Cross Keys, Dagenham

A local pub for local people.You wouldn't just happen across this pub,it's in the middle of a housing estate.It's an old building,the interior is open plan and has a beamed and low ceiling.Several doors hint at a multi room layout once but the L shaped interior has a long back lit bar with modern tiling.A series of banquettes are the seating options ,although there is a pool table at the far end of the long side.Pleasing brick fireplaces still exist. The muzak was loud and a mixing desk midships implied it could get even louder later,the barmaid was friendly and explained minimum card payment was £10,so cash it was.No handpumps but some craft keg and I had Brixton Reliance Pale at a reasonable £3.60. I stood out as a stranger in town ,noted by the regulars who engaged me in small talk at the bar,a few people donned caps and moved away from where I was sitting. Another old customer came in and sat nearby ,and both of us were approached seperately by a young chaps describing himself as "not from around here,and a little drunk" but wanting information about my trip to the pub.He divulged he was from Collier Row a mere 5 miles away,and once he had convinced himself that I wasn't The Old Bill he returned to report his findings to the pool table players.All a bit odd but done in a friendly way. Maybe a busy Friday evening wasn't the best time to visit,clearly a community pub with possibly a few old lags as regulars.

It was something of a surprise to find such a relatively nice pub tucked away in the backstreets of Dagenham. It's clearly an old pub. The ancient church and graveyard next door shows that this small area at least was here well before the post WWII diaspora from East London. Inside it's incredibly rustic with low ceilings sporting plain beams (or perhaps the beams are sporting the ceiling!), and a brick fireplace with the Cross Keys emblem above it, now unfortunately obscured by a large TV. The floor's carpeted but you can feel the floorboards creaking beneath it. Furnishings are mainly red plushette upholstered banquettes, and normal tables and chairs. Some old Charrington's signage remains on the bar back. As a pub I like this one. It's comfortable and the barmaid/landlady was friendly and welcoming. Unfortunately there's no real ale - just John Smith's keg and Toby keg (£2.20 a pint!). With a decent real ale this pub could be an absolute winner, but without it it becomes an ordinary pub. But that's my subjective opinion - it was doing a very good trade on Wednesday afternoon, so maybe the locals are happy with it the way it is.