The Winding Stair

4.7

2466 Reviews

€31 to €50

Irish

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2 people

14 Mar 2025

22:00

Booked 42 times today

About this restaurant

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

Location
40 Ormond Quay Lower, Dublin, Co. Dublin D01 R9Y5
Phone number
(01) 872 7320
Price
€31 to €50
Cuisines
Irish, Seafood, Vegetarian
Hours of Operation
Lunch Wed–Sun 12:00–15:00 Dinner Mon, Tue, Sun 17:30–21:00 Wed–Sat 17:30–22:00
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Public Lot
Payment Options
Mastercard, Visa

Pigs on the green pork belly
mashed potato, apple & celeriac slaw, grilled spring onion, apple ketchup & cider jus
Doyle’s Irish white sole
burnt butter, capers, parsley, lemon, almonds & baby potato
Youngs 9oz Black Angus striploin
homemade chips, steamed greens & garlic herb butter
- €7 supplement€7.00
Irish potato boxty
Kearney Blue stuffed Portobello mushroom, wilted spinach, hazelnut & parsley pesto

Desserts

Almond chocolate tart
with honeycomb & raspberry sorbet
Panna cotta
with poached rhubarb & oat biscuits
The Winding Stair Bread & Butter pudding
with whiskey sauce

What 2,466 people are saying

The Winding Stair reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

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
Irish
Dublin 1
Best Overall
Dublin 1
Best Food
Dublin 1
Best Service
Dublin 1
Best Ambience
Dublin 1
Best Value
Dublin 1
Innovative
Dublin 1
Healthy
Dublin 1
Neighbourhood 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 an enchanting dining experience with "amazing food," a "great view" over the Liffey, and a "charming" atmosphere. Known for its "excellent service" and "delicious" local dishes, this Dublin gem is perfect for any occasion. Guests rave about the "wonderful" wine list and "attentive" staff.

2,466 Reviews

I
Ian
Dublin1 review
5.0
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great warm welcome , food was fantastic , service was excellent. Recommend by a friend and lived up to expectation. Made our stay in Dublin really special .
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E
Emma
Dublin2 reviews
5.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Thank you for a delicious lunch with a fabulous view.
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C
Christine
Dublin1 review
5.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
À very enjoyable meal, service and company (at the neighbouring table!)
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M
Margaret
Oxford2 reviews
5.0
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fresh and quite innovative food with quality ingredients (potted crab starter, roast cauliflower cassoulet with a lovely crunchy texture, and pannacotta and rhubarb dessert), plus great wine pairings. I loved that The Winding Stair made me feel so welcome as a single diner, with a great table overlooking the Liffey and service that was prompt and friendly in the very best low-key way.
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T
Teresa
London2 reviews
5.0
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Lovely restaurant cozy and has a great view of the river.
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A
Alec
London1 review
5.0
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Exceptionally good food at a very fair price for the quality. Attentive, friendly service and our host provided a bang-on wine pairing. Lovely atmosphere and memorable dining experience!
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P
Philip
Dublin1 review
5.0
Dined on 5 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Booked a table for 5 for an informal business dinner with 2 colleagues visiting from Spain. Everything was excellent. Great table. Great atmosphere. Attentive and friendly staff. Food was amazing - crab starter was delicious and the sole main course was one of the best seafood dishes I’ve had in years. Our guests were delighted with the evening.
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R
Robert Scott
Philadelphia13 reviews
5.0
Dined on 5 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Second time in many years. Excellent food and service.
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J
Jean
Greater Boston3 reviews
5.0
Dined on 5 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent range on the nenu, food was delicious, service on the ball and warm. Yet again a great experience.
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D
David VIP
Dublin5 reviews
5.0
Dined on 4 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic restaurant; great food with great service,
Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Winding Stair is rated 4.7 stars by 2466 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people

14 Mar 2025

22:00

Booked 42 times today

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

Additional information

Phone number
(01) 872 7320
Price
€31 to €50
Cuisines
Irish, Seafood, Vegetarian
Hours of Operation
Lunch Wed–Sun 12:00–15:00 Dinner Mon, Tue, Sun 17:30–21:00 Wed–Sat 17:30–22:00
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Public Lot
Payment Options
Mastercard, Visa

The Winding Stair

Make a booking

About this restaurant

Additional information

Menu

Starters

Soup of the day

Braised beef cheek bruschetta

Potted Dingle Bay crab

Macroom Dairies' buffalo burrata

Mains

Pigs on the green pork belly

Doyle’s Irish white sole

Youngs 9oz Black Angus striploin

Irish potato boxty

Desserts

Almond chocolate tart

Panna cotta

The Winding Stair Bread & Butter pudding

What 2,466 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