The Cross Keys in Uttlesford

Only went for lunch but the food and service were good. Would recommend 👌

Great restaurant! Great service and great location and room.

Held a suprise 60th birthday dinner for my mother in law here. The food was amazing, the service was great! Special mention to Sophie who was a great help with surprising the MIL and bringing out a cake that we had bought. Would definitely come again!

Lovely and historic hotel! I'm familiar with Saffron Walden and always wanted to stay at the Cross Keys due to its history and location in the centre of town which is just perfect. I stayed in room 7 which is actually behind the main building in what looks like a converted barn, and was a beautiful and comfortable room with lots of space and high ceilings! The location of the hotel is incredibly convenient, you are a short walking distance from pretty much anything to do in Saffron Walden. The staff were efficient, polite and professional. My full English breakfast in the morning was delicious and included in my room rate. I drove, and while there is no parking on the premises, there is ample parking available at the Swan Meadow public car park which is a very short walk to/from the hotel, for around GBP3.50 for an entire day.

Lovely restaurant in pretty town. First time back for a few years. Sadly, Sunday lunch wasn’t great. Not served hot, and quality of meat not great at all. Pork wasn’t a roast cut (looked like belly slices) and beef very fatty. Would love to see this place be a good option in future.

The hotel, staff, location and food are all brilliant! It’s a very friendly and comfortable place to visit, right in the middle of Saffron Walden. Even though there’s no parking at the hotel, the town car park is only a 3 min walk away so was perfect. The only problems we had were in the room. There were lots of lightbulbs out and a light switch not working so it was quite dark in there. The coffee machine wasn’t working properly either and kept over flowing. Otherwise, the room was very comfortable and had everything else that we needed.

Everything we had eaten was really good but the place is understaffed and so wait times are long.

What a shame that the manager stood behind the bar the whole time . The bar staff and kitchen staff were under supported as there were several issues with the temperature of the food and we stood in the restaurant for 5 minutes before being welcomed as there was no one in sight . Needs a new manager who actually cares about the restaurant and doesn’t stand behind the bar chatting .

Really wish I had read the reviews before visiting again. Me and my husband ate here on our first date 10 years ago so decided to come here again. It was absolutely awful, service was terrible drinks coming out at different times etc. Waited quite a while for order to be taken despite it not actually being that busy. Starters were okay, not huge amount of flavour ( potato skins) My husband had the ribs which he did eat because he was so hungry but said they were pretty dry. I had the beef burger! It tasted like pure salt. I only managed two mouthfuls and left the rest. When the waitress asked if everything was okay I said it wasn't the dinner was too salty and I wasn't able to eat it. She said she would speak to the chef ( no offer to have it taken off the bill) then the added service charge. Upon us leaving waitress said the chef had apologised about the meal. ( not really good enough) Very expensive for what you get and the service provided. So dissapointed as we had been really looking forward to it. Won't be returning.

A lovely lunch in the Cross Keys, thank you

Lovely spot in the centre of the old town. Great room with en suite with a shower, comfortable bed, and tea/coffee-making facilities. The restaurant provides various quality meals from Breakfast to Lunch to Dinner. The staff are most helpful. We will book again! It is reasonably priced.

Really wish I had read the reviews before visiting again. Me and my husband ate here on our first date 10 years ago so decided to come here again. It was absolutely awful, service was terrible drinks coming out at different times etc. Waited quite a while for order to be taken despite it not actually being that busy. Starters were okay, not huge amount of flavour ( potato skins) My husband had the ribs which he did eat because he was so hungry but said they were pretty dry. I had the beef burger! It tasted like pure salt. I only managed two mouthfuls and left the rest. When the waitress asked if everything was okay I said it wasn't the dinner was too salty and I wasn't able to eat it. She said she would speak to the chef ( no offer to have it taken off the bill) then the added service charge. Upon us leaving waitress said the chef had apologised about the meal. ( not really good enough) Very expensive for what you get and the service provided. So dissapointed as we had been really looking forward to it. Won't be returning.

Cozy room, friendly staff, good access, nice breakfast. Made my staying in Saffron Walden more memorable

Very helpful staff .Comfortable bed and right in the centre of town Room was small but comfortable with tea making facilities Swan meadow car park was a short walk away

Lovely place, unfortunately let down by terrible service. Nice cocktails, let down by being served in dirty glasses (not the dirty martini I had in mind). We waited ages for a waiter to take our order until we eventually had to get up and find someone. When we did we were treated like a nuisance, and told to find someone else, though there seemed to be no waiter assigned to the table and nobody seemed bothered to rectify the problem or serve us. Then when we finally did get the bill, it was incorrect and we had to dispute two extra drinks we didn't order. Decided it would be best to have lunch elsewhere.

Our room (the Barn) was very clean and has lots of character. It's reached by a steep spiral staircase and entry is via a 4 digit code. There are some elements of the room facilities that require maintenance. The food and service are mainly good. We were caught out by the Hotel bar closing at 10.00pm. (It does state that on the website. However it would of been helpful for staff to have reminded us on the day!).

Hotel accommodation is dreadful. The general manager was bothered when we raised our concerns the following morning.

party of 12 people. on arrival we were shown to a nice room for us. we waited quite a while for pre meal drinks. Then waited a while for the starters to come out. then once they were cleared we waited a long time for mail meals to come out and some were not cooked properly and some people did not get what they had ordered and 1 person did not get her meal until along time after the rest of the party because they said it hadnt been ordered when it had.bearing in mind that lunches pre ordered at least a week beforehand i thought that the service was shocking and i left feeling upset because this was my daughters birthday lunch. we did have a nice waitor and he tried his best for us.

Absolutely disappointed in this place, we were there for a birthday meal and this was a pre order The food came out separately and half the order was wrong and one meal didn’t even come out at all until we asked for it, then realised the chicken wasn’t cooked through on 2 meals The bill was totally wrong and had to go back twice to fix it The service wasn’t great we were left way too long so I’m guessing under staffed The place itself was lovely which is a total shame as we will never go back there again Food hygiene is important, I know the hospitality industry extremely well and this place should know too…check your food and make sure it’s cooked through

The best food, the best drinks and the best service, thank you! We were celebraring my 60 birthday, and everything was perfect.

Our experience of The Cross Keys Hotel, Saffron Walden started very positively. The restaurant was very busy at 14:00 and we thought we would try our luck and see if they had a table for two. The greeting by the manager was extremely friendly and they quickly accommodated us. We had a drink at the bar until our table was ready. We took our seats at the table and this is where the issues begun. We sat at the table for a while and no one came to give us any menus or ask whether we wanted more drinks etc. I went and took a menu from the till. Eventually I caught the attention of a passing waitress as asked whether someone would be able to take our order. The food advertised on the sandwich board outside was not available unfortunately but the menu looked promising. We ordered our food and then waited about an hour for the starter to come out. The restaurant was about 1/3 full at this time. Staff were not interested in tending to their customers. Two blond haired waitresses were chatting in the bar area and the manager was stood in the bar area eating cheese cake. The table adjacent to us had waited around 40 minutes for their deserts to arrive. Once again we had to grab the attention of passing staff to refill our drinks. The starter that arrived approximately an hour into our experience was dry on one side and had clearly been sat under a heat lamp. Once we had finished the started we promptly waved a waitress over and asked for the main course to be sent out as time was ticking on. Again we waited and decided that we have had enough. We went to the bar and asked that we pay our bill and explained about the poor service. To the barmaid credit she apologised for the poor service and said that she would remove the food from the bill and we just had to pay for our drinks. Just as we were doing this the main course arrived. I said to the barmaid the food has arrived can I pay for the additional. The barmaid said don’t worry as she had already taken the food off the bill and we could still have the food. I asked whether she was sure and she said that she was. We ate the food which was mediocre at best, the food was cold, potatoes and parsnips under cooked and the ‘gravy’ was very watery. As we stood up to leave the manager came over and said as we have eaten the food we now have to pay for it. I said that I didn’t mind paying for it, but that was not what the barmaid said. She said that she didn’t care what the barmaid said, she was the manager. I replied fine but I want you to get the barmaid and for her to tell her about the conversation that we had. The manager brought the barmaid out who in front of a restaurant of customers was made to apologise for making a mistake. It was humiliating for the member of staff. The manager was rude and gave the impression we were trying to get free food by complaining. The only defence the manager gave for poor service “the staff become complacent when it gets quiet”. No apology, no reasoning. I had already paid the bill so there was no need for it. It is such a shame for such a lovely venue. A lazy manager, unprofessional and massively lacking customer service and management skills. She did not support her member of staff and chose to humiliate her for £30. Please replace the manager and lazy staff working the restaurant floor. If the staff were on the ball and the food had come out in a timely manner I am sure I would be writing a positive review. I won’t be returning and if you have plans for the day I would recommend that you also give it a miss.

As many have already stated avoid the Cross Keys like the plague, terrible service (we waited literally hours for starters, then mains and gave up on desserts when they announced that they had run out of Apple Crumble which several of our party had pre-ordered - which pre-order they had lost), the food was, at best, indifferent and overpriced. We arrived for our pre-booked table at 1pm and didn't get to the desserts until 4.15pm - utterly shambolic. In their defence they did give us a discount and waived the desserts and "service" charge. But it was a complete waste of £32 per head and a ruination of our family post Christmas lunch, we'd have done better in 'spoons!

Three of us stayed over Christmas while visiting family in the area. We all loved it. Cosy rooms, great pub and restaurant and kind and helpful staff. We’d be very happy to stay again, anytime. Very highly recommended.

Booked for Boxing day. Preordered but this was lost despite a confirmation being received. Waited 45 mins for a starter and another 45 for the main, and restaurant was not full. 3 x Scallops the size of a 5p for a starter was very disappointing and poor value, especially after the long wait. Staff were friendly but it felt really disorganised and lacked leadership. Definitely overpriced for what was received, which is a shame for a nice venue.

Dinner for four people. Batter on fish and chips was very over cooked, baked fish excellent, mushroom burger was not a burger as such and merely a large mushroom in a toasted bun. Only one vegetarian option. ( We were told there had been a number of complaints about that) Sticky toffee puddings were fine, crumble had a topping of white breadcrumbs not cooked. We waited an hour and 20 minutes for our main course even though the restaurant, though busy, was not full. Waitress service was fine and she offered apologies for delay.

Christmas meal with family turned out to be an over priced for quality eating experience , the Christmas burger and Christmas dinner was of poor quality , lacking flavour and quantity, beetroot main was also flavourless and nothing special ,the Christmas pudding was tiny and from a microwave for sure, it was rubbery, I have had better from Aldi. The snowball did have some flavour but was tiny for the price. Took an hour to receive the food even though we preordered in the morning. I can’t say it was all bad, the staff were polite and the ox cheek main was very nice and the pecan tart was nice. Overall I think we would have been better going to the Wetherspoons around the corner and paid a third of the price for almost the same taste The cross keys either needs to up the quality and quantity of the food or drop the price to reflect what you are getting.

We booked the Christmas party menu some time back. Didn't receive any instructions about pre-ordering so chased this up. Restaurant advised to email the pre-order which was done the same day. Pre-order was ignored and kitchen had no knowledge of it. Menu online stated a nut roast was available but waitress denied this. Had to order again. No crackers on table as you would expect for a Christmas meal. Food ok but service not great.

Pre booked food weeks in advance for 11 to have a company Xmas lunch. The (cold) room wasn’t ready for us and after 10 minutes out our own tables together. We ordered drinks 10 mins later and it took another 15 to arrive. The two people who had starters received their food after an hour and the rest didn’t receive their mains until 1hr 50mins. The GF starter didn’t arrive with GF bread as requested. What is the use in pre-ordering if none of the food is ready. No apology from the staff for the wait. After 2hr 20mins they hadn’t taken our mains and we chased (again) for our desserts. We cancelled our desserts. Appalling level of service and the quality of the mains was poor, would not recommend.

With regard to the food our duck bonbons were nicely presented and tasted good. We sat outside for social distance reasons. However, the covered outside area is grim. Dirty with unemptied ashtrays and cigarette butts and food on the ground. No care or attention had been paid and overall left a very poor impression.

Absolutely shocking. Waited ages to be shown to our table and after a further 15 minutes we went and asked for menus. We then had to flag down a member of staff to take the order, no apologies for the slow service. Food looked lovely when it eventually came. However, the Yorkshire looked great but was the driest I’ve ever eaten. My sister had two slices of beef on her roast which were nice but very meagre. The issues came when my other sister and I got half way through our chicken and it was not only red but still had blood coming out of it. After calling over a waiter he told us this was normal. We assured him it was not. Manager came over - firstly to the wrong table! She was very nice and said she would take the meals off the bill. However, I was more concerned about the effects this could have on not only us but other diners. We were going to have a coffee but the service was non-existent and the room was so cold that we left our table to pay our bill at the bar. I could not believe it when they tried to charge service charge on the complete original price of the order. My sister was fortunate but I had quite an uncomfortable stomach and other effects that evening. Do yourselves a favour and save your money for a restaurant that can actually cook and serve properly. The pub was lovely the last time I went but I will NEVER set foot in there again. Serious health and safety concerns.

Arrived with my daughter for lunch. 45 minute wait for our food. In the end we went to the bar to order desert. Reluctantly paid the service charge. Very poor service. It looked as though there only two people running the show. I can only assume they had prepared lunch in a slow cooker. Avoid!! Batter on the haddock was so hard, it almost bent the fork!

Second time at this restaurant. Terrible service, dinner came out same time as starter before finished starter, staff talking about their lives instead of serving, two couples had to ask for service, just get forgotten. Never again, be warned.

WE arrived early, at 12. Waited well over an hour for the food to arrive (pther disgusted customers were already leaving, fuming). We asked non-complicated stuff: fish and chips. The fish had a funny smell, we couldn't eat it. This restaurant is to be avoided at all cost.

We stayed in one of rooms in the courtyard, very spacious and comfy bed. Odd configuration of open shower over bath in the room and WC in a glass cased cupboard. We were not impressed by the Manager who vocalised her annoyance with people being in the restaurant beyond 10pm bar closing. Hearing her complain that her feet were hurting and singing really wasn’t needed and made us feel most unwelcome despite the occasion being a treat, she rather took the shine off.

Very poor service. We arrived for a prebooked 1.30 table and had to ask, a little before 3pm when our lunch would be coming out. No proactive apology. When we did ask we were told "there is only one chef on". No apology. Really poor. This is the 2nd time recently when it's been the same. Last time was a breakfast. I like to support "local" but this is now a place that I wont return to. Get your act together CROSS KEYS or you'll lose more business. The table next to us were also complaining. We didn't stay for desert or coffee because of the service.

Visited for Sunday lunch whilst visiting Saffron Walden for the day. Managed to book a table via their website whilst having coffee in the shop opposite. We both ordered the roast chicken, the portions were more than generous and the food was tasty - my...

Disappointing meal. Was looking forward to vegetable stir fry with my crispy chilli chicken and noodles, but not a vegetable in sight. Fish, chips and mushy peas had a smear of mushy peas that may have been an attempt to copy TV cooking competitions -...

We waited for 45minutes for our food, my son ordered medium steak, it was tough and overcooked. Because we’re really hungry as we didn’t have lunch,he ate his steak. My crab and shrimp linguine was served in a soup base creamy sauce, by the way...

This is such a lovely place - the food is amazing But each time we go we have to wait such a long time for drinks The service is very poor - this Sunday when we were in one member of the team stood out...

Really disappointed with our visit and expected more from this pub/restaurant. On the plus side the food was very good, when it eventually arrived. Pudding never did turn up. Staff were friendly. But the place was rather chaotic. Staff running around and tripping over each...

Dinner for 6 people, half empty restaurant. Terrible service, 20 min wait after being seated just for drinks. Haven’t been here for a while due to previous poor experience, thought it might have improved…it hasn’t, The food is ok, but service terrible. Very friendly and...

Initially a bit confusing on where to sit and where to order as we entered via the coffee/cake area which was not very inviting but having spoken to bar staff we were able to sit at any vacant table in the restaurant, which was much...

We arrived in a cafe to see if there was space for us to have lunch and were ushered through into a bigger seating area, which as we sat down realised was the pub next door. We figured might as well give it a go...

We had booked a table for 5 for lunch. We had a long wait for our order to be taken and actually had to go up to the bar to ask if they could take our order. The food didn't take too long to arrive...

The pints of Amstel tasted off and we couldn’t drink them. Were very cloudy and had bits floating in it. We ordered fish and chips & a burger, which came out in just under 3 minutes. The fish was soggy and the burger was burnt,...

Staying on business at the Cross Keys and dining alone. Sat down when the restaurant was really quiet expecting to get my meal quickly before the place filled up. They failed! It was 45 mins before my order was taken and another 20 before my...

Gross! Worst meal ever in Saffron Walden. I had skewer prawns which tasted boiled - not cooked in chilli, garlic and lemon as stated, with cold mushy peas that were meant to be ‘pea shoots’ on the menu, and untoasted focaccia. Bland and utterly tasteless....

Booked table for four people at 13:15 on Saturday, which is market day. The restaurant kindly seated us earlier as my parents (in their 90s) were tired. We ordered drinks, which took 55 minutes to arrive. When they did I had to send back my...

Took my mum here for Sunday lunch. They put us in a side room and basically forgot about us. It took a very long time for them to even take our main order which then took even longer to come. It was a bit like...

We booked a Sunday lunch at the Cross Keys. As it was my birthday, my husband asked for a quiet table for two, near a window. We arrived on time, at 1215, and were shown wordlessly to an interior table right by the kitchen by...

A very pleasant venue with good food and staff. The two serving staff were however under significant pressure for the number of customers and there was a long wait for food. I was advised that many of the servers are sixth formers and they were...

A nice pub with lots of seperate areas to sit in depending on group size. Very much a place to eat not just a bar. We visited after going to near by Audley end house and had not booked but got a nice table straight...

Very Busy Sat Lunchtime, had to wait over an hour for our food to arrive. The staff said it was because of a new menu , looks like they couldn’t cope with how busy it was. When food arrived it was very tasty but for...

Very poor service, arrived at booked time 10.00 for breakfast, our food not served until 11.30, no explanation given and staff seemed uninterested. One of our parties food arrived 30 minutes before the balance.

Such a good environment to sit and grab a cuppa with a delicious cake. Staff very welcome you (we were served by a young blond guy, pity did get his name), who was friendly and a big smile. Another plus is that you can take...

It was more like Crufts than a family restaurant, never seen so many dogs it was awful, plus the service was really bad never asked if we wanted condiments and when we said please take the service charge off they did not like it.

On our way to a carol concert at the church, my friends and I needed a warm interesting place to eat and relax which was disabled-friendly too. Such a nice place, excellent lite lunch and a brilliant welcome from all the staff - would go...

We were a family of 14 and they gave us a separate room to be loud and noisy. The staff was friendly and efficient and we got great service.

Visit for lunch as carer of elderly client. Stood in doorway waiting to be seated for nearly 10 minutes. Staff came and went but completely ignored us. Eventually shown to table and then ignored for a further 10 minutes. Order (tea, coffee and fish and...

I cannot thank the manager and staff for making my daughter’s wedding absolutely perfect. Our rooms were comfortable and welcoming. The arrangements were as agreed and the individual food orders cooked, presented and delivered to each guest were all delicious. The breakfasts too were chosen...

I popped into this lovely restaurant which is part of a hotel and a cafe on a stranger's reccomendation at the train station. I was met very warmly by a lovely young man (dark hair) and the lovely Saskia (braces and cropped hair) who was...

We visited on a very busy Saturday lunchtime in October and the staff went out of their way to fit the four of us and also our dog in. Food was excellent, and although one meal got forgotten the staff handled the situation quickly and...

Pub in the middle of the village that serves typical English food, that is to say consistently rather fatty food and large portions. Quite okay, but nothing remarkable. Consistently nice service, with the exception of one very grumpy older lady.

A lovely setting for a family/friends meal, or even a romantic evening in a traditional styled English restaurant. We had a great evening with drinks and food - great variety of food choices for Vegetarian/Vegan personnel as well. The restaurant being Dog Friendly was also...

Should have known what to expect when able to get table outside on beautiful summer evening. No outside service provide and tables not cleared and cleaned but plenty of staff inside hanging at bar when I went into order. Charged me up front and but...

We ate here a couple of times during our stay in Saffron Walden. On the second occasion the kitchen had officially just closed but they stayed and made us a lovely meal. This was typical of the staff who were friendly and went out of...

Gave the Cross Keys one last chance as it is a lovely setting on a summers day in the courtyard. Food was absolutely terrible and no one checked to see if it was okay, once the food was delivered we were abandoned outside with no...

We didn't eat here but had a few drinks on two evenings of a visit to the town. Everyone who served us was charming and helpful. We sat out in the courtyard on one evening and in a cosy booth on the other. Can't comment...

We stayed overnight recently and had dinner, having arrived relatively late. A good room and pleasant breakfast.

There is a good selection on the menu, the service was excellent but I think it was a tad expensive. I went for an Asian prawn dish for £20 but I only got 5 prawns. The special was monkfish scampi for £30. I would go...

We had a evening meal with friends on a Saturday evening. The menu is quite limited but a nice range beer, cider, wine and different gins. All the food was pleasant enough, nothing to complain about but nothing memorable either. We wouldn't rush to go...

This was a one night stay to celebrate my husbands birthday and next day to visit Audley End House. Our stay in the Cross Keys was perfect, lovely bedroom and en-suite. Very clean and comfortable bed. Great dinner and breakfast. All the staff were very...

we arrived at the hotel a party of ten. the young lady was very attentive, we were early for booking in so left our luggage and went to explore, we were offered an early entrance to rooms at a cost of £15 per room, we...

Maybe the chef was having a bad day but the burger was pretty disappointing. It looked great and was full of different bits but somehow didnt hang together. The mushroom was slimy and tasteless. The burger itself was very processed. Such a shame as the...

Pre pandemic this used to be a great restaurant but despite a wonderful atmosphere (it was packed, warm and cosy at 6pm) having been three times since it reopened the food really doesn’t live up to the prices. The guys had burgers but these were...

I’ve had one or two meals here previously. I choose the double decker burger which came with skinny fries. I think it might be worth asking for chunky chips as they look better. I know they were busy but it could have been slightly warmer....

Yesterday (Saturday) I visited the Cross Keys Cafe which is part of the restaurant. I was there with two friends and my husband and we all found the staff to be unhelpful and very slow on bringing our order. When we first sat down it...

We went here yesterday as Birthday meal for my 11 year old niece. I had looked at the menu before arriving but not TripAdvisor, had I done that, I might have persuaded my sister in law to book somewhere else. My husband and I order...

So used the cross keys many times over the last 8 years or so have always recommended it to friends and family but in have to say something has changed i appreciate that things have been difficult for all,in business as we run one ourselves,...

Lovely day ambling round this lovely town. Two different locals recommended the Crossed Keys so we gave it a whirl. Good choices of meat fish and veggie, we opted for fish starters and mains... no room for pud. I cannot believe this venue is not...

Popped in for a drink and when we arrived we followed the “wait to be served” protocol at the door. As hospitality in England is fully open I guessed it was to do with the cross keys being slightly upmarket. After a couple of minutes a lady who was dealing with and appeared to be refunding two upset guests came over to “seat” us. We advised that we only wanted drinks and would like to sit outside and we were advised that we will take he order outside & it was that way and up the stairs and handed us a menu. After almost 15 minutes a male team member came and asked us if we would like to order. This team member appeared to single handedly taking orders serving and clearing for the kitchen and bar as nobody else was seen. He was very polite and apologetic and is the only reason this is a 2/5! It was another 10 minutes for the 2 drinks to arrive. I can’t understand why you were not invited to go to the bar to order and collect drinks for yourself….. I personally have just finished running a pub for the last 12 months and fully understand the difficulty of the task we in hospitality have faced and it was a massive weight off allowing customers back to the bar to get their own drinks it & allows for lower staffing levels especially given the difficulty in hiring staff at the current moment in time. Finally the bill came with a “optional service charge @10%” (which is far from optional) well that just knocked me sideways!!! In the Uk to charge a service charge you need to be special and worthy of it and it just isn’t! I’m can’t judge the food as we didn’t eat but I will not return while the service charge is in operation. Summing up, charging a service charge can only be understood with a certain level of service. If you took cash and was not just card only I would of maybe tipped Connor more as frontline hospitality staff need it for their efforts in the last few weeks and months! Thank you Connor and I hope you got all of the service charge as you were on your own!

“Menus” were dirty, crumpled sheets of paper. The menu is expensive for what it is. Don’t bother asking if there is a taxi rank in Saffron Walden as the woman will rudely say google and quickly say some number that might or might not be correct!!! We didn’t bother staying to drink or eat. Found a much more pleasant Greek restaurant up the road.

Often walked past this pub and found the old building fascinating, so when visiting the town with an older relative, I suggested we pop in for a light bite and a drink.I don't like to leave negative reviews, so I won't go into specifics, but you'll be paying London prices for very average food and drinks.I won't visit again.

We will not pay a second visit to this pub. we booked a table because of the beautiful building and also because the Cross keys was listed on their website as a gastro pub??Upon arrival we chose to order from the "a la carte" menu board to be told that it was not available as there were no chef!!! We ordered drinks which were very slow to arrive, we also asked for the table to be wiped as it was sticky all over. After asking twice it was finally doneWe ordered mainly from their Sunday roast menu, 2 Sirloins and 1 x roasted loin of pork. Overall only the fish and chips ordered from their regular menu was good, the roasted orders not so. The roasted potatoes were not as expected, they were soggy and overcooked. As to the roasted loin of pork, it was 2 slices of boiled steak loin with gravy. I was expecting a slow roasted loin of pork as per the menu description unfortunately the boiling method rendered the meat extremely hard and bland. Our opinion, the food we ordered was overpriced . I am not blaming the serving staff, they were all very polite, did their best but I felt not sufficiently trained.We then proceeded to ask for the bill, as it was slow to come we went to the till point. The woman there, the manageress? recalled our order on her screen and type the total amount to pay on her PDQ machine. No printed itemised bill was given, she could not be bothered. We did not even get a thank you.What is outrageous is that she added 10% service charge without asking when it is clearly written on their menu that service charges are discretionary. The thing is had we had the bill brought to our table and asked if a service charge could be added we would have agreed just on account of the serving staff. As far as I am concerned, the person managing the till helped herself to over 8.00 gbp on my card. Overall not a pleasant experience at all.

Absolutely appalled. Booked lunch for my Mum’s95th birthday. When we arrived a member of staff was sat at her computer drinking a Costa coffee cold drink. Said she would be with us in a moment snd then, without getting out of her seat pointed to the table in the chimney. An unacceptable table so we were asked to choose any other table. The wine arrived unopened and with two dirty wine glasses. I then visited the ladies where there was no loo roll and nothing to dry my hands on. Returned to our table and found a hair in the water jug. Needless to say we didn’t stay for lunch. Couldn’t find anywhere else in Saffron Walden at such short notice to celebrate my Mum’s birthday and ended up at Audley End House tea rooms. Day ruined

A pleasant pub with good selection of food. Two of us had the ribs which were very good. One of our party had the fish special which was rather bland, when we complained they were very apologetic and replaced with an alternative dish.

I hadn't visited Saffron Walden for a while, so I was looking forward to have a coffee and cake with my 8-year-old daughter. We went to Cross Keys, as the cafe looked quiet. We tried the door, but it is locked. Waitress indicated to enter through the pub side. After sitting down, I saw a sign "Coffee & Cake £6" so I ordered a coffee and a piece of coffee cake for myself, and a small 250ml bottle of Belvoir raspberry lemonade and cherry cake for my daughter. After 10 mins, I was told the coffee cake is no longer available. OK, I was happy to have just the coffee. Further 10 mins wait I got my coffee and daughter got her cake and lemonade. Coffee was good, cake as well. After that, nobody came to ask if we were OK or if we wanted the bill, so after waiting for a while we went to pay at the pub till. I had been looking at the menu so I knew the lemonade was £4.25 (for a 250ml bottle that is pretty steep) and a coffee + cake would be £6. I was asked to pay over £14 because the coffee and cake were not ordered for the same person. As if an 8-year-old would make a separate order and pay for it herself... I paid and left. I will never go back as £14 is far too much for a coffee, piece of cake and a small lemonade. Not to mention feeling slight scammed as if I had placed the order differently, the price would have been £10.25. These people obviously have no children. At least the parking was free that day in Saffron Walden, so that made up for the overpriced coffee break. There are far better places to have coffee and lunch in Saffron Walden, which will have my custom in the future.

Having read recent reviews we weren't quite sure what to expect of the Cross Keys, but I'm happy to say we had a good experience there this evening. Staff were polite and attentive and there was a nice atmosphere. We had a crab and prawn linguine, a fish and chips and a vegetable katsu curry (vegan). All very tasty. We all chose the roasted caramelized pineapple with berries and coconut sorbet for pud, so fruity and absolutely delicious (also vegan). There were a number of interesting looking vegan options and the menu was clearly marked for veggie/vegan/gluten free. We struggle to find anywhere decent to eat in the evening in Saffron Walden, it's all pizza, Indian and Chinese, so after a good experience here I suspect we will be back to the Cross Keys

We came here last week and have been a few times before and each time we come the FOH woman gets rider and ruder. I've been fuming ever since the last visit so felt obliged to write this. The manager (if you can call her that) is rude, patronising, stinks of smoke (that's all she did while we were there too standing outside smoking and chatting away to people) really strange. We used to come here all the time but the food is bland, overpriced and that woman is so fake and lazy. Will never go back until she leaves. Shame because we adored this pub and take so many people here when they come to visit. Will be telling all our friends not to come here. This is how annoyed we are. Please message us when she leaves we would happily come back, even just for drinks as it's such a charming pub.

Not knowing the area at all and having to change our plans from a picnic, this was a last minute booking on a Saturday lunchtime for two couples and a child. I should have looked into reviews more and not just relied on the look of the menu. Reviews are spot on, over promising and under delivering. Menu is quite vast and offers a large variety but the wording and descriptions are not a true reflection. First of all what is hard boiled egg Mayo?? It came in a ham hock sandwich and just seemed to be cheap Mayo....just write Mayo. Sausage and mash with spring greens, red onion chutney and red wine jus was very simply sausage, mash and packet gravy. No red wine jus or chutney in site. The spring greens was soggy cabbage and peas. It’s so over priced because they think if they over describe it they can charge more. We also had one of the specials that’ came with gnocchi, that turned out to be just potato croquettes. The food wasn’t too bad but it was just not as described. Say what it is, charge less and you will have fewer disappointed customers. Saying that, my Caesar salad was pretty tasteless with black burnt croutons....Extremely slow service too, it wasn’t even busy, probably not even half full and it took nearly an hour to get food. The main front of house lady seemed more concerned obsessing over dogs than actually doing much else.

Stopped here as was raining and it was lunch time. Staff were very pleasant and service was quick and efficient. We had some lite bites, myself Cesar salad my wife tomato soup both very tasty and a very large pot of tea for two. Didn’t find prices unduly expensive and that’s coming from South Wales. It’s a historic town so it’s not going to be cheap eats, if that’s what you want try Wetherspoon’s or McDonald’s. Beautiful traditional building as well.

Food was very nice , just quite pricey!!Shared one small mackerel dish, one portion of chips , one toffee pudding had 2 soft drinks other half had 1 pint & 1/2 pint and came to £36!! London prices!! Food was lovely though , service was good too.

Went for dinner on a Monday night, so not very busy and staff were not rushed off their feet, my point being..The service was poor. It was slow and not particularly organised. They were perfectly friendly but not very well experienced, including the supervisor/manager, plus he looked like he had been dragged through a hedge backwards.The food quality was ok but over priced.The restaurant itself has a lovely ambiance as part of it is a sixteenth century building, but that is about it. There are much better restaurants in Saffron Walden.

Meal out with friends on a Saturday night. Great food, pleasant surroundings and attentive staff made for a very enjoyable evening.

Service is pleasant, very good food at a good price. My friend uses a wheelchair and access was good with a disabled WC available on the ground floor. Solid pub restaurant.

Very disappointing first Sunday lunch out since forever! First of all they charge £8.50 for a glass of wine which is ridiculous. Ordered roast sirloin beef which was bland and meat chewy even though rare and they said they had no horseradish. Asked for mustard which arrived when I had finished my food. Then automatically charged 10% service charge which my friend noticed so we asked for a refund due to the slow service and bland food. My friend had 5 pieces of monkfish scampi and some chips which she also said was bland and charged £18.95 for. They said they have a new chef oh dear needless to say won’t be coming back. Shame as we live in Saffron Walden.

Was so looking forward to first lunch out since coronavirus restrictions. The meal was tasteless and overpriced. Service was terrible and slow. Very dissapointing. Would not be going back again.

I have been to this pub on several occasions. Immediately following its refurbishment 10 years ago it was pretty good. However since then it has gone steadily downhill. My partner cannot eat gluten. We had to stop visiting the pub for food 2 years ago because there had been 2 separate occasions where the food served was not gluten free despite having been clearly requested as such and the order accepted on that basis.I attempted to visit for an outdoor pint in the week following lockdown easing. No staff member was at the entrance to greet and register customers. Several tables had reserved signs on them. I sat down at one of several other apparently available tables that had no reserved sign on them. I was told in a rude and abrupt manner to leave as I did not have a reservation, despite there being no stated requirement for one.Overall a truly dreadful establishment.

Had Cross Keys Valentine meal as advertised for 3courses .Was an excellent meal with a huge chateaubriand - cooked to perfection.

Live close by and been here many times but today was very disappointing. Writing this review from my table. Almost empty when I came in at about 12.40.Had to wait too long to be greeted and tabled. Lovely young waitress eventually got me sat down. Waited 20 mins and had to complain twice about not being served.Eventually got a drink and placed my order. Another couple had been served before me although they came in after me.They slowly got up to speed as the place got busy.Great staff but sorely under staffed which is a general problem here.Food was ok when it arrived 40 mins after I sat down. Fish was good, batter was not crisp, chips were almost stone cold.Apologies all round by staff, not their fault!!Management need to get a grip!!