The first level of The Winding Stair is strictly bookstore, a small floorspace with new and used books. It seems a nice place but I can't say too much about it besides that because I don't really buy books. The second level is the café proper. The service counter is there, and some decent tables. The third level, though, is my favorite.

The third level is especially comfortable at the five small tables that stand along the Liffey-side windows. The quayside street below is often mad with traffic, but even in Summer with windows open, the noise is far enough down, two high-ceilinged levels between, that the atmosphere is still quite peaceful. (Can't say so about the metal-grinding that sometimes proceeded on the Ha'penny Bridge that summer. That was just loud and... grinding.)

Wooden tables, wooden chairs, wooden floors in the old brick building, a funky hippie sensibility to it, and music that was at least not bad; I thought the Winding Stair was a grand old place to sit and read the paper and do some writing. The coffee was good, too (café Americano—espresso and hot water.)

I didn't have much of the food, but would sometimes treat myself to the daily soup and slices of bread—and this tended to be excellent. Irish brown soda bread is excellent food; and thick pieces of it with pats of butter, beside a bowl of thick soup—that's good.