The Winding Stair

Ate here of a Thursday with work colleagues. It was good. Nice place to eat in the city. Food is tasty and very simple in its execution The scotch egg with pork is the winner here. Very tasty. With a nice presentation. But the rest of the food presentation skills were average in my opinion. Got the steak and have to say its very simplistic in its presentation. As you can see In my photo. Tiny piece of salad and I mean tiny. 4 lettuce leaves with a minute amount of dressing, handful of chips and steak with a blob of butter. Pepper sauce was not good. Garlic butter was. Steak was a bit tough but was cooked as I asked. Service was very good. Fast and efficient. Atmosphere. Its a cool place to eat. Very different. Everything is made to look old and worn. Tables and chairs are old world. Not very comfy to sit for an hour. but looks good.

Dined in on the day the menu was refreshed, which was a treat. Had the pork chop with the braised cabbage - every single bite was better than the last. We started with a couple scotch eggs (when in Rome) and the charcuterie board. Great wine selection too! Lovely little restaurant with nice views.

As a book and food lover, this place now holds a very special place in my heart. Nestled above a book store, the Winding Stair is a cozy restaurant with bookshelves, a lovely bar, and a lot of natural light that looks out into Dublin. The Porky Scotch Egg was delicious, I loved the Lamb, but my favorite part of the meal was the Rhubarb, which had the best cream I've ever had. Irish cream cannot be beat. Thanks to Nikolas for his fantastic service, as well as providing me with 3 water pitchers over the course of the service.

Great spot for a meal in Dublin. Lovely atmosphere inside. Small yet excellent menu. Recommend the steak and the desserts. We couldn’t pick between them!

An upscale Irish restaurant offering a variety of classical food with a twist. They have a huge selection of wines. The service was good and the staff was friendly and accommodating. The place is noisy, but if you are building up for a night out in Dublin this shouldn't be a problem. The biggest negative for me was the lack of healthier or health conscious options. The food is good, but the menu could easily have one or two more salads or vegetarian options (that are not deep fried).

the best meal in dublin! Everything about the space was cozy and precious, I was a little sad about the lack of “face time” with our server, but at the end of their meal they (unprompted) apologized for the lack of attention and explained the unexpectedly busy night. the lamb was perfection, and you must try a dessert!

We had the scotch egg, the smoked haddock, and the crab. It was phenomenal. We also had the bread pudding which was fantastic. Very nice and casual atmosphere. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

In a quaint restaurant with a great buzz. The view is stunning and the service is spectacular. I felt so welcomed and the staff were very knowledgeable of the menu. I asked for drink pairing and menu suggestions and received the best of Irish meals with the best of Irish hospitality. Highly recommend stopping in because it ended up being one of the culinary highlights for my trip in Europe!

Ate here of a Thursday with work colleagues. It was good. Nice place to eat in the city. Food is tasty and very simple in its execution The scotch egg with pork is the winner here. Very tasty. With a nice presentation. But the rest of the food presentation skills were average in my opinion. Got the steak and have to say its very simplistic in its presentation. As you can see In my photo. Tiny piece of salad and I mean tiny. 4 lettuce leaves with a minute amount of dressing, handful of chips and steak with a blob of butter. Pepper sauce was not good. Garlic butter was. Steak was a bit tough but was cooked as I asked. Service was very good. Fast and efficient. Atmosphere. Its a cool place to eat. Very different. Everything is made to look old and worn. Tables and chairs are old world. Not very comfy to sit for an hour. but looks good.

Dined in on the day the menu was refreshed, which was a treat. Had the pork chop with the braised cabbage - every single bite was better than the last. We started with a couple scotch eggs (when in Rome) and the charcuterie board. Great wine selection too! Lovely little restaurant with nice views.

As a book and food lover, this place now holds a very special place in my heart. Nestled above a book store, the Winding Stair is a cozy restaurant with bookshelves, a lovely bar, and a lot of natural light that looks out into Dublin. The Porky Scotch Egg was delicious, I loved the Lamb, but my favorite part of the meal was the Rhubarb, which had the best cream I've ever had. Irish cream cannot be beat. Thanks to Nikolas for his fantastic service, as well as providing me with 3 water pitchers over the course of the service.

Great spot for a meal in Dublin. Lovely atmosphere inside. Small yet excellent menu. Recommend the steak and the desserts. We couldn’t pick between them!

An upscale Irish restaurant offering a variety of classical food with a twist. They have a huge selection of wines. The service was good and the staff was friendly and accommodating. The place is noisy, but if you are building up for a night out in Dublin this shouldn't be a problem. The biggest negative for me was the lack of healthier or health conscious options. The food is good, but the menu could easily have one or two more salads or vegetarian options (that are not deep fried).

the best meal in dublin! Everything about the space was cozy and precious, I was a little sad about the lack of “face time” with our server, but at the end of their meal they (unprompted) apologized for the lack of attention and explained the unexpectedly busy night. the lamb was perfection, and you must try a dessert!

We had the scotch egg, the smoked haddock, and the crab. It was phenomenal. We also had the bread pudding which was fantastic. Very nice and casual atmosphere. We thoroughly enjoyed it.

In a quaint restaurant with a great buzz. The view is stunning and the service is spectacular. I felt so welcomed and the staff were very knowledgeable of the menu. I asked for drink pairing and menu suggestions and received the best of Irish meals with the best of Irish hospitality. Highly recommend stopping in because it ended up being one of the culinary highlights for my trip in Europe!

Winding Stair is absolutely amazing. Rustic charm, cozy and sunny, with a view of the Ha'Penny Bridge and Liffey set the tone for a beautiful meal. Considerate service, both gentle and professional, efficient but unrushed. I felt fortunate to have had a chance to have dinner here twice while in Dublin and enjoyed every course. The menu changes and is dependent on seasons. The haddock with cheddar mash was one of the best dishes I've had in my life, as was the Dingle Bay potted carb with soda bread. The crab is buttery with fresh herbs and the bread is completely out of this world. Perfect pairing. I'm only sorry to know this place exists and not be able to get there again anytime soon.

Winding Stair is a cute restaurant on top of an old bookshop and overlooks the Liffey River. I came here for lunch and the food is rustic, homey, and delicious. I got the Scotch egg and hand-smoked haddock. The Scotch egg was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The haddock came with a rich cream sauce; it was delicious, but very rich. I definitely had food coma after lunch...something to be aware of if you are going back to work after dining here for lunch!

Made reservations about two weeks in advance of our trip to Dublin, and boy are we glad we did! This quaint restaurant uses space efficiently and the tables fill up quick. We started off with the Scotch egg - which was crunchy on the outside, velvety on the inside, and savory all over. I had the Haddock - as dish that apparently has been on the menu unchanged for 15 years - and for good reason: it's delicious! A perfect amount of smoky flavor juxtaposed by the creamy sauce and mash. My BF had the duck breast, which seemed underseasoned, and left a lot to be desired. We finished off the meal with the bread pudding and the sticky toffee pudding. The bread pudding definitely won that round - with its smooth texture and not-too-sweet sauce. Our server was very attentive and gave a lot of great recommendations. Overall - this spot is a must-try in Dublin!

Another great gem in Dublin is The Winding Stair. The restaurant is connected to a bookstore, although we did not get a chance to shop it. And true to name, it has a winding staircase to get from the ground level to the second level which is where we dined. The view is very nice with large windows all along the front. To start, we ordered Aperol spritzes to drink and for appetizers we ordered the Piggy Scotch Egg and the Winding Stair Fish Plate which included Belvelly, Goatsbridge Farm and home-made smoked fish paté, chive crème fraîche, treacle bread, cornichons, and caper berries. Both appetizers were delicious. I especially loved the fish plate - it was a perfect sampler and so flavorful. For entrees, I ordered the Doyle's hand-smoked haddock, poached in milk with onions and white cheddar mash, and I believe my cousin ordered the Irish Waters' ray wing, cauliflower, black kale, mussels and crispy capers. The fish was fresh, and the dish was rich but not overpowering. We definitely over ordered but it's hard not to when you're only visiting. We finished our appetizers, and I was sure to eat all of my fish and a good majority of the mash. Sadly no room for dessert though. This meal was perfection, and I know I keep saying this but I can't wait to come back here when I visit Dublin again.

Placed strategically to the North of the footbridge, an former bookstore is converted to a restaurant featuring elevated irish cuisine. The setting is beautiful overlooking the river. The service experience was great and there was more attention noted that we would get in most European restaurants. The food situation was a bit all over the place Get. The Scotch or Veggie Egg starter. Maybe. the crisps which are house made with some white vinegar emulsion. Get the Pork Chop. The Skate has a lot of bones. The Hallock was a bit flat in flavor. The eggplant main was spiced well Get the Bread Pudding Very nice wine list.

Great spot for a bite of lunch! We were lucky enough to snag a table here on St. Patrick's Day this year and escape the crazy crowd outside. The winding staircase leading from the street to the restaurant gives you a clue about its name, and once you reach the top, there's a cozy modern brasserie style restaurant with large windows facing the River Liffey. The service was excellent. Friendly, prompt, ninja status on drinks and bringing out food. The boys had a Scottish egg, which made their day. I had the steak and chips, which were excellent and gluten-free. The charcuterie was nice as well. Perfect spot for an intimate lunch, great service, gluten-free options, and an excellent view. Can't be missed.

My friend and I spent a few days in Dublin this past week, and our last dinner in Dublin was at The Winding Stair (which had come highly recommended by a friend). It was a great dinner. It's a small restaurant up a winding staircase from a bookshop - small, but charming, cozy, homey. My friend and I shared the potted Dingle Bay crab with pickled cucumber, toasted soda bread, and salad; roasted Kinsealy aubergine with mandi (Middle Eastern-spiced cinnamon, coriander, and tomato jam), chili oil, and coconut yogurt); and Doyle's hand-smoked haddock, poached in milk with onions and white cheddar mash, a dish we were told had been on the menu for years. The starters were good, but it was the haddock that was the star of the night for me. No wonder it's stayed on the menu all these years! The service was good, and they had a great wine selection! A charming dinner, great for our last meal in Dublin!

I really enjoyed my time at The Winding Stair. It was recommended to me by a friend and I was informed that it used to be a former bookstore turned into a restaurant. The view and the ambiance was very welcoming and you could see one of the main streets from the dining room windows. The tables are pretty closed together, but you're still not really sitting on top of each other. The staff was very pleasant. Now on to the food.. I ordered the Doyle's hand smoked haddock and it was extremely delicious and fresh. It was poached in milk with onions and white cheddar mash potatoes. The pricing was also reasonable as well. My friend (who does not consume meat) ordered the Lentil stuffed aubergine in which she stated was extremely delicious and flavorful. Now on to my favorite part and the part I look forward to the most is the desert. I ordered the chocolate cake and it was so divine. It was topped with fresh strawberry preserves and was elegantly presented. I still think of that chocolate cake to this day and that will be the one reason that I return to The Winding Stair.

Fabulous dinner in charming setting! Local fare and wide variety of wines made it a delicious evening-

One of Dublin's oldest surviving independent bookshops, this store is a real treat to explore. New books in the front, second-hand in the rear. Welcoming helpful staff are happy for you to browse, with no pressure to purchase.

Fun and cozy dining room with a charming attentive staff - eclectic menu heavy on seafood but plenty of land-sourced options too. And a nice wine list that compliments the menu. We leaned heavy into the seafood options(and a delicious scotch egg!)..ended with a couple delicious desserts...not for us tonight, but there are also options for vegans and vegetarian too.

Delicious! Food was served hot and beautifully presented. Service was attentive but not rushed. Would absolutely return!

Amazing restaurant overlooking the Halfpenny bridge. Great Chef. Amazing food and service.

Nice location. On the River. Good food. Had the Scottish egg, yummy. Ox tongue and beef cheeks for appetizer. Cod for entree. Delish. Great Service. Nebojsa was a very attentive waiter.

we went to the winding stair on our last night in dublin and the only regret we had was that we wished we found this place sooner? by our last night we had eaten a many irish meals - the good thing about dublin is that most of the restaurants source their ingredients locally, producing at the very least, fresh, sustainable dishes. none of the meals I had in the city were bad, but of the restaurants we tried, the winding stair might be the only restaurant I'd go back to. they were out of the scottish egg which we were curious to try and instead got the: - tomato and halloumi: delicious!! the tomatoes in ireland hit different - gem salad: loved this!! we love anchovies and the ones featured in the salad were not salty and had amazing flavor - but i will note that irish people really love their dressing and this dish was no different in that regard - pork chops: amazing! fresh, juicy, packed with flavor - whole sole: so so fresh and so much flavor we ended the night with the bread pudding with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it was deeeelish / diii(r)ish!! see what i did there heh. good, friendly, attentive service as well! one thing to note is that they only serve wines and beers - no spirits.

Winding stair is a cozy little restaurant in Dublin with a nice little view of the city from bookshop themed restaurant. The ambiance and decor is 5/5! The service was good, we were seated quickly and served quickly as well. The food was very good as well except for the charcuterie which was just a plate of salami basically which was odd. For the mains -The Kildare lamb was exceptional and my husband got the Black Angus Irish sirloin which was very good but it was served with a side of steamed green beans which was quite boring along with plain fries with no dipping sauce. For a restaurant of that quality there could have just been a tad more going on there. I would definitely recommend this restaurant and come back again in the future! Make sure to make a reservation in advance. We booked about 3 weeks in advance so be sure to plan ahead.

Crazy good food. Beautiful setting. Great intro to Dublin for these New Hampshire neophytes! Go go go!

Excellent dinner in early January. You really need to book. Recommend using their wine pairing.

Great food and attentive staff. Came here for a business dinner. Staff worked with me on creating a customized menu for our clients. During dinner, the staff was very attentive. We were the last ones to leave but never felt as if they were rushing us. 5 stars and would go back again

The Winding Stair was recommended to us by a local, and it did not disappoint us on our short trip to Dublin. We celebrated my husband's birthday, and this was the perfect low-key but nice place for the occasion. The wine was delicious, and they had a great vegetarian/vegan menu. We never would have found this restaurant on our own, and I'm so glad we were able to dine here.

After receiving multiple recommendations from friends to dine here while in Dublin, I went and had my favorite meal of my visit. We liked it so much, we're going back again tonight!

This is a 0/5 star review. Food is ok but the service reduced my wife to tears after leaving. She was accused of being on her "hands and knees" after visiting the bathroom for a second time because of womanly issues (which she was most certainly not on her hands and knees, and was confused as to why I and the waitress were right outside the bathroom waiting for her). It was shocking, deplorable and when they threatened the police we invited them to call them, then we were suddenly allowed to eat. Like it was a nice gesture. Manager was also deplorable. We're not ones to write poor reviews but this is the most atrocious display of customer service we've experienced in 59 countries visited. Having a beer and having my wife having to visit the toilet a whole two times because of being on her period isn't an excuse for making accusations, while being respectable and drinking water, (literally writing this review within an hour of leaving the restaurant). We made absolutely zero of a scene; only questionable part of our activity is being slightly louder than normal speech talking about how deplorable it was for my wife to have to deal with something like that. If you're a woman who has to act like a human being... be aware of the potential of being accused of being "on your hands and knees" in the bathroom while changing your tampon.

Now I am super stingy with my reviews...but this place is awesome! All the menu items come with a wine pairing recommendation. I have the smoked haddock (with potatoes...this is Ireland) with the recommended rose pairing (forgot the wine). It was soooo good! Best meal in Dublin! Go!

Our daughter and son-in-law worked and lived in Dublin for two years. They recommended Irish restaurant The Winding Stair and it was fantastic. Fish plate starter, Irish cod and strawberry-meringue-shortbread mess were outstanding. My husband had two glasses of the 2019 Italian Pinot Nero - it was perfectly delicious.

The bookshop on the first floor is quaint and has an interesting selection of books not typically found in your big box commercial bookstores. It is a little cramped. There is a large section in the back for juvenile books. The upstairs restaurant is elegant with a vegetarian friendly menu. There were many local community events listed on the flyer. The people were nice. We enjoyed it. 10/10 would recommend.

Blink-and-you'll-miss-it resto above a bookstore offering lovely views and a cozy ambiance. Had a gorgeous meal to celebrate our honeymoon with good service.

Really great food! My favorite is the pork chop surprisingly as I am not a pork person. You have to try it, it's heavenly how rich the flavor is.

Perhaps our favorite meal in Ireland. This quaint restaurant near the Ha'Penny bridge was excellently executed. The cod was amazing, and the scotch egg appetizer had us wishing we had ordered 2! Everyone's meal was top notch. Staff were welcoming and accommodating; we should have booked a table (they do get busy!) but it was our first night in Dublin and we were winging it. They very graciously found us a table, but I would recommend booking. Only the spirit of exploring the city kept us from returning for another meal here. Even after a full week of traveling, that first meal remained our favorite.

The food here is truly top notch. We started out with a crispy egg appetizer and it was simply perfection. A cripsy tempura egg with a delightful runny yolk inside served with perfectly cooked asparagus and spot on hollandaise. I had the nettle polenta and it was tender, but crispy on the outside and my companion had the haddock. Both were outstanding. As time went on the restaurant did get very busy. I would suggest you make a reservation on Open Table to guarantee you get a table. Also..did I mention the Guinness cake with Bailey's Ice Cream?

Fabulous Dublin restaurant. Small, very welcoming restaurant, full of locals. We had seafood and a fresh tomato salad. It made for the perfect last meal in Dublin.

Amazing dinner! My friend and I both had the pork chops and it was well seasoned, moist, and tender.

Solid 4 star dining option in the heart of Dublin near the river Liffey. From the upstairs' seat, you get to see the Ha'penny Bridge. Came here based on a review from my Yelp friend, and couldn't agree with him more. They serve nice brunch from noon to 4 pm. Brunch menu is reasonably priced with nice big portion, good time to come to try this place before spending more on dinner here. I had steak and egg for my late lunch. Local beef is all grass-fed, really high quality steak is served anywhere in Dublin and their steak was no exception. Steak had a very nice flavor to it, it also went well with eggs. If I may say something about my steak, I wished they didn't have too much fat part left. I couldn't eat the greasy fat parts. Service was exceptional. Server was attentive and friendly, he was always right there whenever I needed something. While I was eating, I observed a manager arranging fresh flowers in vase. His attention to the details was very nice, it shows how much he cares about his restaurant. It was so unfortunate that I couldn't come back here for dinner as my time in the city was limited. I hope to come back here for dinner someday.

Great restaurant, service and food. They've recently made what to me is an odd choice and added a bar of soap mounted on a brass post that hangs over the sink in the bathroom. I was told it's expensive and comes from France. It has a bit of a disturbing, rounded shape. I barely want to re-use bar soap when I visit friends and family. I really don't want to use the same bar of soap that everyone that visits the restaurant has used. Seems such an odd decision. I surveyed the table at dinner and everyone thought it was off-putting. Are we the only ones? I've visited the Winding Stair many times and have always loved it. I hope they choose to change their sanitation policy. :)

I met friends for a birthday celebration on a Saturday afternoon a couple of weeks ago and we had a most underwhelming experience. There were 3 of us, and we were seated right beside the kitchen and toilet, although there was room at tables near the windows. Curiously we were presented with the festive menu, even though Christmas was over. We were all sick of Christmas food at this stage! Our starters were fine, no complaints. The vegetarian main really was an utter disappointment  - some cheese sauce and cream, with cooked broccoli in what what described as a blini but really gave the appearance and texture of a hamburger bun, supposedly with butternut squash. The texture and taste was disappointing (stodgy and bland) and it was totally insubstantial in comparison to the meat mains that my companions had eaten. It was essentially a broccoli burger with cheese. When my almost full plate was eventually taken away I wasn't asked about my dish. I left hungry. My friends liked their meat/fish mains but everything seemed to have dill in it so they had to change their orders. We had our plates sitting in front of us for a good 15-20 minutes after we'd finished eating. The service was patchy, even though we were seated right beside the kitchen, we still we had to gesture for attention each time we required water, or for our plates to be removed. A member of staff consistently wore his mask around his chin, we mentioned it to a manager who laughed it off and said he'd mention it to him, but yet again we had to request for him to wear his mask over his nose. He spent a lot of time cleaning glasses or chatting behind the bar/till. The staff who seemed to be on for the evening shift, were much more friendly and attentive. For almost €200 for a lunch for 3 (with drinks) we didn't feel that the meal or service was worth it. I have eaten in this restaurant before and enjoyed it, but we left with a very bad impression on this occasion and I will not return. The chefs need some education on vegetarian options, which when other restaurants offer so much more for plant based diets, it really is very behind the times.

Food and service were amazing, views of Dublin and the Ha'Penney bridge were fantastic. I had the mussels and everything was delicious! Definitely recommend this quaint Dublin restaurant for lunch or dinner.

I came here with a group of coworkers for dinner. The restaurant is literally up a winding staircase and is just across the river from the Temple bar area. They have an open concept and you can see right in the kitchen which I really like. The menu is simple and short and the food high quality with a good pace to the service. I had the Irish Seafood Chowder, which was a white chowder loaded with fish. I wish they had pulled the mussels out of the shell as it was clumsy to get the meat out of the shell in a soup, but I did really like the soup. I had the hake for the main and it came over a cheddar mash and was simply amazing. The wine list was good, but the prices seemed too high. The service was very good and overall I recommend.

The rump roast was absolutely fabulous and the waiter could not possibly have been more attentive and accommodating. And the bone marrow was superb.

My Soul. I summon to the winding ancient stair; Set all your mind upon the steep ascent, Upon the broken, crumbling battlement, Upon the breathless starlit air, Upon the star that marks the hidden pole; Fix every wandering thought upon That quarter where all thought is done: Who can distinguish darkness from the soul? - WB Yeats My last meal in Dublin was dinner at the Winding Stair. It was highly ranked by the McKenna's Guides as one of the top restaurants in Dublin as well as promoted by blogs and tourist bureaus alike. VENUE: Located in the north side of the river Liffey overlooking the Ha'Penny Bridge. If you are lucky you can be seated in a table that overlooks the bridge and river. The Winding Stair's concept is modern Irish cooking using seasonal ingredients. Sounds hip but the ambiance feels less hip than Brother Hubbard or the Fumbally. It actually feels cozy, just as it is if you were sitting down with book in one hand and food on the other. The upstairs restaurant is meant to complement the bookstore downstairs. SERVICE: Minimal, but this is European standard - by comparison, American service standards seem "over the top" to Europeans. FOOD/DRINK - Irish Seafood Chowder with Fingal Ferguson's chorizo and treacle bread (€9.95). This was paired with a €12 dry white. There was quite a bit of hype regarding the seafood chowder served here because several sources indicated that this was the "best seafood chowder in Dublin". Having seafood chowder twice over the course of this trip this was actually the worst of the 3 because the soup just had too much going on. The chorizo is a bit too sharp for this soup (and I've had better chorizo as I'm a SoCal gal), there's too much seafood and the broth had a bit more than a hint of wine. The white was a bit too dry for my taste and quite pricey. For a soup like this my motto is "the simpler the better". - Bread and butter pudding with whiskey sauce (€6.95), "wonderfully complemented by a glass of San Emilio, Pedro Ximenez", €5.50. Bread and butter pudding is a traditional British dessert. Bread was a bit on the dry side but you are supposed to dip it in the sauce. I wish that the bread was a little more moist. Unlike the soup/wine pairing the sherry was paired well with this dessert. One of the priciest meals in Dublin and I didn't enjoy it as much as I should. I do want to go back here and try some of their other menu items as I think I may have just eaten the wrong dish. Next time I'll just opt for the 3-course meal.

We chose here on a whim on our first night in town and it was a perfect evening. View of the river and quaint, rustic and cozy dining room- excellent. As was the service which was warm but professional and our server steered us the right way. I love a short menu because it means everything is good. Get the crab appetizer with brown bread. I could eat that every day and never tire of it. The vegetables and tangy goat cheese were also delicious. For mains, we got the smoked fish with onions and mashed potatoes with a cream sauce as well as pork cheek that came with a scotch egg. Very decadent overall but worth it. And of course we got the bread pudding with caramel. If we lived here it would be our go to place.

This place was great. Can't recommend it enough. It's small so try and get a reservation, but not necessary. Great selection of foods and wine.

I'm a bit conflicted about this restaurant because I really wanted to love it and I only liked it. The location is fabulous and the roof terrace really works for the current dining situation. The staff were friendly and attentive. I just didn't really care for the main dish I got (the pork belly) but there was nothing wrong with it, I just didn't enjoy the taste of the apricot ketchup and pickled fennel with the meat. I also ordered a glass of Portuguese red wine and a stout chocolate mousse and coffee. These were all delicious. However, because I wasn't blown away and was kind of treating myself, I found it a little disappointing and not worth the price. The chocolate mousse alone was €9 and it was just a little pot of chocolate with a couple of berries thrown on top, not even a plate or serviette with it and I couldn't taste any stout. It was delicious nonetheless but I wouldn't pay for it again. I probably just need to give The Winding Stair another chance (and try the fish instead), but I'm not sure I will take the gamble again due to the prices and limited menu. I wouldn't put anyone else off going, just know you're going to spend about €50 or more per person and the menu may not be to your taste. As a side note, the bookstore downstairs is fab and the woman running it was lovely to chat to.

Adorable small dining room up the stairs with a view of the river. 4.4 stars Food: 4.5, Atmosphere: 5, Service: 4 Cost to worth it rating: 4 Return worthiness: yes Highlights: - Bacon chop special: like ham lightly charred on the outside. Thick cut and so tasty. Paired with black pudding croquette which I wasn't looking forward to but was quite nice. Mashed squash was good to balance the fat in the other components of the dish. 4.5 stars - Bread pudding: big custardardy square laying in a caramely sauce. 4 stars - Soup puréed onion: base taste was good and enjoyed the thin slices of caramelized shallots but needed a more seasoning. 3.5 stars - Wines by the glass: ones were listed on the board. - Cheese plate: nice variety of local cheese both soft and harder - Strawberry wine: wasn't as sugary cheesy as I thought. Tasted like a muted fresh strawberry jam - Waitress: lovely friendly Irish lady who had good suggestions about ordering and even local bars when we asked her. Lowlights: - Hard to get a hold of the waitress as it got a lot busier. Enjoyed our meal here and would recommend it.

I can't believe I wasted my time taking a taxi here As we were seated, I noticed my fork was dirty. I ordered 3 items , seafood And was told the food here was great When my glass of wine arrived, there was lipstick on the glass. The male server wasn't having it, he didn't say sorry He literally went back and got me another glass of wine. I could f believe it and felt very uncomfortable I felt like this restaurant was dirty and had the worst service in Dublin Everyone was so friendly up until this point so before any of my food came before I drink any of the wine I said I was sorry but that I had to go I didn't feel comfortable The young waiter asked me what I wanted to do about my food and I told him that I was leaving what did he think and I walked out I didn't leave a tip I didn't do anything I don't this place was absolutely disgusting and it's unfortunate because I was misled by the photos which talked me into coming after it was recommended by a friend back home First time ever I wanted to give zero stars on yelp Sick! And they serve seafood, I think I was saved. BY the bell

My wife and I had a wonderful experience at the Winding Stair for an early Sunday brunch after a long night of travel from the States. The smoked haddock poached in milk is was fantastic - flavorful, perfectly cooked haddock with just a hint of smoke. The pig cheeks with black pudding scotch eggs was also quite tasty - we both loved the black pudding (blood sausage). The side of chips we ordered were perfectly addicting, tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside! The service was fantastic - friendly, courteous, and very well versed in the menu. Overall, we could not have been happier, and it was a wonderful start our vacation.

Great food - especially upscale Irish cuisine. The staff is great and very friendly. The windows that overlook the river are awesome - especially for a couples dinner. Note that they do not have a license to sell hard liquor/spirits so get your predinner drinks elsewhere. The wine list, though, is really good. I'd come back here again on my next trip to Dublin.

I don't know what Dublin restaurants are normally like during the week, but there was no one in the establishment other than me, the waiter, and the cooks on a Tuesday afternoon. I'm not gonna lie: I prefer it that way. I felt like a total baller. I wasn't too hungry, but I really wanted to try something on the menu. I opted for the cheese plate, complete with cheddar, brie, blue, another cow's milk variety, and a very mild sheep's milk variety. The slices showed-up alongside some plum compote and some peppery house-made bread (that was more like a chewy cracker--and delicious). (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-winding-stair-dublin?select=8t3f-5h-orc9qckgAXtXUg#8t3f-5h-orc9qckgAXtXUg) Since I essentially had the entire place to myself, service was excellent! After nibbling at my leisure, and enjoying a subsequent cup of tea, I left without 12 euro (bargain!) but with a full belly. Can't much complain there.

Every city my boyfriend and I visit, we like to try one restaurant where we splurge a bit. My coworker recommended The Winding Stair and I'm grateful he did. It was a great experience from the beginning to end. The restaurant is upstairs, above the bookstore. It's very small and reservations are highly recommended. I didn't witness anyone be turned away but I read other reviews and apparently it happens if you don't have a reservation. The restaurant had a very romantic and intimate setting. It kind of felt like we were at an exclusive restaurant which was kind of nice. We were seated near the kitchen window so we saw the food being prepared and we could smell everything as it came out. My boyfriend and I don't typically drink so we didn't order wine or beer with our drinks. We also didn't notice any starters that sounded appetizing to us so we only ordered mains and a dessert. I ordered the steak which was cooked perfectly to my preference. A bit tough at certain bites but for the most part, it was tender. My boyfriend ordered pan seared fish on garlic mash. Also perfectly cooked and the sauce was deliciously creamy. We ended out evening with a Guinness cake and barley ice cream. The barley ice cream was such a unique flavour. I personally loved it, my boyfriend not so much as he doesn't really like beer and barley is a huge component in it. I would definitely recommend this dessert - you won't find a better Guinness cake than in Dublin.

Yelp noted that this restaurant had a near perfect rating for dinner, and so as we were staying close by, decided to book a table (you just have to do this, they get booked out and a lot of walk-ins get turned away) for dinner. I decided to get two appetizers as none of the Mains caught my eye. My first starter was the Irish seafood chowder with Fingal Fergursons' chorizo and treacle bread for €9.95. OMG This was the BEST seafood chowder I had as the smokiness and spicy chorizo flavours gradually melded with the gorgeous seafood flavours. The mussels and salmon in this soups were standouts, and the micro-chive garnish just totally created a harmonious bite. Btw, the size of this bowl of soup is positively massive (US Size serving) and honestly, I struggled to finish my second appetizer which was Burren Smokey, Terry Butterly and Stephen Kavanaugh's smoked fish plate with Dillisk bread, creme fraiche, pickled cucumbers and caper-berries for €13.95. My fave of these was the salmon, included the beetroot salmon and trout plus the fish dip. My least fave was the haddock, just too salty for me. The cream fraiche and pickled cucumbers plus caper-berries was so good! I also tasted the food from my co-diners who got the Goats cheese and a Heirloom salad (so good and light and refreshing); the slow braised cheek (tender and tasted like a warm hug) plus the Grey Mullet with peas which tasted so fresh, it felt like the chef had gone fishing earlier that morning and the later plucked the peas from his garden! Our tummies were quite full, but we spotted the Chocolate, Potato and pecan nut cake and split that as well. We were so pleased with the food decided to make a booking for the next night too! (I'll update this review with details of that dinner later on). My suggestion is to run, not walk and make a booking to this fantastic restaurant. Also like other Yelpers have suggested, see if you can get a table of the Ha'penny Bridge, cause it's lovely to people watch and see the river while enjoying the fine dining. Note: #278 of Yelp 100 challenge for 2016

Wow. Decided to check out The Winding Stair because I had read about it multiple times while researching where to eat in Dublin. I decided to come here based SOLELY on the bread & butter pudding pictures I saw on Yelp. Glad I did. BF & I shared a bottle of wine (I think it was around 35-40 euro for the bottle) but it was worth it to be able to refresh our glasses with each course. The highlights of our meals were the heirloom tomato salad with some kind of goat cheese thing and summer squash relish and crispy onions. The tomatoes were perfect. It was the best tomato salad I've ever had and that's saying a lot, I love tomatoes. The pea pancakes with Macroom feta and beets in orange butter were out of this F-ing world. Might be the best thing I've ever eaten in my life and it was definitely the best vegetarian dish I've ever had. I loved it so much I came back a few days later to eat it again before they changed the menu. If it's on the menu, definitely eat it. You can thank me later. Bread & butter pudding with whisky caramel sauce was nothing short of orgasmic. It was everything I hoped for & more. I didn't care how stuffed I already was, we finished every last bite of it. I'll hold this dessert in my heart for the rest of my life. I'll talk to my grandkids about it. Just go, why are you even here? Go, run, right now. Pics to follow.