I love mussels! As in I love love LOVE mussels. I visited Brussels about a year ago where I sampled and fell deeply in love with moules et frites and fruit beer, not forgetting the mayo, so obviously I simply had to go to Zero Degrees to try out their kilo pots of mussels that I had heard about.
For those of you non crustatian chompers never fear, for there is a pizza menu about as long as your arm as well as a selection of salads, pastas, appetizers and sausage and mash.
So first and foremost, location! Well, prime really. It sits proud on the corner of Colston street and Park row. Combine this with its arresting exterior facade of glass and wood and one cannot help but be drawn to it.
Secondly, the food. What of the mussels you may ask. Well, they were certainly ample, well cooked and the menu offers a selection of intriguing flavours. I had thai green curry mussels. Now I must reiterate that they were delicious, but I wasn't about to do cartwheels out the door over them.
Thirdly, the service. No faults to be found here. Fast, friendly and efficient. That's all you can really hope for and especially noted considering how busy it was when I went (a Thursday evening) so well done.
Fourthly, and this is where I think Zero Degrees really shines, the concept. Strange I know but bear with me. The architecture of the place is most definitely unlike anything else in Bristol, and then there is the interior. When you step inside the lofty heights of the futuristic, shiny interior your eye is immediately drawn to the visible mechanics of the brewery, all steel piping and enormous vats. You see Zero Degrees is actually a micro brewery, a rare and coveted thing these days in gastro culture.
I slurped down an on site brewed Pilsner which really did taste very fresh, was served cold and was suitably morish. So cheers for that!
Go to the website, www.zerodegrees.co.uk to read more about the beers they offer.
Practical info:
Well, sorry to have to say it but it is expensive. The mussels alone were £12.50 and pizzas start from about £8.00. There is a large car park right by the restaurant but that isn't cheap either. However buses run very regularly and stop a few doors down from it.
Zero degrees I'd say is perfect for corporate events and work parties, largely due to its size but also due to the general feel of the place. I often see couples in their which surprises me because it is hardly romantic. To me it is the kind of place where the after work crowd would go to drink and eat and flash a bit of cash. There is sport on constant display and the bar does get busy. But it is still a pretty cool place to go and always draws large numbers of people so that speaks for itself. read more