The Wild Olive Tree

+44 141 248 2049

St George's Tron Church of Scotland, 163 Buchanan St, Glasgow G1 2JX United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Open Today: -

Quick Facts About The Wild Olive Tree

The Wild Olive Tree has several strengths that make it a popular place among customers. One of these strengths is the delicious scones they serve. According to one commenter, the scones have a perfect taste and texture, making them a must-try for visitors. Another strength is the variety of homemade soups available, which are described as delicious and reasonably priced. Customers also appreciate the lovely atmosphere of the cafe, finding it calming and peaceful. The staff is consistently praised for being friendly and helpful, contributing to a positive dining experience.

Additionally, the cafe offers a unique and memorable dining experience as it is located within a church. This gives customers the opportunity to enjoy their meals in a distinctive setting and adds to the overall ambiance of the establishment. The accessible restroom and the fact that the interior feels warm and airy are also mentioned as positive aspects of the cafe.

Another strength of The Wild Olive Tree is their commitment to giving back to the community. One commenter highlights the "pay it forward" option, which allows customers to contribute to providing food for local homeless individuals. This socially conscious initiative is appreciated by customers and adds to the positive reputation of the cafe.

Despite its strengths, The Wild Olive Tree does have some weaknesses that should be addressed. One criticism is the quality of the coffee. While the scones are praised, the coffee is consistently described as not being the best. This could be a potential area for improvement, as high-quality coffee can greatly enhance the overall dining experience.

Another weakness mentioned is the lack of signage for the cafe until entering the church. This confusion can deter potential customers from finding the cafe and hinder its visibility. Implementing clear signage to guide visitors to the entrance of the cafe could help alleviate this issue.

Another critique is related to the ordering process. Commenters note that there are no menus provided and customers need to stand near the entrance to look over the menu and place their orders. This can be inconvenient, especially during busy periods or when people are entering the restaurant. Offering menus at the table or finding a more efficient way of ordering could improve the overall customer experience.

Finally, one commenter mentions that the church atmosphere might be off-putting for those who do not worship God. While some customers appreciate the unique setting, others find it disruptive to their dining experience. It is important for the cafe to find a balance between creating a welcoming environment that aligns with its church location while also catering to a diverse range of customers.

In conclusion, The Wild Olive Tree has several strengths that make it a popular choice among customers. These include delicious scones, a variety of homemade soups, a lovely atmosphere, friendly staff, and a unique dining experience within a church. However, there are also some weaknesses that should be addressed, such as improving the quality of the coffee, providing clearer signage, offering menus at the table, and finding a balance between the church atmosphere and the preferences of all customers. Despite these weaknesses, The Wild Olive Tree remains a highly recommended cafe in Glasgow.

Best TL Reviews

Simply delicious scones, perfect taste and texture. Coffee wasn't the best, but definitely worth a visit for the scones.

Love this place. Several home made soups to choose from with either a doorstep of bread and butter or a scone. Lovely atmosphere and delicious reasonably priced food. You will not be disappointed.

Very friendly staff, delicious chai latte (with oat milk), typical prices, calming environment though a little off-putting that it’s in a church. There is also no signage for the cafe until you enter the church which confused us.

The church atmosphere is a little off putting unless you worship god, but the chai latte is cute and tastes very good so it mostly balances that out.

Really neat dining experience in the heart of downtown Glasgow. The restaurant is accessible through the side entrance of the church that houses it, and boasts a lot of seating comfortably spread out amongst the dining room area (the church's nave).

The menu features primarily soups with bread, scones and a number of other desserts, as well as coffee, too. I ordered a scone with cream, and my friend ordered tea as well as a scone. The service here was amazing and quite quick, with friendly staff members, and my scone was great (vanilla scone). My friend's scone was also good (pumpkin, sunflower scone), but it was not nearly as good as the one I ordered, and the tea was also pretty decent.

Additionally, I should point out that the cream was a very good move, as it was excellent, and that the scones come with their own little jar of jelly, too, which is very good and tastes fresh. Other nice things included an accessible restroom at the back of the church, and the interior feeling warm yet also nice and airy.

The small complaints that I do have are that the restaurant does not have menus that they pass out to you, and you need to stand near the entrance to look over the menu and order, which can be a problem when people are entering the restaurant or when it becomes busier. Other than that, a great experience (plus they have strong wifi with a code on the menu at the front!)

What an amazing place. A cafe in a church. Wonderful peaceful atmosphere. I just had a scone today but will definitely be back. Love that you can "pay it forward" so that food is given to local homeless folks. Fantastic!

For different rendezvous in Glasgow this is a regular central venue to grab a coffee and chat. A good selection of scones and cakes. Add a bowl of soup. Good service and prompt.

Really peaceful place with lovely range of soup on offer. Staff very helpful but did have to wait 15 mins for a table. A great outreach from the church.