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The Crosse Keys (JD Wetherspoon), Leadenhall, EC3
EC3
EC3V 0DR
Pub Type
J D WetherspoonReviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Crosse Keys (JD Wetherspoon)
The first impression on entering is the sheer scale of the place, the double storey height ceiling supported on huge marble clad columns, large domed leaded rooflights, the ornate gallery to the rear, this is without doubt a magnificent building. Enormous as it is, this is no typical Wetherspoons barn despite the rows of tables and I noted that the usual 'spoons plethora of menus was a little more downstated in here. The oval bar is in the centre with the 24 handpumps spread around, (note the mosaic floor around the bar). There is no need however to complete circuits reading all the clips as the beers on are listed over the bar on electronic boards. There were 15 on during my Friday visit and my pint of Kennet Valley Ramsbury was in good shape. Most beers are currently £2.60 with GK IPA at £1.99 and Pride inexplicably at £3.05 (do they sell any?)
To the rear of the pub is a seperate wood panelled room, possibly the original bank manager's office. There is a framed print of a map of the Cornhill area pre the Great Fire in here. Up a flight of stairs to the gallery with sofa seating and then into another rear room, again wood panelled and with a framed description of the various City Livery Companies and also a brief biography and portrait of Sir Thomas Gresham, the instigator of the first Royal Exchange.
As others have said the pub is very well staffed and service is efficient. Certainly worthy of a visit both for the beer choice and the magnificence of the building but it is easy to walk past as the building does not look like a typical pub from the outside. Closed on Sundays and closes early evening of a Saturday.
On 9th January 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1711 recommendations about 1684 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Crosse Keys (JD Wetherspoon)
Very large open plan Wetherspoons, huge open space but does retain a certain character, but can't get away from being a cavonous open space.
Very busy on my visit, meaning service was next to impossible, but it was very close to Christmas.
24 real ales, which is quite remarkable!
All together its ok, probably best to visit at a quieter time!
On 20th December 2010
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1611 recommendations about 1588 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Crosse Keys (JD Wetherspoon)
The Crosse Keys is a JDW conversion of a large City bank, which took place in 1999. Inside it is a cavernous space and most of the original banks fixtures and fittings are retained, including four impressive marble pillars. In fact it’s so big that they have the biggest sports screen I have ever seen in any pub and it would not be out of place in a small cinema.
However it’s size does benefit, in that even when extremely busy with city workers, the pub never feels overly busy.
The food menu is the standard Wetherspoons fair , no better no worse in my experience. But the reason to come here is for the beers. The circular bar (which is small in comparison with the rest of the pub) has so many handpumps that they now have plazma displays above the bar, where they list all the ales on, which you order by number. There were 22 Real Ales on during my last visit in late January, all from the JDW guest list and most of them at £2.60 a pint.
And unlike most other Wetherspoons, I’ve always found the service in The Crosse Keys to be good with hard working bar staff who know how to pull a pint, which I don’t say about Wetherspoons too often.
On 7th February 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2351 recommendations about 2197 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about The Crosse Keys (JD Wetherspoon)
A massive and very ornate JDW with a very grand island bar. Has a very good range of guest ales, but can get very, very busy, especially with the post work crowd between 5 - 7. The staff are reasonably efficient considering the amount of people they're serving. If you don't like being surrounded by suits you won't like it here. Having said that it's one of the very few pubs in the area that is open at weekends when there aren't any suits around. There's a bloke selling after shave and other toiletries down in the toilets which is very strange. He seems to expect a tip when you go in, unlucky mate. Overall it's a very good JDW and is one of their flagship pubs.
On 11th March 2009
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3369 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Strongers . left this review about The Crosse Keys (JD Wetherspoon)
I cannot believe that I am about to say this about a Wetherspoons, but here goes – The staff that I encountered were friendly, quick and knowledgeable even under pressure!
There are lots of ales and lagers as you'd expect, although I think this place has more than most Spoons and far more than most pubs. I didn't spot any drunken old men at the bar fiddling with their undercarriage whilst trying to count out 99p in change and the table I was sitting at was clean and didn't smell like a tramp's sleeping bag. Also the usual Spoons dank crustiness was missing. Has the world gone mad?
I would take issue with the hordes of smokers at the entrance, but other than that I whole heartedly wish that all Wetherspoons pubs could be run like this one.
On 16th February 2009
- rating: 8
[User has posted 6673 recommendations about 6635 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about The Crosse Keys
A huge Wetherspoon conversion from a bank.One large room with a central circular bar.An upstairs gallery and a quiet room at the back.The main bar gets packed and very noisy lunch and early evening.Big screen shows major sporting events.A large selection of real ales.5 mins from Monument station.Closed Sundays
On 19th November 2006
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]