Did you have a beery good weekend? I did (more on that later).
Enjoy a free 5 litre mini-keg of beer (any beer) from Zero Degrees (though you will have to spend £30 or more on food first) or a fiver off your next main meal at the new Reading bar by downloading, printing and presenting this fantastic voucher.
Oh, and last week’s freebies, if you missed them.
I was wrong. I was wrong about Zero Degrees. With a name like that, I was expecting another Ice Bar. Or a bar in the Revolution mould. But Zero Degrees is different.
This sunny Thursday afternoon, straight after work, I went to have a look at this newly opened superbar next to Sahara. And I was impressed.
Zero Degrees, unlike many of the other ‘trendy’ bars in town, is bang up to date. Revolution and Bar 38 are so 1990s. The Londonesque Zero Degrees however includes a microbrewery, offering unique beers such as the plainly-labelled Czech-style Black Lager (£2.60) and Pale Ale. That’s the trick: keep it simple. Bullshit-free quality beers. No logo? You got it.
I was also pleased to see a Special Beer, rotated seasonally. I was expecting some strawberry/raspberry flavoured drink. But no, it was mango beer instead. My eyes widened when told. I didn’t have to say a word: I was offered a sample (something that other trendy bars simply won’t do) and it was stunning. Down it went, in a second and a half. Gorgeous. I was told that it appealed equally well to both sexes. Fruit beer is certainly catching on. I asked the bargirl what the name of the drink was. She told me it had no name but “mango beer”. Wonderful, wonderful stuff.
The interior design was steely and stylish. A few pipes, a few vats here and there. A stack of pizza boxes in the restaurant bit added a bit of warmth to the room.
As for the customers, there was no chav in sight. There were a few business people in suits and the remainder were casual dressers. I’d be interested to see whether the bar operates a silly shoe policy. I’ve be turned away so many times in the past at various places for wearing trainers rather than smart shoes (a stupid and baffling rule that I detested).
So the bar has passed the first test (I still need to try out their food menu). They may call themselves Zero Degrees, but they’re worthy of an Upper Second.
The best things in life are free, are they not? Check out these great offers:
Wagamama
If you’re as Wagamamaddicted as I am, you will love this voucher. It originally appeared on the popular site for women handbag.com. The voucher can be used at Reading’s Wagamama restaurant at The Oracle (I used it last night), gets you another main meal for free and is valid until 27 May 2007. “Arigato, Matt!” You’re welcome.
Jongleurs
Lighten up on Friday by going to Jongleurs comedy club for free (Jongleurs on Freeday, how about it? Hmm, I guess a standup comedy career doesn’t beckon after all). Ring Oliver on 0118 959 5395 for tickets (no limit on party size). Alternatively, buy one ticket on Saturday and get another free. You’re ‘avin’ a laugh, right?
Wi-fi
The Global Cafe on London Street offers wireless internet access for nothing. Take your laptop, enjoy a banana-bread beer and visit Reading Roars! (or one of the million other better sites out there). Other coffee shops charge a whopping £6 per hour.
What’s black and white, and red all over? An embarrassed Newcastle Utd, crashing to a 1-0 defeat by Reading at the Madejski this evening. Not a great joke, perhaps, but the result, against one of the strong clubs in England’s top flight, is yet another to be applauded, especially as the visitors included Michael Owen, back from injury. The win lifts Reading to 7th in the Premiership.
The only goal of the game was driven in by Dave Kitson in the 50th minute. Seol Ki-Hyeon created the opportunity. Other than this, and two bookings for the home side, it seemed an even encounter. Both teams enjoyed a similar number of corners and shots on goals. Â
Recently, Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger commented that Alex Ferguson, on the cusp of winning the title, and Steve Coppell were his managers of the season. I agree. Reading are no one-hit wonders, but a quality side led by a quality manager. A calculating, pragmatic manager who, unlike team bosses above him, steers clear of verbal skirmishes, preferring the pitch to be his battleground instead. A manager fully capable of taking the team even further next season. And that’s something to savour - preferably with a glass of Gran Coronas.