The Best Scones in London – The Muffin Man Tea Shop

Old-school English tea room with the best scones in London!

My best friend is a flight attendant, and she told me this is one of the places her crew always have to visit whenever they fly to London. It opened in 1963, which makes it one of the oldest tea shops in the area. The Muffin Man is in Kensington, about a three-minute walk from High Street Kensington Underground station.

The interior is cosy and homely: wooden chairs, little round tables and old-fashioned decor, so it feels like stepping back into old England. It’s quite small, with more seats upstairs, and the staff were friendly and up for a joke. The menu covers everything from breakfast to light lunches. I ordered The Muffin Man Breakfast (£9.90) and scones (£1.50 each).

The scones and the bread from the breakfast set came first on a tiered stand, with the butter and jam on the first tier. I’ve never been a big fan of scones because of the texture and how dry they usually are, but these totally changed my mind; they were absolutely delicious! They were perfectly baked and nowhere near as dry as any other scone I’d had before. Spread on some butter and jam, and they’re unbeatable!

• 

• 

The Muffin Man Breakfast came with freshly squeezed orange juice, hash browns, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon and beans, plus a choice of tea or coffee. It was really good value, and the portion was pretty generous too.

After this visit, I finally understand why it’s known for having the best scones in London. If you don’t like scones, I’d definitely recommend coming here; it might just be that you haven’t tried proper ones yet! It’s perfect for a weekend brunch, or an afternoon tea with some pastries in a cosy English tea room.