Teal is named after a native British game bird that Sally Abé is particularly fond of, and it suits a small bistro that wants to punch above its weight. It sits at 52 Wilton Way in Hackney, and it opened on 26 March 2026 as her first solo venture.
The Ledbury to Wilton Way
Abé's family tree reads like a map of London's serious kitchens. She started at the Savoy Grill under Gordon Ramsay, moved to Claridge's, spent years at The Ledbury in Notting Hill, then became head chef at the Harwood Arms in Fulham, where the pub kept its Michelin star under her. After that came The Pem at the Conrad London St James and the food at The Bull in Charlbury in the Cotswolds. Teal is self-funded, with Abe Drewry, who came with her from The Bull, as co-owner and in charge of a changing wine list that leans towards Champagne and French bottles.
Her own description of it is a little British bistro. The idea is British classics reworked with some polish, and she has said she wants guests to feel as if they are in her home for a long afternoon or evening.
The room
The room has had previous lives, as Pidgin and then Sesta, and it is still small. The look is now a countryside bistro: soft green panelled walls, marble-topped tables, a banquette, upholstered bar stools and an oak bar, with brass wall lights and little lamps for the evening. It is lively and snug, and you may well end up chatting with the neighbouring table. Abé is known to move through the room answering questions from fans. It suits a date, a catch-up with parents or a long lunch with the person who will actually order the pudding.
The savouries
Start with the savouries, a Victorian-style run of snacks that are not to be skipped. Devils on horseback come with smoked-tea prune, bacon and chicken liver parfait, angels on horseback are oysters, and there is a brawn scotch egg. The Locket's savoury, a blue cheese rarebit on sourdough with pickled pear and watercress, is the one that gets the table talking, though the novelty may outweigh the taste. Order the devils on horseback at least two to a table.
Dinner proper
The menu follows the seasons, so the details move. Dorset crab royale with English peas and lovage and the knife and fork bacon, cured in-house, were the most popular dishes during the soft openings. A chilled pea and mint soup comes with a chickpea chip and goat's curd, and the bone marrow with snails, garlic and parsley is a classic. Mains have included haunch of deer with pickled walnuts and cavolo nero, Cornish mussels, and beef sirloin with a short rib, roasted onion and a wild garlic spread, where the meat is the draw.
Do not leave without pudding. A raspberry marshmallow teacake with Earl Grey custard is the headline, a marmalade ice cream sandwich fits between sugar-brushed brown bread, and a Penny Lick, a small glass of ice cream, sends its proceeds to Hackney Food Bank. Cocktails are classics and the wine list is a good one.
Before you go
Teal is compact, so it rewards booking, and the menu will keep changing, so do not hold the dishes too tightly. If you want the full effect of the kitchen, order the savouries and bacon before anything else and keep room for the teacake.
Wilton Way now has a neighbourhood bistro with a serious pedigree and a game bird for a mascot.
- The vibe
- Small, green-panelled and sociable, like a country dining room.
- The food
- Start with the savouries and knife and fork bacon; finish with the teacake.
- The drink
- Champagne-led French wine list and classic cocktails.
- A tip
- Do not skip the savouries; the menu moves with the seasons.
