The Mackintosh Tearooms enter a new era

The tearooms were first opened in 1903 by Glasgow entrepreneur Miss Catherine (Kate) Cranston. Considered one of Glasgow’s most important contributions to modernism, the venue’s design was highly influential across European art and design from the moment of opening.

Originally known as The Miss Cranston Luncheon and Tearooms and also as The Willow Tearooms, it was renamed Mackintosh at the Willow in 2018 after being restored and reopened by Celia Sinclair Thornqvist MBE and The Willow Tea Rooms Trust, with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and others.

We took on the ownership of the tearooms in 2024 to ensure their long-term security. Two years on, the new name makes clear the Mackintosh Tearooms’ place as one of the most important heritage experiences in Glasgow’s city centre and connects it clearly to Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the contribution he and his wife Margaret Macdonald (who produced designs for the interior) made to Scotland and the world.

This step forward in the life of the iconic venue is part of Mackintosh Illuminated, a project we launched in 2024 to spotlight Mackintosh and Macdonald, and inspire as many as possible with their creative genius and the beauty of their creations. Awarded £1.1 million in development support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, this project will also enable us to continue vital conservation work at the Mackintosh-designed Hill House in Helensburgh.

Phil Long OBE, the Trust’s Chief Executive, said: ‘When these tearooms first opened in 1903, Mackintosh’s radical design simultaneously startled and attracted people to Miss Cranston’s boldest business venture yet.’

‘There are many cafés in Glasgow and indeed across Scotland that have taken inspiration from the design of Mackintosh’s famously stylish Glasgow tearooms. We are immensely proud to care for the only tearooms by Mackintosh remaining in situ and still operating from its original iconic location on Sauchiehall Street.

‘It is thanks to significant support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, and from our members and donors, that we brought this special place into our care so we can continue to promote the legacy of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife and professional collaborator Margaret Macdonald across Scotland and around the world.’

The Mackintosh Tearooms are located at 217 Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow and are open daily for lunch and afternoon tea.

The gift shop and exhibition are also open daily. The exhibition explores the vibrancy of Glasgow in the late 1890s and early 1900s, looking at the collaboration between the pioneering Miss Cranston and Mackintosh and Macdonald through interactive audio and visual displays.

The Mackintosh Tearooms also regularly host community events for people of all ages, and the venue is available for private functions.