WHEN the evenings are dark and chilly, there’s nothing better than comfort food in cosy surroundings.

Jenkins & Sons, a converted 1920s fishmongers and butchers, is the perfect venue for amazing food, in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.

We are greeted in the bar area by a jovial staff member, who offers us a drink before we eat, but the smell of food is too strong a pull and we choose to sit down immediately.

Staying true to its roots, the eatery specialises in artisan meat and fish, as well as offering a range of locally-sourced cheeses, in a rustic, yet comfortable environment.

Jenkins & Sons is part of the Urban Guild, which also includes Urban Beach, Urban Reef, the Urban Farm and the Urban Renaissance cafe in the Russell-Cotes Museum.

For a Tuesday evening, the restaurant is particularly busy, with the bar also full with regular customers, proving it is a popular haunt for the people of Penn Hill. The walls are packed with blackboards detailing various specials and events, including Monday steak night, live music every Wednesday, Sunday roast and a special menu for Christmas dinner.

While the menu isn’t huge, there’s plenty of variety on offer. We chose the meat and cheese sharing platter (£15) to start, followed by the sticky baby back rack of ribs (£12) and the roasted chicken supreme (£12).

We enjoyed a fizzy berry drink and one of the restaurant’s craft beers, made with Champagne hops, while we waited for our food to arrive.

Our starter was a real treat, with a generous serving of terrine, charcuterie meats, two artisan cheeses, celeriac remoulade, a chunky house chutney and plenty of warm, flat bread.

The soft cheeses were deliciously tangy, while the meats, including thin slices of chorizo, parma ham and salami also had a strong flavour, and the platter was quickly devoured.

We watched other tables’ food arrive with interest - the fish stew and the craft beer-battered fish fillet looked particularly tasty, as well as the steaks, which are grilled in a Josper oven, described as a ‘barbecue in a box’ which cooks at a very high temperature, instantly sealing the juices into the meat as it hits the heat.

However, our chicken and ribs proved to be good choices. The chicken was attractively presented, with charred leeks, streaky bacon stuffed confit potato and a romesco sauce. The meat had a deliciously chargrilled flavour, while the potatoes were extremely tasty and melt-in-themouth soft and the red pepper-flavour sauce was perfectly light so as not to overpower.

My husband’s ribs, which were drizzled with a rich, tangy craft stout and maple syrup marinade and served with a celeriac remoulade, simply fell off the bone, while the large helping of fat chips, were cooked to perfection - crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

After a little rest, we decided to tackle desserts. I ordered the chocolate delice (£6), while my husband went for the set strawberry yoghurt (£6). The rich, smooth delice had a mousse-like texture with a crunchy bran flake and praline base and was served with ice cold coffee foam, which had a rather unusual texture, and beautifully-sticky caramelised hazelnut.

My husband’s dessert was light in texture, yet strong in flavour and was accompanied by macerated strawberries, shortbread, a fizzy tasting Champagne sorbet and meringue drops.

Great food, great atmosphere - what more could you ask for?

• Jenkins & Sons, Bankes Chambers, Penn Hill, 01202 746604, jenkinssons.com.