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

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

The Winding Stair - Deep frid crispy oyster mushrooms with gochujang mayo. - Irish Near Me - Dublin, D

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

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? read more

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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 read more

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. read more

The Winding Stair - Nice view of River Liffey and Ha'penny Bridge - Irish Near Me - Dublin, D

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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. :) read more

The Winding Stair - Irish Near Me - Dublin, D

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

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! read more

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. read more

The Winding Stair - Seafood Chowder - Irish Near Me - Dublin, D

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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. read more

The Winding Stair - Smoked fish, fish pate, treacle bread and pickled gherkins and cornichons - Irish Near Me - Dublin, D

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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! read more

Great local bookstore. Small but has a great selection. Would definitely go back if I'm in Dublin again

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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

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. read more

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

Great food and drinks! We had a wonderful time eating at this restaurant. The staff was attentive and very helpful.

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. read more

The Winding Stair - Decor - Irish Near Me - Dublin, D

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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. read more

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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. read more

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. read more

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 read more

The Winding Stair - Irish Near Me - Dublin, D

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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. read more

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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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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

We felt it was one of the better scotch eggs we have had. Better than many we had in London.

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. read more

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. read more

The place is cramped and chaotic and absolutely shouldn't work... but it does, and in fact does so spectacularly well. The dining room, much like myself, is small but nicely decorated and looks out over the ha'penny bridge on the liffey (if you are fortunate enough to be sitting near a window).... em, you understand the comparison with myself ends before the looking out on to the river bit, which I don't do unless I happen to be passing on any given day. The food is amazing - mostly fish dishes with the odd steak thrown in for good measure and a wine list that will have you happily squiffy. My dining companions made the mistake of going for starters, all of which looked and tasted lovely, but they are big, particularly dishes like the chowder - thus leaving little space for the main course... probably best to share a starter if you feel so inclined. The place is famed for its fish, but I went for steak because ...well, you know... steak. It was perfect and filling, though a few more chips would have been welcome. The Winding Stair is not cheap but not prohibitively expensive either, as a gauge, the steak was 29Euro. Without question, worth a shot. read more

The Winding Stair - Irish Near Me - Dublin, D

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 read more

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The winding stair is a first class spot. The restaurant is above their bookshop, up an old-school creaky stairs. It's located just opposite the hay'penny brigde, with a lovely view of the Liffey. The food is delicious. Homely but taken to the next level. Each dish is made using the highest quality ingredients and the dishes are jam packed full of flavour. They also have a considerable beer and wine list. The winding stair is somewhere that I have been to a good few times, and I know I will keep returning due to its reliability. The staff are most helpful and friendly. A+ for winding stair, keep it up guys!!! read more

The Winding Stair - Stuffed butternut squash - Irish Near Me - Dublin, D

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There are some restaurants that get a little bit above their stations, complacent and arrogant. The Winding Stair is one of them. I had friends visiting from the States at the weekend and was bringing them out on Friday night for some dinner and drinks. They wanted Irish food. I wanted to steer clear of Temple Bar. The Winding Stair came to mind. Irish but modern. It had been a good year since the last time I was here and from what I had remembered it was good but to be honest not amazing. So I will start with the good..... I got the smoked fish plate for starter. This was really good. Smoked oysters? Oysters scare me. These oysters changed my opinion. I am not as scared anymore. Unfortunately this was the only thing that impressed me about the 2 hour dining experience. I did not find the staff terribly friendly. I actually thought there was something aloof and insincere about them. I ordered the venison. Medium. It came out well done. It tasted like stewing steak. Strips of meat, like minute steak. Really bad. €25 is a lot to be paying for something not cooked correctly or even if it was cooked correctly it just seemed like bad venison. I said nothing as we did not have a huge amount of time to be waiting for another plate of food to be prepared. My friend ordered the same but medium/rare. It was also well done. This came with colcannon which was really very average. The sauce/gravy was terrible too. The 2 other guys ordered steak (which was overdone also) and pork ribs which was the nicest out of the 4 dishes. I found the beer overpriced too. €6.50 for a bottle of beer? Seriously? When we were leaving there were at least 3 staff members beside the doorway and as we were walking out the door I tried to make eye contact with them to see if they would say goodbye. They looked at us and not one said goodbye or thank you. This really put the nail in the coffin for me for this restaurant. With the tip, starter, main and 2 beers we paid €55 each. Save your money and try somewhere else. I wont be back! read more

The Winding Stair - Smoked Fish Platter - Irish Near Me - Dublin, D

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. read more

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On a double date that included Wuthering Heights in The Gate, we decided to keep the classy vibe of the night going by hitting The Winding Stair up. I had been here when I first moved to Dublin all of 9 years ago and it really does have that family vibe. Great Irish food done well. Maybe not the most exciting menu but you know that before you go in to be fair!! I had the pork belly (my auld reliable) and it was reliably good. Satisfied Theatre goers all round!! read more

The Winding Stair - Irish Near Me - Dublin, D