The Winding Stair

Best meal in Dublin. Located above a local bookstore of the same name, it’s a small restaurant that packs a punch. Dining room was cosy but equally bright and airy. All the food was excellent, evidenced by the cleaned plates. Staff were friendly and efficient - thank you for being so accommodating of us bringing a birthday cake that needed some construction and lingering over coffee for an afternoon chat.

A very nice establishment with a good menu and tasty food. Extensive wine selection. We had a minor hiccup where the wine we had ordered was not what we received and we didn't notice until we were halfway through a glass- no major issue as it was tasty anyway and our fault for not noticing when it was brought to the table. Service was prompt and the food good. Very much enjoyed the beef cheek starter. Portion size was generous. Busy place so be sure to book if you want to try it.

We had reservations for dinner and we were guided upstairs to be seated. Food was amazing but they need to have some ventilation up there because my friends were getting so hot to the point that they couldn't enjoy their food and had to step outside for some fresh air. They were sweating!! For food, I ordered the hand-smoked haddock which was poached in milk with onions and white Cheddar mash. It was absolutely delicious and the fish just melts in your mouth. We asked our waiter for wine recommendations and we got a nice white to go with our meal. I would love to dine here again if I'm ever back in Dublin.

The Hand smoked haddock was incredible! The duck was succulent and have great flavor and the Scottish eggs are a must. The staff were very helpful and present. We were lucky on a Saturday night to be able to get their last open table and we were so thankful.

Great experience. Helpful, kind waiter guided us to great choices. Wasn’t crowded or hot like others stated. Top floor offered lovely view of Ha'penny Bridge and beyond. Scotch egg - spot on. Sea Bream - well done. Signature, smoked haddock - perfect. Good pairing by the glass - Vinho Verde. Delightful butter & bread pudding w/a very nice double espresso for dessert. Have paid much more for much less elsewhere (even w/the historically low $ to € exchange rate - thx, D. Trump)

After walking up literal winding stairs you’ll find yourself in this charming restaurant, with a view of the River and the Ha’penny bridge. There’s a large selection of wine but we opted for the mead and ginger beer cocktail and it was so refreshing and not too sweet. When we walked in we were immediately checked in on (service was lovely, kind and efficient) and were sat right by the window. We shared the tomato tart with whipped ricotta and the courgette salad with pomegranate and a light delightful Tzatziki sauce on the bottom. For dinner I had the gnudi with pesto, peas, spinach and it was so so good, the gnudi were the perfect texture and it was so flavorful. The vegetables were so ripe and fresh. We loved our time here!

Really lovely restaurant in a super central location. We found it tough to find good Irish food options and settled on this place which came well recommended by a friend. The food is very tasty, the wine selection is excellent and the staff is friendly. You get a cozy vibe, great food and a nice view of the river. We recommend the smoked haddock

Had a really lovely dinner here before leaving Dublin. I swear the Irish just know how to make their mashed potatoes. Got the recommended mains and dessert by the crew and they were delicious. The highlight was the Scotch Egg yolk was actually runny!

Absolutely charming restaurant in Dublin. This is the perfect spot to go for a more intimate dinner with your S/O or friends. Service was fenomenal, had a great time dining in.

Unfortunately, this was one of the worst service experiences I've had. From the moment we arrived, the service was lacking in every way. Not only was the waiter rude and completely inattentive (he didn't check on our table once), but the food took an incredibly long time to arrive. We had made a point to call twice in advance to let them know we were celebrating an engagement--this happened the day before, and we had flown to Ireland specifically to surprise the couple. We'd been planning this special dinner with friends for months ever since the groom-to-be told us about the plans. My aunt recommended The Winding Stair, so I booked the reservation in advance to make it special. I also mentioned the engagement celebration again when we checked in, hoping for a small acknowledgment. Despite all that, the restaurant did absolutely nothing to make the occasion memorable. I even offered to pay for a toast or anything they could do to celebrate with us, but the best they could muster was... nothing. Not even a simple "congratulations." To make matters worse, the food was inconsistent and underwhelming. The meat was overcooked, the fish was over-salted, and overall, we were pretty disappointed with everything we ordered. On top of that, we were seated by the window, and the draft from the cool evening air made the experience even less comfortable. We also noticed cold air vents blowing directly on us, so we asked the waiter if the fan could be turned off. He completely ignored the request. It's disappointing because we were really looking forward to this meal and hoped it would be a special occasion. Unfortunately, between the poor service and lackluster food, we won't be coming back. Definitely not worth the experience.

An amazing food and wine menu set in a quaint book store setting. It's like having a gourmet meal inside someone's home library! The food was top notch and fairly priced, for the high quality. We enjoyed the scotch egg, cheese board, and smoked Halibut. Let me pause here and repeat: try the smoked halibut! Sooooo delish! The only downside was the slow service and having to ask the waiter for water more than once. But besides that, it was a good experience and highly recommended if you want a break from the pubs in downtown Dublin!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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?

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. :)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.