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

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

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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Wonderful spot for Sunday brunch! We walked in and enjoyed sparkling wine with smoked salmon over potato waffles. Fantastic! There's a wide open dining space and windows overlooking the river which also lets in some great natural light. However we sat just to the right of the bar/counter area and enjoyed that it was a bit quieter. This is good Irish food with a rustic flare. For 25 Euro, I had a big pile of smoked salmon over the waffles with lots of fixins', a glass of Cava (Spanish sparkling wine), and a cup of coffee. This was well worth the price tag. I have found that it's a good idea to make a reservation for dinner as this spot is hugely popular. But, it was nice to walk in - on a whim - for brunch and enjoy this gem. On another note, if you like chowder, this one is a must try! It's a meal in itself! Bookshop of the same name is on the street level - but just head up the winding staircase and find yourself enlightened on another level! read more

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

A cute Irish place above an adorable bookshop. Stopped in here for lunch on our first day in Ireland and were pleasantly surprised with the delicious Irish cuisine we had. I had the pork cheeks- which I was slightly afraid to try- but it was amazing! It was falling apart soft and super flavorful in a semi-sweet glaze. My husband had the mussels, cockles, and chips, which he claims as his favorite meal of the whole trip. The chips were really delicious, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, and served with a creamy dipping sauce. My husband loved the Porterhouse Plain beer he tried based on the recommendation of our server and drank it a bunch the rest of our trip. The drink options were plentiful. The service here was amazing. Super friendly and welcoming- and gave us great advice on place to go visit around the city and countryside. I would definitely recommend this place to try Irish cuisine! read more

It was our last night in Dublin, and we wanted something really good for dinner. Not too fancy, but high quality and relaxed. The Winding Stair TOTALLY fit the bill. We didn't have a reservation (which is HIGHLY recommended, even on a weeknight), but lucked out and got a table by arriving early. The staff were warm and helpful, and the view of the sunset's light over the Liffey was outstanding. My companion ordered shrimp on toast to start (huge! yummy!) and the pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon for her entree. I ordered the fritters (fried cheese? why YES!) for my starter and the smoked halibut for my main. SO decadent and flavorful. We also got a taste of the soup du jour, which was an amazingly rich and creamy peanut pumpkin soup with fresh cream and ground corriander. Exquisite. For dessert, we split a whiskey covered (I assume Jameson's) bread pudding that was really good, but not the best we'd ever had. All-in-all a terrific meal and a lovely memory. Check it out if you get the chance. read more

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I'll just say it right up front - really struggled with the rating here because the poached egg on my date's meal was overdone and it kind of ruined the meal for him given the poached egg was what he was really looking forward to. However, we did mention this to our server at the end (just so he could let the kitchen know, not necessarily to make a stink about it) and he was very apologetic and ended up taking our coffees off the bill, which I thought was excellent customer service! That being said... The place is great. Be sure to get a seat by the window, especially if it's a sunny day! It was about half full when we went around 12:30, nice big windows and wood chairs/tables make it feel clean and open and cheerful. We ordered coffees which were GREAT, and their brunch menu is loaded with unique and delicious combos: for example, hash with beetroot and beef?? Delicious!! And you're unlikely to find it elsewhere! I had the waffle stack which was amazing as well - tons of fruit hidden under the top waffle too and the syrup/sauce was key. Again the one disappointment was the overcooked poached egg but that's easily a fluke thing so I'll give the benefit of the doubt! read more

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No one in our group liked their dishes and we all tried something different. We had high hopes for such a cute little cafe but no such luck. We walked away hungry and unimpressed. One friend tried the fancy mushrooms with a fried egg, sourdough buckwheat pancake and garlic aioli. She said the food tasted like a plate from Chopped - none of the ingredients or flavored worked together. The fried egg wasn't what you'd expect - it was a soft-boiled egg that had been rolled in panko and deep fried. The mushrooms were good, sautéed in butter. She didn't eat the pancake. And the whole tower rested on a big, giant swirl of mayo. One friend tried the eggs benedict with horseradish mustard hollandaise (sans meat). And another the hash with beets and meats. They weren't so bad, but no one said it was good. But the worst plate by far were the waffles. The waffles themselves were rather bland. The top waffle was hard and almost stale. The bottom waffle was soggy from the fruit. And the fruit (an odd mix of fresh melon, kiwi, pineapple, and grapes) was made warm by the waffle. There was a minimal and sad drizzle of yogurt you could barely taste, while the rest of the plate was drenched in syrup. Other Yelp photos of the waffles showed berries and a fluffy amount of yogurt. Nope! Soggy, cold waffles with weird, warm fruit and little else. Long story short, we ate a few bites, put or forks down, paid and left to have ice cream at Murphy's. read more

Oh so good! You'll need reservations especially if you go during high season, probably months in advance, very, very small but the food is amazing. It's directly across from the half penny bridge. read more

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Extremely convenient location in Dublin to get fine food with an amazing combination of view and decor. It's a small place, and while cozy we never felt like we were on top of another table. As for food, we got a burrata which was quite nice, have had better but not dissapointed in any way. The mains were good as well, unfortunately do not recall 100% and the menu changes - believe one was fowl and it was great. Not cheap, about $150 USD for two, but can't miss in Dublin. read more

The Winding Stair restaurant is as delightful as the bookshop of the same name downstairs. It's quite popular so make sure to make reservations before you go. The upstairs has the most amazing view of the Liffey and Ha'penny Bridge. The restaurant quarters are a little cramped but the smallness of the place makes the dining experience more intimate and cozy. The menu has a nice balance of vegetarian and meat dishes. I ordered chips and aoili and the pork with potatoes and mushrooms. It was very tasty but a little heavy. My sister's goat cheese and squash tart was a better choice. We were so stuffed by the end of the meal that we couldn't eat any dessert. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this restaurant. The service was the best part of the night. The waiters were very professional and quick. read more

The Winding Stair - Irish Near Me - Dublin, D

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Quaint upstairs resturant. Open kitchen with gourmet style food. Friendly staff and great wine options. read more

The Winding Stair - Irish Near Me - Dublin, D

This place is amazing. We came here on a Saturday night. My friend (local to Dublin) made a reservation for five quite a few weeks ahead of time. We sat right by the kitchen so we could see everything coming out. We started with chips and the smoked fish plate. The chips even came with a garlic aioli - so good. The bread and the chips were probably the best I had in all of Ireland. For my main I honestly cannot remember what fish I had (maybe haddock?) but it was also phenomenal. For dessert we had the chocolate hazelnut cake. It was so rich and melted in my mouth (in the best way). The chefs here deserve a special place in heaven. GO HERE and go to their sister restaurant Legal Eagle. read more

The Winding Stair - Irish Near Me - Dublin, D

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Appetizer. Chicken livers on toast with turnips chips and quince. Dish was good overall, livers cooked to perfection. Probably missing a bit of saltiness as the dish resulted slightly sweet to my taste. Entree. Rib-eye steak with truffle butter and chips. Ordered my steak rare and it came out exactly how I wanted it. Spot on. Too many (random) chips on the plate resulted in not a very good presentation. Dessert. Pear ginger cake with vanilla ice cream. Definitely the lowest note of the night, very sweet, couldn't feel the kick from the ginger at all. Overall the dinner was pleasant, service was good and quick. Although from what is supposed to be one of the best places in Dublin I would have expected a bit more. Ticket for 2 was 130€ including a bottle of red wine. Would probably go back and try fish dishes to give a more complete review. read more

The Winding Stair - Chicken livers on toast with turnip chips and quince. - Irish Near Me - Dublin, D

Good variety of brunch. Not really expensive but very rich and tasty ! Count between 14 and 25€ for a brunch, without the drinks. Very nice personal too. I would definitely go back next time im in Dublin. Not a single cons. read more

The Winding Stair - Irish brunching. Tasty and rich. - Irish Near Me - Dublin, D

Fabulous food and service! It's got a lovely rustic feel that isn't at all pretentious, but the service and food quality is outstanding! There's a very large range of wines and beers available, and the staff are very helpful in matching your food and drink choices. I had the smokies followed by the steak, and my boyfriend had veal tongue followed by the smoked haddock, all of which were fabulous. It's more expensive than a normal meal out, but you are paying for top quality. It's in a beautiful setting right on the river, and easily accessible from Temple Bar or other central locations. Definitely worth a visit for a special treat! read more

The Winding Stair - Irish Near Me - Dublin, D

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. read more

As we asked for recommendations from friends of friends who live in Dublin, we were eager to follow their advice and enjoy one evening at this small restaurant located above a bookstore, which affords lovely second floor views. First, the service here is perfection. Every member of the staff takes ownership of all tables/patrons, wishing to give each and everyone a meal and experience to cherish. We were first served by David who also tended the wine bar. He was gracious and extremely helpful. He guided our thinking about what to order based on a wonderful conversation we had. Sadly, we cannot recall the names of the other waitstaff who afforded us to a magnificent evening. They were each and every one special and clearly are dedicated professionals. Now the food--every mouthful was sheer perfection. Fresh and elegantly simple with depth of flavor and complexity. The first mouthful had my husband and me rolling our eyes with ecstasy and a low murmur of "oh my God..." Lucky us, we scored a table that allowed us to watch the kitchen, a favorite way to dine in our world! One could see the care and skill in the kitchen as well as the "ballet" of teamwork--what a joy! Run to eat here! When we return to Dublin, this will be a MUST DO on our list! read more

Made a reservation here based on other Yelp reviews, and were very satisfied. The space is quite small (~60 seats), ambiance is intimate, French bistro-esque, but not as loud and chatty. The menu features innovative turns on Irish cuisine, with an emphasis on locally-sourced "low food mileage" ingredients. Portions, presentation, and service all appropriate for this "fine-yet-informal" dining experience. If possible, I'd love to request a chef's table to get more personalized information on each dish. Pictured are Potato and Nettle Soup, Braised Lamb, Angus Beef Steak, Guinness Cake, and Bread and Butter Pudding. read more

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After spending my birthday wandering around town, we decided to try for dinner here upon recommendation of our airb&b host. We walked in without a reservation, but were accommodated, with the caveat that the table was reserved in 1.5 hours. Not a problem. We started with a meat and cheese plate, with all local Irish products. I ordered the antelope which was well seasoned and perfectly cooked. My bf order the steak, which may be the best steak he's ever had. (Got to love those Irish cows) Our dinner lasted past 1.5 hours, but we were never rushed or asked to leave. Turned out to be a great birthday dinner. read more

On vacation with the family. Found this gem in the heart of downtown Dublin. Food fresh and extremely well prepared. Service was outstanding! Would strongly recommend if your I the area. read more

The Winding Stair - Smoke fish dip! Amazing - Irish Near Me - Dublin, D

Modest yet full of character in a converted bookshop. Charcuterie board was delicious, the ray and lamb entrees were less impressive-- high quality to be sure, but the ray in particular was not very exciting. The lamb did a better job being quite tasty, but more towards "solid" as opposed to being tasty enough to be memorable. Very comfortable tho, and a nice view from the second floor. Service wasn't bad either. read more

This was a phenomenal dining experience. Truly memorable, in all great ways. The Winding Stair has a rather rustic vibe with a very upscale modern menu served so unpretentiously by a superb waitstaff. The location is Dublin charming and pretty cool: just above an awesome bookstore, along the River Liffey, and right near the North side of the Ha'penny Bridge. Dinner was just superb. The staff was fantastic. Started with a phenomenal beef carpaccio layered with hard cheese shavings and olive oil drizzle, accompanied by a pile of rugula and radicchio on top of pear slices poached in mulled wine, with toasted walnut halves. The main was a very Dublin dish, but truly elevated. A roasted Haddock and onion on top of a celeriac mash in a nicely herbal white sauce. The fish was so perfectly cooked, and I asked the waiter to surprise me with a wine paring of his choice with each course. For this course a lovely dry white that perfectly accompanied the sweet, salty notes of the dish. My waiter then blew me away by pouring two glasses to accompany the cheese/dessert dish: a fresh strawberry wine for the milder cheeses, and then a rich port for the more pungent cheeses. Wow! I told him afterwards that it was like being in a wine and cheese pairing class. With each cheese and each wine, I kept going back and forth, and back and forth again and again to see how each influenced the other and how the flavors kept developing. How fun. Why don't I do this more often? It certainly isn't cheap (although seemed quite reasonably priced compared to NY prices), but it's oh so worth it. Highly, highly recommended! read more

I hesitate to give just one star having not tasted the food, but the service really was awful. We stopped in to have a cheeseboard over wine and chat. The first thing we were asked was whether we had a reservation. The waiter was visibly annoyed that we didn't despite it being midweek and the restaurant near empty. We were told we could have a table until 8:30 - 2.5 hours later. Odd but okay. Maybe some people spend that long eating. We were sat and given drinks, then when we ordered we were told that we couldn't be served unless we ordered a full meal. The restaurant is in a tourist area and not posh enough to demand this. Ultimately we ended up leaving and going somewhere else, as neither of us wanted to order several courses of food we didn't want. read more

Wow! We really enjoyed our dinner here with modern Irish food. The local muscles are made with a delicious creamy broth. Good wines by the glass. Excellent views of the Liffey from your table. Make reservations as this place is popular! read more

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This is one of my all time favorite restaurants. The ingredients are fresh and local. We started with charcuterie, the fresh bread and butter, and I had the steak. The loca irish butter was so flavorful. Words can't describe how good it is. They also have an excellent wine list. I recommend this restaurant to everyone I know going to Dublin. The ambiance is warm and cozy which is what you need on a cold rainy Dublin day. read more

Without hesitation, the barman at the hotel steered me here for dinner and it turned out to be a good recommendation. Ireland has really upped its game in the last few years in terms of a dining scene it can be proud of and while I love fish and chips as much as the next person, you don't have to be a real genius to produce that. This place is an example of what you can find that's good to eat in Dublin with a little effort. Fronting the River Liffey, it is on the 2nd floor so you cannot really see it from street level and you will likely miss it if not looking for the overhead signage. In fact, you enter off street into a very nondescript entry only to climb a namesake staircase to the upper floor. Look left at the top of the stair for a fun window-peek into the kitchen and you will likely surprise the cooks! Once you enter, it is elbow to elbow tables in a small room (you better not be claustrophobic or mind eating very near the tables next to you) and it is decorated much like a comfortable living room with a bar and an open view of the kitchen. There are some outstanding nightly specials on the wall chalk board along with wine offerings by the glass and the Black Pudding and Poached Egg special had me as soon as I saw it on the board. The egg was not as runny as I would have liked but it was some of the best Black Pudding I have ever had. Do not hesitate to get that if you you have a penchant for that type of stuff and it is on offer during your visit. Wine offerings are serious with a lot of variety and service is friendly and efficient. This is a place for a good meal but not a place to sit and linger over intimate conversation unless you are like sharing your thoughts with your neighbors. read more

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Somewhere I'd been wanting to come for some time. First thing's first - the setting is gorgeous. Sitting up there on the top floor, in this genteel old building with the wind-y, creek-y stairs, the paneled walls, the century old floor boards and those big windows looking out over the Ha'penny Bridge & the river Liffey, there's such a feeling of contentment. It really is such a beautifully cosy spot, it'd be hard to get off on the wrong foot. Then there's the second thing. It wasn't so much the wrong foot as just not the best foot forward. I stood at the entrance waiting for quite some time until someone escorted me to my table. Look it wasn't hours, but it was just long enough to start to feel a bit awkward. This was a sign of things to come. The restaurant was actually really full considering it was a Monday night, and the waitress on our floor seemed to be managing it all on her own. This meant that service was quite brisk - slow at times - and not massively attentive. Things like fetching our own water bottles, not being offered a second glass of wine, etc. Honestly she was doing as well as she could - perhaps someone had called in sick or they were short staffed for some reason. We went for the early bird menu which was good value at 27 euro for two courses and 31 for three. The menu said that you had to vacate the seating by 8.15, but we were there til 930 - partly because of the slower service and I guess they weren't rushing us out as it was a Monday. The food was all good quality, though in all honesty, nothing I'd be rushing back for. I got the starter of ham hock terrine with black pudding on sourdough toast. terrine was lovely but the toast was cut too thick and was cold. It was all incredibly dry - it was hard to eat and needed something between the dry toast and the dry meat. I asked for butter but it had come out of a very cold fridge so was unusable (a pet peeve of mine!). For main I got beef cheek and colcannon. The beef cheek was extremely tender and came with a rich gravy (hints of red wine through it perhaps?) Again, hard to put the finger on why this wasn't magnificent - I think because it was all so heavy, it was missing a lightness or freshness in contrast to the extreme comfort food. There just wasn't enough to keep the taste buds interested. The desert was the exception, as it was, exceptional. The bread & butter pudding was perfect. It comes with a whiskey sauce which really tastes like caramel with a vague hint of whiskey. The brownie was one of the best I've ever had. Crunchie outside, moist inside with pops of cherry to offset the richness, served with a light white chocolate ice cream. Divine. So, to sum up. The setting is beautiful. Honestly if you're after really excellent modern Irish cuisine, I could list a few places at the same (higher than average) price point that do it a lot better. Stick to the desert and a glass of wine and you're onto a winner. read more

As a foodie myself, I have a disproportionate number of foodie friends, some of whom are from Europe. Several of these folks told me that I HAD to visit The Winding Stair or else face their wrath, which likely would've included being beaten with hard salamis (and not in a good/sexual way, either). So I made it a point to go to The Winding Stair for brunch on the Saturday of the Dublin gay pride parade. I didn't have a reservation but it didn't seem to particularly matter as there were plenty of seats open (I arrived perhaps 20 minutes after opening). I wish I had better news to report, but I was served what I would consider a very average plate of Eggs Hemingway (which I did not order--I asked for a smoked salmon platter, so the presence of a muffin, not to mention Hollandaise, surprised me). I was checked on exactly one time, and was largely ignored otherwise. I don't wish to disparage or pan the restaurant, as I suspect its dinner service is decidedly better, but based on brunch alone, I cannot recommend the spot. read more

Yeah I was a bit underwhelmed by my visit to the Winding Stair. The combination of food and dining experience didn't quite live up to the hype. Firstly we had booked a table before the rush - as had about 5 other groups, but I have no idea why they decided to seat us all beside each other. The restaurant filled up about half an hour later, but for that time it felt like we were all weirdly huddled together in a corner. The early bird menu is on a blackboard, rather than paper, and cleverly it was out of my eyeline... it seemed unappealing anyway, but I couldn't peruse it at my leisure, which is an essential part of the dining experience for me. We ordered ala carte. The food itself was pretty good, although my steak was inconsistently cooked and not quite to my specification. The chips are fuck off good though. Kind of like the ones in the IFI. My dining companion is a veggie and the options seemed to please her. My big beef is with the layout and the chairs. We were sitting so close to other people that it was like having dinner with them, so no chance of an even semi-private conversation, and the chairs, the chairs, they're those wooden cafe chairs which is fine for a coffee but after a full meal my arse was going numb. Oh and they brought the bill before we asked for it, just after we had got dessert. All of those things would be fine in a cheaper place, but at the prices that the winding stair charge you should be having a comfortable, unrushed dinner. Although I guess the place was full and they're not having a problem with custom (is it really that exciting to sit near a shelf of books while you have dinner?).. but it really wouldn't be my choice to return... but if I did return I definitely get chips again! read more

Lunched in the Winding Stair yesterday (Sun 19.04.10) since moving to Dublin a couple of years ago the right opportunity to try this place out had never arisen, always booked up or otherwise. In we went for lunch anyway, staff are fairly sound so no problem there, the waiter offered us a couple of seating options, the 1st by the window was sandwiched right in between two other tables, to be honest I don't think even the slim frame of my lady eating partner could've slinked through to take her seat. Screw that. We took a table a little close to the door. Then every time new custom entered we crossed our fingers hoping that they wouldn't be seated on our laps. They had 2 cheap menus something like €17 and €22 for 2 or 3 courses...not bad, but the options on the blackboard didn't appeal (crap options maybe driving people to the a la carte), in fact one did appeal out of about 12, that was the razor clams. However, I noted someone on the opposite side of the room with this dish and it seemed like max you would get on the plate would be 2. Went a la carte, Charcuterie board shared for starters then pork Wellington for the two of us...not a bad menu but that dish really appealed to both! The charcuterie board had what you would expect, decent to share...a little cheese alongside and we would've been laughing though. Pork was very nice, wrapped neatly and served with some spuds, mushrooms and pickled onions. Nice dish, bit weird with the pickled onions though, would've preferred roasted shallots or something, not really into the idea of pickled onions, seemingly straight from a jar landing on my €25 platter! Anyway, I liked the dish, herself thought it was only ok, she was right though it wasn't amazing by any stretch. Desert was a really rich chocolate cake and lemon ice cream , tasty, perfect to share, too much and too heavy for one person... Anyway, overall this meal was nice enough, I wouldn't be rushing back there though. Plus a big thing for me is when tables are way too close together. If this was a busy evening and you're just a couple you can be guaranteed you'll practically be sitting at the same table as 2 people that you've never met before, hey that might be a bonus for some! However, it is rubbish when restaurant's try to cram the extra few tables in for the extra few bucks, more than understandable in the times we're in but in the long run I believe this has an effect on custom. Fine during the summer I guess as there will be so many one time only visits. read more

Delicious, adorable, friendly. Such a great spot to pop into. My partner and I wandered in here after a recommendation on a Saturday night and were worried that we may not get a table but were sat right away. They have a great wine selection and I highly recommend their bread pudding for dessert. read more

Delicious, cozy little place with a farm-to-table varied menu that is worth the price. Does not feel at all like a commercial restaurant, but is more like someone decided to open a little mom-and-pop restaurant in their home. Kitchen is right there so you can watch the efficient staff work, and see the food plated and served. I love watching skilled professionals work - so graceful and beautiful - so this was a plus for me. Nice views. Ambiance is cozy, but not romantic. Great for a date night but also perfect for work colleagues or friends. read more

Amazing bookstore/restaurant overlooking the river. I had a pork dish with a nice salad and the amazing bread pudding. The pork dish was so nice and tender and flavored to perfection. It was nestled on a bed of warm mashed potatoes. The salad was very flavorful and balanced in texture and flavor. And the bread pudding? Probably the best bread pudding I've ever had in my life. Warm, soft, just sweet enough...SO. GOOD. Very upscale and classy place with a great wine list (I went with a rosé and it was delicious). read more

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Oh, The Winding Stair. It started out so promising. Why did you have to break my heart? After reading many positive reviews on their tradition-oriented food I took some guests for a work dinner here, and was really smitten with the charismatic staff and the overall loveliness of the setting. Sure, the seating was a bit cramped and the food wasn't lip-smacking but it was a lovely night, nonetheless. I left with the impression that I possibly had just ordered the wrong thing and that I'd definitely be back for something else (i.e. "It's not you, it's me") However, a return visit with my sister a few weeks later confirmed that there's a serious flaw in the machinery here. We shared a smoked fish starter, which was lovely, but y'know, predictable. For main I ordered what sounded like an imaginative vegetarian dish, roast parsnip casserole in a blue cheese sauce. It was bad. The smell of the blue cheese sauce was so overpowering that the guy at the table next to us leaned over to our table and said "Jaysus, you're brave." The whole thing as a concept did not work, at all. But I was more irked by my sister's meal. She was delighted to see John Dory on the menu but was told, upon ordering, that it would actually be hake. Um, ok. Isn't there a substantial price difference between those fish? She didn't say anything and it came out as another flat dish, lacking in flavor and execution. And way too expensive, at 27 euro. The bill came out at 100 euro and though we didn't say anything we were both deflated. Top marks for a great location and hard working staff but if you're going to charge top dollar for food you have to make it better than this. read more

What a treat! The Winding Stair offers a contemporary interpretation of Irish ingredients. The menu include an excellent variety of seafood and a reasonable course menu for lunch. The staff was very attentive, and offered recommendations. I had the bresaola and croquttes. Both were delicious. And we shared the bread and butter pudding for dessert and it was DELICIOUS. read more

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Wonderful place. We went there last week and it was a fantastic place for Saturday Brunch. I had Fermanagh Black Pig sticky ribs and it was awsone. My husband enjoyed a delicious beef rib-eye. We will be back. The best irish meal I have had in Dublin! read more

Extremely poor service... Very rude people.. I would recommend staying away from this restaurant...

Mel G & I were in Dublin on travels, and we came here on the recommendation from 2 people, and the menu looked pretty damn good! We arrived before 7pm to make sure we had enough time to get their dinner special - we just had to make sure we vacated the table by 8pm. Their special menu gave you a choice between a few starters and entrees for €26. I ended up going for the deep fried monk cheeks w/ brownshrimp tartar sauce, and the bacon chop. The monk cheeks were just delicious!! I really liked their tartar sauce, it seemed like it was more pickle / shrimpy goodness, and much less on the sauce. I could eat it like a salad on its own! Seems like a failproof dish! I was warned that the bacon chop is a lot of salty meat, but I wanted to give it a go anyway. It was literally, one big slab of meaty bacon - but holy cow, it was delicious. The meat was so incredibly tender, and yes it tasted like your standard smokey bacon (and who doesn't love bacon?!), but it was a different type of smoke. Hard to describe, but i was so glad I ordered that monster. People were a bit surprised that I finished it, but it was delicious. Anyway, I really loved the food here, and was very happy with their pre-theater menu! read more