GAVIN AITCHISON heads to York’s street of pubs and finds new life in an old establishment.

SOMETHING’S going on down Goodramgate way, and it’s seriously good news for pub-goers.

Just a few weeks ago, we sallied along to the Royal Oak, where extensive renovation work turned an ancient but ailing pub into one to be proud of.

Now the same has happened at one of its neighbours, The Cross Keys, which reopened on Tuesday after a refurbishment that cost £250,000 but that already looks worth every penny.

Goodramgate, with its half dozen pubs, is arguably the city’s best street for drinkers, and at a time when countless pubs are struggling, such investment in quality is to be welcomed.

We looked before at the Royal Oak, but what of The Cross Keys, which has stood on the corner of Goodramgate and Deangate since the latter street was built in the early 1900s? It’s a place that has drifted into mediocrity in recent years, drawing a decent passing trade but never standing out even in this street, let alone the city as a whole.

After this seven-week closure though, things may well be on the up. It’s just become part of the Nicholson’s chain, which already had three other York pubs – the Old White Swan, Harkers and the Punch Bowl in Stonegate.

Angela Avery has moved over from Harkers to become manager and it has all the makings of a great pub: an impressive beer range, a good menu, and some good events planned.

The layout has been changed, with the kitchen moved upstairs and a cosy dining room added where it used to be. In the main bar area, the furniture, lighting, and decorations have also been replaced.

A previous refurbishment here in the mid-1980s saw all the interior walls knocked through, and the pub can sometimes feel a bit cavernous, but the improved lighting and decorations mitigate against that a bit, and make it a pleasant place to eat or drink.

Which takes us to the important things: the beer. There are 12 hand pumps, which were boasting eight excellent ales midweek: Rev James from Brain’s in Cardiff, John Smith’s Cask, Timothy Taylor’s Landlord, Sharp’s Doom Bar, Fuller’s Bengal Lancer and three very local ones – York’s Yorkshire Terrier, Cropton’s Yorkshire Warrior, and Rudgate’s Jorvik Blonde.

The ‘coming soon’ section was even more tempting, including Vicious American IPA, and one of the ales from the impressive Jersey Brewery, rarely seen around these parts.

Plenty of choice too for those not keen on real ale, with other taps offering Strongbow, Becks Vier, Guinness, Heineken, Foster’s, Peroni, Pilsner Urquell, Suffolk Blonde, Aspall, or Franziskaner Hefe Weissbier. And there’s a wide range of wine as well, for those unlucky enough not to like any beer.

On the food side, there’s a decent range of ye olde pub classics and a new menu to come in about three weeks, plus simple cream teas for daytime snackers, while manager Angela says they’re also very proud of their Sunday roasts.

Summing up the changes, she said: “There’s better dining now, more ales, more choice of drinks, and a more comfortable environment.”

Beer fans may want to make a particular effort on Thursdays, which are being earmarked as “meet the brewer” nights, hosted by resident cask-master Gareth King. Representatives from Tim Taylor’s and Brain’s have already been pencilled in.

So the final verdict? Excellent in every respect – except one. The pedant in me couldn’t help wincing when I saw that the crossed keys on the new sign were upside down, heading the opposite way from those in the windows, not to mention the insignia of St Peter from which they are taken.

I’ll let them off. But only because all the other signs are that this could finally be a place worth seeking out.

• Follow Gav at twitter.com/pintsofview for beery news, views and chat throughout the week.