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The Alley

3.5 (121 reviews)
ModerateBubble Tea
Closed • 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

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Josephine M.

Came here with my daughter cuz of a Demon Slayer promo that they're having right now. Limited time Demon Slayer flavors that come with Demon Slayer cups and each drink is also supposed to come with a Demon Slayer sticker. There are 3 different flavors. Tanjiro (Avocado Mochi Milk with Purple Rice), Nezuko (Strawberry Yogurt with Mochi), and Zenitsu & Inosuke (Mango Coconut Mochi Milk). My daughter chose the Nezuko flavor and I chose the Zenitsu & Inosuke flavor. Shall I start with the good and end with the bad? Or start with the bad and end with the good? I think the latter as I tend to be a save the best for last kinda person. Sooo...they ran out of a lot of cups when we went there. They only had Nezuko cups left. Great for my daughter who had ordered the Nezuko drink. For me...well, I ordered Zenitsu & Inosuke so it would have been nice to see those two characters on my cup but instead I got handed the exact same cup as my daughter. A Nezuko cup. Oh well...I like Nezuko too. Guess it's not a huge deal. In addition to that though...they had also run out of stickers! So...no stickers for either of us! That was more of a bummer. It's not like we come downtown very often so we weren't exactly in a position to just give up and take our chances on coming out again another day to see if they would have stickers. We'd come all that way already so...we took what we could get which was the drinks and the two Nezuko cups. As for the drinks themselves...Both yummy; however, putting mochi in the drink is really not very practical. The mochi kept getting stuck in our straws which blocked the passage of the straw and made it difficult and eventually, impossible to suck up any liquid. We drank what we could, then brought the rest home and used a combination of spoon and reusable metal straw to finish the rest. Mochi doesn't belong in a drink! It may be tasty but it's very impractical. The good part...ummmm...the drinks were yummy?! Which I did already say. Service was good. The lady working was very apologetic about not having any stickers or cups other than Nezuko, and quite apologetic as well when we told her about the mochi getting stuck in our straws. Totally not her fault of course. She's just doing her job. There's a contest on Instagram for this Demon Slayer promo. If we enter it and win...we might win some Demon Slayer merchandise. That would totally make up for not getting stickers or Zenitsu & Inosuke cup! Gonna have to come back sometime and try something from their regular menu.

Milk tea
Calvi N.

Food - The alley is a chain so it wasn't too surprising to see that this location was similar to their other locations. Their tapioca is properly cooked and not too hard or soft. Milk tea was rich and had a strong tea flavor that was pleasantly masked by the milk. Service - Only one or two workers but service is still fast and simple. Ambiance - Small cozy cafe, dark interior and nice to sit and chat with friends if there's space.

lots to choose from
Nat L.

strolled along hornby and passed by a sign that caught my eye and took it as my sign to pop in and try the strawberry matcha at the alley. there were five people ahead of me on a wednesday around 3:45 pm, and just one cashier/barista running the show. i didn't mind the lineup, it gave me time to review their menu offerings, which was helpful since i'm often struck with decision paralysis. the interior leans rustic and eclectic with a brick wall and a mix of random decor, deer heads, oversized clock, and cozy chaos. it gives off a quirky 'cabin in the city' vibe. along with the milk tea latte series, they have the alley specialty (not sure what a snow velvet is), crunchy milk tea series, brown sugar deerioca series, additional toppings are extra. some drinks are fixed with sugar sweetness, while others, you have the option to choose your ice and sweetness levels. the matcha looked more like avocado and tasted bitter, grainy, and watered down. the strawberry purée was good, but the ratio felt off, overall, kinda mid. that said, service was solid, really impressed with the one man operation juggling orders, register, and drinks all at once.

Jessica L.

I've always wanted to try The Alley and was so excited to finally get the opportunity to! We stopped by on a weekday evening. Even though the cafe was in a great location downtown, it was not very big and can be easily missed as you are walking down the street. There were a couple of small tables and a few stools inside. Most people took orders to go. I love to interior design with the deer and the plant/woody theme. We were the only customers and there was only one worker. Service was very quick and friendly. The Bobo was QQ and sweet, and the milk tea was on par. The prices were also pretty good. It was less than $5 for a regular-size boba which is hard to find in the US. I love this place and would definitely return to try the other flavors!

Matcha boba- brown matcha
Sunny Y.

Came in for a hot boba fix! Unfortunately, this didn't quite hit the spot. Ordered the matcha boba, forgot to take a pic at the start but this matcha tasted so watery, chalky and bitter. Tasted more milk than matcha. Taking a peek in near the end revealed why- this was either old matcha or very low quality, it was brown! Plus a few stars because service and the boba was pretty soft and chewy. Otherwise, wouldn't recommend ordering the matcha here at all. Service: Wasn't bad, fairly polite. Ambiance: Came late in the evening, no one else was here. Small space, bright and pretty chill.

Hanson K.

I've never been a big fan of brown sugar boba, since I always feel like it's too much milk and not enough tea. That said, the flavors at the Alley were good. The stars are removed for the boba themselves, which were below average on this day. Some were clumped, and they weren't chewy enough in general.

Matcha and deerioca fever

For boba, it was alright. The portions were relatively small and there wasn't anything special about it. The service and ambience weren't anything special either. The demonslayer collab was cool but overall there are better drink places.

Passion fruit green tea & crunchy cocoa milk tea.
Tallyn S.

We've had their teas many times. I really love the menu. And these teas were amazing. However I would give a 5/5 if they would allow for bubbles / jelly's to be removed. It's a bit frustrating when you want the passion fruit seeds but not the jelly... Also, that's really not a big ask. Removing pearls is like Boba 101.

Black Gold Milky Beer
Mike T.

This place is easy to miss because the store front is small just like the others on the long row of restaurants on the block. Inside, they have catchy pop music playing. Pop band Chvrches' music album was playing at the time. They got this deer theme with a sculpture of a deer on the wall, pictures of deer, and a cute cartoon deer statue at the front. They have a small dining area but they put away all the tables and chairs due to the pandemic, so it's basically strictly takeout only. Service could be better. The staff person at the front must be new because they had a half off promo and they didn't know about it until they asked the other staff person at the back. It got sorted quickly. Service was slow. It took at least 10 minutes to order and get my drink even though there were only 2 customers ahead of me. It looks like they were short staffed because they were taking care of an online take-out order, taking orders in store, AND making drinks with only 2 staff on shift. Chatime, another bubble tea store, often would have 4 staff in the store and lines moved fast. Prices are okay, they are in line with other bubble tea shops downtown at $5+ and up. For the price, portion size is a little smaller than I'm used to though which makes it a little more pricey. I ordered their non-alcoholic mango tea beer. The drink was nice and refreshing. It's like a simple and light, non alcoholic version of Cactus Club cafe's peach bellini. They taste a little similar. I'm not sure if they used fresh mango but it was a little slushy and super cool. I can definitely taste the non alcoholic drink mixed in. They have jelly pudding added at the top as a topping for added texture. No ice was added. According to the official description, it's Jasmine Mango Green Tea with Green Tea Jelly, softly carbonated with a hint of malt for a subtle beer taste. Whatever it is, I kinda like it! Their mango tea beer gets a thumbs up from me. For me, it's 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars because Yelp doesn't allow half stars.

The regular size, 16 oz
Avia R.

Literally the best boba I have ever had, it was gone in seconds. Order the large! The shop itself is small but has lots of seating available! 10/10

two cups of bubble tea and a sticker
Jennifer K.

This was the first time I came to the Alley, and I was pleasantly surprised. Generally, it's hard for me to find a place that offers decaffeinated tea options. But they had it here! I ordered the brown sugar ginger milk tea, which was delicious! Also Im generally lactose intolerant, but the milk they use didnt have the usual effect on me. The pearls or bubbles were also absolutely delicious! My friend, who was from out of town, always stops here when she's here, which is a great sign. Highly recommend giving it a try!

Cynthia S.

Ube brown sugar puff What an amazing monthly special! I wish it could stick around. The ube flavour is strong and it's lightly sweetened with the brown sugar pearls and custard on the bottom. I wasn't sure how I felt about having custard in a drink but it added such amazing vanilla notes! Yum! I wish it would stay all year round! Crunchy cocoa milk tea Grayson said that this one was not as good as the crunchy tiramisu milk tea. It reminded him of an elevated chocolate milk because of all the toppings and layers. The cocoa milk tea part is misleading though because it's a slush and not a milk. It also came with the same creamy layer and crunchy topping as their crunchy strawberry milk.

Passionfruit Green Tea, The Alley Trio Milk Tea
Minna A.

I usually get Royal No 9, but I decided to venture out today and try The Alley Trio Milk Tea. I regret it. Nothing special about it, and Royal No 9 is definitely the best drink they have.

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Chun Fun How - Green Milk Tea w/ Boba, Purple Yam Green Milk Tea, and Wintermelon Lemonade in their custom cups

Chun Fun How

4.4(59 reviews)
1.9 km•Fairview Slopes

I wasn't planning to go to Chun Fun How for boba, but after I finished eating next door, I happened…read moreto walk past this shop and the menu looked intriguing enough that it enticed me to come in. There's a kiosk right at the entrance for easy ordering, or during busy periods, the bobarista can take orders at the counter. There are two parking spots in the back of the building in the alley. Osmanthus Milk Tea, Half Sweet, 30% Ice w/ Boba ($7.45) - This milk tea is excellent. It's fragrant, flowery, and what seems to be a naturally great, almost fruity flavor. I complain a lot about how Westerner-catering shops add artificial, heavy fruity flavors into their milk teas - while this one is fruity, but it works so well in this drink. Everything is thickened and mellowed out a bit by the creamer. Delicious drink and good sweetness level for me (less sweet than the entrees served next door...). The boba served in the drink is a bit on the lumpier side rather than being smooth. It still has a very nice chewy quality, perhaps being a smidgen on the softer side vs. perfect. That might be because of the 30% ice - perhaps if I went with more ice, they would firm up just a tad more? Milk Tea Rating: 5/5 Boba Rating: 4.5/5 This place is pretty funny - there are signs up all over the place directing customers (and even employees!) on what they can and can't do. Funniest signs in the washroom by far, be sure to check it out. Washrooms - One unisex room

No customer so no wait on a random weekday afternoon. Decor seems to mimic a traditional Chinese…read moretea shop. Inside is spacious with several tables. I tried the Osmanthus Oolong Milk Tea - boba is decent 4/5 stars, 100% sweet is a bit too sweet for me, I'd recommend 50% or 80% depending on your preference. Two things I appreciate are 1) the cup is pretty and 2) the straw is not made of paper

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Chun Fun How - Free Delivery Everyday~ DM us on Instagram

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Milk & Sugar Cafe - New menu items

Milk & Sugar Cafe

4.2(275 reviews)
8.5 km•Killarney, Renfrew-Collingwood
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Delicious, lots of different flavour combinations to try from!…read more Friendly staff, and willing to modify different flavours to create what you're looking for. Have been going here for 3-4ish years, same quality, theres been drinks i haven't liked but then so many i have but what I may not like could be another persons yum and what i like might be another persons yuck. Can find whatever you're looking for, not only just cold bubble tea but you can get hot drinks, icecream, food, sweets and more! Definitely worth trying it out :)

The most unassuming awesome spot for both bubble tea and fried chicken. This to me is the…read moredefinition of a hidden gem. Kingsway is home to some of the best food and hidden spots and this one is up there! I saw that they did fried chicken so naturally I had to check it out. The owner is lovely and the prices are so reasonable. My friend and I got the fried chicken combo which is $15 for 2 piece fried chicken, gravy, fries and a drink of our choosing which includes anything you want ie a bubble tea! And so many different kinds. They're so delicious and made with real fruit. The fried chicken comes hot and you can pick from a ton of different sauces. Gravy is my got to and it was so good!! The fries came out super hot too and so crispy on the outside. I got the avocado and mango bubble tea and it was absolutely delicious and refreshing! The only downside is eating in it's super loud with the blender so it's tough to have conversations when the blender is going which is frequent since it's a busy spot! I will 100% be back though and enjoyed my experience thoroughly!

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The Rose Cafe  - Bingsu
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4.2(6 reviews)
6.4 km•Kensington-Cedar Cottage

I came across this cafe on google search and decided to try it out with a couple of my friends on…read moreour girls coffee It is a small cozy cafe split with a florist. Selections are decent. however the menu is very confusing as they have a posted menu online, a digital menu via QR code and some posted menus. Unfortunately the menus were not in sync. My friend saw a couple of things she wanted to try from the online menu and was told they do not have those items. There are combo on the spot which are not their online menu and the digital menu. We ordered the chicken panini, a small mango bingsu and an order of tue mochi bubble waffle and taro milk tea. The food is very good. there is decent amount of ingredients in the chicken panini (which i forgot to take a picture of). The mochi bubble waffle was decent and i liked the taro milk tea as well. The bingsu was very well made but the price is a bit on the high end given the size. Overall service was good too

A fun hole in the wall dessert spot x flower shop!…read more Essentially there's a dessert counter in a shared space with a flower shop operated by the one owner - super adorbable concept, the boss was so nice to introduce his menu to us as well! Located on the same block as quite a few other popular HK dessert spots, I more inclined to go to Rose Cafe because it's quieter and a more comfortable environment to relax and sit around in. The boss mentioned they can make anything for us (!) including ginger milk, the sago desserts and that they event have the pistachio paste (yum!). For a quick dessert run - I opted for the small mango shaved iced, it's served with nice and ripe mango chunks, and a fresh mango shaved ice base. For just about $10 it's worth the dessert stop! They had a nice menu of several classic HK items - from deep fried chicken wings, to bubble waffles to pearl based drinks that only HK locals would order. Worth a try if and when you're in the Nanaimo / Kingsway area! Also (!) - very reasonably priced flowers and potted plants!!!

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Machi Machi - New matcha series

Machi Machi

3.9(41 reviews)
10.4 km•Golden Village, City Centre

Machi Machi has probably become my favorite go to boba spot in Richmond. One of my friends had been…read moreraving a particular drink that he had at this particular Jay Chou endorsed chain since his trip to Taiwan last year. That particular drink was the the Mochi Cheese Foam Black Tea. As soon as I landed in Vancouver, I dashed over to Machi Machi and it did not disappoint. The drink is composed of two separate portions with the warm mochi and the drink itself. I viewed the warm mochi as more of a precusor as I dipped it in the salted cheese foam. It was a rather unique combination that blurred the lines between savory and sweet. The residual kinako from the cheese foam, added another dimension of nuttiness to the drink itself and paired well with the saltiness of the cheese foam. Though the drink itself wasn't anything new that I haven't tried before, the addition and mochi and kinako made it quite unique. I also had the opportunity to try some of their fruit drinks including the Strawberry Latte Panna Cotta, Grapefruit slush and Grapefruit Cream Covered Mango Smoothie. All of them are equally delicious, taste very natural, and not overly saccharine.

Overall good drinks, but customer service is a little sub par. I asked a few questions and got some…read moreshort answers, seems like only one person working the entire store. He rang us up, then ran behind curter to make our drinks. It didn't seem too busy here so maybe it was manageable for him. Typically all sold out of the mochi... was actually sold out of a lot of items (see picture of menu) No public bathroom or bathrooms available to customers. Located in strip mall with other businesses, parking is free.

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The Alley - bubbletea - Updated November 2026

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