Key Points
- Chef Sally Abé has opened her first solo restaurant, Teal by Sally Abé, at 52 Wilton Way, Hackney, E8 1BG, on 26 March 2026.
- The site previously housed Sesta (opened September 2024, closed end of 2025 due to economic pressures) and before that Michelin-starred Pidgin.
- Teal is a British bistro focusing on sustainable, seasonal British ingredients and reimagined nostalgic dishes like lockets savoury, devils on horseback, penny lick (proceeds to Hackney Foodbank), haunch of deer, and marmalade ice cream sandwiches.
- Abé’s career includes retaining a Michelin star at The Harwood Arms, launching The Pem at Conrad London St James, and heading The Bull in Charlbury; she co-owns with Abe Drewry (wine director) and works with head chef Abbie Hendren (recent Great British Menu contestant for London and South East).
- Interior designed by Abé’s sister Alice Webster features bottle-green panelling, mustard-yellow banquettes, vintage stools, marble tables, and artwork of women’s rights marches; capacity for 25-26 diners near Hackney Central station.
- Early reviews praise the food: David Ellis of Evening Standard called it “astonishingly, masterfully good” with standout bone marrow with snails and mussels with Jersey Royals.
- Abé described it as “a dream 20 years in the making” and “incredibly personal,” emphasising her values, British food history, women in kitchens, and community roots.
Hackney (East London Times) April 14, 2026 –Acclaimed chef Sally Abé launched her debut solo venture, Teal by Sally Abé, at 52 Wilton Way in Hackney, transforming the former Sesta site into a modern British bistro dedicated to sustainable produce and nostalgic British flavours. The restaurant opened its doors on Thursday, 26 March 2026, marking Abé’s return to London after leading the kitchen at The Bull in Charlbury. Previously, the space hosted Sesta from September 2024 until its closure at the end of 2025 owing to tough economic conditions, and prior to that, the Michelin-starred Pidgin.
Who is Sally Abé and What Led to Teal’s Launch?
As reported by East London Times, Sally Abé’s career spans two decades, starting with placements at The Savoy and Claridge’s in 2007, followed by roles at The Ledbury (three Michelin stars), sous chef at Elystan Street, and head chef at The Harwood Arms where she retained its Michelin star and helped it rank as the UK’s top gastropub. She later consulted at Conrad London St James, launching The Pem, before moving to The Bull.
Abé told the Evening Standard, as covered by East London Times:
“Opening Teal 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.”
In an Instagram post shared via The Staff Canteen, she added:
“I’m so excited to finally be able to share I’m opening a restaurant, on my own! Today I got the keys to Teal. My restaurant that I have been dreaming of for 20 years is now becoming a reality.”
Hot Dinners quoted Abé on the ethos:
“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.”
The name Teal derives from Abé’s favourite game bird, not the colour, underscoring the focus on British ingredients.
Where is Teal and What Changes Have Occurred?
Teal sits at 52 Wilton Way, E8 1BG, a short walk from Hackney Central station, in a neighbourhood known for its vibrant food scene. Sinéad Cranna of The Infatuation noted the location’s history:
“Until recently, Sally Abé headed up the kitchen at the Cotswolds’ sceneiest restaurant, The Bull in Charlbury. Now she’s back in London to open her own place.”
The interior, redesigned by Abé’s sister Alice Webster, introduces bottle-green panelling, proper lighting, comfortable seating, and counter dining, evoking
“Spitalfields Huguenot via New England.”
David Ellis of the Evening Standard described:
“simply decorated — guess what colour the panelled walls are — with Abé’s favourite cookbooks breaking up the pot plants. Marble tables, cute café curtains, room for just 26.”
Webster told Wallpaper*, as per East London Times:
“‘Overall, we wanted to keep the design a little more minimal to reflect the core concept of the restaurant and Sally herself: good, honest food that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s meant to feel like a little place for locals to come for dinner, that also happens to serve top-tier food in a relaxed and informal setting.’”
Features include Bentwood chairs, mustard-yellow banquettes, vintage Winchester stools at an oak bar, pendant lighting, antique brass lamps, and black-and-white posters of women’s rights marches.
What Does the Menu at Teal Offer?
The menu reimagines British classics with seasonal sustainability. Snacks feature angels on horseback (oysters in bacon), devils on horseback (prunes with chicken liver parfait in bacon), scotch eggs with Oxford sauce (mustard, vinegar, sugar), and lockets savoury (Stilton, watercress, pears on toast). Starters include Dorset crab royale with English peas and lovage, baked bone marrow (sometimes with snails, garlic, parsley).
Mains comprise haunch of deer with pickled walnuts and cavolo nero, Cornish mussels with Jersey Royals, cauliflower, and sea kale, beef sirloin with short rib and onion. Desserts nod to confectionery: marmalade ice cream sandwiches, raspberry marshmallow teacakes, and the penny lick—a Victorian street ice cream in a glass for £1, with all proceeds to Hackney Foodbank. The Infatuation highlighted
“haunches of deer, devils on horseback, marmalade ice cream sandwiches, and other dishes that require a ye olde Victorian interpreter.”
Who Forms the Teal Team?
Abé partners with Abe Drewry, former colleague from The Bull, as wine director focusing on champagne, oaky chardonnays, and Bordeaux reds. Head chef Abbie Hendren, who represented London and South East on Great British Menu this month, joins from Sam’s Waterside in Barnes; The Staff Canteen noted:
“From some of London’s best-known kitchens to Sally Abé’s major new opening, Abbie Hendren is taking a big step onto the Great British Menu stage.”
Abé continues hiring and mentoring women, as detailed in her memoir A Woman’s Place is in the Kitchen.
How Have Critics and Early Visitors Responded?
David Ellis of the Evening Standard reviewed on 1 April 2026:
“Teal is also astonishingly, masterfully good… Lockets savoury, slices of pear folded into blistered stilton on toast, offered freshness and funk side by side. It was, though, blown away by the bone marrow baked with snails and garlic and parsley… Might Abé be the only chef cooking bone marrow properly in London? Here it was a yellow flickering into gold, with a nutty, buttery taste.”
He added on mussels:
“A glorious, ragtag mess of Cornish mussels out of their shells with sweet Jersey Royals, cauliflower and spikes of romanesco broccoli was a triumph of comfort,”
and beef: “Wild garlic was shown off to rare, potent effect with two ruddy-cheeked slices of beef sirloin arriving with luscious short rib and a half an onion as sweet as unexpected flowers.”
Wallpaper*’s Ben McCormack, via East London Times, called dishes “refined retro” with balanced flavours, praising the penny lick’s charity link:
“A guilt-free dessert may be Abé’s greatest legacy yet.”
The Infatuation by Sinéad Cranna flagged it in new openings without a full review yet.
Background of the Development
The Wilton Way site has a rich dining history. Pidgin occupied it first as a Michelin-starred tasting menu spot before Sesta took over in September 2024, earning Time Out acclaim for dishes like nduja-scotched olives and prawn dolma but closing by late 2025 amid economic challenges, as head chef Drew Snaith explained. Abé’s takeover follows her stints at high-profile venues, aligning with Hackney’s sustainable food focus per local initiatives. Her memoir details overcoming industry barriers, informing Teal’s women-centric hiring.
Prediction: How This Can Affect Hackney Diners
Teal’s arrival provides Hackney diners with a neighbourhood option for high-quality British bistro fare using local, seasonal ingredients, potentially drawing regulars due to its intimate 25-cover setup and community ties like Foodbank support.
The emphasis on sustainability and British nostalgia could influence menu trends in east London, offering accessible fine dining without overworking, as portions suit varied appetites. For locals near Hackney Central, it adds a walkable venue championing women-led kitchens, which may encourage patronage from those valuing ethical, rooted hospitality amid economic pressures on sites like Sesta.
