The room at Sesta, given a light paint job and refurb to differentiate it from the Pidgin days.
What can you tell us about Sesta?
Sesta has taken over the space that used to be Pidgin and it's quite a different beast to what came before, despite a few notable similarities. The most obvious of those similarities is that the recent head chef of Pidgin, Drew Snaith, is heading up Sesta, having teamed up with ex-Pidgin GM Hannah Kowalski to open the restaurant.
But while Pidgin was known for changing its tasting menu every week, that won't happen with Sesta. That's aiming to be a neighbourhood restaurant, developing an a la carte menu that will change less, albeit shifting with the seasons and what produce is good at any given moment.
Where is it?
If you know where Pidgin was, you'll be able to find Sesta. If you're not familiar with its predecessor, you'll find it just off Graham Road in Hackney, about a five-minute walk from Hackney Central overground station (but be sure to leave by the Graham Road exit on the westbound platform).
This is the building you're looking for.
Where's a good place to meet nearby?
When we visited on a Saturday, Wilton Way Deli and Wines was very popular at lunchtime and worth considering (particularly if you can sit outside). However, our new personal favourite, about a five-minute walk away is wine bar Binch. We enjoyed a lovely glass of skin-contact wine here (it's not all-natural, mind), sat up at the bar and can strongly recommend visiting.
That said, they have a strong cocktail offering at Sesta too, and it's well worth starting with one here:
Cocktails include the Scarlett & Bill (Four Roses small batch, lychee, amazake and miso bitters, £11) and a Mezcal negroni (Vida Puebla mezcal, belsazar roe and Campari, £10)
Where should we sit?
It's a small restaurant, so "anywhere you can" is the answer, but if you get the option, grab one of the tables by the window.
So, what's on the menu?
It's loosely split into snacks, and then small and larger plates (with a few notable sides that you'll need to add on). You can easily shape this into a three-course affair, plus snacks and to get the most out of it, we strongly recommend sharing. At dinner for two, order two from each section (including snacks) and you'll have the perfect meal.
As for the dishes themselves, the menu reads extremely well with a few that immediately stand out. We'd say it seems to be following a developing trend of elevated comfort food, set out by other recent openings like Sune. They have said they want to be known for their standout dishes in a way that was never possible at Pidgin and we think there's plenty of chance of that, as what was delivered was a parade of consistently excellent options.
Here's what we had, starting with the snacks.
Nduja scotched olives (£7) - like mini, spicy scotch eggs (with olives replacing the eggs, of course).
Coastal cheddar & cider scones (£6) - gloriously cheesy snacks.
Padron peppers, smoked eel taramasalata & cajun crispy rice (£7) - the crispy rice transforms the taramaslata, adding a welcome crunch. However, note that these padron peppers are grown locally and every single one of them has a spicy hit.
Then, moving onto small plates:
Beef ragu toastie, dripping brown sauce & chilli pickled onion (£10) - mixing each toastie with the crunchy onions and a dollop of their sauce is extremely satisfying.
Prawn and stone bass dolma & ouzo butter (£14)
And finally - onto something larger:
Slow grilled Yorkshire chicken leg with bacon & prune stuffing & chicken sauce (£26) - this is the kind of chicken dish we really appreciate as we'd never go to the lengths to create something as intricate as this ourselves. Amazing sauce too.
Cornish turbot, hot smoked brandade & aggressive aioli (£23) - from now on we'll be asking for all our aiolis to be 'aggressive'.
Crispy skillet potatoes & bone marrow emulsion (£6) - there should be an extra special mention for these potatoes. Great roast potatoes are much harder to achieve than many admit, but these crunchy versions at Sesta are easily among the best we've ever had. Combined with that bone marrow dip (it's also been served with a leek emulsion on previous occasions) and you have a don't-miss side.
And then onto dessert?
Absolutely, and even though there's so much you'll want on the menu up to this point, powering through is highly recommended:
Sticky plum skillet cake & sake lees parfait (£9) - a fruit-based cake seems like a recurrent theme looking at other early menus.
Chocolate Nemesis, lime jelly & margarita sorbet (£8) - deeply chocolatey and topped with Drew's take on a homemade Daim bar for a crunchy topping. The chocolate and lime also contrast really well.
What about wine?
The wine list is an all-natural affair, with a European and small producer-focus, and has been put together by Hannah, with a close eye on sustainability. You'll be rewarded by asking them for advice here. Bottles start at £38 (£8 a glass) for a Slovenian white/red from Stajerska Collective.
Overall thoughts
While the setting shares many characteristics with Pidgin, the offering at Sesta is a very different thing. That works well in its favour as Pidgin did something groundbreaking during its time, so going in a different direction feels like the right move. Sesta represents the very best in neighbourhood dining - the kind of menu that will attract repeat visits and is also absolutely worth crossing London for. We had an excellent meal here, and think this latest incarnation of this Wilton Road space deserves a long future.
More about Sesta
Where is it? 52 Wilton Way, London E8 1BG
How to book: Book online
Find out more: Visit the website or follow them on Instagram @sesta.dining.
Hot Dinners ate as guests of Sesta. Prices are correct at the time of writing.
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