The Willow Tea Rooms

The Willow Tea Rooms on Buchanan Street were inspired by the works of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and are modelled on Kate Cranston’s Ingram Street Tea Rooms from the early 1900s, recreating the fabulous interiors from the White Dining Room and the Chinese (Blue) Room. Contrasting colours within the rooms are a distinguishing feature. The White Dining Room is a light, bright room featuring leaded glass and elegant high-backed chairs. The Chinese Room features brilliant blue tones, replica domino chairs and great views of Buchanan Street. The Willow Tea Rooms is a popular place to visit within Glasgow's city centre and a perfect place to rest after shopping on Buchanan Street. In addition to the traditional menus, there is also a menu that features gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options.

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Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s very first Willow Tearoom on Sauchiehall Street was opened in 1903 as a joint venture with Kate Cranston following the success of other Glasgow tearooms designed and run by the entrepreneurial pair. Today the Buchanan Street Willow Tea Room is a homage to Mackintosh with its two reproduction interiors echoing the Ingram Street Tea Room’s White Dining Room and Chinese (blue) Room The café itself is on two levels perched high above Buchanan street. The reproduction Mackintosh furniture on the first level creates a series of virtually enclosed spaces where groups or couples can settle down to enjoy their choice of Scottish traditional dishes including haggis, neeps and tatties, Cullen skink (which is up there with the best in Glasgow), afternoon tea with scones and meringues or indeed the increasingly popular and competitively priced full Scottish breakfast. All cakes are homemade and if ordered as part of afternoon tea are indeed sumptuous. The real bargain surprise is the child’s afternoon tea served on a special three tier stand with a choice of sandwiches, a cream, jam and fruit scone and an enormous slice of millionaire’s shortbread.