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Beer of the Week (w/e 14th April 2024) with Thuck Phat
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Zerodegrees, Reading
Reading
RG1 2LR
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Zerodegrees
Long-serving brewster Angela has moved on. Beers tend to be a bit more hit and miss now.
September 2010
New-build brewpub with a striking façade. Germanic-style beers are cold and a bit too carbonated for me but are technically 'real' according to CAMRA (tip - get them in cask at the Reading Beer Festival, they taste fantastic). The Black Lager is usually pretty nice and the Xmas Bock is a lovely winter drink. The pizzas (served in the rear dining area) are very good. As a drinking experience I find the main bar area too drab, cold and clinical outside high summer to venture in much. Staff are often galactically slow and unwilling to take note of other people at the bar outside of their immediate two yard walk zone. They are also infuriatingly inconsistent about checking whether sir wishes to have a chunk of orange thrown into his wheat beer. Usually busy at office chuck-out time due to happy hour. Gents should look out for the ladies that greet them in the loo - clipboard girl is my favourite. Worth popping in you haven't tried one before or if you can bag a seat outside.
On 22nd April 2017
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Zerodegrees
This is a large, modern bar and restaurant, similar in style and layout to the other venues in this small chain of brewpubs. You can enter from two opposite ends as I entered I found myself in the restaurant section, with no obvious sign of a bar. This seems like quite a nice spot to eat with plenty of seating options in a large, well lit space, but I didn’t linger, heading towards the open kitchen at the rear where a dog-leg turn soon reveals the lower level bar area. This has a fairly utilitarian look to it, with a concrete floor, exposed metalwork, bare blockwork walls and lots of visible piping, air ducts and the like running beneath a corrugated iron ceiling, all of which makes the place fairly cold and uninviting. Even the sight of the brewing vessels behind the servery failed to lift the spirits. A few comfy sofas and pouffes have been arranged on a slightly raised platform opposite the bar in a failed attempt to off-set the brutal décor, whilst some standard tables and chairs can be found to the right, near the other entrance. A drinking shelf separates the bar area from the raised seating section and would be a handy spot to grab on busy evenings. Large floor to ceiling windows displaying the brewery logo, run down the right hand side, allowing plenty of light into the room. I noticed a TV set opposite the bar which was switched off in favour of a jazz and swing soundtrack. I managed a quick glimpse at the menu, which seems to focus around pizza and pasta dishes, with most mains costing around a tenner.
There were plenty of Zerodegrees beers available at the bar, all dispensed from the tall keg-style fonts, and a quick walk down the length of the counter whilst waiting for the barmaid to return allowed me to note the following options – Pale Ale, Mango, Pilsner, Wheat Ale, Elderflower Lager, Black Lager and Christmas Bock. I opted for the Wheat Ale, which was fairly average and not really enhanced by having a chunk of fruit dropped in it, and the Black Lager, which was much better, but still served at a temperature close to zero degrees. For reasons that I suspect I’ll never understand, these beers are classed as real ale by CAMRA.
I didn’t particularly dislike this place, but I did feel that you have to ignore quite a few negative points before you can really enjoy a visit. For me, the prospect of some interesting beers that are hard to come by elsewhere means that I would consider a return, but I can see why others might be less inclined to give it a second chance.
On 22nd January 2014
- rating: 6
[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
I thought Quinno was taking us to a Metro Station on first approach. After walking down from the Hopback, on such a hot day I found it quite refreshing to get a cool pint of their Wheat Ale. I didn't receive a slice of orange on the side of the glass, which was good as that wouldn't have been to my taste or street cred. I thought this pub to be fun and maybe these craft pubs are a good way of starting the kids on beer and then they can find their own way in life to a pint of real ale.
On 22nd July 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about Zerodegrees
Zerodegrees is an open plan minimalistic modern bar with fake pipework to give the feel of a boiler room. I’m not sure why.
I went for a Pilsner which didn’t go down very well after an afternoon on the ale.
I’m not a fan as I prefer a proper pub with some real character.
On 22nd July 2013
- rating: 4
[User has posted 5228 recommendations about 5196 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Soup Dragon left this review about Zerodegrees
A modern, futuristic bar with patio area. The building is effectively metal and glass and looks like something that i cobbled together with my Meccano set in 1972 - in a nice way! The open plan irregular shaped interior has red and white walls, with red flooring. Copious comfy chairs and pouffes are around so you can relax as you look at the metal ducting, brew tanks and ostentatious taps - which to be honest would really only excite the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. There is a TV, which was silent and the music was general and at a decent level. The service was fine and the clientele mixed. Beer; consisted of Pilsner, Pale Ale, Wheat Ale, Black Lager and Mango. I tried the Black stuff and the Mango, which was very refreshing. In all seriousness, it was a different experience. Not my kind of place, but happy i went. It prompted a lot of discussion amongst the PG'ers, more so about about the row of 'ladies' in the gents to be fair - where clipboard girl came out on-top (not literally), mainly as tapemeasure girl made me feel inadequate and I postively couldn't go in front of cleaver girl.
On 18th July 2013
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3067 recommendations about 3062 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about Zerodegrees
Not the kind of place I would normally seek out, however as part of a beer crawl it was worth a look ,open plan and modernistic as described below.My choice of the pale was very cold and hazy but drinkable and welcome given the high temperatures of the day ,that said there are much better places to spend time in Reading and as such are not likely to return on a regular basis.
On 18th July 2013
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1871 recommendations about 1844 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Zerodegrees
Always likely to divide opinion,this modernistic bar has an open plan kitchen and brewing equipment on full view.At the rear there is a large restaurant while the drinking goes on around the stylish front area which opens out in hot weather.The taps offer a range of styles with Pilsner,Pale Ale,Black Lager,Wheat Ale and Mango available on my trip.The beers are served cold but also poured quite hazy .It can be described as home brew and it certainly tasted like home brew.To maintain the modern vibe, there is a lot of exposed ducting attached to the ceiling but if you follow this around the interior you quickly see that the ends dont connect to anything ,it's all for show and quite offensive for those seeking an engineering rationale for so much pipework.
Worth a visit just for the novelty value,having done so I would give this one a miss next time I'm looking for a decent pint in Reading.
On 14th July 2013
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
I L left this review about Zerodegrees
Zero degrees have a number of other places such as in Bristol and Blackheath SE London. Very much an American Brewpub style place along with the other locations that we have visited so far. All their beers are served from electric pumps chilled and carbonated again as American brewpubs but they are interesting beers to try especially the Black beer which reminds us of some of the Czech style dark beers. The cloudy wheat is also a favourite and as mentioned below is often served with a slice of Orange, again often as done in the USA - does add a bit of zest to the taste.
On 6th January 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 287 recommendations about 284 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
dave stray left this review about Zerodegrees
If you want a minimalist venue then this is the place for you, there is not much in the way of interest to look at as such as the place is pretty empty! The beer is pretty good, the way the handpumps look is pretty unique. I would not suggest it as a place for that much atmosphere but it is decent.
On 23rd December 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 265 recommendations about 183 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Wainnock ....... left this review about Zerodegrees
Pleasantly surprised by the beer quality, although served slightly too cold for my liking. Very industrial feel, but well worth a visit
On 17th March 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 23 recommendations about 23 pubs]