I've given this place two chances: once in Las Vegas in the US and then again here in Canada. The Alley is consistently mediocre at making boba drinks. Unfortunately I brought a first timer to try a boba drink and they were disappointed as well. If I get a brown sugar boba, it better have enough brown sugar syrup. Both times I've gotten them here, they just tasted like milk. I had to tell my friend afterwards to erase this first boba experience from their head (I'll bring them somewhere else). Definitely don't get the brown sugar boba drinks here :( read more

The Alley - Brown sugar ube puff boba - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Its a good place that is popular in other cities like Toronto with good quality items and centrally located beside byward market. The only reason it is a 3/5 is for silly reasons but ones I cant seem to get past. I find the menu to be quite limited with mostly plain milk tea. The item I got they were weighing my tapioca... i guess that is a good way to make flavors consistent.... But the worker was very exact scooping out 2-3 tapioca balls.. which i found silly for $7.... Anywaysssss It was tasty anyways... but some weird things here read more

The Alley - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

The bubble tea at The Alley was good. Some of the flavors are unique. It's definitely better than an average bubble tea place in Ottawa. The atmosphere is cute and cozy. My only issue is sometimes certain cafinated drinks cause my stomach to ache - and my stomach had that same caffine aching after the bubble tea. But that's a personal thing. So for that reason I personally won't go back in my own. read more

The Alley - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Would give 2.5 stars if possible. Like the Merry Dairy, this establishment is mediocre at best. Location does most of the heavy lifting here. Ambiance is acceptable but not to my preference. Would prefer Chatime over this... same quality if not better than here. read more

The Alley has finally opened up a location in Ottawa! Now if only we could get a OneZo Tapioca here, my bubble tea dreams will have come true, lol. So I love bubble teas at The Alley, which is a Taiwanese chain. I've had their bubble teas in Toronto and in Montreal and they are always consistently good. This location in Ottawa was no different. Since they just opened, they are having an opening special of 10% off until July 24, 2020. I got a small Deerioca Puff ($6 - 10% = $5.40). It was my first time having this drink. I usually get the Royal No. 9 Tea Latte (which has delicious notes of blueberry in it) or The Alley Trio Tea Latte (which has 3 toppings: tapioca, pineapple jelly and rainbow jelly). The Deerioca Puff contains their signature brown sugar infused tapioca pearls (they call them "Deerioca" instead of tapioca) which are made in-house and are served warm, with custard pudding and milk. Apparently it's supposed to have a creme brulee topping, but mine did not have this :( The sugar level is fixed for this drink, and since I usually get my bubble teas 25-30% sweet, I did find this drink too sweet, but it was still very good. The tapioca pearls (aka Deerioca) were soft and chewy, with a slight smokey caramel flavour and the drink was smooth and creamy. The inside of this location is less industrial chic than most of its locations which usually has lots of exposed brick and lots of wood, and while it's not exactly spacious, it's much less narrow and cramped than other The Alley locations. Service was friendly and efficient. This location had the misfortune of having their grand opening during the Covid-19 Pandemic, but I hope it will survive. Staff were all in masks they have limits on the number of people allowed in the store at a given time to abide my Pandemic guidelines. Downtown Ottawa is becoming quite the Bubble Tea Haven. The Alley is definitely a welcomed addition to the mix! read more

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The Alley has cemented itself as one of the strongest bubble tea franchises, at least in Ontario. I'm very glad it has an Ottawa location. They have a great lineup of drinks; their signature teas are their Deerioca series, a dirty brown sugar milk tea with tapioca. They also have the option to serve either regular or soy milk, so they're quite accommodating. The main appeal is that the tapioca is a bit warmed up when the drink is served to you, making them pop out a lot more with the tea. I've also had the iron goddess here (a regular milk tea with oolong), and I'll recommend it to anyone who wants a rich, strong taste to accompany the milk. The staff are very polite, with service coming pretty quickly. I don't think they've marked up their prices too much either. Having a location right downtown also works out really well. Overall, very strong boba location. Recommended. read more

Well well well, After a long brake from visiting new places, my wife and I finally went to try something new, but famous like The Alley. It is one of the best bubble tea places in Toronto, plus it is famous all over the world. The staff was really helpful with choosing the ideal option for me, as I do not like boba and sweet teas. The know what they are talking about. The tea itself was really nice and refreshing. The price was about $6. I think that it is a reasonable value, as they seem to use quality materials. Overall, I think that is a great place to get something new, but one think is that their choices have less options, e.g. Preso Tea has a bunch of selection. I would definitely recommend to try this place out! read more

The Alley - Passion fruit tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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Awesome drinks , very nice store, chic, loved the cups and presentation sleek design. I ordered the strawberry snow lulu.. awesome drink with a cream cheese froth that tastes like a drink of cheesecake! My sis got a passion fruit green tea with pineapple jelly super refreshing! The place is still in soft opening mode and line ups are too long! We waited about an hour but was well worth the wait! Can't wait to be back! read more

The Alley - a black and white image of a deer - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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I am so excited one finally opened up in Ottawa! The Alley is one of, in my opinion, the best bubble tea places! They have a great selection of drinks and their milk teas are superb. We've tried the earl grey milk tea, as well as the iron goddess milk tea and it was great! The prices are average for bubble tea so it's fairly reasonable. You can collect points for free drinks by downloading their app. I believe you can also order on the app to make things easier for COVID. I highly recommend this bubble tea spot! I will definitely make the trip out just for this! read more

The Alley - Large Iron Goddess Milk Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

First and last time here. I ordered one Passion Fruit Green Tea and one Honey Green Tea; the latter was for me. The person taking my order barely spoke English, and another worker had to come over several times to help. Due to her inability to understand that I wanted both drinks with low sugar, I ended up with a drink that was impossibly sweet (apparently, the sweetness of the Honey Green Tea cannot be adjusted). It tasted like cheap powdered iced tea with extra sugar, and I found it absolutely disgusting, throwing it away on the spot after one sip. This wouldn't have happened if the worker could clearly communicate. read more

Yummy new bubble tea spot in Byward Market! Located on corner of Sussex and York. Did not have a long wait on a Thursday evening, and social distancing was good and masks were on. Enjoyed a 10% Off for their grand opening. Will return and try their other drinks! read more

The Alley - Deerioca matcha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

BEST BUBBLE TEA IN OTTAWA!! Soft opening promo: 10% off until July 24, 2020. For people who are unfamiliar with The Alley, this is a global chain and they are famous for their deer and rustic interior. They have many unique flavours and I highly recommend their top 6 drinks. Keep in mind that some drinks have FIXED sugar and ice levels!! So if you typically order your bbt with less sugar, you may want to have a couple of backup drinks in mind. In terms of price, most are $5-6 and toppings are $0.50. The aurora series (morning dawn and northern lights) $8 are the most aesthetic and expensive drinks but they are underwhelming and I would NOT recommend them. COVID note: masks are mandatory. Hand sanitizer is available. The washroom IS open. Indoor seating is available but it's not very spacious (for comparison it's smaller than Coco tea and Chatime). read more

The Alley - Left: apple of my eye (includes aloe topping) Right: snow velvet peach matcha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

My long awaited first visit to The Alley and I was not disappointed! I ordered the Deerioca Fever on ice - fresh milk and warm brown sugar tapioca pearls. Refreshing and delicious! Friendly and fast service. Would recommend. I am now looking forward to trying other drinks on the menu. read more

The Alley - Deerioca Fever - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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The Alley is one of the best bubble tea chains out there and this location is not an exception! I am so glad they finally opened a chain in Ottawa as their brown sugar bubble tea is unparalleled to any other place (no wonder it is their most popular flavour!). However, the Earl Grey Milk tea was just as good - perfectly balanced sweetness and super chewy tapioca (I personally recommend getting it half sugar). I also love the place as it so clean and appealing to the eye - the design and aesthetics is incomparable to other bubble tea chains. I only wish they had wider selection of flavours and toppings:) read more

The Alley - Hot Earl Grey Milk Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I love to tryeth boba places and this hath to beest one of mine minion ones! So many options but 't isn't overwhelming. As someone who is't loves matcha, i would recommend the 'snow velvet peach matcha' with nay sugar! read more

The Alley - snow velvet peach matcha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Very good bubble tea, their Deerioca and Matcha Deerioca are both really good! Perfect balance of sweetness and ice, not too much of either and good size. Prime location right next to the Byward Market and parliament. The tapiocas are warm and good!Recommended! read more

The Alley - two drinks in front of a sign - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

polite staff. helpful in my decision of beverage. ideal location. fair prices

I love bubble tea and I'm always on hunt for the best one let me admit it this bubble tea is the best one ever I didn't take a picture until it is almost done , I ordered the strawberry snow lulu was very refreshing and yummy , very nice place from inside and cozy location in downtown Ottawa I will definitely be back to try more bubble teas on the menu as they have many options to choose from, also not to forget it is a chic and classy bubble tea place ! read more