The Cross Keys - Milton Keynes

For the first time at this pub, we left disappointed. Normally, the food is excellent, but tonight my husband's burger was undercooked in spots. When our dessert arrived, the ice cream was already partially melted, making it seem like the bowls had been left out too long before being served. I understand that the staff can't control other patrons, but our entire experience was marred by two unruly children running around the garden and screaming at the top of their lungs. It would have been nice if a staff member had asked that group to be more considerate of the other diners. We usually enjoy visiting the Cross Keys for celebrations and special treats, but today was very disappointing.

I had a truly enjoyable meal today at the Cross Keys. The food was excellent, and the service was outstanding. I didn’t catch our waitress's name, but she was wonderful. I highly recommend visiting this place. We will definitely return!

It seems the restaurant positions itself at a certain standard but fails to deliver on that promise. If they simplified their menu to focus on traditional pub offerings with fewer items but executed them better, it would significantly improve the experience. They label some dishes as "pub classics"—like an aubergine miso, which feels somewhat out of place—and then charge premium prices for items like a £60 steak or a £31 beef Wellington. Overall, the menu feels disjointed, and most dishes come across as lacking any real care or thought. They simply look and taste like uninspired food. While the portion sizes are large, it's just a lot of mediocre food, which isn't appealing. I ordered bruschetta topped with aubergine and feta paste. It consisted of two slices of bread, which were sizeable but overwhelmingly garlicky and not very enjoyable. When I inquired about the feta, I was told it was mixed with the aubergine paste, but I couldn't taste any feta at all and ended up leaving a slice behind. For my main course, I chose the pea and parmesan risotto, and I added salmon, thinking it would be a nice complement. However, I expected that if they were suggesting this pairing, they would balance the flavors accordingly. Unfortunately, the dish was unappetizing both in taste and presentation; I left half of it untouched. Again, it was a large portion of food that simply didn't deliver on flavor. It felt as though the generous serving sizes were an attempt to compensate for the lack of taste. I've noticed several five-star reviews and wonder how this can be; perhaps it’s just my partner and me who feel this way. I left the restaurant feeling overpowered by garlic and wishing I could have added salt to make the food more interesting. That’s never a good sign. As someone who usually finishes all their meals, I left half of each dish. Regrettably, I think I’ll be passing on this place in the future. I've given it multiple chances, only to have the same underwhelming experience each time.

Great food. We all had starters which we forgot to photo as we tucked in too quickly. They were amazing, as were the mains. I would highly recommend and we will be returning.

Had a fantastic meal here for our Wedding Anniversary. The food tasted amazing, and was cooked exactly how we asked. The service was brilliant, with the servers being highly attentive. The restaurant is also beautiful. Priced as expected, in my opinion. Highly recommend for a lovely evening out!