When Rochester’s Crepe and Co closed its doors at the end of last year, I was a little disappointed - it was a great place to enjoy brunch with a view of the castle.

However, in its place sprung Jaggers, a new cocktail bar that still had crepes and waffles on the menu, as well as tasty-sounding tapas and Charles Dickens-themed drinks.

I’d been desperate to try it out but wasn’t sure at what point it turned from a cosy brunch spot to an evening cocktail bar. There’s very little information online as to what is served when, but I thought I’d beat the crowds and head down early evening on a Friday to see what was on offer.

When I arrived, I was informed by the waitress that the evening menu wasn’t available until 6pm. Not a great start, as I had been eager to try the new dishes and the daytime menu of light bites looked a little uninspiring, but I didn’t want to fall at the first hurdle so agreed to take a seat.

I had my choice of tables as I was the only person - and I mean literally the only person - in the whole place. I’ve never had an entire cocktail bar to myself before.

Other than a couple who came in for a brief hot chocolate, I was the only customer for the whole visit - about an hour or so - despite having walked past the previous week when the place looked packed.

Not to mention, this was a solo trip as I had decided to treat myself to a post-work drink and some peace and quiet. And I certainly got that.

In fact, it wasn’t until I’d been sitting there for about 15 minutes that they decided to start playing any music over the speakers. Until then, it had just been an awkward silence and the occasional sound of clattering from the kitchen.

The wooden tables, dark wood beams and natural light from the courtyard all felt warm and welcoming, but the lack of atmosphere - and people - made it all a bit hollow.

The big draw for me was the cocktail menu, which had a selection of Charles Dickens cocktails, including the Haversham (which I assume is supposed to reference Miss Havisham from Great Expectations) and the Ebenezer Screwdriver - both of which I tried as they were on a two for £14 deal.

I also ordered a cheese and onion panini to go along with it, as I didn’t feel like a sweet crepe would go very well with the booze but I needed something to soak it up.

The two cocktails arrived and both looked great and professionally poured.

The 'Haversham' was a milky chocolate-flavoured drink with sugar around the rim. It was light and smooth, and would be a perfect dessert or end-of-the-night cocktail.

The Ebenezer Screwdriver was the opposite - zippy, tangy, refreshing and a great way to kickstart a night out. The vodka and bitters packed a real punch, but the sweet orange juice balanced it out and I could imagine really enjoying this in the summer.

The panini itself was fine - warm with plenty of gooey cheese and a tasty tomato relish on the side.

The red onion was raw and a little punchy, which made me grateful that I was alone otherwise I would’ve had to have some breath mints for the sake of the person with me.

As I was getting stuck into my book - which I believe is an essential accessory for solo dining - and finishing my first cocktail, the waitress appeared and said the chef had offered to start cooking up the evening menu early if I’d like to sample something.

I couldn’t resist having a little taste as the menu looked so tempting, so I ordered myself some garlic mushrooms.

After a short wait, a small dish piled high with hot and crispy mushrooms arrived, with a garlic aioli dip. This was nothing short of delicious and despite planning to box some up and take half home with me, I couldn’t help but devour the whole thing - again being grateful that no-one was with me.

The staff were all friendly and accommodating from start to finish, but seeing as I was practically the only customer they really had no choice but to be attentive as it didn’t look like there was much else for them to do.

It was a shame that the place didn’t quite have the vibe of a cocktail bar during my visit, but I’ll definitely be back - perhaps a bit later in the evening - to try another Dickensian drink and more than one tapas dish.

Ratings out of five:

Food: The panini was fine but nothing to write home about. However, the one dish I sampled from the tapas menu was delicious and I’d happily go back for more - especially as I spotted lots of vegetarian options. ***

Drink: The drinks are the big draw for this place and they didn’t disappoint. A great combination of specialty cocktails, classic drinks and a full bar of wines and spirits. I’d recommend the Haversham if you’ve got a sweet tooth. ****

Decor: It had all the potential of a cool, cosy cocktail bar - it just needed some music and a few more people to help bring it to life. ***

Staff: The staff were all friendly and polite, and I was really impressed that they made the effort to offer the evening menu early for me. ****

Price: Two exceptional cocktails for £14 and a great tapas dish for £7 was good value for me but, on the other hand, it was £5.75 for a fairly standard sandwich. ***