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Chat about:
Disappointment of the week with Mobyduck
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Just a quick pint, then I'm off
Submitted on Sunday, 1st December 2019
With picture contributions to 9808 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (19 more images)
Detail Pages
The Cross Keys, WC2
WC2
WC2H 9BA
Served areas
Reviews of The Cross Keys (Average Rating: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Cross Keys
On 24th July 2019 - rating: 5
Built in 1848 and Grade II-Listed, the pub has a very fine frontage and is renowned for the luxuriousness of foliage draped across the ground floor windows, admired by a multitude of drinkers outside on this very warm evening. The place is cited in various must-visit lists, though oddly I'd never been here before. It's described as having a very small interior but I didn't find this to be the case, but maybe that's because all the drinkers were outside. What's undeniable is that it's incredibly gloomy in here with little illumination coming from the red/orange lamps. It's noted also for the eclectic mix of knick-knacks suspended from on high, including a copper and brass helmet from an old diving suit. Walls are adorned with old prints as well as newer ones depicting the Beatles, Stones and Barbra Streisand, who I presume must all have drunk here. Furniture is traditional in dark wood, along with studded chocolate brown banquettes to the periphery. In all: atmospheric. The barmaid was friendly enough but needs to watch her language.
Ales: an unused pump, Hardy & Hanson's Old Tripe, GK's London Glory, Brodie's California and Windsor & Eton's Corker at a very agreeable £2.00 a half, though 'corker' is a somewhat optimistically self-congratulatory description.
I'm afraid I'm not as enamoured of this place as other reviews. It's ok, but the uninspiring ale choice doesn't help and there are actually better pubs in this area, not that Covent Garden has that much appeal, being the tourist hell-hole that it is and if this is indeed a Brodie's pub, why the one beer competing alongside the likes of GK and Tripe?
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A return last night and gone is the gloomy red lighting, illumination being quite conventional; that's the good bit. However, there was just Pride on offer with several unused pumps and a reversed Hophead clip, so I doubt that this is a Brodie's pub due to lack of their hugely superior ales. The brighter lighting affords a greater level of interior scrutiny, which revealed a filthy table with sticky ring marks and abandoned crisp packet; we had to clear the bottles and glasses from our own table, whilst the young barmaid sat behind the bar, hunched over her phone and doing nothing. Customers were very few in number, when all the other pubs were doing a roaring trade. The pub's website is now devoted to cookery and 'lifestyle' choices; I wonder if this pub is being deliberately run into the ground, because on the basis of last night's experience, I certainly wouldn't bother making a third visit.
On 26th January 2023
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1983 recommendations about 1949 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Cross Keys
I do agree with Tris C regarding the infamous growth of vegetation across the front of the pub. The interior here is a long narrow one room affair and when the pub is busy, navigating between the bar area on right hand side and seating opposite can be slightly frustrating. Still I managed to find a space at the bar to peruse their beer selection. They had three ales on handpump serving Windsor & Eton Green Hop Bitter, Brodies Pale Ale and Olde Tripe. I went for the Brodies, which was a very decent beer.
The service was good, even though the pub was busy and the bar staff were quite chirpy.
Now what happened next was a revelation, the chap next to me at the bar and myself struck up a conversation about visiting various pubs around the country, Liverpool was mentioned, then Pubs Galore, then Real Ale Ray and hey presto I had just met Komakino. So we sat and had a pint together along with Mrs A.
On 23rd November 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Cross Keys
GBG brought me here and what a result.
Perfect levels of pubbiness.
Very good Wadworth 6x at the best price for the area - £3.60.
Loved my visit and will be my destination of choice when in the area.
Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2kkezym
On 2nd February 2017
- rating: 10
[User has posted 277 recommendations about 276 pubs]
View more reviews of The Cross Keys (25)
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- Official site of the Cross Keys - www.crosskeyscoventgarden.com
- Facebook - The Cross Keys
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Cross Keys - whatpub.com
City Thameslink, 1.11 miles, 21 min walk (show)
Farringdon (London), 1.13 miles, 21 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 03 August 2013 by Aqualung .
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 27 July 2013 by Moby Duck
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 27 July 2013 by Moby Duck
- Beer Garden : No last updated 27 July 2013 by Moby Duck
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 27 July 2013 by Moby Duck
- Car Park : No last updated 27 July 2013 by Moby Duck
- Darts : No last updated 27 July 2013 by Moby Duck
- Function Room : Yes last updated 24 July 2019 by Tris C
- Hot Food : Yes - 12.00pm - 2.30pm Monday to Saturday. 12.00pm - 3.00pm Sunday. - last updated 24 July 2019 by Tris C
- Jukebox : No last updated 27 July 2013 by Moby Duck
- Karaoke : No last updated 27 July 2013 by Moby Duck
- Live Music : No last updated 27 July 2013 by Moby Duck
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 27 July 2013 by Moby Duck
- Micropub : No last updated 24 July 2019 by Tris C
- Pinball : No last updated 27 July 2013 by Moby Duck
- Pool Table : No last updated 27 July 2013 by Moby Duck
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 24 October 2016 by hondo .
