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If you like your pubs quintessentially British, then head to The Cross Keys in Chelsea. The Cross Keys is a real country-meets-city kind of place throughout  – from the people down to its food.

Enviably positioned, The Cross Keys is in the heart of Chelsea – yet tucked away enough so that locals are the most frequent clients.

We loved the rustic and quasi-industrial interiors of the pub: exposed brick walls, hanging spotlight lamps, low level lighting, leather sofas and taxidermy. It is the perfect venue for a post-work gathering or event but also a great choice for food.

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The menu is a presentation of the best of the best of British fare, with a splash of European flavour.

A sample menu would give you a few examples of this. Think crab on toast, radish, taramasalata or seared tuna, avocado purée, pickled shimeji, soy dressing. Also featuring on the menu would be the all time, typically British, scotch egg.

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For our starters we opted for the pea soup veloute and hock ham terrine. We loved the presentation of the food as much as we enjoyed the flavoursome dishes. The pea soup, in a DIY (or rather ‘pour it yourself’) manner, consisted of the velvety pea soup which is poured onto a bouillon-like stock, which subsequently melts. We loved the heartiness of the dish – a British classic that in this instance was perfected. The hock ham terrine, too, was sensational. A combination of high quality cheese and ham, with a slight hint of truffle oil having been massaged into the terrine, it was an irresistible dish – so much so, that my companion had to ask me to stop eating it!

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For the main course we chose the steak and bunless burger, washed down with a young, 2016 Rioja. The meat is noticeable for the quality of cut and quality of meat. Accompanied with side salads, the dishes were flawless classics.

The grand finale was the cheese platter, with a smooth and rich fig jam. At this point, it was quite difficult to continue our gastronomic odyssey, but continue we did! We loved the choice of cheeses – the robust cheddar, the smooth brie and tangy blue.

We would absolutely recommend The Cross Keys as one of the best venues in Chelsea – be it for a drinks night or for a homely meal. In terms of location, ambiance and quality, it would be hard to beat.

www.thecrosskeyschelsea.co.uk

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