The Cross Keys re-emerged in October 1998 after a £300,000
renovation which saw it become part of the Festival Inns and Taverns collection of pubs, dedicated
to serving a variety of excellent real ales and fine wines.
For those who knew the old Cross Keys, (exterior shot, above left)
the change takes a bit of getting used to. Our review of the old pub ran: "Inside, you find a
series of pleasant rooms and spaces wrapped around a central oblong bar. The feel is comfortable,
and little seems to have changed over the years."
We're sorry not to have any photos of the old interior, because
what's there now is utterly different. On the plus side, you can see where the money was spent and
the quality is very high. Also on the plus side, if we'd never seen the old Cross Keys, we're sure
we'd like the new Cross Keys. And it would only be fair to say that the standard of service is as
high as ever: and the already good beer choice is even better.
This all sounds as if there's a "but" coming: and here
it is. We had not only seen the old Cross Keys, we'd counted it among our five best in Hull for its
unique character and charm. What's there now is internally indistinguishable from a number of other
(equally high quality) renovations such as the White Lion and the
Silvester Arms. The real difference is that they were major upgrades of
pretty grotty pubs, and the end result is much improved. The same treatment given to the Cross Keys
gives a much more ambiguous outcome.
This is all pretty subjective stuff; and we be glad to receive
other visitors's opinions about new Cross
Keys.
