The Willow Tea Rooms – A famous Glasgow Treasure

It is highly likely that if you mention to someone familiar with Glasgow your intention to visit, that The Willow Tea Rooms will come up in conversation. The Willow Tea Rooms are to Glasgow like Harrods is to London, or Macy’s is to New York!

Today, the Tea Rooms found in Buchanan Street, (re-opened in 2016 after extensive refurbishment) are modelled on Kate Cranston’s Ingram Street Tea Rooms and in fact are in the building right beside the original Buchanan Tea Rooms. Interestingly, Kate was quite the entrepreneur and opened four tea rooms in Glasgow, Argyle Street, Ingram Street, Buchanan Street and Sauchiehall Street in 1903.  One of the designers she used at the time was Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who made sure that the patrons all dined and enjoyed the stunning surroundings that he had designed and created.

Over the years, The Willow Tea Rooms stay consistently popular with locals and visitors who love to experience the tradition of all that is served there including breakfast, morning coffee, lunch and of course the showstopper Afternoon Tea! If you have a dietary requirement that will be catered for as there is a great range of gluten free, dairy free and vegan options on the menu.

What’s also unique to the Willow Tea Rooms along with their incredibly beautiful surroundings is the fact that the same menu is available all day, so you can enjoy breakfast in the afternoon and afternoon tea early morning, if that suits your taste buds! 

When you’ve enjoyed a traditional Scottish experience at the Willow Tea Rooms, you can then pop over to the gift shop on site, where you can browse through a wide array of Mackintosh and Glaswegian goods and gifts. For more information and to book a table visit here.

Our staff at the Acorn Hotel will be more than happy to tell you as much information as you would like on the Willow Tea Rooms, and the great news is we are only a 25 minute stroll from Buchanan Street.