Hidden Scotland
Sign in
The church hall café with tall windows, pale wood floors and bunting.
Glasgow

The Wild Olive Tree

A social enterprise café inside St George's Tron Church on Buchanan Street, whose profits help homeless and vulnerable people in Glasgow.

Visit websiteCall
Welcome

The Wild Olive Tree is a café hidden away inside St George's Tron Church, at the top of Buchanan Street, and it is a café with a purpose.

It is run as a social enterprise, and its profits go to Glasgow City Mission and the Bethany Christian Trust, which help people who are homeless or vulnerable in the city.

The café fills the church's tall, light hall, with long windows, pale wood floors, bunting strung between the pillars and a big painting of friends round a café table on the wall. It serves good teas and coffees, homemade soup with thick slices of bread, and a counter of cakes and traybakes, but the scones, split and piled with jam and cream, are what people come back for. It is a quiet, friendly place to stop in the middle of the shopping streets, a few steps from Buchanan Street and Queen Street Station. The Wild Olive Tree opens from Monday to Saturday, from half past ten in the morning until half past four, and is closed on Sunday.

The Daily

Arrives at 5am every day.

A free morning email to see what’s on this week, catch up on what’s happening in Scotland and find somewhere new to go.

The Daily for 1 November, from Scotland with love. A misty lane runs past slate-roofed cottages toward a wooded hillside.
Close byDrygate BreweryUnder a mileSee itDrygate Brewery
Before you go

The Wild Olive Tree opens Monday to Saturday from 10.30am to 4.30pm.

It is closed on Sunday.

Hours
Mon to Sat 10:30 to 16:30; closed Sun.
Where
St George's Tron Church, 163 Buchanan Street, G1 2JX.

Opening hours

Monday
10.30am–4.30pm
Tuesday
10.30am–4.30pm
Wednesday
10.30am–4.30pm
Thursday
10.30am–4.30pm
Friday
10.30am–4.30pm
Saturday
10.30am–4.30pm
Sunday
Closed

Eaten here? Tell others what to order and when to go, and the best go on this page with your name.

Add your tip
Where it is

St George's Tron Church, 163 Buchanan Street.

Close byIn the city centre.
  1. Cakes and a red teapot at a window table in Laboratorio Espresso, with the sandstone buildings of West Nile Street beyond.Laboratorio EspressoA small speciality espresso bar on West Nile Street, a block from Queen Street station, with pastries and sandwiches, open every day.Under a mile as the crow flies
  2. Wooden shelves of whisky and spirits running the length of the Good Spirits Co. on Bath Street, with a barrel of bottles in the front.The Good Spirits Co.A specialist whisky and spirits shop on Bath Street, opened in 2011, with a tasting room for whisky, wine and cocktail evenings.Under a mile as the crow flies
  3. Ornate lamp posts glow on a wet, foggy city street at nightGeorge SquareUnder a mile 1 min by road
  4. A full breakfast with black pudding and fried eggs.The Anchor LineA first-class restaurant and bar on St Vincent Place, themed on the golden age of ocean travel.Under a mile 3 min by road
  5. The Horseshoe's front lit at night, its name across the windows.The Horseshoe BarA Victorian pub of 1884 on Drury Street, with an island bar 104 feet long.Under a mile 4 min by road
  6. A spread of Chinese dishes, noodles and spring rolls on a dark table.Lychee OrientalChinese, Thai and Japanese cooking under chef Jimmy Lee on Mitchell Street.1 mile 4 min by road
Directions
The City Chambers at dusk, lit along its stone front, the tower above the pediment and the Cenotaph in the foreground.AttractionsGeorge Square & City Chambers0.2 miles
Sea bream with charred corn and tomatillo salsa, pork belly and prawns with chickpeas on Sebb's red-rimmed plates.RestaurantsSebb's0.2 miles
Red leather booths, globe lamps and timber walls in the dining room at Margo.RestaurantsMargo0.2 miles
Dahi ke kebab in a nest of crisp vermicelli on beetroot ketchup and green chutney, on a patterned plate at Kalinga.RestaurantsKalinga by Sagar Massey0.2 miles
Inside Rubadub on Howard Street: racks of records in the middle of the floor, synths and drum machines on the shelves, and a spiral stair up to the gallery.ShoppingRubadub0.4 miles
Corner building with wooden benches and planters on a Glasgow streetCafeSpitfire Espresso0.5 miles
A server at the white counter with bowls ready to fill.CafeSprigg0.5 miles
A waiter carrying copper dishes through the busy dining room.RestaurantsDakhin0.5 miles
A long straight Merchant City street of sandstone buildings under a pale pink sky.AttractionsMerchant City0.5 miles

Recommend to a friend

Stay nearby

Places to stay near the café, and when each is next free.

A grey sofa with cushions sits before a black and white kitchen, a framed print on the wall to the left.Moment Blythswood Street
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Glasgow
  • Under a mile from The Wild Olive Tree
Check datesA grey corner sofa with cushions and a sheepskin throw sits before a shelf of books and a round mirror, a wood burning stove and log store to the right.Talli House
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Dunlop
  • 12 miles from The Wild Olive Tree
Free 11–13 JanPlaces to stayEvery stay in GlasgowAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
Hidden Scotland, the magazine

Scotland, in print.

We want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.

Get Issue 13Read it here
Read on

The collections it is in and more in Glasgow.

CollectionThe Best Coffee Shops in ScotlandCollectionGlasgow's Best Cafes
More in Glasgow
Find out more

For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .