The Cross Keys, Leeds

The Cross Keys is one of a few pubs situated behind Leeds train station. The front door to this pub was closed when i visited on an early Saturday evening,but when i tried the door handle it opened. Once inside there are two rooms either side of the front door,the seating is comfy bench type chairs plus normal tables and chairs. There was a good choice of real ales on the bar,i had a drink of North Brewery Prototype which went down very well,the other beers noted were Anorchy Quiet Riot,Abbeydale Absolution and one from Thornebridge. The pub was packed with all people drinking,the drinkers did seem a lot more upmarket than you get in most pubs. It seemed quite a cosy and comfortable pub to have a drink in. Pub visited 13/2/2016

I visited the Cross Keys with Ray who has commented below and I also felt uncomfortable as I walked in and was asked whether I was dining. We stood outside for a moment thinking that the pub was closed, but thankfully some local diners with knowledge of how doors operate walked in before us. This pub is in the Michelin guide so it is obvious that eating takes precedence over drinking, but there are four hand pumps on the bar alongside some premium draught products. I went for half a Prototype which went down well. The interior is split into two with a small dining area to the left of the entrance and the bar area with seating to the right. Stairs behind the bar lead up to the toilets and there is a room upstairs that is used for functions. There is a weekly quiz on Sundays. There was nothing wrong with the beer, but I prefer a proper boozer so I would probably give this place the swerve if in the area again.

A pub called the Cross Keys was first built on this site back in 1802 to serve workers from the surrounding industrial area and it seems it was able to survive until the 1980’s before finally closing and falling into disrepair. The regeneration of this part of town has allowed the people behind the city’s successful North Bar and Further North venues to take the premises on and give it a tasteful refitting, allowing this historic venue to commence trading again. The result is a very smart, well appointed pub which manages to accommodate diners and drinkers without either group feeling short-changed. You enter into a tile floored room with the servery directly opposite the front door. A banquette runs along the front wall whilst there are standard tables and chairs elsewhere, allowing a decent number of people to be seated around the bar area. The walls are mostly bare brick and there are plenty of restored wooden beams which all adds up to create a rather atmospheric and cosy space, enhanced by the stove sat in the fireplace on the end wall. A second front room, to the left of the entrance, has a similar layout with a quarry stone floor and its own stretch of servery. The pub extends to the rear, down the right hand side of the building, past a bare boarded space with some unusual decorative wallpaper towards an area seemingly used by those wanting to eat. There are large windows here which look out across the sizeable courtyard which has plenty of outdoor seating, sadly of no use in the inclement weather on my visit. A spiral staircase leads from the main bar up to the James Watt function room which is available for hire, although I didn’t get the chance to explore. A previous reviewer wondered what James Watt’s connection to Leeds is. According to the pub’s website, he apparently once stayed in the Cross Keys and would ply workers from a rival’s company with drinks in order to extract trade secrets from them. Four handpulls offered an impossible to choose from selection, comprising Titanic Plum Porter and Lifeboat, Oakham Green Devil IPA and Kirkstall North Prototype, which I presumed was a house beer, so I gave it a try and thought it was a pleasant session ale. The barmaid who served me was very friendly and chatty and gave me the impression that some thought is put into ensuring a high standard of customer service. I really enjoyed this place and thought it was an excellent start to a long crawl around Leeds. I had a great pint in an interesting building with very friendly, welcoming staff and would suggest that anyone heading into Holbeck should make sure they check this place out.