Canal Bank Cafe in Dublin

01/11/2024: Staff are lovely. Food was overpriced and limited choice. I left hungry.

29/10/2024: My wife and I had the pleasure of dining here in September, on the recommendation of a friend. It was truly one of the best meals we've ever had.

The Winding Stair was originally an independent bookshop and cafe 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 Ha'penny bridge ( but you really need a window seat to enjoy it). It was later converted to a restaurant, but retains the feel of a literary setting. The bookshop is retained on the ground floor. 
It's not fancy, but elegant casual dress is most appropriate. The menu has traditional offerings of good Irish food and seasonal, Irish produce; this is not a pub. For a starter, we shared the Potted Dingle Bay crab with pickled cucumber, toasted soda bread and organic leaves. We both ordered the traditional Doyle's hand-smoked haddock, poached in milk with onions and white cheddar mash — truly one of the best meals we've had. Their soda bread was the best we had in Dublin. It reminded us of the black canned bread we had as kids, but a whole lot better. 

The staff was attentive and friendly, making us feel welcome and appreciated. They have a fully stocked bar and very good wines.

If you're looking for a memorable dining experience in Dublin, The Winding Stair is the place to go. Note: Get a reservation. We were a walk-in, the last ones, and had to promise to finish within 90 minutes. We saw many people turned away.