The building went up in the 1920s as Sidney Jenkins’s butcher and fishmonger, and the bar and grill that took it over in 2013 kept both the name and the trade in mind. Local meat and fish still arrive here — only now they’re cooked hard and fast over charcoal in a Josper oven, sealed at high heat so the juices stay in, and sent out with proper craft beer alongside. It anchors the Penn Hill parade in Poole, a neighbourhood spot that takes its grill seriously.
The food
Charcoal does the heavy lifting. Steaks, chops and fish take on the smoke of the grill, and wood-fired pizzas come out most nights for anyone after something lighter. The week has a rhythm to it — wings early on, a steak night, burgers later with a vegan version so the table isn’t split — and Sunday brings a roast. Weekends open early enough for brunch. On the drink side it’s British craft beer on the taps, a cocktail list and wine by the glass, with a happy hour that runs daily and cheaper cocktails on Thursday nights. The beer leans local, with Harbour Pale Ale among the pumps, and there’s Prosecco for anyone not on the craft.
The setting
The conversion kept the bones of the old shop and made it cosy rather than slick: a bar you can prop up, tables to eat at, and live music on a Thursday. Dogs are welcome, which makes it a natural stop at the end of a walk rather than somewhere you dress up for. It reads as a proper local that happens to cook well. The old shopfront and the name over the door are a nod to the butcher and fishmonger the building started life as.
Where it is
Jenkins & Sons is at 7-8 Penn Hill Avenue, BH14 9NB, in the heart of the Penn Hill parade on the Poole side of things. Isabel’s Brasserie is a near neighbour, and Bank by Nicholas James sits along the same street, so the block makes an easy evening’s wander on foot. Parking is on-street around Penn Hill.
Good to know
Weekday doors open in the late afternoon; weekends start in the morning for brunch. The daily happy hour lands between late afternoon and early evening, and Thursdays add the two-for-one cocktails. Sunday roasts are worth booking, and the dog-friendly welcome is genuine. Find it among the restaurants mapped across the bay.