Chef Sally Abé to open first standalone restaurant in former site of Sesta

Chef Sally Abé is to open her first standalone restaurant in the former site of Sesta and Pidgin in London’s Hackney next month.

The announcement came after her departure from the Bull in Charlbury in the Cotswolds last month, having joined as head of food in April 2025.

Teal by Sally Abé will open on 26 March and offer classic British dishes with a nostalgic twist, such as Dorset crab royale, English peas and lovage; haunch of deer with pickled walnuts and cavolo nero; raspberry marshmallow teacake; and marmalade ice-cream sandwich.

The restaurant takes its name from Abé’s favourite game bird and is co-owned by Abe Drewry, who worked with Abé at the Bull in Charlbury.

Drewry will oversee the wine list, which focuses on Champagne, oaky Chardonnays and Bordeaux reds.

Head chef Abbie Hendren also joins the restaurant from Sam’s Waterside in London’s Hammersmith, where she was head chef.

Teal by Sally Abé was previously home to Drew Snaith’s Sesta, which closed in October last year after just over a year’s trading. Prior to that, it was home to daily-changing tasting menu restaurant Pidgin for nine years.

Abé and her sister worked together to design the restaurant, which features vintage Winchester stools, pendant lighting, antique brass table lamps and posters of historic women’s rights marches.

The chef said: “Opening Teal by Sally Abé feels incredibly personal. It’s the first restaurant I’ve built entirely on my own, on my own two feet, and I’m hugely proud of that. After years of working in other peoples’ businesses and kitchens, this is me putting my name, my values and my voice into a space that’s truly mine.

“Teal by Sally Abé is about celebrating the best of British food, its history, its flavours and its stories, while championing women, supporting good causes and building a restaurant that feels rooted in its community. I can’t wait to open the doors in Hackney and show people exactly what I’ve been working towards.”

Prior to the Bull in Charlbury, Abé headed up the Michelin-starred Harwood Arms in London’s Fulham and was consultant chef at the Pem at the Conrad London St James for four years.

Abé also made it to the 2025 finals of Great British Menu, where she served the starter at the banquet.