Willow Tea Rooms
Take tea in Charles Rennie Mackintosh-designed splendour, surrounded by wooden lattice-style screens, iconic high-backed ladder chairs and incredible leaded glasswork. There are several Willow Tea Rooms in Glasgow, but the Sauchiehall Street location is the best as it retains most of the original architectural details.
Designed by Mackintosh for Kate Cranston in 1904, every detail was considered and carefully planned, right down to the teaspoons and the waitresses’ uniforms. The afternoon tea includes shortbread alongside the usual suspects of sandwiches, scones and cake, and is reasonably priced at £11.95.
Or you could go for the more traditional Scottish option of haggis, neeps and tatties.
The Willow Tea Rooms
217 Sauchiehall Street
Glasgow G2 3EX
Tel. 0141 332 0521
This local design studio has reached legendary status in the interiors world, with their fresh and subversive take on traditional wallpaper.
You might recognise their French toile-style London and Glasgow designs, which portray gritty urban scenes of homeless people, muggings and a dude pissing in the park. Great stuff.
If you’re not in the market for wallpaper, you can still get a piece of Beasties brilliance, with an excellent collection of lampshades, mugs and cushions.
Timorous Beasties
384 Great Western Road
Glasgow G4 9HT
Tel. 0141 337 2622
Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday 10.30am-6pm
Friday 10.30am-5pm
The sheer volume of higgledy-piggledy stock in Voltaire & Rousseau can be quite overwhelming, and it’s the book hoarder’s answer to Relics (complete with shop cat and dog).
It’s well worth spending some time to have a poke around – I picked up a wonderful old book, The Scottish Clans & Their Tartans, featuring 96 colour plates of Tartans. A wee gem.
Voltaire & Rousseau
18 Otago Lane
Glasgow G12 8PB
Click here for a Wee Trip to Glasgow, Part 1
Click here for a Wee Trip to Glasgow, Part 2
It must have been wonderful to have tea in such a architecturally rich space, Top Bird!
Posted by: Karen | January 21, 2010 at 03:15 PM
Ooooh, that tea room looks *amazing*!!! I want to go!
Posted by: skirmishofwit | January 21, 2010 at 03:27 PM
Hmm, that cake looks squishy-delicious. I love the Book Cat!
Posted by: petajane | January 21, 2010 at 05:09 PM
I LOVE Glasgow. I think it's time for a visit.
Posted by: Di Overton | January 21, 2010 at 05:58 PM
I want to go to Glasgow to!
Thank you:)
Posted by: Hege | January 21, 2010 at 06:55 PM
Your other two posts had got me thinking about Glasgow, but between the Mackintosh tea room and THAT bookshop, I have to go!
Posted by: Fionnuala | January 21, 2010 at 08:20 PM
Oh you went to the best places! I am going to Glasgow tomorrow and will go to the beautiful tea rooms... definately going for a scone. My mum used to take me there as a young girl and to this day I am still in awe of Mackintosh's style. Did you manage to make it to Mr Bens vintage? The sell the most amazing dresses.
x
Posted by: walkthesand | January 21, 2010 at 11:24 PM
What wonderful finds in Glasgow. Absolutely love the cushions by Timorous Beasties.
Posted by: Cate | January 22, 2010 at 10:25 PM
totally ♥ ♥ ♥ it ... I feel like high tea already and it isn't even 10AM yet ...
Posted by: Dominica | January 24, 2010 at 07:03 AM
Love your shots Top Bird - what an adorable kitty one. x
Posted by: Jenny Wren | January 30, 2010 at 09:48 PM
Two of my favorite things - Timorous Beasties and Glasgow city - lovely post
Posted by: trincket* | January 30, 2010 at 11:41 PM
Love the Glasgow posts - they make me want to set aside a whole weekend to rediscover my hometown! I still live in Glasgow but never seem to have the time to explore all these places - I'll definitely need to make time now! Thanks.
Posted by: Kathryn | May 13, 2010 at 08:20 AM
Mr Big and Carrie's bedroom wallpaper in the new SATC 2 movie designed by Timorous Beasties
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/lace-mill-gets-into-bed-with-sex-and-the-city-1.1029645
Posted by: MsGodarkly | May 24, 2010 at 02:45 PM