Fodor's Expert Review The Winding Stair

Once Dublin's favorite secondhand bookshop–café, the Winding Stair now houses an atmospheric, buzzing little restaurant, with old wooden floors, simple decor, a downstairs bookshop, and grand views of the Ha'penny Bridge and the river Liffey. Hearty portions of upscale traditional Irish food rely on Irish-only ingredients; the pork chop with crispy pigs’ ears and hispi cabbage is a standout. Upstairs, former habitués will enjoy seeing the old bookcases around the walls (some of which are now stacked with wine). An inventive wine list and a wonderful Irish farmhouse-cheese selection are two more treats on offer, and your sweet tooth insists that you try the rice pudding with melted plums.