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One of my favourite bubble tea spot!The Ube Taro bubble tea is so addicting . Highly recommend
I love the ambience of the cafe! Really cute and it fit the vibe. We ordered different drinks and I gotta say, all drinks were pretty good! I ordered the Ube Brown Sugar Deerioca with Puff. Really sweet and I can definitely taste the Ube! One of my sisters ordered a fruit tea and you can really taste the tea! not too sweet. I would definitely come back here and get my boba fix!
My favourite The Alley in downtown and hands down one of my favourite BBT joints in Toronto! Was a regular at this location pre-pandemic and it was always busy and difficult to find seating. It's much calmer now but I have a feeling it's going to get busy this summer. It just goes to show how popular the place is! The staff are always friendly, informative, and efficient! Haven't tried everything on the menu but you can't go wrong with the Deerioca (brown sugar) series with fresh milk, milk tea series, or original brew teas.
Got the royal #9 hot! (5.50) drink was good, location is nice, has nice seats and decor is good. Great place to chill, get some work done, or hang out. Great drinks too! would come back!
I love the ambiance of this little cafe. The staff are warm and welcoming. The boba was a little hard and stale unfortunately, but the drink itself tasted great with the right balance of sweetness.
After trying a few of their popular staple bbteas, as well as their seasonal specials...HANDS DOWN The Alley has always served consistent quality & robust flavoured teas with generous toppings. I've loved everything I've had so far! -BLACK SUGAR DEERIOCA (with soymilk): I enjoyed the pre-set sweetness and flavour (which all comes from the tapioca that's freshly cooked with the black sugar). I tried my friend's dairy milk version and it tasted sweeter and the black sugar flavour stood out more! -MATCHA DEERIOCA: fantastic! The sweeter tapioca pearls balanced out the matcha bitterness -DEERIOCA PUFF: their classic milk deerioca with a DELICIOUS rich cream cheese layer on top -COCONUT MANGO LULU: seasonal special with mango slushy on top, coconut milk with crystal jelly-type balls in the middle, and mango purée at the bottom. Super refreshing and the pre-set larger size and sturdier cup was surprisingly nice. -ROYAL NO.9 (ordered with 'little' sweetness): I'm always surprised that this milk tea has such a distinct authentic blueberry flavour! I'll keep coming to The Alley especially for their seasonal specials, alternative milk drinks, and I definitely want to try their iron goddess next time! TIP: They have a rewards app program and they do a FREE Birthday drink (but there's a 5 days limit).
The Alley is a really cute place with an array of bubble tea and drinks so we stopped in to try it out. I got the alley trio milk tea, less sweet and my girlfriend got the Oreo Devil slush. The milk tea was decent, it was still a bit too sweet for me and I didn't love the flavor of the two different jellies plus Boba. This is my fault for ordering it but I still wasn't a huge fan. The Oreo devil slush wasn't good. I get this isn't the core product offering but it tasted like they just blended ice and powdered hot chocolate packets. My girlfriend had two sips and threw it away. I would definitely stick to the core tea offerings if you stop in. It's a cute spot and the guy working was friendly but I'm not sure it was any better than other places. Worth a good Instagram though if you are into that sort of thing.
I researched where to get a good boba during my trip to Toronto. Consistently, The Alley was mentioned as the best place. Of course, I hyped myself up with high expectations and was not looking to be disappointed. The Alley was quite away from my hotel but in the end, it was worth the walk! I was not disappointed. This place is so cute and they have a huge drink selection. You can see them make the drinks in front of you so you can see they actually make the drinks rather than pre-making the drinks. I struggled in deciding what drink to pick but you know my rule, a sign of a good place is how good the milk tea is. As such, I ordered the milk tea! You can customize the sweetness and sugar level. The tea had a floral and robust taste. The boba was soft and chewy. The combination was a winner. For a regular size, it cost CA $5.00. I also tried The Alley Trio Fresh Milk Tea. It costs CA $5.50 for a regular size. The trio included milk tea boba and two types of fruit jelly. Oh my gosh, the fruit jelly was so good! You can probably minimize the sweetness of the tea because you get a lot of sweetness from the boba and the jelly. I had such a great experience that I was willing to walk back here during my trip. I didn't end up doing it but the next time I go to Toronto, I will make it a point to go again!
I've been wanting to try bubble tea at The Alley ever since I heard about this chain and finally got around to it. Overall, I really liked it. It got a large The Alley Milk Tea Trio ($6). It's milk tea with tapioca pearls, pineapple jelly and rainbow jelly. I got it "little sugar" which I think means 25%-30% of the regular amount of sugar that they usually put in, and "regular ice" (self-explanatory). I still actually found it a bit too sweet, but the next level down is "no sugar" and I'm scared that would be too unsweet, haha. Nonetheless, I still really enjoyed my drink. I think they make it with homogenized milk or they put cream in it because it was sooooo rich and creamy, maybe a tad too rich and creamy for my tastes, lol. It had a good tea flavour to it, which I liked. They were generous with the tapioca and jellies which I appreciated. Service was nice and efficient. The place is spacious, but there's not too much seating. There's this huge fake tree in there with some fake birds which I thought was cool. There's like a bench that surrounds the tree, so you can sit there, but I just sat there to wait for my drink. I don't think it's a nice place to actually sit and hang out because it's right by where you order and also the washrooms. This place is super popular. All the seats were occupied when I went, and while I didn't have to wait too long, after I arrived there was a huge lineup forming. The location is on Joseph, just off of Yonge St. It's actually not too noticeable from the outside, you kind of have to be searching for it. I want to try the Royal No. 9 bubble tea next time :)
I've been wanting to try this Taiwanese chain since I heard they opened up locations in Toronto. Especially when I heard that New York was JUST opening up their first location. Take that NYC, we beat you to the punch (bubble tea). We ordered the original Deerioca and the Deerioca matcha. I think I still prefer the original brown sugar milk drink but the matcha one was pretty good too! The only thing I didn't like about the drinks was that once in a while there would be a super hard tapioca, completely unexpected. I felt like I was gonna loose a tooth. I've been debating whether I should give this place three or four stars, because other than the super hard random tapioca balls, everything else was great. I decided on three stars so I can get the business owner's attention on this issue. I will definitely be coming back to The Alley to try some of the other stuff, hopefully by then I won't be getting random super hard tapioca balls in my drinks.
2 years ago
One of my favourite places when I want bubble tea. They have great options & always have new monthly special features. The staff are also friendly & the place is clean. I usually get their milk teas. read more
11 days ago
10 months ago
Trie - the alley trio milk tea. The 3 different (i wanna say) toppings are interesting toping with basic tea with milk. Good combination! The barista who works here was efficient to deliver the drinks on time and maintained the drinks counter and everything clean. The ambience of this alley is really cozy. If you want to hang out on a date or read something really good place. read more
2 years ago
One of my favourite bubble tea spot!The Ube Taro bubble tea is so addicting . Highly recommend read more
4 years ago
I love the ambience of the cafe! Really cute and it fit the vibe. We ordered different drinks and I gotta say, all drinks were pretty good! I ordered the Ube Brown Sugar Deerioca with Puff. Really sweet and I can definitely taste the Ube! One of my sisters ordered a fruit tea and you can really taste the tea! not too sweet. I would definitely come back here and get my boba fix! read more
My favourite The Alley in downtown and hands down one of my favourite BBT joints in Toronto! Was a regular at this location pre-pandemic and it was always busy and difficult to find seating. It's much calmer now but I have a feeling it's going to get busy this summer. It just goes to show how popular the place is! The staff are always friendly, informative, and efficient! Haven't tried everything on the menu but you can't go wrong with the Deerioca (brown sugar) series with fresh milk, milk tea series, or original brew teas. read more
1 year ago
7 years ago
After trying a few of their popular staple bbteas, as well as their seasonal specials...HANDS DOWN The Alley has always served consistent quality & robust flavoured teas with generous toppings. I've loved everything I've had so far! -BLACK SUGAR DEERIOCA (with soymilk): I enjoyed the pre-set sweetness and flavour (which all comes from the tapioca that's freshly cooked with the black sugar). I tried my friend's dairy milk version and it tasted sweeter and the black sugar flavour stood out more! -MATCHA DEERIOCA: fantastic! The sweeter tapioca pearls balanced out the matcha bitterness -DEERIOCA PUFF: their classic milk deerioca with a DELICIOUS rich cream cheese layer on top -COCONUT MANGO LULU: seasonal special with mango slushy on top, coconut milk with crystal jelly-type balls in the middle, and mango purée at the bottom. Super refreshing and the pre-set larger size and sturdier cup was surprisingly nice. -ROYAL NO.9 (ordered with 'little' sweetness): I'm always surprised that this milk tea has such a distinct authentic blueberry flavour! I'll keep coming to The Alley especially for their seasonal specials, alternative milk drinks, and I definitely want to try their iron goddess next time! TIP: They have a rewards app program and they do a FREE Birthday drink (but there's a 5 days limit). read more
The Alley is a really cute place with an array of bubble tea and drinks so we stopped in to try it out. I got the alley trio milk tea, less sweet and my girlfriend got the Oreo Devil slush. The milk tea was decent, it was still a bit too sweet for me and I didn't love the flavor of the two different jellies plus Boba. This is my fault for ordering it but I still wasn't a huge fan. The Oreo devil slush wasn't good. I get this isn't the core product offering but it tasted like they just blended ice and powdered hot chocolate packets. My girlfriend had two sips and threw it away. I would definitely stick to the core tea offerings if you stop in. It's a cute spot and the guy working was friendly but I'm not sure it was any better than other places. Worth a good Instagram though if you are into that sort of thing. read more
I researched where to get a good boba during my trip to Toronto. Consistently, The Alley was mentioned as the best place. Of course, I hyped myself up with high expectations and was not looking to be disappointed. The Alley was quite away from my hotel but in the end, it was worth the walk! I was not disappointed. This place is so cute and they have a huge drink selection. You can see them make the drinks in front of you so you can see they actually make the drinks rather than pre-making the drinks. I struggled in deciding what drink to pick but you know my rule, a sign of a good place is how good the milk tea is. As such, I ordered the milk tea! You can customize the sweetness and sugar level. The tea had a floral and robust taste. The boba was soft and chewy. The combination was a winner. For a regular size, it cost CA $5.00. I also tried The Alley Trio Fresh Milk Tea. It costs CA $5.50 for a regular size. The trio included milk tea boba and two types of fruit jelly. Oh my gosh, the fruit jelly was so good! You can probably minimize the sweetness of the tea because you get a lot of sweetness from the boba and the jelly. I had such a great experience that I was willing to walk back here during my trip. I didn't end up doing it but the next time I go to Toronto, I will make it a point to go again! read more
8 years ago
I've been wanting to try bubble tea at The Alley ever since I heard about this chain and finally got around to it. Overall, I really liked it. It got a large The Alley Milk Tea Trio ($6). It's milk tea with tapioca pearls, pineapple jelly and rainbow jelly. I got it "little sugar" which I think means 25%-30% of the regular amount of sugar that they usually put in, and "regular ice" (self-explanatory). I still actually found it a bit too sweet, but the next level down is "no sugar" and I'm scared that would be too unsweet, haha. Nonetheless, I still really enjoyed my drink. I think they make it with homogenized milk or they put cream in it because it was sooooo rich and creamy, maybe a tad too rich and creamy for my tastes, lol. It had a good tea flavour to it, which I liked. They were generous with the tapioca and jellies which I appreciated. Service was nice and efficient. The place is spacious, but there's not too much seating. There's this huge fake tree in there with some fake birds which I thought was cool. There's like a bench that surrounds the tree, so you can sit there, but I just sat there to wait for my drink. I don't think it's a nice place to actually sit and hang out because it's right by where you order and also the washrooms. This place is super popular. All the seats were occupied when I went, and while I didn't have to wait too long, after I arrived there was a huge lineup forming. The location is on Joseph, just off of Yonge St. It's actually not too noticeable from the outside, you kind of have to be searching for it. I want to try the Royal No. 9 bubble tea next time :) read more
I've been wanting to try this Taiwanese chain since I heard they opened up locations in Toronto. Especially when I heard that New York was JUST opening up their first location. Take that NYC, we beat you to the punch (bubble tea). We ordered the original Deerioca and the Deerioca matcha. I think I still prefer the original brown sugar milk drink but the matcha one was pretty good too! The only thing I didn't like about the drinks was that once in a while there would be a super hard tapioca, completely unexpected. I felt like I was gonna loose a tooth. I've been debating whether I should give this place three or four stars, because other than the super hard random tapioca balls, everything else was great. I decided on three stars so I can get the business owner's attention on this issue. I will definitely be coming back to The Alley to try some of the other stuff, hopefully by then I won't be getting random super hard tapioca balls in my drinks. read more
***update! original review is below the update*** came here on sunday and we grabbed 6 drinks. we love the alley and have been coming for years. this particular location though we wont be returning. we order one of the drinks and had adked for no tapioca. the girl told me "no, you cant do that because the drink comes with it." ok, i understand the sweetness/sugar kevels not being adjustable because their sauces or syrups are pre-made. but really? tapioca? she acted like they had already made the drinks and its sitting in the fridge?! really disappointed w.this location on st.joseph st. ill be taking my bubble tea cravings elsewhere. read more
I think this is quite probably one of the nicest Alley locations in the GTA. The line up was not very long despite being on a busy street in downtown Toronto. Nonetheless the place was packed. The first thing that I liked about this place was that there was actually room to sit down (well if you got a spot). The decor was also really nice and aesthetic. The service was quite fast and the staff were really friendly. One thing they need to improve though is the queue for the line. It's kind of all over the place. This time I decided on a jasmine green milk tea (with no sugar). It was really refreshing and so tasty! You really can taste the quality of tea that they brew unlike other places which just use powders. Deerioca is also an amazing drink here, and Royal No. 9. In all, this Alley is a solid spot! read more
8 years ago
The Alley certainly has the aesthetics down, with their signature massive decoration tree with decoration birds and other decorations strewn all over its branches. And other decorations along the walls. Ordered the Trio Milk Tea which comes with tapioca, rainbow jelly, and something else, which is not bad cause toppings are 50 cents each and you're basically spending an extra 50 cents to get classic milk tea with three toppings. I'm ok with the basic stuff so it works out for me. Other places also offer their own "triple topping" combos but I think the rainbow jelly was a good choice cause it provided some fruity flavors. BBT prices have been steadily going up and the prices here are probably just a bit higher than most places (and not much either you're looking at maybe a quarter or two?) I would definitely prefer bringing people here, simply because of the overall atmosphere. read more
They know how to make their boba well. The tapioca Pearl's were nice and chewy, not overcooked at all were it was mushy but undercooked that the center would be hard. The drinks we ordered were the Royal no. 9 milk tea Iron goddess milk tea. The iron goddess is a type of oolong tea on the stronger side. Interesting that they had a variety of toppings to choose from such as the purple rice. Fast. and quality drinks. read more
This was voted a top restaurant by blogTO. They serve very innovative bubble tea. Several are multi-layered and multi-coloured. They make it fresh. They are known for their brown sugar series of drinks. Their Northern Light (mainly grape, $8) and Morning Dawn (mainly mango, $8) take 10 mins to prepare. There is seating for about 24 people. There is free WiFi. There are a few wall plugs where you can charge your device. read more
4 years ago
This is my second time going to The Alley (previously at different Yonge location) and they knocked it outta the park, again. The atmosphere at this place was so cozy. And the Ube Deerioca was delicious. Their brown sugar pearls are always warm when you first get them. Staff was super speedy and very welcoming. read more
8 years ago
Yummy deerioca fever aka brown sugar bubble in fresh milk. The fresh milk part is definitely not a joke. The milk tastes like milk and not just milk powder. For 6 dollars, the deerioca fever comes in small size, which is quite pricey. There's no option to have no ice for a cold choice. Between kung fu tea brown sugar bubble in fresh milk and deerioca fever, id still choose kung fu tea a few blocks away from here. read more
Can you believe the first time I tried The Alley was...just a few weeks ago? I can't believe I had wasted all this time not knowing how delicious this bubble tea chain is! My friend highly recommended The Alley to us compared to other bubble tea chains and I am so glad I listened to her. The taste and quality of their drinks are great. My go to order is the iron goddess milk tea with grass jelly. Moreover, this location has more seating to enjoy your bubble tea. Fave bubble tea joint in the city! Will definitely be back for more. read more
I had a really good experience at The Alley. My friend and I came here for a drink and it was a fantastic experience from beginning to end. The ambiance in the restaurant is warm and cozy. The restaurant has a nice feeling and all of the employees are really friendly, helpful and kind. Before I placed my order, I told the employee I was both gluten and lactose intolerant. The two employees working at the counter recommended I try the Brown Sugar Deerioca or the ginger sweet tea since I had a sore throat. I decided to order the Brown Sugar Deerioca beverage to enjoy at the restaurant and I ended up getting the Sweet Ginger Tea to-go. When I received the Brown Sugar Deerioca, it was presented in three beautiful layers. The dark coloured tapioca was prominent at the bottom of the cup and a rich caramel colour was above it with a creamy white colour on top. I mixed the three layers together and will try my best to describe the amazing flavour of this drink. The tapioca was fresh, warm and chewy; I could tell it had just been cooked. The flavour of the brown sugar layer and the almond milk layer were fantastic! It tasted like a sugar syrup you would bake on the stove yet it also kind of reminded me of cotton candy. It made my mind think of a delicious caramel sauce. The flavour pallet of this bubble tea was beyond any type I have tried in the past. It was definitely an experience and I highly recommend you check it out too. Ginger Sweet Tea To-Go! The sweet ginger tea tasted really good and definitely helped soothe my sore throat. If you're feeling a bit under the weather this would definitely help you. Now for the ICING on the CAKE! My to-go drink had a special touch most restaurants do not have. My to-go cup was served with a deer sleeve that had a strap that allows guests to carry their beverage out of the store without burning their hands. The drink sleeve had a handle. It was the most adorable drink sleeve I have ever used and I hope more restaurants start implementing sleeves like this. It is very creative and innovative. To see what it looks like, find my photo. In Summary: ... I would definitely return to this bubble tea restaurant when in the area. Tip: Make sure you get their loyalty card. read more
4 years ago
The Alley is a new addition to the already competitive Bubble tea market in downtown tomorrow. The Bay and Wellesley neighborhood is filled with bubble tea store from China's Happy Lemon, Taiwan's Coco and Sharetea and Green Grotto. As a bubble tea addict, I love all things bubble tea. I always appreciated The Alley's first Canadian location in Richmond Hill. The downtown location has a rustic and modern interior. Sitting is somewhat limited. I opted for the Royal No. 9 milk tea ($5 + 0.5 toppings). The Alley did not disappoint. The tea finishes with a hint of blueberry. Sugar cane syrup is made in house. Tapioca or Deerioca (as they coined it) are made from scratch; kneading and rolling fresh dough into small tapioca balls. With that being said, the tapioca to drink ratio felt slightly off. I wish there was a little more tapioca. Overall, The Alley cost slightly more than other bubble tea stores and charges additional $0.5 for hot drinks. It is well worth the extra $2. read more
9 years ago
Great new bubble tea place downtown. I've been to the one in Markham and really liked it there - this place downtown is comparable. Their top drink is their Royal No.9 milk tea which is a blueberry milk tea. Veeeery good - I totally see why it's their top seller. They usually give out free samples of this drink near the cash register because it's so popular (I always take a sample even though I know how it tastes already, haha). I also tried their northern lights drink, the passion fruit green tea, and their oreo devil slush. All very good. The passion fruit green tea isn't as great as other tea shops I've been to but it's decent! And the northern lights drink isn't too bad.. tastes like freshly juiced grapes and looks like a cool little galaxy in a bottle - you get a nice little bottle too! The place is quite aesthetic looking with nice decor but has limited seats. There's still long lines occasionally since it just opened - come at non-peak hours or near closing to avoid the lines. I'm a fan! Definitely try that Royal No.9! read more
This is my favourite bubble tea shop in Toronto. They really have quality drinks. . Ok I have a confession to make...Deerioca (brown sugar tapioca in milk) is my fav brown sugar bbt. I don't like being fancy with this drink, I just want a robust good quality brown sugar taste - no additional flavouring. The only point that prevents me from rating this a 5/5 is the texture of the tapioca - it's a little too hard. I prefer a fluffier but still chewy texture. . The all-black drink on the left is called the Dark Knight. It's a traditional tea we commonly enjoy in #taiwan. Apparently it lowers your body heat in the summer and helps you detoxify (true or not try it for yourself!). It tastes sweet with a slight bitterness to it - try it and let me know what you think read more
8 years ago
I've only been here one other time so it was nice to return to try out some other items on their menu. I ordered their new line of Deerioca drinks, which you can choose to be made with fresh milk or soy milk. These drinks are made with brown sugar so I was really excited to try it. I chose their fresh milk Deerioca drink which came with tapioca. The total came to about $6 before tax. Personally, the drink wasn't as tasteful as regular milk tea would be. It lacked some tea flavour. Furthermore, the tapioca was not chewy and soft, but rather hard. I love the Alley for their comfy seating area, but their drinks can be overpriced. read more
Stop wasting your time at other bubble tea places, nothing is better than the Alley. The location at Bay and St. Joseph is probably the third best alley location. The first two being in Markham and Richmond Hill. This is the best bubble tea in the downtown area, there is no debate. The teas are all fantastic and of high quality. They are also heavily steeped so it retains a lot of flavor, unlike a lot of other bubble tea places. Best of all, the Alley does not used powdered milk or tea flavoring! This is surprisingly rare, but it makes a massive difference. The ONLY negative about this location is that they do not make their own tapioca in-house (it is instead premade and heated in a slow cooker), which means that it isn't the best. It's still better than most in the area, but for a 5-star review, the tapioca needs to be better. read more
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