Why The Cross Keys Is Worth Seeking Out
You may have come looking for The Cross Keys because you’ve seen photographs of its spectacular flower-covered facade, or perhaps you’re already exploring Covent Garden and wondering whether this eccentric-looking pub on Endell Street is worth going inside.
It is—and the flowers are only the beginning.
The Cross Keys dates to 1848–49, and beneath all that greenery is an elaborate Grade II listed Victorian facade. Inside, original features survive beneath decades of accumulated copper pots, brass instruments, old photographs and wonderfully eccentric memorabilia.
This isn’t a pub where you need to work through a long list of rooms. Don’t be surprised to find drinkers gathered outside with their pints—it’s a familiar sight at busy London pubs and doesn’t necessarily mean there’s nowhere to go inside. Stop outside, look up at the building, then make your way through the door and start hunting through the collection.
Before You Go Inside, Look Up
Start with the flowers—but look underneath them.
Depending on the season, hanging baskets and greenery can cover huge portions of the exterior, making The Cross Keys one of those pubs you may photograph before you’ve even thought about ordering a pint.
But the building underneath deserves a closer look.
Look above the pub name for the little figures holding a pair of crossed keys. They are part of the elaborate Victorian facade and a wonderfully easy detail to miss when the flowers are competing for your attention.
Those crossed keys aren’t just decoration. They’re the symbol that gives the pub its name.
Now go inside.
Step Inside—and Start Looking Around
The Cross Keys is essentially one long, narrow room, so you don’t need to go hunting for another bar or a maze of historic rooms. Seating runs along the walls, with the bar occupying much of the opposite side—and when the pub gets busy, that compact layout fills quickly.
But don’t worry too much about where you’re going. Most of what you’ve come to see is around you and above you.
The Victorian bones of the room are genuine. Original panelling, ceiling details and much of the bar fittings survive, but decades of accumulated bric-a-brac have transformed the space into something considerably more eccentric.
Start with the diving helmet. Then see if you can spot the John Lennon bust among the copper pots, brass instruments, old photographs and other memorabilia.
And somewhere in all of this is one of the pub’s strangest pieces: a framed napkin attributed to Elvis Presley.
It’s fun to find, but don’t let the memorabilia rewrite the history. There’s no good evidence Elvis ever stopped here for a pint. The rock-and-roll collection is part of the pub’s accumulated decoration—not proof of a secret celebrity drinking history.
What’s the Pint Pick?
Order a pint of Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter if it’s on the handpump. This traditional 4% bitter from Harvey’s Brewery in Lewes is one of The Cross Keys’ regular cask ales, alongside Harvey’s Pells Pale.
Sussex Best is Harvey’s flagship bitter, brewed with four local hop varieties for a balanced malt-and-hop character. It also has some serious cask-ale credentials, having twice won CAMRA’s Champion Best Bitter of Britain.
Order your pint at the bar and pay when you order. If the card machine prompts you for a tip, skip it. Digital prompts are increasingly common, but tipping is still not customary when buying drinks at a UK pub bar counter.
Keep Exploring Covent Garden’s Historic Pubs
The Lamb & Flag — Head deeper into Covent Garden to find another compact historic pub, this time hidden down Rose Street with an old prize-fighting nickname and a connection to Charles Dickens.
The Ship & Shovell — Continue toward Charing Cross for one of London’s strangest pub layouts: a single pub split between two buildings on opposite sides of a narrow passage.