It’s a tough time to run a shop, a restaurant or — let’s be honest — just be a person in London these days, and the “current climate” has claimed a new victim, Sesta.
Sesta is a highly-regarded restaurant and wine bar in Hackney, but it has announced its plans to close, not long after a year following its opening in September 2024.
“Sadly times are just too hard to make ends meet,” the Sesta team posted on Instagram.
“It’s with a heavy heart that we announce SESTA will not be reopening in the new year.”
Sesta will remain open until December 20th, and bookings are available through the SevenRooms portal.
Need proof it’s worth a visit? Sesta was added to the Michelin Guide in January, shortly after its launch, and picked up rave reviews from Time Out and The Sunday Times.
Sesta’s menu includes “soy and fermented honey braised mushrooms” served with confit egg yolk, red pepper and fried garlic puree, a fish main with what Sesta describes as “bouillabaisse/jungle curry hybrid” and — the dish called out in the restaurant’s sad announcement — Nduja scotched olives with “aggressive aioli.”
Drew Snaith is Sesta’s head chef. He previously worked at Pidgin as its head chef, before the restaurant itself closed in August 2024 following nine years running in East London.
If you fancy trying out Sesta before it closes down for good, you’ll find it at 52 Wilton Way, nearby Hackney Central station. The restaurant is open Wednesday to Saturday 6-11pm, with an additional lunch sitting on Saturday 12:30pm to 4:30pm. The clock is ticking.
Sesta is sadly one among many London restaurant closures we’ve seen in 2025, a list that includes Mayfair’s KOYN, Voyage at King’s Cross, Battersea’s Soif wine bar and the much-loved Norman’s Cafe in Archway.
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