The Crosse Keys

Super convenient for my hotel and they have beer. Otherwise it’s kind of crap. You can do better.

Nice clean bar, which is always a good start. However the food is a different story.
We went for Sunday roast and most roast were out. I then ordered a mixed grill and it was kinda dry and over cooked for the most big.
We also had a steak and ale pie, thought it should be some of the safer options, but the pastry was really think and the pie was a tat dry.
That said, at least it’s a nice environment to cheat and spend a meal with a few mates.

We were staying in the hotel next door, and went here for a quick bite and a few drinks. The burger was alright, they ran out of most of the desserts (probably because it was late at night). The apple crumble was really good. The cocktails were yummy too.

From the outside, it looks like a normal medium sized pub, then you walk in and get hit in the face with the sheer size, it’s huge, Great Hall like interior with impressive marble pillars leading to a stratospheric height ceiling and all open plan with a 360degree bar at the far end. It’s a Wetherspoon Pub so prices are OK, still London prices though. Good selection as you’d expect from the chain, and the same food menu as the others which is comforting, and the food is good quality and well priced. Lot’s of seating and lots of space. Highly recommend.

We only stopped here briefly but I was impressed with the place. The location is great, tucked away down narrow streets that are home to a multitude of different types of architecture which in my mind represent quintessential London.
You enter and it almost seems to grand to be a pub, with the entrance hall not really giving much away. It could be a corporate HQ or anything waiting around the corner, but a pub it is.
The large open space has a central bar area and loads of table and chairs dotted around. Nice chairs too, generously proportioned leather clad affairs like the sort your wealthy old grandparents would have in their drawing room. I don’t have such grandparents, but if I did I’m sure this is what their furniture would have been like.
The building itself has an air of splendour. Not a pompous one mind you, it’s understated but ever present as you look around. Cast your eyes at the high ceilings which play host to some impressive sky lights for a perfect example of this.
Service was fast and friendly on our visit, although it was far from busy so this may not always be the case. The bar tender stepped in immediately once she noticed the head on my settling Guinness was going to be excessive and took it for a top up before I had even given it a cursory glance.
It’s a Weatherspoons, so usual Weatherspoons drill. No frills, no music etc, but what they do they seem to be doing well. Worth a look.

Big selection of beers, a lot beer from tap. The staff was kind.
Food was bad, meals were cold when served, after complaining got a new meal that was hot. But wasnt very tasty.

Great history and atmosphere. Foods alright; had the fish n chips. Fish was not great but not bad, peas were good, and chips were decent. All in all id come here for atmostphere and drinks.

Beautiful building however on my visit there was live sporting event on and simply not enough staff to cater for the crowd. The bar has a good selection of beers, ciders and ales in both bottles and on tap and prices are standard London city prices. You will easily part with £4.50+ for a pint. Not my sort of joint but if sports on the big screen is your thing — head on down!

Usually rammed after work. You might not find a seat, but you will find somewhere to stand! Its a big place.
Excellent use of technology with the big modern screens displaying the beers on offer. Far less futile than depressing everyone with 24 hour of bad news.
The most expensive spoons I know at 2.99 a pint.

Huge and popular with the middle aged after-​work drinker, there isn’t an awful lot to recommend this particular watering hole. Bland in the extreme avoid.

We were wondering with some friends, whether that place was formerly a bank… Now I got the answer, from one of my fellow Unilocalers comment ;)
A good place for after-​work drinks, service is quite good for such a huge place.
The Burger-​Berr 6 £ deal is very kool, since the Breakfast burger is truly a delight, with perfectly cooked meat, and very tasty ingredients.
I wouldn’t rule out using it for a private function either, if at all possible…
Cheers !

One of the better Wetherspoons pubs; it’s vast with a capital VA, well staffed, you can generally get a seat. It’s a city place so you don’t get the usual Wetherspoons «I’m here for the cheapest beer» dodgy types. It’s not an offensive pastiche of a Victorian pub only because of the majesty of the old banking hall it’s in unlike most Wetherspoons pub.

Ridiculously huge Wetherspoons. But even when busy, the service is good. They don’t mind if you stay for hours and don’t order too much while tucked away in the back room playing card games with friends. Basic Spoons fare. Nothing spectacular, but solid pub tastiness.

This Spoons is located in an old bank and the space is quite unique. It’s huge, and yet at times still feels cramped (especially at the bar). The beers are pretty standard Spoons fare, and usually in fine condition. The selection is decent. While there are 24 hand-​pumps, at least six of those are always something very standard (e.g. Fullers London Pride, Green King IPA, etc.). It’s worth noting, anyway, that with 24 pumps this place boasts the most casks on at one pub (in London). I’ve been unimpressed by the staff and their efficiency on several occasions. Whoever manages the pub seems to never staff adequately during peak hours. All in all not a bad pub and certainly one of the best Spoons pubs in London.

Formerly the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, this is one of the largest Wetherspoons. A decent selection of real ales is normally available. However last week the selection was all Christmas beers which are not really to my liking. The other ales available were from Fullers and G. K
Service was a bit haphazard, one supervisor and four trainees struggled to cope with the early evening crowd, two other staff were dealing with food and clearing the tables.
Open Monday to Friday and Saturday till 7 o’clock. Closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

The Crosse Keys actually has slightly more character than the average Wetherspoons. It’s huge inside and generally the décor is a notch or two above average.
The drinks are pretty reasonable. I was drinking Guinness and although not all the staff seemed capable of pouring a proper one, taste-​wise it was pretty good.
Good place to meet after work in the City. It’s never going to set the world alight in terms of atmosphere but nice and roomy so bring your own atmosphere!

Being a Wetherspoons pub, this is much the same as any other you could visit. A short walk from Monument/​Bank tube, this one is huge and when it gets busy in the evenings tends to feel a bit soulless and lacking in atmosphere. There’s the usual wide selection of reasonably priced drinks (lots of guest beers). It’s worth trying the breakfast served from 9 a.m. The Farmhouse is a truly gargantuan feast and you’ll do well to finish it and it’s good value too at less than four quid.