96 miles N 2 hours drive G2 3EX
Mackintosh at the Willow Tea Rooms on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow are the last surviving tea rooms designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and originally opened in 1903. (Not to be confused with The Willow Tea Rooms on Buchanan Street, which are Art Nouveau and Mackintosh themed but not designed by Mackintosh himself.)
For those with a love of all things Mackintosh the tea rooms are a real treat.
Both the downstairs and the mezzanine level feature stunning elements, including original Mackintosh-designed lights, chairs, tables, and decoration.
Even if you don’t know much about Mackintosh, anyone who appreciates art will love the spectacular feel of the place. I felt like I wanted to photograph everything!
We had a light dinner and a pot of tea for two, which was well presented and tasted good. The staff were all very courteous and pleasant.
Before we left we walked round the rest of the tea rooms to make sure we fully experienced it and appreciated the design of each part. The staff were more than happy to let us take photographs.
Private Tour!
One member of staff noticed our interest, and so very kindly gave us a brief tour upstairs to the Salon de Luxe and Billiard Room. He also gave us some interesting history about when the building was taken over, the millions of pounds spent on the restoration, which original items were restored, and the methods used.
I’ve literally waited years to visit these tea rooms and am happy to say that the experience lived up to my expectations and I’d love to visit again.
We visited towards the end of the day, so the Mackintosh shop, and exhibition – which you can tour in addition to the tea rooms – was closing. We’d love to do it another time though. We only had a few minutes to look around the shop, but saw that it has a good range of Mackintosh style items and gifts.
Before visiting Mackintosh at the Willow we visited Hill House in Helensburgh on the same day. To read about our visit there, click here.
Contact, Links & Reviews
217 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow G2 3EX
https://www.mackintoshatthewillow.com/
Planning Your Visit
96 miles N 2 hours drive G2 3EX
You’ll need to find parking in Glasgow, and then walk to the Tea Rooms and Gift Shop. We sometimes use JustPark. However, be aware of Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone (LEZ) if you drive an older vehicle.
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/PASZEV1kAjPfzMV57
