It’s strange but for such a literary city, Dublin does not have a great supply of good quality boutique bookshops.

Giant retailers like Easons and Waterstones have put paid to a lot of the smaller stores, so it is refreshing to welcome an old favourite back– spruced up and carrying a fresh supply of books you won’t find anywhere else in the metropolis.

The old Winding Stair was very much old school Dublin: slightly unkempt with a dusty and dark appearance. The shop seems to be as old as the Halfpenny Bridge, which it stood beside on the North Quays till 2004, when the previous owner pulled down the shutters and closed the book on one of Dublin’s most well-known second-hand bookstores. Speed read to the present day and the Winding Stair is back in business with a new owner, new manager and a brand spanking new appearance.

It is not a total transformation by any means, but what manager Regan Hutchins has done is create a lot more space and with the help of 3 glorious chandeliers, brightened up the old place by several wattage. With the counter deliberately set at the back in the shop, the interior is designed specifically for browsing. There are books here, which you won’t find on the multi-floored shelving of the multinational booksellers.

The choice on display is eclectic and quirky: old Penguin paperbacks from 50 years ago, giant size children’s books also from bygone times, contemporary fiction, art and design books and, complementing the restaurant upstairs, a selection of cookery titles. Take your time and you might come across a rare old find.

The old typewriter and the gramophone playing a selection of old 45s and 78s add a touch of character to the new store, the carpet creates a quiet living room feel, and the big comfortable leather armchairs in the window are the perfect location to lose yourself in a good book.

In keeping with the relaxed atmosphere, there’s even a book where you can fill in what reads you would like to see in the Winding Stair.

If you want to see an old chapter of Dublin undergo a new lease of life, you know where to come.