The Winding Stair Bookshop and Restaurant

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The Winding Stair Bookshop is located right on the River Liffey near the iconic Ha'Penny Bridge. It is a quiet and inviting space amidst the rapid pace of Dublin's busy city centre.





The front section of the small shop offers new titles, greeting cards (with an Irish language selection), literary magazines, notebooks, and book bags, while the back section of the shop is dedicated to second-hand books. As an independent business, the bookshop offers a range of titles not typically available at chain shops, as well as a section devoted to Irish authors.





The bookshop also plays host to a number of events open to the public, including book launches, readings, and creative performances, such as music, art, plays, poetry, open-mic nights, and exhibitions. Details of upcoming events are updated on the website .



Restaurant

The restaurant is located up a winding flight of stairs accessed externally to the bookshop. The upstairs space (opened in 2006) retains many original bookshelves, books, and photos from its former life as a literary haven in the 1970s and 1980s. The restaurant is brightened by large windows facing out toward the River Liffey and overlooking the Ha'Penny Bridge.







A lunch menu is on offer, along with pre-theatre and a la carte menus, which may be viewed in full on the website . I went to the restaurant right as they were opening at noon and just had a light lunch of the Irish seafood chowder (€13) and Guinness cake (€9). Both of which were large portions and more than enough for my lunch. Main courses include tributes to Irish cuisine, such as Steamed East Coast cockles, Connemara mussels and Clogherhead crab with chips aioli (€27), Roasted cushion of Lough Neagh venison with parsnip and chestnut croquette, braised red cabbage and Glendalough Poitín and poached pear gravy (€31), and Oat-crumbed colcannon cake, pickled mushrooms, kale and roasted chestnut & burnt onion mayo (€25).





The bookshop and restaurant are easily accessible in their prime location near O'Connell Street and the river and provide 'a relaxed haven in the centre of the bustling city.'

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