FOOD REVIEW: Sunday Lunch at Jenkins and Sons | Poole

Jenkins & Sons is a leading bar & restaurant based in Poole, Dorset that sources quality local produce and serves delicious handcrafted meals every day of the week. Total Guide to Poole reviewer Kate Silverton popped down to sample their brilliant Sunday roast.

Venue

Jenkins & Sons is a former 1920’s butcher & fishmonger, lovingly converted in 2013 to a cosy, yet stylish bar & restaurant. It is conveniently located in the centre of Penn Hill, nestled between other local eateries. 

We live nearby & whenever we pass by Jenkins & Sons, we always comment to one another on how inviting it looks! We were very much looking forward to this visit!

The décor is quirky & has a warm, wholesome feel about the place. Little touches make it feel like it’s in the heart of the community, such as noticeboards with upcoming events & a ‘Dogs of Jenkins’ photo board! 

They run different offers regularly such as 2-4-1 mains on Tuesdays, 2-4-1 pizza on Wednesdays & 2-4-1 cocktails on Thursdays, alongside a popular quiz night.

The venue isn’t huge, therefore it feels cosy & welcoming. There is a bar area, great for a drink or two. The restaurant has a relaxed feel to it, with dark wooden tables & soft seating areas. The outside space is great for a drink or coffee & cake, well-positioned to watch the world go by….

When we arrived, we were welcomed warmly & shown to our window table, we were instantly provided with a high chair for our toddler which was handy! There was also plenty of room for our pushchair too, a must when out as a family! 

Skye looked after us during our visit, she was attentive, friendly & very efficient, & nothing was too much trouble for her & the team. All staff we spoke to were cheerful & said how much they love Jenkins & Sons, they also mentioned how enjoyable it’s been to be back open after Covid restrictions have been lifted & welcoming both regular & new faces.

Food

Jenkins & Sons prides itself on wood-fired food & local meat & fish, celebrating great Dorset produce.

As it was a Sunday, we were sticking to the Sunday roast menu, which promised tasty wholesome food that fills your tummy & it certainly lived up to our expectations!!

My husband chose the British topside of beef & I chose the breast of New Forest chicken, the other options were a veggie nut roast or the Legends due of meats (both beef & chicken). 

All roasts are served with delicious roast potatoes, perfectly crisp with a fluffy centre, tasty seasonal greens, honey roasted root vegetables, the perfect autumn accompaniment, buttered peas & huge Yorkshire puddings, finished with parsnip shavings, all delicious! 

We were recommended the wood-fired cauliflower cheese side dish & it was also very tasty, with plenty of creamy bubbling cheesy sauce. 

My daughter had a handcrafted wood-fired pizza from the children’s menu, she had the ‘Margarita’ which was great value for money, topped with a zingy tomato sauce & stringy mozzarella, she loved it! 

I have a big sweet tooth & even though I couldn’t finish my roast chicken, I had to try a dessert! Our server Ben highly recommended his favourite dessert the ‘hot chocolate dough balls’ so I chose those & my husband/daughter shared the ‘warm Number 9 brownie’. Well what can we say…… my husband described his brownie as the best he’s ever had, rich, chocolatey &moreish, all the things a brownie should be! 

The pistachio ice cream served with the brownie was beautiful, strong nutty flavour & very smooth. My dessert was amazing, if you love chocolate, this is the dessert for you! Not only were there tonnes of warm, crispy dough balls, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, but there was also a jug of hot chocolate sauce to dip the dough balls in. Heavenly! 

Drink

Jenkins & Sons is well known locally for their vast selection of drinks on offer. 

I started with a non-alcoholic cocktail, Skye recommended a virgin Pina Colada & this was incredibly tasty, even without the rum!! A couple of cocktails are listed on the menu, alongside some seasonal specials on a blackboard that all sounded very appealing! 

My husband chose a pint of Kona, he was very impressed to see this lager on the menu, the only place in Dorset to serve this on tap! He was also impressed with the craft beers from local brewers, a pleasant change from the normal beers on offer at other venues. I also had a glass of Soldier’s Block Chardonnay, this was crisp & easy-drinking, lovely with my roast chicken. The wine menu had a great selection of wines, both pricey & more budget-friendly. 

We would highly recommend Jenkins & Sons. We visited as a family on this occasion & felt it was child friendly, with a good children’s menu & staff that interacted with my daughter. We have visited previously on many an occasion (without my daughter) & it’s a great asset to Penn Hill, whether you’re looking for a romantic dinner, cocktails with friends or a lazy weekend breakfast, this venue is definitely a must-visit!