Date Night in Dublin
Valentine's Day comes and goes each year and either you love it or hate it. Personally, I think it's fun and an excuse to focus on your loved one(s) in today's world that is oversaturated with "I'm so busy!". This year, Chris and I wanted to do something unique in our new city and booked reservations for one of Dublin's best restaurants, The Winding Stair. Read below about our date night dining experience!
Chris and I do a lot of cooking at home, but love to venture out and try as many restaurants as we can in Dublin. Every time I look up the best restaurants in Dublin, The Winding Stair is on the list. Located on the north side of the River Liffey with a view of the Ha'Penny Bridge, the Winding Stair is a yellow stunner. There is a bookstore on the first floor and a winding staircase that takes you to floors 2 and 3, which is home to the bustling restaurant. The restaurant is named for the Yeats' poem, one of Ireland's most famed poets. It used to be a hub for musicians, writers, and artists to meet and get creative inspiration, which is now commemorated in the restaurant's decor with a mural of Ireland's famous authors and bookshelves lining the walls.
When we opened the front door,
we were immediately greeted with an old wooden staircase that wound to the second floor and took us to the restaurant. The hostess greeted us and got us to our table on the third floor -- more stairs for us! Our table was a cute little two-seater by the windows giving us a perfect view of the Liffey and the Ha'Penny Bridge. The lights were dim and the ambiance was cozy. The room was small and most tables were taken, but it never seemed too loud, which was great.
The Winding Stair considers its food "good, old-fashioned home cooking" and serves a menu of traditional Irish dishes with ingredients that are locally sourced. It boasts an extensive wine list that is written out on a massive chalkboard on one of the walls and also offers beers from local microbreweries that are hand-selected to pair well with your meal. Chris ordered a local IPA and I a Spanish rosé [cause duh]. Pro tip #1 for Europe: Ask for tap water, not still or sparkling, if you don't want to pay for your water.
We started our night nibbling on one of the restaurant's starters, the Irish charcuterie board with homemade bread, pickles, and relish [€12.50]. Everything on on the board was good -- the meat was a little tough to cut through, but was nicely cured. The relish tasted like BBQ sauce, which was both delicious and unexpected. The pickles were the tastiest and we could have eaten just a big bowl of them.
The menu that night consisted of mussels with crab, hand-smoked haddock, salmon, and slow braised lamb, but Chris and I were both drawn to the chargrilled 28 day dry-aged Black Angus Irish beef striploin steak with sticky onions, roasted garlic truffle butter and homemade chips [€28].
We ordered our steaks to be cooked medium and they were perfect. Our dull knives aside, the steak was juicy, tender, and extra tasty with the roasted garlic truffle butter melting on top. The sticky onions added a nice sweet flavor to each bite making it even better. The chips were cooked well with a crispy exterior and soft interior. Pro tip #2: ketchup exists, you just have to ask for it and usually lots of it.
The cuts of meat were surprisingly big, so Chris and I each had some to take home for leftovers. When we asked our server, Gar, for a takeaway container, he was genuinely surprised and told us they don't have takeaway containers. Lolz, what? How is that possible? Quick to his feet, Gar wrapped our steaks in tin foil.
Overall, The Winding Stair was an enjoyable dining experience. The physical space is cozy and is nostaglic of an earlier time. The service was fantastic -- our coats were taken before getting led to our table and our server was attentive and friendly. Most importantly, the food was delicious and satisfying. For just under €100, Chris had one beer and I had two glasses of wine, we shared a starter, and each had an entree. Not bad for a date night in Dublin!
Because no date night is complete without dessert, after dinner, we crossed the Ha'Penney bridge, walked through Temple Bar, passed Trinity College, and made our way to a frozen yogurt place called Mooch. The concept is the same as any froyo place in the States: pick your froyo flavor(s) and load on the toppings. The execution here is a little different -- it's not self-service. At Mooch, you pick your container size and tell the employee what flavor froyo you'd like and choose your toppings from behind the counter. He/she then prepares your froyo to order. The cost is also calculated not on weight, but on the size of the container you choose and how many toppings you add. ALSO THERE WERE NO REESES PEANUT BUTTER CUPS. UGH. Despite that hardship, Chris and I each managed to construct a tasty dessert to cap off our night.
As seen above, Chris and I had a great Valentine's Day exploring local favorites in our new city. Hugo also had a great Valentine's Day helping me make colored hearts to decorate our place.
Until next time...
Cheers, xo
