The Cross Keys, WC2

Harveys Best, Brodie's IPA, courage, first 2 in good nick. Dimly lit interior, carpetted, dark wood bar along rt, row of wood/cast iron tables to left & rear, leather backed studded banquettes, cushioned stools, a few barstools. Lots of old photos & cartoon caricatures above bar surround, and opposite walls completely covered in a variety of framed prints but it really is too dark to appreciate all of this. Lots of copper/brass artefacts hang from ceiling beams – pots, horns, divers helmet, paella pan – characterful, but you wouldn't want to be responsible for dusting the place. Most seats were taken Sat pm, but still room to stand & enjoy a pint at the bar.

Still remains a favourite central London pub of mine,and seems to get darker inside with every visit,although by the nature of its location it can be frequented by its fair share of tourists the pub seems to maintain a feel of a friendly locals pub. My pint of Brodies London Fields Pale was as good as ever.Highly recommended.

Small pub but with an outside area at the front.Five handpumps in use with 2 Brodies beers.My London fields pale was as good a beer as I have drank from Brodies.Superb.

After a stroll through Soho from the Old Coffee House, successfully avoiding the Crossrail works and overcoming the disappointment of finding the Angel at St Giles closed (why any West End pub sees fit to open at midday rather than 11:00 or earlier is beyond me!). The first thing that struck me was how dark it was, if I had entered it on a bright sunny day rather than rain I would probably have been falling over the furniture. It's a lot smaller than the Old Coffee House being long and narrow with the bar down the right as you enter. I went for the Bethnal Green Bitter (£3.40), a beer which I have only tried once before and today it was outstanding. This is just about the only Brown Bitter that Brodie's produce and given the huge array of beers brewed by them, I would have thought there was room for at least one more. There are no keykeg options here. Although I was here early (before midday) there were no signs of any tourists. I'm guessing it's far enough away from the Covent Garden hotspots and the main West End drag to avoid them. All in all I would recommend this place, but it is small so wouldn't take many visitors to pack it out.

Seems a bit dark when you first go in but after a couple of minutes you get used to it.One bar serving very good Brodies beers with a guest beer normally on (Twickenham Grandstand on my visit)Good value food.

Back in again last night for another evening session. This continues to be a really good pub for all the reasons well described by the previous reviewers. Lively mixed crowd, decent service levels and one of the most interesting interiors in this part of town. The only damper on the evening was the currently available Brodies Beers.. I am very partial to their Amarilla and English Best, but the current crop of Bethnal Green Bitter, Old Street Pale and Kiwi really didn't impress. The Bethnal green Bitter was passable but the Kiwi was agreed by all to be a pretty awful drop. So much so that the still available Windsor and Eton Guardsman was by far the best beer on and consequently run out first, at which point we moved on. But Brodies brewing experimentation aside, this is still an excellent pub and I will be back in when next in the Covent Garden area..

A small traditional boozer situated in a tourist hot spot but avoiding the temptation to pander to the transient trade.The interior is charming with a long red leather bench seating running around the opposite wall to the wooden bar.Circular tables and stools means that punters can hotch about to allow new comers to grab a seat,although you may have to drink vertically at busy pre theatre times.The wall are packed with paintings and prints with some interesting atifacts hanging from the beams.There is a narrow windy descent to the gents,while the ladies is up an equally rickets staircase where there is also an upstairs room for hire. Leased by Brodies with five handpumps serving their Kiwi,Bethnal Green Bitter and London Fields Pale Ale (£3.50) on my trip,with two reversed clips on the other handpumps for guests Sambrook Wandle and Windsor and Eton Guardsman.Despite the narrow range,all beers tasted were in top nick,and the bar service was efficient and friendly. There is a wide age range among the clientele and it was pleasing to report that this is most certainly not a totty freezone.It's esay to get chatting to your seated neighbours and the atmosphere was friendly and lively. It's on the list for a revisit given Brodies brew some interesting ale and judging from my trip they also know how to run a great pub.

I popped in expecting a good choice of Brodies beers, so was disappointed to find only one available. In fact, of the 5 or 6 pumps, only 3 were in action. Fortunately, the beer was of good quality, so the diminished selection was of little consequence. As it was a warm evening, there was quite a crowd outside. Inside, however, a few seats were free. I could just make them out, as the Cross Keys keeps it pretty dark inside. I was able to read the Standard, but a little more illumination would have been nice. Not bad then and I'd like to return, in the hope of finding more of the pumps with the clips facing forwards.

Small dark pub, walls covered in paintings and lots of bric-a-brac. All dark and moody in contrast to the mass of flowers outside. Obviously making an effort here and the beer was very good as well.