One of the problems in bivariate polynomial interpolation is the choice of a space of polynomials suitable for interpolating a given set of data. Depending on the number of data, a usual space is that of polynomials in 2 variables of total degree not greater than k. However, these spaces are not enough to cover many interpolation problems. Here, we are interested in spaces of polynomials of total degree not greater than k whose degree diminishes along some prescribed directions. These spaces arise naturally in some interpolation problems and we describe them in terms of polynomials satisfying some asymptotic interpolation conditions. This provides a general frame to the interpolation problems studied in some of our recent papers.