please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
former HQ of HSBC and now a Wetherspoons GBG 2020 entry.
The building - if you look up - is stunning. all marble columns and huge lighting rigs in a cavernously airy room.
If you look down, you'll see the usual JDW sticky tables covered in spent glasses and "interesting" carpet.
Beer Choice is beyond comprehension - 24 hand pulls advertised on TV Screens. If you use the app, you can only select the regulars. London Pride was in poor condition.
There is no doubt I would come again. So much to discover, if I actually get to the bar.
10 for the building/choice. 4 for the quality.
|
I had to give this place a very high rating as it has -
- stunning building
- enormous range of fantastic ales, in great nick (based on what I had)
- good food (again based on my meal)
There are some amazing places to go in London but it is easy to spend a fortune so it's nice to go to a place like this that is still really nice but not so heavy on the wallet.
|
quite good for a wetherspoons
|
Visited on Saturday morning for breakfast before heading off to the wilds of Essex.
Got here at 9.45am and was surprised by how busy it was. Mainly with people eating with the clientele halved between local constructions workers and tourists from the hotel next door.
A tad too early for alcohol so I ordered a large veggie breakfast and a tea. Delivered swiftly, hot and very edible, the tea was also decent.
Impressive building with a stunning interior, this alone makes the pub worthy of a visit.
My previous visits have been split over Saturday morning and weeknights, and for such a large pub it doesn’t get that busy in the evenings.
|
A lot of Wetherspoon's pubs have superb interiors but I was dazzled by this one's beauty, or was it gratitude as it was belting down rain outside & I needed a dry haven. Whatever the reason for my happiness, the pint of Speckled Hen (3.50) was satisfactory & the service very good, as it should have been given there were few in. Worth a pop in for the interior, rain or not.
|
An ornate JDW that serves one of the widest ranges I've seen in the chain. Someone said 24 handpulls and although I didn't count them I can well believe it.
A few others have also said that the service leaves a lot to be desired and I've seen that at first hand. If you walk through the doors and straight up to the bar you'll be served right away. Have a walk round the circular bar to see what's on, and if your choice happens to be in one of the dead zones that the staff can't be bothered walking over to, you could still be waiting there now.
|
Multiple well kept ales. Staff and bar does encourage queue jumping and gets full early evening with City artisans and drunks (IT staff etc not suited types). Handy meeting point short walk from lots of places.
|
Haven't been to this Wetherspoons for a while. There's generally a good selection of ales here on the circular bar. But they're not always in the best condition. This is a marvellous building though. I believe it was previously a bank. Ales were Milestone New World Bitter, Caledonian Deuchars IPA, Butcombe Yeti, Portobello Market Porter, Batemans XXXB, White Horse Village Idiot, Hanlons Stormstay Premium Ale, Morland Old Speckled Hen, Tring Tea Kettle Stout, Weltons Marathon Stout, Greene King IPA, Sharps Doom Bar & Adnams Broadside. Cider was Waddlegoose Lane Woodsprite, Bottle Kicking Cider Company Cross Farm Perry & Westons Rosie's Pig & Marcle Hill. One of the better branches of Wetherspoons.
|
Very impressed with this Establishment that was once an HSBC Bank. Beautiful interior with very clean stylish Loos. Great selection of Ales. The London Pride was exceptionally good and at a very keep price for London. Definitely scheduled for a return visit.
|
I'm afraid this particular branch of Spoons has gone downhill (Hamilton Hall much better). It's on my daily route to Liverpool Street so I often used to pop in for a pint or three. I visit only occasionally now. The pub itself is fantastic with lots of history and charm. Unfortunately the bar staff and management haven't got a clue.
The bar itself is a large oval with 24 pumps and you can walk all around it. There are usually 11 or more beers on at any one time (some of the pumps double up). They have a screen above each of side of the bar and at each end showing which beers are on but you cannot rely on this as they don't update it quickly enough. On one visit I walked around the entire OUTSIDE of the bar, which is in the middle of the pub, to see what was on the pumps only to be challenged by a surly manager who accused me of walking THROUGH the bar!
The bar staff have no idea how to work a long continuous bar such as this. Instead of patrolling a zone each they fall over each and only pay attention to the top end of the bar that faces the main entrance. Anyone else waiting around the sides or bottom end of the bar has to struggle to get served (and then only on the basis of "who's next?") If they stuck to their own bit of the bar they'd be able to manage the flow of customers much better and not every customer would try to get served at the top end - it's just a vicious circle.
On some visits the pumps have had sparklers on when I don't think they are necessary or appropriate to the beer in question. Now I've had this in other Spoons and they tell me that they have to go by the tasting notes on the back of the pump. Go to other Spoons and no sparklers yet same brewery and same beer. Cannot make sense of it. Anyway, more recently the sparklers seem to have gone - which is a good thing. When you can get served the beer is usually good if rather too chilled but I've had staff serve me a few pints of cloudy beer without batting an eye lid - this should never happen in a real ale pub and just says to me that there is a lack of basic training / understanding of the product they are selling.
Food here is good and waiting times not a problem usually.
|
We had a very similar experience to a previous reviewer, we had the temerity to turn up at 10:30 on Friday Night just before Christmas, and were 'served' by a miserable little eastern european apparachnik obviously still missing her previous role in the stasi, I ordered a 1/2 pint of pear cider after pulling that she announced that she wasnt going to serve 'some of your party' and 'you should go home', (to put this into context we were a group of 6, 50 year old nerds meeting up in town for a meal and a few beers), one of the guys then said 'OK, 6 coffees then' to no response other than 'you should go home' she then attempted to snatch my half of cider back, so I drank it and we left. In 30 odd years of going to a pub Ive never been treated like this, god knows what Tim Wetherspoon would say if he found his barstaff were trying to impose their catholic values on the rest of us. Bring back the friendly Aussie and Kiwi bar staff please. (even if they cost a bit more!)
|
Splendidly finished Wetherspoon with lots of ales choices. Great if you visit during working hours when it is not too crowded.
|
A bit cross with the Crosse Keys after my experience there yesterday.
Plastic badged female appears behind bar, pallid, thin-lipped, unsmiling, propelling herself with zealous rapidity as someone of consequence.
I�m sorry, I can�t serve you, she says instantly (meaning, in hypocrite language, she wouldn�t serve me). You�ve had three rounds in half an hour.
In point of fact, it was 12:15 and I had had three double whiskies (not rounds) served by other members of staff in the hour and a half since I arrived at 10.45. There was no problem and it was none of her business. I was shaven and in a decent shirt, but it was a Monday. The only thing I did was to change my seat once, ask for my last drink in a brandy glass and inquire as to the history of the pub, for which I was referred to a panel at the back.
Do I look drunk? I inquired.
She avoided answering this question:
Not serving you. Sir, was my decision.
Then madam I�ll make my decision.
I then went to other places, and they did serve me with no untoward results.
So, as I said, a bit cross with the Crosse Keys. A pity, as it�s the only place I know that serves affordable Lagavulin. Would it not be better to say with a smile, I think you may be getting near your limit: allowing for the possibility that the customer may have feelings, and the speaker may be wrong?
|
Not my first choice for an after work drink but the range of beer here is the widest in the City. 24 hand pulls and the beers are handily advertised on TV screens above the bar. Had an excellent couple of pints of GK Abbot last week. The decor is far more opulent than a typical 'Spoon. The building is magnificent. Marble pillars, rococo ceilings and tiled mosiac floor around the bar. Having said that, it's sheer size makes for a rather impersonal atmosphere.
|
I guess it all depends on what sort of drinking establishment and atmosphere you desire or perhaps you are in IT in a grimy basement office? When you have the Royal Exchange, Jampot, Lamb, Coq d'Argent, No.1 Lombard Street and The Swan right on your doorstep this then this is the very poor (wo)man's venue or you've never actually socialised in The City.
A vast cavernous place, so utterly souless that you could have as much, "fun", with a can of Stella on the concourse of Waterloo Station. I am sure the beer and staff are delightful but on my lone visit I couldn't get out of the place fast enough to find something far nicer.
Its a close run thing but I'd just about so along with Vodka Revolution if it was that vs this. Perhaps people go only because it is cheap, frankly I'll live with being NFI over any invite to this sort of venue.
|
Extremely large ex bank which is now a spoons. The building is glorious as stated by another reviewer.
Visited around 6pm on a Thursday evening and the place was heaving with city types and office workers, the pub is so big it didn't feel cramped.
Fantastic range of ales on, 14 I think on the pumps when I was in. Had a pint of rite flanker from Wickwar brewing co, and a pint of Moorhouse's, Premier bitter, both were excellent.
The place was doing a great trade in food as you to expect with spoon's pub.
All in all a pleasant visit and a pub i will frequent again.
|
Good city pub with a massive selection of ales and lagers. Lovely building and good service at the bar.
|
A colleague had a leaving do here last night. The place was pretty busy with a good vibe about it. There was a vast array of mainly Christmas ales and I had a few pints of Welton's 'It's Christmas' which was pretty good and well served and presented throughout. The interior of the place is quite spectacular if you take a close look at it. My only complaint would be that the bar area seems a little too small for the size of the place and I had to wait a while on a couple of occasions to be served. Pretty good for a 'Spoons though and worth a visit. Prices kean as you'd expect.
|
Decent spoons in a lovely building in the middle of the City.
Great range of beers and decent prices considering the location.
|
In last night, pub is decked out in crimbo trappings,very well done given height of bar etc, must have taken ages. The brewer must be thanked for saving such a building, opulent and spacious. Good selection of guest beers always on, way too many to mention,listed via large telly screens over the bar, saves you time going around the bar to see whats on. Mind, these are faliable, guess they dont have a cellarman at night, so when that nice guest beer has gone,thats it.. Beer is still only �2.80 . Staffing has been sorted, there are loads behind the bar.Its a large oval bar,so plenty of service outside of 5.30 rush. Tables are cleared quickly, which is sometimes a 'spoons' shortfall.
|
Rightly regarded as Wetherspoon's flagship pub in London in an impressive Edwardian building. The staff are efficient. A common complaint about Wetherspoons pubs is that most of the beers are too strong, but this time (20th July) they had 3 beers at under 4.0% including a Mordue, a Brentwood, and the exceptional Dark Star Hophead.
|
FYI, it was the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, which is why there are Chinese gentlemen holding the clock at the back.
|
I really like this pub. It is almost always clean and tidy (except when at lunch the staff haven't had time to clear some of the tables - fair enough). Staff are polite and efficient (there is one little eastern european girl with blonde hair who seems to work extremely hard, plus one black guy who is a really good barman). The only gripe is that sometimes it takes a long time to get served and this is a common experience in JDW pubs (Tim, you need to increase staff numbers matey), and a real shame at this one as it is a decent boozer. Open on Saturdays as well.
|
Massive interior in this conversion of an HSBC bank evidently. Good beer selection (actually available!!) for a 'Spoons and the staff sounded interested in their product, reflected in the quality and taste. Definitely one of the better pubs in this chain. Pity not open on Sundays!
|
Best JDW I've been too, always at least six ales on offer and in tip-top condition due to the amount of people that pass through this place. Great for a cheeky half when you should be at work..
|
After visiting quite a number of small pokey pubs it was a real shock to walk into the Cross Keyes. The place is enormous, don't think I've ever been is as big a pub in London. Being a Wetherspoons you know what you're getting but this is a little bit special with 24 beers on offer. Had football on the biggest screen I've ever seen which isn't normal for a Spoons in my neck of the woods. Fast service at the bar, which in itself is something special and the food when ordered didn't take long to appear. Plenty of seating, very comfortable and clean. Also after a lot of toilets that leave a bit to be desired in the older pubs the ones in the Cross Keyes were a joy, spacious being the biggest plus!!
Best pub in the area, best Wetherspoons I've been in, though a close call with the one in Harrogate.
|
By far the best London City spoons (IMHO). Visited twice last week and found 10 different ales on each visit. For thouse not familiar the pub is a cavernous former bank with a central bar, a fews side rooms and a mixture of high and low tables. A good mix of clientele but raraely frequented by the usual 10am spoons regulars. Well worth a visit if youre in the area,
|
Impressive building although too dimly lit frankly which makes it a little gloomy. Usually has a good choice of beers on with the exception of Saturday. They are obviously winding down for closing and the beer range is often substantially reduced.
|
Excellent Spoon, considering how Spoons can be, even in the City (e.g. Hamilton Hall, which varies between alright and decidedly dodgy). Lovely selection of ales. Can't vouch for the food, as have only eaten in here on curry club nights, but as has been said, Spoon food is Spoon food and ever will be. Still, the service is fine and friendly. Point taken about the dim lighting: when you've nipped in for a quick one or two it's difficult to read anything while you sip unless you're careful to sit by a light...
|
This is the most impressive JDW building I have come across. Magnificent really - and massive. Customers are mainly office types presumably from all the nearby banks. Staff are friendly and efficient. Huge choice of real ale and the one I chose was excellent.
A further good point is that there are some other good pubs within a short distance so one can visit more than one with great ease.
|
Visited yesterday with a mate at about 11am. We were the only people in there which isn't suprising considering that it's in the middle of the financial district of town. Massive place with a brilliant selection of ales. The tv screen is massive, which must have been great for the world cup coverage! Very pleasant & polite bar staff. The only downside, and it must be a trait of JDs everywhere was that it was so dark on such a sunny day.
|
It is not often I am spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing which ale to have but, this place does your head in.
Purposely came here one Thursday evening after reading a previous reviewer said it had 24 real ales on offer. First sight of the bar is unbelievable - felt like it took five minutes to walk all the way round it. A good few city types were in before venturing home. One regular said it was extra busy for a Thursday.
Most of the ales were on and the three I had, from Daleside, Leeds and Nethergate breweries, were all in perfect condition selling at �2.65 a pint.
The staff must be congratulated on their polite and efficient service. From waiting to get served to receiving our meals was very quick indeed.
The food is typical Spoon standard. Why are their chips so tasteless? Are they McCains crappy oven chips?
When I am next in London I will make sure I call in again.
|
Been in the Crosse Keys twice now and it's difficult not to get awestruck about the magnificence of the place, we tend to spend a fair amount of time looking at the architecture but every now and then you get bumped to earth by the Wetherspoonication of the place, the posters on the marble columns, the pink bar with coming soon on most of the pumps. All in all though Tim Martin's done a great job in here and I'll forgive him the rest. Great place to be.
|
In here last night during the JDW ale festival. Lot's of ales on tap, most of them good (recommend the Hole Hearted).
Big old pub with impressive architecture but does it's job well. Bar staff were helpful and freely proffered tasters. TV screens show beers on offer but look for tasting notes on the bar for more details. Massive screen for sport if that's what you're after.
Didn't try the food, instead nipped round the corner to the Bangalore Express which deserves a mention as a top quality restaurant with some great food and good discounts in the week if you eat after 5pm.
Dan65 - 22 Apr 2010 00:57 |
I would agree with all the positive comments about the Crosse Keys. Yes indeed, it has to be my favourite Spoons mainly because of the huge range of ales on sale. The bar staff do need a mention because they do know what they're talking about and their serice is good. I met ma & pa off the train from up north and after a long old day travelling then they loved the place, the big grand room (ex bank from yesteryear) and the food was good.
The City after work crowd can be a mix of steady honest types too full blown lunatics who've missed a firing squad but on the whole it's a decent atmosphere in comfortable surroundings and handy for the get-away to the trains, buses and tubes. I too liked the touch of the ale listings on the plazma screens around the bar, just peachy. I don't give maximuns and rarely 9's so a very good 8.5 for this place.
Mcloj - 20 Apr 2010 08:40 |
A real ale lovers Mecca.
a) permanent mini beer festival with up to 24 ales available.
b) �2.40 a pint �2.30 at festival times
c) Beer always in excellent condition. I can only recall sending one pint back in 100's. Beer topped up without question.
Clean environment, friendly helpful bar staff. Service stretched at peak lunchtimes
|
Visited recently on a Friday night, although packed never waited more than a couple of minutes at the bar to be served, great choice of ales and even the food was good.
|
Another good night in the Crosse Keys and this probably still remains as my favourite Spoons, mainly because it�s more like a mini regional beer festival with comfy seats.
And as mentioned by other reviewers, experience is that the bar staff are hard working and know how to pull a pint, which is something you cant say of most provincial �spoons.
Can appear cavernous when not busy, but its huge size is definitely a benefit on a weekday evening when it can accommodate several 100 of the City after work crowd but still be comfortable. 22 ales on last night, all from the January guest list of smaller breweries and micro breweries and without the ubiquitous JDW house beers anywhere in sight.
The ale listings on the plazma screens around the bar are a definite benefit. Tried a few and the Skinners Figgy�s brew was a nice pint, and the Tring Brewery Tring side pocket for a toad was worth ordering for the name alone.
|
A cavern of a pub, with lots of atmosphere, so noisy you can hardly think. More real ales than you can shake a stick at, possibly all with cheesy xmas related names. I'd recommend the 'Escape Clause', one of the nicest pints I've had in a while. As usual for a Wetherspoons, but unusual for the City, the afternoon punters veer towards pensionable age, but after 5 it starts to fill up with suits. One thing I noticed, men outnumber women by about 30 to 1.
I want to know where all those women are going!?
|
Has so many beers on (hoorah!) that they now have screens showing the list of ales available so you can order by number to make it quicker. Fair enough, good idea. Except.... the first 3 beers I ordered weren't actually on as it hadn't occured to anyone to update the list - d'oh! Oh, and the bloke who served me put ice in the glasses first. When I asked why, he said it was to cool the beer! WTF?!!! So much for Wetherspoon's promise that only lagers would be served cold (to remove any small traces of taste they ever had). Groan!
|
Huge pub, used to be a bank so marble columns and high ceiling. 20 ales on, order by the numbers like at the takeaway ! Purity Gold & O'Hanlons Stout both excellent.
|
Huge pub. Good atmosphere. More than adequate.
|
Huge Wetherspoons.. Good selection of well kept beers, and the normal acceptable (although microwaved) food. Unlike most places in the area it's big enough to have a bit of space to yourself.
|
Prob the largest selection of ales that I've seen in a long while & most of them of a high quality, just such a shame that it takes so god dam long to get served in here, not helped by the shape of the bar, but can it really be that hard to get some extra staff serving??????
Going by other reviews I don't know if I just keep getting unlucky with the staffing levels, been in 5 or 6 times over the last few weeks, but I'm not going to keep going back to find out.
|
Very large Wetherspoons with a lot of beers on offer although when we went most of them seemed to be off. Had some mild and some porter anyway. Food (fish and chips) was reasonable.
Little back room available for private functions.
|
Good usual spoons, beautiful building.
|
There's a beer festival on here at the moment with 24 numbered draught ales available! A friend once observed he thought this place typically had just about the most guest ales of any pub in London, and at the moment it would seem that's certainly right. It's a bit airport hangar-ish inside but one cannot knock that sort of width of selection.
|
if only more wetherspoons were this good - big choice of well kep ales and prompt service even on a fri eve
|
This is the best Spoons I have come across. A big old place with some character. What has impressed me most is that even when the place is heaving, there is always a bar person to serve you. Even the food seems a cut above the normal Spoons. Good range of beers - proper beers to boot. Will make it my local I think.
|
Decent Spoons with by far the widest range I have seen. Screens above the bars listed the beers but included some that weren't available. Had a pint of Brentwwod Hope and Glory which was fine.
Service wasn't the quickest but it was a busy Friday night.
|
I'm hardly a great fan of JDW pubs usually but I'll make an exception for this one. OK it's rather a barn of a place but not withour character. The range of ales is very impressive and I've never had a problem with quality. Also, the staff are rather more efficient - friendly even - than in other pubs in this chain. Maybe having to deal with thirsty bankers keeps them on their toes. When I visited yesterday, all guest ales were 'reduced' to �2.49 with the cheand nasty stuff �1.59.
|
One of the better Spoon pubs. �1.49 for Ruddles I believe. Had a guest ale at �2.49 which wasnt bad and didnt have the usual Spoons taste.
|
Was in here again yesterday. Still by far one of the better JDW's in central London. At least 10 guest ales available but unfortunately all were served far too cold to the extent that they were virtually tasteless.
However if you require the Greene King IPA it will cost you �1.59 and not the heavily advertised 99p that is charged elsewhere. Also all guest beers were
�2.69 a pint which is a long way from the norm of �1.99. One of the barman said that at his local JDW which was a couple of miles away the beers there were �2.10 a pint. I expect to pay extra for drinking in City pubs but these differences are a bit hard to take, especially in a Werherspoons. Another oddity was a Welton beer of 2.8% abv!!! GK IPA is bad enough, god knows what this would be like?
|
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 crack 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 nob. 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 agree with the sentiments of a previous poster that wishes all Wetherspoons pubs could be run like this one.
|
Cavernouse flagship Wetherspoon place where you can get a seat on a Friday night. The usual average food but a very fine selection of handpumps. Old Growler was particularly good.
|
If you've seen the Ministry Of Information Retrieval in the film 'Brazil', you'll have a good idea what the impressive and vast interior of this place is like. It was very busy in the early evening, until the suits cleared off to Shenfield or Penge. We were there for the November beer festival, so I don't know if it's usually so rammed. Staff kept their sense of humour despite being visibly rushed off their feet. Loads of beers on, but St Austell Proper Job was so sublime I stuck with it all night. All in all, very good. I can't believe I've found another good Wetherspoon. Blimey.
|
Went there to watch the footie last night and the screen was broken! Didn't stay...
|
Very good selection of ales and all the handpumps are usually up and running...none of this 'N/A' or 'Coming soon' clips which sometimes haunt Wetherspoons pubs. Rated 8/10.
|
The only london spoons pub worth drinking in ...good selection of beers and polite staff..(rude aggressive Hamilton hall staff note) and housed in a stunning old banking hall. food cheap and cheerful..not to my taste but serves as a filler when having a session. if only wetherspoons pubs could all be like this ...
|
Haven't been in here for nearly two years until yesterday. I have always liked this pub but it was even more impressive than on previous visits.
There were 8, yes eight, 'guest' beers on, admittedly 6 of them were from the Oakham Brewery. According to the manager they are 'showcasing' individual brewers on a weekly basis. Also available were the usual fallbacks i.e. Abbott, Pedigree etc. Another 2 'guests' were waiting to come on.
The service was good and the staff very attentive with at least 6 on. I must admit I had to pinch myself at times that I was actually standing in a JDW pub and getting served extremely quickly.
It is very obvious that this pub is run very well and I imagine JDW HQ also keep an eye on matters as it is the venue for their annual shareholder's meeting.
|
What all City Wetherspoons should use as a role model. Excellent in all aspects!!
|
Impressive building and I think there were 10 handpulls on. One of the best 'spoons I've been in. Empty when I went in midweek mid afternnon - like being in a cathedral of beer.
|
mlmcjonesy - I was also there for that CL final. Agreed, the screen was excellent in size and we had a good view (albeit from about a mile away!). My problem was that there was no sound where we were! The ONLY speakers were right on top of the screen and the sound just didn't carry.
The service was very good, considering how rammed it was - I was very impressed! Believe me, I've seen many games in many pubs and the beer flowed more quickly here than in most!
Shame the Chelse lost but I can't (realistically!) blame the pub for that! :-(
|
I love the review from 'rpadam - "Full of city types". What do you expect ? It's smack bang in the middle of the city, where people wear suits ! Barely anyone actually lives round there, so who else apart from the odd builder or tourist is going to pay it a visit ?!
Rant over with. Wonderful building, and big enough to get lost in. Service a little on the slow side when it starts to get busy, but you can't fault the fluid on sale. Watch the stairs down to the loo's when you're 4-5 down. A little tricky...
|
Champions league final.....Biggest screen in the world....sound on....absolutely rammed....amazing atmosphere...great pub! Not so sure I'd be equally impressed if the champs league final wasn't on however!
|
Wetherspoons City branch. I'm told its the largest pub in the City. Whether that's true or not I don't know, but it must be up there. Another old bank conversion with a huge interior.
Visited on a Tuesday lunchtime. Unusually, they had a selection of beers from two little known breweries - Weltons (now in Horsham), and Archers (Swindon, I think). I always like to try different beers, but the quality of all three pints I had was fair, but not great. One had what I always think of as a 'wetherspoons' taste to it, but I can never describe the taste, or know what causes it. Service was adequate, without standing out, and the clientele were fine.
This is actually a decent Wetherspoons, and I wouldn't want to put people off visiting. Worth a 6.5-7 I think.
|
An unfairly low average, I think. Definitely one of the best Wetherspoons I know in terms of number of ales served, and it's always been quite well served when I've been in there. The interior is a bit cavernous but impressive none the less.
|
Paid a recent visit and it still lacks atmosphere. Went during "Spoons" beer festival and the quality and choice of ale was very good.
|
Absolutely huge pub, with a single circular bar in the centre. Very full of City types at office closing time, but not too bad earlier or later on. Anyway, the main point of this review is to note that there are currently 18 (yes, 18!) different real ales on during the Wetherspoons 'International' festival. So much choice, Tim Martin should be done for inflicting mental cruelty on his customers...
|
Very nice Wetherspoon�s, almost empty on Saturday afternoon after the FA cup football at about 5.30 which was a surprise as the one at Liverpool street station was closed on police advice. Pleasent staff and very smart bar and decor unlike some I have been in.
|
Lots of open space with just one bar equally rubbish and slow service. Bar lady had no idea about sport or what game to put on and informed us that the decision is made ' by whichever is requested more'. I guess a raise of hands for which game you want.
No sound for the football either (apparnatly sound is only on for Champions League finals)while there was zero atmosphere.
Food was poor but dirt cheap. My burger had the onion scraps off a bread board with no moisture at all. Basically a frizzled up lump of meat. Chips were ok though.
I would only recommend this pub to someone who needed the toilet.
gumbo - 12 Dec 2007 13:29 |
Food is awesome - the sausage, beans and chips rivals the Little Chef version. Burgers were moist and tasty (and thankfully, approved).
|
Ridiculously huge screen visible to most of the pub makes this a prime footie watching venue. Otherwise, you know what to expect, it's a Wetherspoons.
|
Not bad as Wetherspoon�s go. Decent wide beer selection, service is alright, always plenty of space. One for the serious drinker. Happy daze.
|
one of the better wetherspoons, beautiful building,only decent memeber of staff who takes pride is Ben.Overall not a ba pub.
anonymous - 15 Nov 2007 12:24 |
despite being virtually opposite my work place, no-one ever goes in here as it has no atmosphere and the service is possibly the worst in London and always has been - even when the place is quiet.
|
This place is absolutely enormous. I was very disappointed that my steak didn't come with mushrooms as advertised. The kitchen must be miles away cos the waiter bloke took ages to get to the kitchen and back with a reason for this, then had to go back again to get me extra tomatoes instead - which never arrived, I think he forgot. I probably won't go back cos the food was average and the service was poor.
|
Yes, getting served quickly in this pub seems to be a thing of the past. It's good that the staff clean the ashtrays out regularly but surely selling the drinks is the most important thing?
Still once you get a beer it's usually very tasty.
|
Far too big a pub. Feels like a conference centre. Typical 'spoons pub in that the beer is cheap and is normally of a reasonable condition.
|
Impressed by this compared to the terrible Wetherspoons we have to put up with in Maidstone. Quiet when we went in as it was mid afternoon. Good range of guests were available, had a pint which I forget which was unremarkable. Food was average and the experience a positive one.
Sharp - 31 Mar 2007 01:29 |
This used to be a favourite of mine with a great variety of beers, This has changed over the last few months as the nationals have crept in to replace the more unusual brews. I realise it is now trendy to serve lager at even lower temperature to mask the taste and this appears to be rubbing off on the beer, which to me is now more the old cold shelf rather than cellar temperature. The service has also deteriorated with the downward trend in beers and I have often waited 10 -15 mins during the week just to get served. Surely it does not take a rocket scientist to solve this by adding a few more staff, especially early evening and making more money.
anonymous - 23 Mar 2007 16:03 |
If ever there were a case point for the phrase looks can be deceiving being true, then The Crosse Keys in Bank is a prime example. There is no doubting whatsoever that this pub is housed in a most wonderful grand old building, where the sheer size of it is awe inspiring in its self, but this alone, isn�t enough to make it a decent place. I paid a visit with my girlfriend when in the area last Saturday (10th Feb) and once I�d settled down and gotten over both the splendid interior, I found the branch of the Wetherspoons chain to be most disappointing. It would guess that the pub was only a quarter full at most, but the staff were both morose and slow. The breakfast I ordered was of the poorest quality also, even by �Spoons standards! All in all it was a rather disappointing experience. You don�t necessarily expect a lot from this chain, but maybe the grandeur of the building itself caused me to expect a little too much.
HTM69 - 14 Feb 2007 18:25 |
Enormous old banking hall that feels like drinking in an airport departure lounge or one of London's larger mainline stations.
Just too big although the City location means that it has less down and outs than most Wetherspoons
|
This used to be a flagship Wetherspoon's for unusual real ales from microbreweries. Last week the pumpclips lined up as 'Pedigree, London Pride, Courage Best, Courage Best, London Pride.' There were 2 guest ales and they were well kept. But the final nail was the service - it was bad enough the overall 'no rush' approach but then one of the barmen was about to dispense my order into someone else's dirty glasses. I guess the washing up was a bit of a chore. That's outrageous in my book and I doubt I'll venture back here in the near future.
|
I used to quite like this place as far as Wetehrspoons goes, it always has a wide range of ales on offer and though usually busy I always got served quickly. However the last two times I've been in there it wasn't all that busy yet I've ended up walking out in despair at ever getting served!
|
Well worth a visit to see the interior. Wetherspoons pub, so food and beer are cheap and cheerful.
Bar staff can be very slow at serving. Avoid on busy nights or Fridays.
|
I visit this pub fairly frequently and it you can stand the city types that frequent the place it is not a bad Wetherspoons. Good selection of real ales and one of the few city pubs that you can get a drink in on Saturday afternoon.
|
Huge large building with an interesting interior structure.
Was slightly on the pricey side for a Spoons, but it was in the City I suppose. It was pretty empty when I went in at around 5ish on a Saturday.
|
Nice and big with big screens for the footy - nowhere to put your bags if you turn up in a busy period so they usually end up on the floor with fag ash all over them. Food not too bad, cheap beer. Just one thing, next time Chelsea play Tottenham on Sky they should show that instead of the bloody rugby!
|
I was in here last night watching the France game. It is massive to say the least I think its an old trading floor. Service was fine, beer was fine (and cheap for the city). Not really somewhere I would go out of my way to but if I am in the area and fancy a cheap pint it will be my destination.
|
Massive inside. Loads of guest beers but there was some kind of beer festival on. Had a good pint of Grand Union Mild. About 1000 staff members on duty.
Strange place but not a bad place.
anonymous - 25 May 2006 13:17 |
One of today's guest beers is the exquisite Theakston's Old Peculiar - yummy (even if it wasn't kept that brilliantly)!
|
Now has TVs in the non-smoking areas at the back - good idea!
PS: I agree with the Rt Hon BeerGuru - this pub is NOT in Bank.
|
Bank? The Monument is nearer but I'm just splitting hairs.
Big, cheap & unlike 99% of Weatherspoons shows sport. Watched the last few hours of the 5th Ashes test & it was packed - great atmosphere. Then went off to West Ham stuff Villa 4-0 - what a night!
Bar service needs to improve big time - lost rag in there a lot of times by the barman/barmaid serving my 'area' not knowing who is next to be served. Don't they have barstaff schools in Eastern Europe?
|
Watched the England Poland game here and was very pleasantly surprised for Weatherspoons.
Almost as spacious as the Acropolis inside and a huge TV screen. Normal collection of pinstripe for the area, but for footy a very good bet. Bar service takes a while, but then again I can only speak English.
|
bland. good bogs though.
evers - 29 Aug 2005 17:21 |
At least this is on the CITY pubs which is open on a Saturday evening, was still serving food and was showing the footy. Not bad for the City and had some pretty decent beers on.
Hucks - 25 Aug 2005 13:11 |
This place has definately gone to pot over the last 6/12 months. Used to be the best 'Spoons in London but has become just another mediocre watering hole. Have heard that it's being dropped from the 2006 Good Beer Guide. A shame but not really surprised.
|
Wetherspoon's beer fest - which they claim is the largest in the world; have they not heard of the GBBF at Olympia!! - is now on so a ratehr good selection of beers again. Still getting used to the idea of being able to watch the footy at a place selling good quality beer :-).
|
This used to be a wonderful pub but the beer range has shrunk and it does get very smokey especially when the suits come in to watch football on the large drop-down screen. The food is typical Wetherspoon fair. The beers are well kept but considering the amount of space in the place it would have been nice if you could walk in off the street to the bar and from there to the toilets without having to go through the smoking section. At least they seem to have got rid of those dodgy blokes from the toilets.
anonymous - 9 May 2005 20:46 |
nice and dark and big and cheap and uncool,..ideal to get lost in on your jacks, whilst your collegues are happily queueing and haw hawing away, in the ponce and penis nearby,.....several fruities
|
At first, you walk in and are very much like 'wow, this is big, innit'. It used to be a bank didnt it. Its the biggest pub in the city, dont you know.
Anyhow, I dont like how from most of the tables the bar is a distant spot on the horizon. I think they should have two bars there.
Had bottles of leffe and duvel, cant remember what they had on tap.
A word of warning. Dont allow yourself to end up here when its nearly empty as this will emphasise the large high-ceiling emptyness of the place and make you feel insignificant, sad, empty and alone in this life, so very very alone.
|
Very poor management. Wetherspoons can do and have done a lot better in other parts of town !
|
The tables are crammed far too close together. When the place gets busy it's impossible to move.
|
Blimey! They've raised the real ale prices to �2.10 a pint :-( . Nice beer though!
|
Nice building / location, with so much potential, shame about what they have put inside!
The size of a small aircract hanger inside, and sadly with the same character. Absolutely zero atomoshere. Continuing the aeronautical theme, drinking in here reminded me of having a pint in an airport, only I had less fun.
About the only thing this boozer is suitable for is if there is a big group of office types having a leaving do or whatever, or if you absoutely must have a cheap pint, otherwise I would give it a very big swerve.
Try one of the pubs across the road in Leadenhall Market, much bundles more character and atmosphere. Or if you want a big old pub in a traditional buiding, try the Counting House round the corner on Cornhill, which is a 1000 times better.
Wetherspoons - you coud have done so much with this space, please think again!!!
|
As Wetherspoons go (I am not generally a fan) this place is OK, which is odd as it's very 'wetherspoony', ticking all the usual boxes. It's enormous (though the building is nice), serves plastic food, has a huge screen which shows football, has those utterly classlesss shiny plastic food/drink menus on all the tables.. but the staff do try hard, service is pretty quick and they do a pretty good job with the quality of the beer. If you work round here it's not a bad place to go with colleagues (assuming they are skinflints and lack the good taste to go elsewhere). If you don't work round here, don't bother.
|
Standard Wetherspoons fare - i e a good range of cheap beer, but with poor service from staff who usually have limited understanding of the English language or familiarity with the real ales available.
Lovely interior, but could be better because of the criticisms above. Always busy, so I suppose a lot of people like it more than I do
John - 4 Nov 2004 13:09 |
don't go here out of pleasure, unless you've got a leaving drink to attend and you don't want to spent a lot on your office colleagues....
Pedro - 15 Oct 2004 13:14 |
A nice pub, with good beer, good food, and (usually) good service.
I am a London Blue Badge guide, and have taken groups there s few times. I want to take a group there on the 3rd Novemeber, and would like a sample menu. Could one be e-mailed to me, so I could phone the pub in the morning of the 3rd, with my order?
John Garrod - 13 Oct 2004 14:25 |
Very large, standard Wetherspoon's (cheap drinks, expensive food) but still quite cheap for drinking in Central London. Large range of beers, quite a few staff but the guy in the gents pissed me off too. 6/10
Steven - 5 Aug 2004 21:12 |
Good food and wide selection of beers. Always has plenty of bar staff so you're not queuing 3 deep to get served. Judge a pub by its beer and bogs - the bogs are clean, spacious and importantly you never have to wait! Downside - the female clientele is sparse and mostly mingin.
John Greeves - 16 Jun 2004 14:08 |
Beautiful pub with a large range of beers. They go through them so some can appear to be 'off' but it will just be because the barrell is being changed. Friendly staff (on quieter days!) Well worth a visit, best ale selection i've seen in the city!
Geezer041 - 8 Jun 2004 01:40 |
One of the best of the McSpoons chain and I always use it when in the area. Currently suffering from an enormous TV screen, which I hope is a passing phase. Large range of beers, but not imune to the problem of advertising loads of beers which are not actually available despite what the pump clips say.
Stephen Harris - 21 May 2004 21:50 |
Still shrouded in blue nicotine fog, and still big and echoey and full of people who'd rather be drinking elsewhere. Pubs down the road in Leadenhall are much better.
Matt - 7 May 2004 15:09 |
Unquestionably beautiful building but is it really best used as a pub? The vast, hall-like dimensions mean it can be echoey and appear shrouded in a smoky blue mist. It's over-lit, too, which can make it positively headachey if you've been smoking and had five pints of Pride.
That said, it does decent food and is streets ahead of virtually any other Wetherspoon's I've been to.
Matt - 12 Jan 2004 12:37 |
better than most wetherspoons as they have a better choice of real ale. They have dropped the standard range of directors, greene king abbot, etc, so its always a pleasure to try new beers
tom - 25 Nov 2003 20:32 |
the building alone is well worth a visit,very busy miday & early evenings,at least nine real ales on pump at all times.a real ale paradise. loads of smaller rooms for a quiet pintin sumptious surroundings,good food
elizabeth - 26 Oct 2003 18:54 |
THIS MUST BE ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PUBS IN THE CITY,A REAL ALE PARADISE,IT USED TO BE A VERY LARGE OLD BANK AND HAS LOADS OF SMALL ROOMS AND AN UPSTAIRS BALCONY SITTING AREA.EVEN THOUGH IT IS VERY BUSY FROM LUNCH TIME ONWARD YOU CAN STILL GET SERVED QUICKLY AND FIND A QUIET CORNER IN ONE OF THE MANY ROOMS.WELL WORTH A VISIT EVEN IF YOU DON'T DRINK!.NO MUSIC,NO TV,GOOD FOOD
JOHN MCGRAW - 5 Oct 2003 10:02 |
Typical W'spoons no music, no TV, no atmosphere.
Got to agree with the other comments - W'spoons get rid of the guy in the gents.
James - 25 Jul 2003 10:38 |
Decent bottle of rioja for just �9.99 - fantatstic (wish my hangover was a fantasy too).
And please, Wetherspoons - lose the guy in the toilets!
Darren in the City - 25 Jul 2003 08:59 |
Probably the largest pub I have been to. Size don't mean everything though.
Why, oh why is there a man in the gents offering to dry your hands for you? It's a Wetherspoons for gods sake!
Rob - 11 Jul 2003 16:28 |
Sebastien - you think its that good?
Such a shame, a wonderful space ruined by Wetherspuds. Lacking in atmosphere, 5 minutes to drink up.
Totally vile
Ben - 15 Apr 2003 12:17 |
AWFUL - Truly awful pub, the management are rude and aggresive, the 20min drinking up rule is very rarely adhered to, plus it is often freezing cold, plus JD pub means NO MUSIC - AWFUL
Sebastien - 15 Apr 2003 11:33 |
A Wetherpoons pub housed in a former bank in the city. Very spacious, not much trouble finding a table most nights. Staff turnover appears to be quite high so the ability of the staff varies from week to week.
Alistair - 5 Dec 2002 15:34 |
