I had such a long day today!! I definitely needed some BBT to recharge myself. I ordered Royal No. 9 and my friend ordered something with Strawberry (sorry forgot the name). Both drinks were good, love the hint of blueberry in the Royal No. 9. read more

The Alley - August 13, 2024 - BBT + Goose Goose Duck BBT bag - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Cute little place in a plaza with so many boba shops! Came here because I was craving matcha and this place had a matcha drink. Ended up ordering the Deerioca Matcha. I had asked to adjust the ice level on the drink but they told me it was fixed which I thought was a little odd. Other than that, ordering was super easy and straightforward. The drink tasted amazing and I could really taste the matcha. The boba was flavorful but was slightly hard in the middle. The drink looks small but it was just enough for me. read more

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Very busy location but staff was great at tackling the line. They informed us that our drink was a promo item so it would take longer to make. Super appreciated that communication. We were waiting for an empty table to see if someone would sanitize it. There was nothing for us to clean it ourselves either. I understand it as busy and restrictions are not as tight but proper table sanitization is important. The drink was meh. I don't like grape anyways but just wanted to promo item. Tasted better after we stirred it more. Happy with his location compared to the North York one. read more

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Very fast and efficient service. Right now on their new app every 9th of the month they are doing half price off their royal no.9 series! I got the royal no.9 tea latte and it was delicious as always and the tapioca was cooked well. read more

I was around the area so I had to come here! First off, aesthetically it's nice. I ordered the ube/taro brown sugar series. I liked how they added actual taro root besides the ube coloring. It was pretty expensive for the cost but it was definitely a good go to for a semi hot day. read more

The Alley - Brown sugar series taro - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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The Alley Ratings: 4.1/5 Food: 4.25/5 - My boyfriend and I came here after our dinner, because we wanted something refreshing. The Alley is a classic boba chain and I've been a couple of times. I like the fact that they are pretty consistent throughout all of their locations, and they served some delicious milk tea drinks. Please read the descriptions below for more details on the drink that I got. - Peach Oolong [GET]: It's a really refreshing drink, and this is my first time trying it. You cannot adjust the sugar for this drink, but I did get it with less ice. Surprisingly, it was not that sweet at all, in fact I could have it a bit sweeter. There's an entire tea bag in it, but I like the strong oolong tea flavor, and not too bitter. I just wished the peach flavor was more present, since I mainly tasted the oolong. The herbal jelly was nicely prepared, chewy and bouncy, and it tasted fresh. Ambiance: 4.25/5 - As soon as we walked in, there's a big tree in the center that caught my attention, because the decor looks a lot like a speakeasy (called Wild Orange) that I have been to in Oahu, Hawaii. The interior of The Alley is quite dark and dimly lit with a good amount of indoor seating available; it is small and narrow. This location is generally on the less busy side, so probably a good spot for a date night. Price: 4/5 - My boyfriend and I each got a drink, and he treated me. I think my drink was $6 before tax and didn't come with any topping, so I added herbal jelly for extra cost. The prices are pretty standard for a tea drink, and I was pretty satisfied with it. The cups are cute too. Service: 3.75/5 - There's two staffs working there, one taking orders while the other one making the drinks. It is the typical boba shop customer service you would expect, nothing too special or outstanding. Also, I think it got a bit busy after we walk in, so it did take them a while to make the drinks, at least 15+ minutes. BLUF: Your classic and more popular boba chain in the GTA. They have a large selection of milk tea and fruit teas, and the ingredients are always fresh, and flavors are always consistent. I would recommend give them a try if you haven't, and I highly recommend their new Ube drink or if you are looking for something on the lighter side, then get the fruit teas. I want to return to try their Honey Aloe drink, because I heard it is even more refreshing than the one I got today. read more

The Alley - Peach Oolong w/ Grass Jelly - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Tried the crunchy tiramisu and it was amazing. Felt like I was drinking an actual tiramisu. I didn't like the tapioca in it that much but the crunchy texture was great. I normally stick to trio or royal number 9 but I'm glad I branched out. I have a new favourite read more

The Alley - Crunchy tiramisu - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

The Alley has locations all across Toronto and they are all very consistent in the way they make their bubble tea. We've been having their Deerlica Fever as a hot beverage and it comes to about $7 for each drink. This particular location is generally quiet with few customers. However it is quite small and narrow so there is not much space to wait for your order. If there is a party ahead of you, you'll have to maneuver around them as you place your order and then pickup as you get deeper into the store. One tip is to download The Alley app, order and pay through your phone, and simply pickup your order when you get there. You can also start collecting points so after collecting points for 10 drinks, you get a free drink! read more

The Alley - Outside - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I had the Ube Puff which is a seasonal flavor. It was delicious, and tastes custardy! I really like it! read more

The Alley - Ube Puff - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

First impression? Right up my alley! This place is definitely cool and hip. The Midland location is on the cozy side, with dim lighting, and the décor is rustic with dark wood and exposed red brick walls. The aisle between the cashier/counter and some tiny tables and chairs is very tight; you'll need to squeeze by when there is a lineup. There are other places to sit ... a few stools beside a live tree near the front entrance, some counters by the sidewall, and in the back of the café. I'm not sure if their other 11 locations (at last count) are more spacious ... I find the drinks are pricey, and on the smaller side. While the cups are cute, the regular size cup is soft and squishy due to the rounded bottom. We were excited the try the Deerioca Fever, which is their ever-popular signature drink. The tapioca pearls are soaked in a brown sugar mixture, which supposedly adds a rich caramel flavor. So sad, they were sold out! We decided to try their Snow Strawberry Lulu from the Lulu Fresh Fruit Series. They had a 50% off promo for Canada Day. I asked for a large size but it only came in regular. It took a while for our drinks; however, the cashier did inform us there would be a bit of a wait. Our SS Lulu's had a strong strawberry flavor with bits of mashed strawberry. What I didn't like were the tiny bits of ice cubes that we got with each sip! The drink itself was quite watered down. The cream on top however, was very rich, sweet and delicious. I personally would not pay $6.00 each (regular price) for this particular series though. Service was a bit inconsistent, as some staff were more personable than others were. We'll have to go back and try their Deerioca series. I also heard the Royal No. 9 milk tea is quite good. read more

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This is their new series - the crunchy Milk Tea. 3 different flavours 1. Crunchy coco milk tea 2.crunchy brown sugar milk tea 3. Crunchy Tiramisu milk tea I tried the tiramisu milk tea. The drink takes a bit longer time to make than regular drinks. (Roughly 10 mins to make). I love tiramisu, so i gave it a try. Its actually not bad at all! Taste exactly like a tiramisu cake, but more on the slushy side. Its just like eating the cream of the tiramisu, but not the sponge cake (if that makes sense) Its very thick and creamy. Super satisfying and flavourful! I just wish it comes in a bigger size since it is more $$ than regular drinks. I personally would also prefer it without tapioca/peals (if you love tapioca, good for you), I just think there is too much going on. I think this drink is perfect already with the crunchy cereal and coco powder on top, while sipping through the tiramisu cream and milk tea. read more

The Alley - Crunchy Tiramisu Milk - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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The drink was overall good, but I felt that the customer service could be better. Perhaps it was because she couldnt hear me through the mask, but the attitude I recieved was not only sensed by me but also by my family member that doesnt speak fluent english. I asked if she can help me reload my account (the app) here, and she tell me it can be done by her or I can go through the app. When I said I wanted to recharge my account at the venue, she sort of gave me a look of dissatisfaction, and overall her tone was relatively rude. Later when I went to pay, she questioned whether I wanted to use my app to pay or simply just to use it for points. Confused, I asked if she can repeat what she meant, and she sounded annoyed again for me to ask her. Overall, maybe it was just how she talks, but it definitely came off as abrupt, and not a way I would like to be served. Their drinks were decent at this location, not my favourite Alley in terms of flavour. Tapioca was nice with texture as it waschewy and Iron goddess has nice flavour with a good amount of milk mixed in. The Deerioca with brown sugar and fresh milk was overly sweet compared to the other bbt places that serves this drink. Overall the drinks will be worth a 3.5 but the service really made the experience unpleasant. Given that theres so many options in this plaza, I'm unsure if I would come back to this Alley the next time. read more

This used to be one of our favourite bubble tea spots, but these past few months it's let us down. Our biggest complaint is the tapioca, which has been tough, chewy, and disappointing. I'm not sure what they are doing differently but it's a lot worse now and very noticeable. Although the flavour of the teas are still very good, it seems like we get inconsistent levels of sweetness each time even though we always ask for 50%. Lastly, inside is usually very overcrowded with too many people in such a tight space. It is pretty uncomfortable and sometimes it feels like we have to push our way out once we've got our drinks. read more

The Alley - Royal No.9 Milk Tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This is a really aesthetically pleasing bubble tea shop. The staff are all ready enthusiastic and nice. We ordered the aurora series northern lights (raspberry) and morning dawn (mango). The cashier let us know the drinks would take 20 minutes to make, which we were fine with because we were planning to just sit around and chat for a while. The drinks were very pretty, but in all honesty, they're just slushy juice--very chunky slush too. It was very sweet but nice and cold though. Honestly not worth it for as an actual drink but you can get it for the 'gram if you're into that. Note: this review is quite delayed, I was here in December 2017 so I don't know how much the place has changed since then read more

The Alley - Northern lights (left) morning dew (right) - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Tried their new ube derrioca puff drink. The Ube was a more subtle flavour, the milk and brown sugar pearls really overpowered it. It's also a pricey drink so would have hoped for a bit more ube flavour. It's not a bad drink but I wouldn't buy it for the ube. read more

The Alley - two cups of bubble tea on a table - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Hands down, FAVE bubble tea place in the GTA. The milk teas are rich with a good tea flavour. And they are just as good when you get them hot for those cold winter days. The Northern Lights slush is perfect for hot days - icey and refreshing! Not overwhelmingly sweet either! The drinks are around $5-6 for regular size. A tad bit pricier than Coco but definitely worth it! read more

Environment: very cool. I really like deer so the decorations really caught my attention. The area was small but it felt really cozy. Staff: the person who served me had so so English and I misunderstood her but!!! She was patient with me and was kind. Other workers were working hard making the drinks (ranged from $5.00-7 CAD). Drink: original milk tea, half sweet and regular ice. For me...it was still a tad too sweet. I should pick 1/3 and I think it would be better. However, the tea was very smooth and the flavor was nice. I enjoyed it very much, just a little less sweet the better for me. The price was a little expensive too but since I'm just a visitor, a little more for decent boba is fine. I would come back again next year to try another milk tea and ask for a hint of sugar. read more

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Revisited Alley after having a conversation with the owner. There was no line up this time around. The drinks were so different than our last visit. We came back for the same drinks. My companion and I both agree that Alley is back to its former glory. The drinks taste exactly how we remember it. The jasmine tea was fragrant. Everything is just the way it was suppose to be. Thank you so much! read more

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This place is awesome! I come here all the time. The customer service is outstanding. The atmosphere is pleasant and the drinks are amazing. Can be busy and seating can be limited on a Friday or Saturday night. Nonetheless, the drinks, are worth visiting The Alley. read more

The Alley - Passion fruit green tea with tapioca - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Small bbt shop in a plaza with at least 5 others. The drink names definitely give a trendy/hipster type vibe. I've had the royal #9 tea (definitely recommend) the Apple of my Eye (great if you like sour apple type flavors) and Penguin on Ice (I think that's the name, herbal and creamy). Not a lot of sitting space (less than 20), but both times I've been here and the few seats available were open. read more

The Alley - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This is my new favourite place for bubble tea. A friend recommended it and said I had to check it out for its unique flavours. I was happy I did! First of all, service is pretty friendly. They are happy to answer your questions and make suggestions. I have never felt rushed or brushed off. Also, they get your drink to you within a reasonable time frame. In terms of bubble tea, I've tried the jasmine green milk tea, the alley trio milk tea and the matcha deerioca, which includes tapioca that has been brewing for two hours or something along those lines. My favourite out of the three, was the jasmine green milk tea. I will definitely be returning to try their other bubble tea flavours! read more

The Alley - Matcha Deerioca - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

My review is for this particular location. Minus 1 star because they forgot my one topping. When I checked the receipt, they did charge it. I got a hot drink, so I couldn't see inside my cup to notice it was missing. I also took this order to go and didn't notice until I was 15 mins away. Minus another 1 star because of the size to price ratio for the "regular" size. They only have size regular and large for cold drinks. HOLY, the regular should be renamed as "ripoff SMALL". I've never seen such a tiny sized bubble tea. I wish I checked the reviews before we made our purchase. Once you do look at the photos, you can see that their smaller size got smaller! This wouldn't bother me so much if the price reflected the size. We got two drinks and paid $14 and the person I was with TIPPED on top of that (my bad for not telling him not to). If he got a large drink for this same price, I would have bumped them to 4 stars. However, I feel they are ripping off their customers by offering this tiny sized cup and charging $7.00 for it. I gave this location three stars because: The sweet dew milk tea we got tasted good enough. I really liked the cute deer sleeve for my hot drink. The decor is a lot nicer than other bbt places. I will not be back to this alley. With so many quality options in the same plaza, it would not make sense. read more

The Alley - Pen and highlighter for scale. - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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This place is aesthetic goals. You gotta come here just to take pictures of the cute ass cups&cup holders and you could have a nice photo shoot anywhere in the shop; the walls, the tables, indoor window sill, by the trees. The photo ops are limitless (which is a big part of why I came LOL). It was really busy when I came but it's not too bad. The wait to order gives you a chance to decide on what to get. They also make their drinks pretty fast so you get it in no time. The Royal No. 9 Tea - I got this cold with pudding. Black milk teas are my preference so I really enjoyed this. I loved it because the tea leaves for this drink is infused with blueberries! The taste is so unique and addicting. If you ask about it at the cash, they might just let you smell the tea leaves. The Iron Goddess Tea - This one was an impulse buy because I couldn't decide on a drink. It was the special of the day or something so they were giving out free samples at the cash. I thought the flavour was really light and plain but my boyfriend loved it. The only thing I don't like is that the seal for the cups is not plastic like other bubble tea stores usually have. The seal they use is a little thicker and it's hard to poke straws through. You can probably get used to that though! read more

Horrible horrible customer service.... i tried asking for less sugar in my drink, she said it's as is, I said fine....then I asked for extra ice...she refused to add extra ice....I know this isn't Starbucks but if I'm paying 9 bucks for a drink I want it to be done my way. Just to add to my previous review, the drink was horrible, all I taste was sugar. I don't understand why they think everyone has the same sugar tolerance, I took 2 sips and tossed it out. It was really worth the 9 dollars. read more

The Alley - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Definitely one of my favourite bubble tea joints! Although it is a bit pricier compared to other spots, the drinks are SO good and this place is one of the cleanest bubble tea joints I've been to (it's beautiful)! Upon arrival, the servers were really kind and even offered us samples. The samples were really good. I got the classic milk tea with tapioca and it was so good! Really refreshing. Only thing about this place would be that they have limited options compared to other places. All in all, I'd be back for the classic milk tea or even to try something new! read more

The Alley - Classic Milk Tea w/ Tapioca - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

If you like tea, you'll love this place. My favourite is the Royal #9. The Trio is my second fav. Wait is not too bad considering the long line up out the door. Decor is upscale, service is friendly. Definitely an asset to the plaza...probably the best bbt place there (in my opinion). read more

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The chain that started it all, the craze of the brown sugar milk tea that is. Unlike some other chains that have it all the time due to the brown sugar being added separately, the alley cooks their pearls in the brown sugar mixture. If you're looking for the brown sugar one it's called the deerioca here. The pearls absorbed the flavour of the pearls and are really quite tasty even separated from the drink. My favorited is definitely the matcha deerioca that has the gradient of deerioca, milk and matcha. This gets a perfect balance of the bitterness from the matcha with the rich sweetness of the brown sugar. This drink has only one size and comes with a fixed amount of sugar and ice levels. Apart from the deerioca, the only other drink I tried is the royal milk tea number 9. This is definitely not the regular milk tea concoction you can get and has a very distinct flavour that is unique to this drink. The Alley definitely focuses on its tea flavours as opposed to the fruity variety. The decoration is definitely spot on, with wooden furniture and finished with deer themed decorations. I've appreciate the rustic look to the tea as opposed to the bright modern spaces that most bubble tea places have. Definitely a must visit! read more

The Alley - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

BBT is a sporadic treat, and 'The Alley' has been on my list for a while. I had the popular Alley Trio Milk Tea (milk tea with tapioca, aloe and jello) with less ice, half sugar and in the large size. The first sip of tea showcased how fresh their tea is. It was fragrant and had a great aroma. The cane sugar highlighting the flavor without making it too sugary, which is my usual issue with BBT. I was impressed by the tea quality and how they kept it as the center-point of the drink. Personally, I would have preferred the aloe or the jello to be switched out for something else (like grass jelly?) since their texture was so alike and I couldn't tell them apart. The space is meant for more grab-and-go. There is limited seating (two bar areas, three 2ppl tables and a larger sitting area around a tree). You may get lucky and grab a table, but expect to be patient for a seat. A side observation. This location seems like a popular destination for first dates. I was here on a Sunday afternoon and there were two first dates going on (easily spotted by a guy arriving way early and staring at the door a lot, a girl arriving later and awkwardly saying hi, and the subsequent first-date interview process). It was cute to watch. read more

I'm not impressed with this location. Super slow to order and wait for the bubble tea. Been here 40 minutes and still haven't gotten my bubble tea. Thy ran out of tapioca too which is not impressive. As a first time customer, this sucked! Hopefully when I do get it, it's worth it. I got the milk tea trio and it was $6.70 after tax. read more

The Alley - A little crazy behind the counter - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Loved the Alley drinks, especially the Lime Honey Aloe. It's a really refreshing drink when you want to opt for something other than a tea. It comes with Aloe but I always add tapioca to it because their tapioca is delicious. I recommend getting the barista's to remove the lime skin from the drink. Leaving it in gives it a crunchy hint to bitter flavor (which I'm not a fan of). This particular Alley is very busy. I ordered using their online app at 12:15pm and the order wasn't ready until 1pm or so. They gave me an estimate of 15 mins which wasn't accurate so be prepared for a wait as they deal with walk-ins, Uber eats, and their online app orders. read more

I got the royal no. 9 and their matcha deerioca! I especially love their signature drink the deerioca it's tastes so good and the tapioca and hella chewy which I love! If I don't their the matcha deerioca I usually get the original deerioca with soy milk which is so good as well! Can't complain with the alley always a go to and hey never seem to disappoint! read more

The Alley - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

It was my first coming to try out the drinks at this place instead of my usual go to bubble tea places like chatime and coco! The cashiers are helpful in recommending drinks and also offered a sample of one of the drinks for my friend and I to try. With recommendations from the cashier, I decided to get the royal milk tea, and was told it had a fruity taste to it, which I was curious to try. It was different from other flavours I've tried and had a slight blueberry after taste to it. My friend got the matcha latte, which has a very rich matcha taste to it so unless you're a fan of matcha, I wouldn't recommend this drink. I believe the prices are slightly more expensive than bubble tea places like chatime and coco. The interior of this place was very aesthetically pleasing, and had a very calm, relaxed vibe. I would recommend this place if you want to try new and different flavours of milk tea because they have some interesting flavours, which I have yet to try! read more

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Completely satisfied!! Nice place! Good and prompt service! they made my hot drink really good!! keep coming back for sure :) read more

The Alley - Milk tea - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

The competition for bubble tea in this plaza is fierce. I must say (so far) this is my favourite spot! I tried the Deerioca Matcha drink for $6, which is served after 3PM only. Thankfully they had it ready to go an hour early when I visited so I got to try this signature drink. Tapioca + brown sugar is a delicious combo. Paired with fresh milk and matcha, you have a well crafted drink. I'll try their Royal Milk Tea next time since it has a hint of blueberry in it, and it's a favourite among my friends. Highly recommended! read more

The Alley - Sweet Dew Oolong, Deerioca Matcha, Deerioca with fresh milk - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Very hip place. I loved the tree decor inside. Drinks seemed to be on the smaller side. My cousin normally orders her drink less sweet but the matcha seemed on point! Of course I ordered a matcha drink which I think ended up being less sweet just because of the bitter nature of matcha. I like how you can see the layers of the drink before you can shake it to mix well. read more

The Alley - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I have heard the hype about this place but now I understand why!!! Honestly, after going to so many different bubble tea places, I would I have to say The Alley is probably the BEST!!! In terms of customer service, even though the line was out the door the worker was willing to explain the different drinks and even offer a free sample--LEGIT!! Also, I thought the cost for the drink would be ridiculously expensive but it's rather reasonable so I am not going to complain. I got the winter melon punch and I like my drink less sweet (because I'm watching out for all that added calories) but was told that I couldn't adjust it because it comes naturally sweetened. Although the drink is sweeter than I like, it was nonetheless still a good drink. My friend ordered a hot drink and the sleeve that it came with is just super adorable!!! A deer sleeeve!!! Makes me want to order a hot drink the next time I come back! I will return!!!! read more

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There is nothing quite like a visit to the dentist to jump start my cravings for sugary food afterwards...haha! Since the Alley was close to where my dentist is, I took advantage of the chance to stop by and check out this relatively new location in Scarborough of the popular bubble tea franchise. I visited around 6pm on a Monday and aside from a couple of people, the shop was very quiet. I was impressed with the decor -- deer-themed and similar to the decor in the Richmond Hill and Unionville locations. The place was also festively decked out with Hallowe'en decor. There is limited seating but a larger standing bar area. One of the staff was kind enough to offer a sample of the roasted oolong tea as well as answer my various questions pertaining to the relative sweetness of certain drinks. The oolong milk tea sample was good and at 50% sugar, it was the perfect level of sweetness. However a part of me was partial to having the signature Royal 9 milk tea, which has a subtle blueberry flavour. In the end I ordered the Royal 9 milk tea with grass jelly (which was milky yet lightly fruity and refreshing). I like that the consistency of their grass jelly is soft (similar to that of Chatime) and not too firm or herbally in flavour (which I sometimes note from the grass jelly at Gong Cha). I also ordered a ginger milk tea to go for my hubby. I imagine this place gets busy on weekends. Parking can be challenging as there are several restaurants, bubble tea shops, and desserts places in the same plaza. Will certainly be back. read more

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I'm giving this location a 5 star not because i'm a big fan that LOVESSSSS their drinks. But i really love how they have evolved from each store. They started off with the one in Commerce gate with BARELY ANY seating area, then to Unionville with a little bit more seating area and some nice views to now! Their new Scarborough location is very roomy. Decorated very chic, perfect for a casual night out on the town. I personally am a big fan of The Alley and their drinks. Favourite is Royal No.9, No Sugar with Grass Jelly. I love how they use real and fresh ingredients to create their drinks and not like some of their so called "competitors" that still focus on quantity over quality. Some may argue that their steep prices drive customers away. However, i assure you that you are indeed paying for quality. From fresh cream to brulee'd fruits, The Alley never fails to disappoint. Kudos on the new location. Loving your drinks. P.S: Their washroom is super high tech. You gotta press a button to lock the door! read more

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2 words: deerioca puff. So darn good. Just be aware that the deerioca tapioca isn't ready until about 1-1.5 after they open. read more

My go-to milk tea drink. It's the perfect combination of sweet and cooling. The brown sugar boba is amaaaaazing. I definitely recommend if you have not tried this gem yet! read more

The Alley - Deerioca Puff - Bubble Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario