The Winding Stair

The Winding Stair Bookshop & Cafe became a famous Dublin landmark in the 1970s and 1980s. Named after the Yeats poem, and in honour of its winding staircase, it is perfectly located, overlooking the river Liffey, with an iconic view of the Hapenny 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. When its closure was announced in 2005, there were mutterings about the end of an era, but 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 cafe chairs. The old girders give a nod to its past as a tweed loom and the view remains as quintessentially Dublin as ever. The food is good,...