EVER since it first opened its doors a little more than a year ago, this restaurant/bar has had a big impact on the social scene in Penn Hill.

Stripped back to its former 1920s fishmongers and butcher origins, Jenkins & Sons has built up a reputation for its food, craft beers and live music.

This place was buzzing even early on a Tuesday night and we were lucky to get a table as we hadn’t booked ahead.

The atmosphere is always friendly and relaxed and the service is laid back but usually efficient.

There were various specials on the board including ribs and craft beer for £12.90, which looked like a good deal.

But my friend and our two teenage companions decided to stick with the menu, which had a good range of starters, sharing platters, salads and Josper grilled aged steaks.

For starters I had the twice baked goats’ cheese soufflé with a celery and apple salad with caramelised walnuts and grapes.

This was a perfect balance of different flavours and textures – my friend and I both agreed that it was one of the best starters we’ve had in a long time.

Our younger companions were equally content with their scallops, which were fleshy and full of flavour.

For mains we chose the spiced vegetarian burger, made with chickpeas and served with feta cheese, flat mushrooms and mint yoghurt.

Looking back this was a mistake, as I’m not vegetarian although I do like vegetarian food, and I liked the sound of it, but it was a little stodgy and lacked flavour.

My friend couldn’t actually finish hers.

Meanwhile the other two in our group were making short work of their classic burgers, which were served with Somerset brie, fat chips and house relish so I had seriously meal envy.

I was allowed a few bites for research purposes of course, and can confirm the beef was tender with a rich, almost nutty flavour.

For desserts my friend and I shared a chocolate brownie, served warm with a dollop of melting Purbeck clotted cream ice cream, which was a superb combination.

This place has really brought Penn Hill to life and has various events running throughout the week including live music on Wednesdays.

However, it’s not cheap and the drinks are over-priced in my opinion but I’ve eaten here on several occasions and always had a good experience overall – the cooked breakfasts are exceptional.