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Reading
Zero Degrees

Being one of only four Zerodegrees nationwide, Reading is privileged to have this novel concept of drinking and dining as an addition to the town centre, which thrives with diners and drinkers looking for a place to start the evening with some excellent food and a home-brewed pint.

The difficult task of choosing from the menu was made considerably more bearable by the beers on offer, which are brewed on the premises. While I settled for a black lager – a deep, dark Czech-style brew with roasted and caramelised malts – my companion chose wheat ale, brewed from the orange and spicy Belgian witbier.

After much deliberation, I chose an appetiser of spiedini, which consisted of halloumi cheese, sage and, for me the clincher, Parma ham, all flavoured with a generous drizzling of balsamic vinegar. My companion opted for a trio of crostini, which comprised three slices of Italian bread with different toppings; cherry tomatoes, marinated anchovies, rocket and Parmesan and finally mascarpone cheese and smoked salmon. This sated our grumbling stomachs and warmed us up nicely for the pizzas, which were all baked in a wood-burning oven, giving an authentic Italian taste and feel. Vegetarians are well catered for and my companion was delighted with her goat’s cheese pizza, while other vegetarian pizzas on offer include traditional cheese and wood-roasted vegetable varieties. Meanwhile, I did my usual party trick of endlessly agonising over what to choose before settling for a smoked salmon and mascarpone pizza – the mascarpone, smoked cheese, fresh tomatoes, rocket and garlic sauce perfectly complementing the smoked salmon, as did the house sauvignon blanc.

Zerodegrees has embraced the concept of theatre-style dining, and the whole cooking process is on view to diners, not hidden away in a kitchen at the back. The dining area is on two levels, separate from the drinking area, and there is an extended happy hour from Monday to Friday, from 4pm to 7pm. All in all we had a most enjoyable dining experience, with the food, drink, decor and ambience nicely hitting the spot. Highly recommended all round.

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