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Zerodegrees, Bristol
Bristol
BS1 5BA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about Zerodegrees
Very well described by PSM below. I like the quirkiness of the building, though the décor is a bit garish. They had their 4 standard beers on, plus four specials. I thought the beer was too cold for my liking, aimed at a different clientele perhaps. Freshly made pizzas were a bit overpriced, as was the beer. Staff were a little brusque, again perhaps because we’re not their usual demographic to some of whom they appeared much more welcoming. I enjoyed the beer, but I’m not sure I’d be rushing back when there is so much good ale to be had nearby.
On 26th July 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3281 recommendations about 3246 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Zerodegrees
This is one of four Zerodegrees outlets dotted around the UK, but by my reckoning it must be the largest. Situated on the side of a steep hill next to the famous Christmas Steps, the pub is split over two levels with a loud, raucous bar area downstairs and a slightly more sedate restaurant above. If you’ve been to one of their other bars, you’ll know what to expect in terms of décor – lots of steel and chrome, exposed pipes and ducts and the chance to view their in-house brewing plant. The main bar sees the servery tucked away somewhat in the rear right corner, with a long counter facing ample standing space and basic seating. There is a slightly raised seating area over to the other side of the room with dining-style tables and an open kitchen. This area was packed on our Saturday evening visit, including a couple of large parties who were making lots of noise, so not the ideal spot to enjoy a quiet meal. The restaurant area upstairs looks down over the main room below and offers formal seating with someone waiting to show you to your seat and full table service. The whole room has a vast array of fashionable light shades and fittings, some of which looked quite stylish and improved the otherwise utilitarian styling of the interior. Loud disco music prevailed throughout the visit and I did wonder whether tables would be cleared away after the diners had all finished eating, to create additional dancing space.
All of the beer is brewed in-house, with five regular brews – Pilsner, Black Lager, Mango, Pale and Wheat – supplemented by a couple of seasonals in the shape of Vienna Pilsner and Milk Stout. We sampled the Milk Stout, which I enjoyed very much, and the Mango, which I expected to hate but actually found surprisingly well balanced. We also ate here and I enjoyed a pretty decent pizza whilst the other half worked her way through a pretty epic pile of mussels.
I was worried that we’d visited here at the wrong time of day, but I actually think a livelier atmosphere works well in this type of bar and perhaps explains why I liked this place more than the other Zerodegrees bars I’ve visited previously. It won’t suit everyone, but if you’re looking for something a bit different this is an interesting place to spend a bit of time.
On 12th December 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Zerodegrees
My first encounter with Zerodegrees was on Quinno's PG Crawl around Reading last year and have to say I liked the place. We entered this ZD after walking up a pile of steps from Lower Park Row, turning left at the top and then through a glass door. Which then lead you along a steel gantry walkway, looking down over their brewing equipment. The interior of the building was very warm, after they have spent a pile of money on a major refit recently. We parked ourselves at the end of the bar, were we met a friendly and chatty barman. I told him how much I liked ZD, and shared his passion after visiting the one in Reading, so then he gave us some samples of their beers and a pile of free olives to try.
Am glad he did as two halves were costing £4.80 for a Mango ale and a Vienna Lager. The Vienna Lager was good I have to say. The Mango Ale was over sweet, so obviously the brewer was too heavy handed with his mangoes on this occasion. This Thursday eve visit was busy, as they do two cocktails for the price of one. I would call again when I've saved up a bit more..
On 19th November 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Zerodegrees
Well after a period of six years I was back here again as our crawl wound down Colston Street towards the Gryphon. This time I ended up on the ground floor bar after passing through the attractive arched street entrance. The room was dimly lit with most of the light coming from the illuminated blue bar, which looked like something from Close Encounters of the Third Kind though at least there were no mashed potato mountains in evidence. The place is cold (literally, all the heat escapes up and out of the building) and the decor beyond the brewery kit is fairly charmless. The acoustics on this level are terrible, as the harsh interior finish means sound is amplified and reflected back in a cacophonic din even if (as was the case) only a few punters are in residence. The beer was in decent form if – inevitably – cold and over-carbonated for my personal liking. The barman was friendly enough. I’ve been to three of the four ZD outlets and I’ve never really liked any of them much as a drinking experience, even if some of the brews are tidy. Still, as a taste of the unusual it’s better than the nearby Beerd which really is a pretentious twaddle-fest.
Jan 2007
I really like the idea of this place, a new-build bar that brews its own beer on site. The architecture of the brewing kit is incorporated into the interior architecture of the pub, with a lot of chrome and industrial skree flooring over two levels. I only had time for an Oyster Stout, which was pretty nice, if cold and over-fizzy. However I feel they fail on three points. Firstly, my whole drink smelt like a swimming pool and made me worry exactly what strange chemicals I may be imbibing along with the beer. Which is irritating if you're drinking a ubiquitous lager, but if you're drinking a homebrewed stout it's plain off-putting. This was either line cleaner or something most odd in the 'quick-wash' thingy at the bar where they press the glass on a pad upside down and it gets rinsed with some sort of solution. Second, there was music on alongside a TV (showing nothing interesting) with no sound. One or the other please. Thirdly it was cold and glum inside and very poorly lit. On a day when it was cold, grey and pouring down with rain outside, the trendy industrial decor just turned me right off and made me want to get a warm cosy vibe ASAP which I did in haste. Pop in for one, and judge for yourself. I'm not sure I'd make a big effort to go back unless I was passing through or it was a fine summer’s day. Rating: 5
On 27th December 2012
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Zerodegrees
A large, modern, purpose built pub and micro brewery, conveniently situated a few minutes walk away from the centre.
The on-site brewery is very much made in to a central feature, with the large stainless steel brewing vessels being clearly visible behind the circular bar and elsewhere through large glass walls. There is even pipe work running through a glass covered trench in the floor which you walk over as you come in, and large stainless steel pipes running from the bar taps to the brew vessels up above. The remainder of the decor is suitably industrial, with bare screed floors, metal girders and all the ventilation ducting and other services on display. The downside of this is that the acoustics are very harsh, and it can be quite noisy in there even when there are relatively few punters in.
There are a few black and white prints on the walls along with a plasma or two, and a few leather sofa’s around, but other than that the furnishings are minimalist. It’s a big pub on two levels, with the upstairs area tending to be used more for dining. We didn’t eat on this occasion, but from memory pizza’s feature heavily, although a rather more unusual selection than the ubiquitous Meat Feast or Spicy Pepperoni. An outside balcony is a pleasant enough spot, although can soon fill up in the warmer weather. There is also a small patio area up on a higher level.
Service seemed a bit haphazard and we were ignored for some time, but when the barman actually got around to serving us he was pleasant enough, and was happy to provide a sample of the cider (I initially asked what it was like, but after some head scratching all he could come up with was “appley”, so he probably felt obligated to let me try it). At least they’ve started to do cider now, when they first opened it clearly wasn’t on their agenda being a London company and so I didn’t go in here for many years.
Beers are all their own brew, and all have generic descriptions rather than names – Pale Ale, Pilsner, Cider, Wheat Ale, Black Ale and Fruit Beer. The fruit beer rotates regularly I believe, and on this occasion was Mango.
On 21st November 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1947 recommendations about 1860 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
I L left this review about Zerodegrees
Very large multi level modern bar with its own brewery. Lots of stainless steel around. The beers are all keg in the American micro brewery style so cold and gassy. However, the types of beer they do such as fruit beers, wheat beer, stout etc. it is well worth trying. Zero Degress also have other similar bars in Reading, Blackheath (South east London) etc. This place does get busy so best to try lunchtimes or afternoons if you dont like it too crowded.
On 20th August 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 287 recommendations about 284 pubs]