The Winding Stair

Name: The Winding Stair
Address: 40 Ormond Quay Lower, Dublin, Co. Dublin, Ireland, Republic of, D01 R9Y5
Telephone: (01) 872 7320
Price range: €31 to €50
Rating: 4.7

4.7 (2557)

€31 to €50

Irish

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 22, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 40 times today

About this restaurant

Charming
Good for special occasions
Great for fine wines

The Winding Stair Bookshop & Café became a famous Dublin landmark in the 1970s and 1980s. Named after the Yeats poem and in honour of its winding staircase, it is overlooking the river Liffey, with an iconic view of the Ha'penny bridge. As a popular meeting place for writers, musicians and artists, it was a well known hub for debate and creativity with many poems written, novels penned and movies shot within its walls. In 2006, Elaine Murphy brought this much-loved spot back to life as a restaurant, championing seasonal, Irish produce. The bookshop, located on the ground floor, was retained, as were many of the old bookshelves, photos and memories. The room retains its timeless charm with stripped wood tables and floors, and Bentwood café chairs.The view remains as quintessentially Dublin as ever.
The food is good, old-fashioned home cooking, with produce sourced from artisans within the island. Drink sare local and international craft beers & wines from stellar producers.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
€31 to €50
Cuisines
Irish, Seafood, Vegetarian
Hours of operation
Lunch Wed–Sun 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Dinner Mon, Tue, Sun 5:30 pm–9:00 pm Wed–Sat 5:30 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(01) 872 7320
Website
http://winding-stair.com/
Payment options
Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress

Location
40 Ormond Quay Lower, Dublin, Co. Dublin D01 R9Y5
Neighborhood
North City Centre
Parking details
None
Additional
Beer, View, Wine

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

Desserts

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

What 2,557 people are saying

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

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7

4.7 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.7Service
4.6Ambience
4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Dublin
Great for scenic views
Dublin 1
Best Overall
Dublin 1
Best Food
Dublin 1
Best Ambiance
Dublin 1
Best Value
Dublin 1
Good for business meals
Dublin 1
Healthy
Dublin 1
Neighborhood gem
Dublin 1
Great for fine wines
Dublin 1
Romantic
Dublin 1
Good for special occasions
Dublin 1
Vegetarian-friendly
Dublin 1
Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

The Winding Stair delights with "excellent food and service" and an "extensive wine list," offering "generous portions" of dishes crafted from "quality Irish produce." Its "lovely ambience" and "great view of the Ha'penny Bridge" enhance the dining experience. Vegetarian options and gluten-free adaptations are available, making it a must-visit in Dublin.

2,557 Reviews

j
jalal
Washington, D.C. Area22 reviews
5.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent all around: from staff to food. Appetizers were also very good.
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E
Emma
Berlin3 reviews
4.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
I had a lovely lunch experience- the ambience was special, understated, yet refined. Food was good- large portions- straight-forward Irish fare but elevated with quality ingredients.
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R
Robert VIP
Greater Boston46 reviews
2.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 2
2. Food 1
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Having read wonderful reviews and articles about “best of restaurants” our expectations were high. Ascending “the winding staircase” only heightened the excitement for a grand dinning experience. However, our hopes were quickly dashed. The food was vastly disappointing. My wife did not get past a quarter of her fish dish and she declared herself done. My lamb dinner was, although nicely red in color, so dry I also didn’t finish. Tragic that when you visit a city for a first time, with limited days to explore, you hate to experience such disappointment.
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F
Ferrin
Chicago / Illinois21 reviews
4.0
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Food was good. Ambiance was laid back, antique like. Our particular table was an old desk which was cool and also made it uncomfortable for our tall friends. Unsure if food was worth the price?
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M
Melanie
Miami - Dade1 review
3.0
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Good but was expected ting food quality. Services was great.
Is this helpful?
M
Marc
Denver / Colorado1 review
5.0
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent as always. Highly recommended destination
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P
Pam
Seattle / Eastern Washington1 review
5.0
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Lovely, charming experience for our first night in Ireland. Introduced to white port and soda water spritzer, very nice!
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L
Lenore
Dublin5 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 14, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great experience, great food, great service, great wine list.
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M
Miriam
Dublin2 reviews
4.0
Dined on June 14, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Lovely staff and food. Good wine. Nice view of the Liffey
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S
Sarah
London73 reviews
4.0
Dined on June 14, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
A really interesting menu with a good range of choices for all palates. The service was exemplary. The fish sharing platter was really tasty and worked well between 4 people. The smoked haddock with cheesy mash was delicious. The Dingle crab was disappointing because it came in a lot of oil which had a strong coconut flavour. The pork cutlet was also delicious. The dark chocolate tart was a perfect end to the meal. An extensive wine list, with affordable choices. We would go back next time we are in Dublin.
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FAQs

The Winding Stair is rated 4.7 stars by 2557 OpenTable diners.

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

Home
Ireland, Republic of
Dublin
Dublin 1
North City Centre

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 22, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 40 times today

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

Additional information

Neighborhood
North City Centre
Hours of operation
Lunch Wed–Sun 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Dinner Mon, Tue, Sun 5:30 pm–9:00 pm Wed–Sat 5:30 pm–10:00 pm
Price
€31 to €50
Cuisines
Irish, Seafood, Vegetarian
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
None
Payment options
Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Beer, View, Wine

Website
http://winding-stair.com/
Phone number
(01) 872 7320

The Winding Stair

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Menu

Starters

Soup of the day

Braised beef cheek bruschetta

Potted Dingle Bay crab

Macroom Dairies' buffalo burrata

Mains

Pigs on the green pork belly

Doyle’s Irish white sole

Youngs 9oz Black Angus striploin

Irish potato boxty

Desserts

Almond chocolate tart

Panna cotta

The Winding Stair Bread & Butter pudding

What 2,557 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is The Winding Stair restaurant rated?

Is The Winding Stair currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information