SESTA Hackney

Pidgin represented a changing of the guard in London - it was the first of a casual set that opened the Michelin gates for East London. Seeing it close was a sad moment, but SESTA has quickly picked up the baton, giving us lots of reasons for optimism. It’s a different sort of restaurant to its predecessor - a quick refurb has switched concrete and metal for warmer wood tones, a little paint job has made it cosier, and it feels more lively than Pidgin in its final years. The room rattles with the chatter of a full house, which is music to our ears but it might be a bit much for those who prefer a quieter dining room.

The menu here will raise a few quizzical eyebrows. A beef ragu toastie sits next to smacked cucumber with raspberry hot sauce at the top of the menu, and head chef Drew Snaith grabs influences from far and wide across a selection of dishes that, initially, feels a bit scattergun. You’ll need a hand appraising the menu, but as soon as we eat that first ‘nduja scotched olive - like a robust, briney scotch egg with a smear of garlic-heavy aioli - it’s clear that SESTA is built on rock-solid foundations.

Incongruous though it may seem, Snaith’s electric cooking doesn’t let up across three courses and snacks. Prawn and stone bass dolma are carefully wrapped in vine leaves and smothered in ouzo butter - a dish that certainly took longer to plate than it did to eat. Then we’re venturing further abroad with tempura oyster mushrooms, and slabs of smoked pork belly, paddling in a gluggable sauce of fermented garlic and hot honey. Finally, the piece de resistance is a flaky pastel de nata that hides the funkiest of cheese courses - a washed rind, gooey Gubbeen cheese, with beetroot chutney on the side.

We admire the swings being taken here. Following a restaurant like Pidgin is hard enough - SESTA could be forgiven for playing it safe behind a solid jab but instead, we’re getting no-holds-barred haymakers. More than anything else, SESTA has something that is often lacking in London - a menu full of genuine originality. Can they keep it up? That remains to be seen, but on the strength of this, SESTA is easily one of the most exciting new openings of the year.

SESTA is a modern European restaurant in Hackney, replacing beloved local restaurant Pidgin. Spearheaded by former Pidgin head chef Drew Snaith and general manager Hannah Kowalski, SESTA promises the same high-quality experience that earned Pidgin so many fans, invigorating the location with a new sense of life. 

The menu will celebrate Snaith’s unique approach to British and European cuisine, utilising the best of British seasonal produce in his modern interpretations of classic dishes. The flavours Snaith encountered while travelling Southeast Asia have also influenced the ingredients and techniques used in the SESTA kitchen, such as the mutton bacon ribs with fermented garlic and Thai chilli honey. Other menu items hark back to Snaith's childhood, including the Doddington cheese scone topped with Braybrooke rarebit, a recipe Snaith learned from his grandmother. 

SESTA’s commitment to creating a menu that highlights seasonal produce will be supported by Shrub, who will connect the restaurant to Sussex-based farms to ensure the restaurant recieves the freshest, highest quality ingredients. The menu will also be celebrating lesser used cuts of meat, as well as offering a larger, sharing cut of meat. 

This focus on sustainability is not limited to the food and is further reflected in the restaurants extensive natural wine selection. Formed by Kowalski, SESTA’s wine list prioritises small producers making wine that is both sustainable, and uniquely delicious. Additionally, SESTA will be offering their own house made spirits, including a blackberry liqueur.