Cross Keys

I visited this pub for the very first time last Saturday night. It had been chosen as the venue for a reunion of a lot of ageing hippies who used to meet there before going to see some of the biggest bands of the day at the Liverpool Stadium sadly now a glass and steel commercial monstrosity.
The pub is definitely one of Liverpool’s hidden gems. Tucked away down small backstreets, it is easy to find once you have been there!
The pub, the barstaff and the regular customers were very welcoming and the forty-​odd of us who managed to get there found plenty of room to enjoy chats, reminiscences and photo opportunities.
The beer was excellent Deuchars IPA for a short while and Wells Bombardier all through the night. The barstaff worked extremely hard and no-​one had to wait long to be served. A couple of the gang who had been regulars in the 70’s told me it was nicer than it used to be redecorated a few times and pleasant not to stick to the carpet like they used to!
For those not attending something like this, there are 50 inch TV screens, mostly showing football, as is to be expected in Liverpool.
One of the locals pointed out to me that, during the Matthew Street Festival, it is one of the few pubs in the area where you can get served within anything less than half-​an-​hour! Mainly because all the touristy types stay around Matthew Street the Cross Keys is about three minutes walk away.

Although handy for office workers, in relation to other pubs the Cross Keys can feel a tad isolated. This seems a bit of a shame as it’s a classy kind of place with an arty décor and friendly staff.
The thing I loved about this pub was that, despite tidying itself up a while back, it hasn’t quite been able to shake off the more earthy regulars, who still argue with friends outside on their phones. Don’t let them put you off going in though, the place is lovely.

The mass exodus from the office to home is often stalled by a quick stop at The Cross Keys by the many workers based in the Old Hall St and Tithebarn area of Liverpool.
Since its refurbishment a few years ago, The Cross Keys has reinvented itself as much more friendly and accessible pub like the area itself than the darker and slightly miserable place that it used to be. The food is traditional pub grub like burgers, fish and chips and scampi etc which while not being anything outstanding is good for a lunchtime snack to fit in your lunchtime but the place is at its busiest at this time or just after 5 during the week. It’s a different story at the weekend however with the place being very quiet.
A roof terrace is a good addition for smokers os to just enjoy the sunshine and with sports shown regularly the place gets busy for midweek football too.