Monday 11th of February 2008 11:49:11 AM

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The strange thing about London brewpubs, to this foreigner anyway, is how much they look like regular pubs. I suppose it's the fact that the English are very accustomed to an excellent pub culture that doing beery things in a more continental way would be viewed with a scepticism not likely to encourage the proprietor.

The only one to buck this trend is Zerodegrees, whose steel pipework and gantries, leather furniture and carefully chosen hipster soundtrack would fit in to the bar scene anywhere in the world that fashion victims congregate.

Strange then that they're trying to entice these fashion victims in with something as profoundly unfashionable as top quality beer.

And it is top-quality: Zerodegrees has a wide array of taps -- regulars and seasonals -- covering all sorts of styles, and not just the usual dull ones. Their dark lager is particularly praiseworthy.

There's none of the snooty too-good-for-this-establishment staff you sometimes get in such places, all of which makes this a refreshing change for the London pub scene, and worth nipping in for a pint to if you're in the area.