 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Lovely place to eat just by the river. Great choice of wines. Food was very good and served quickly. Staff very friendly. Would recommend.
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C
Charlie
London
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 18 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had a wonderful meal here on a very damp cold Dublin night. Dishes were very tasty. Huge wine selection. No draught beers but lots of choice in bottles. A little pricey but not vastly dissimilar from more commercial restaurants, with a significantly higher quality. Staff were professional and attentive. A lovely evening all round!
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A
Abbey
Kansas City
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 17 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The haddock and butternut squash soup were phenomenal. Loved getting to dine in this little historical spot!
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R
Roisin
New York City
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 16 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent meal and wonderful staff. The starters were the highlight for me. The wine was suggested by the waiter and it was an ideal choice
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FAQs

The Winding Stair is rated 4.6 stars by 2389 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people

27 Nov 2024

9:30 pm

Booked 35 times today

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

Additional information

Area
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 Parking
Payment Options
Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Beer, View, Wine

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

The Winding Stair

Make a booking

Additional information

Menu

Lunch Menu

Pigs on the Green piggy Scotch egg with bacon dust mayoEUR 9.00

Veggie Scotch egg with confit garlic mayoEUR 9.00

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

The Wooded Pig Irish charcuterie board with house-cured vegetables & breadsEUR 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 sharingEUR 25.00

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

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

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

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

Garryhinch wild mushroom ragu with crispy polenta & parsley pestoEUR 27.00

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

Pork Chop, cider-braised savoy cabbage, apple ketchup, mash & root vegEUR 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 2,389 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 bookings?

Make a booking

Additional information