The Alley

I was a bit surprised when I realized I never wrote anything about The Alley – known as Diagon Alley elsewhere in the world, they opened up last summer in the Commerce Gate Plaza, and has just opened a new location on Main Street Unionville.

The Alley
Location: 505 Highway 7 E
Thornhill, ON
L3T 7T1
Hours: Sunday to Thursday: 11:30am to 11:30pm
Friday and Saturday: 11:30am to 1am
Price: ¢
Atmosphere: Small and dark
Service: Friendly

The first time we came to The Alley, we were offered samples of their Royal No. 9 and instantly loved it. The black tea used is roasted with blueberries and despite my usual dislike of fruity teas, this one really works. I do not recommend this drink without sugar though, it needs at least 30% to bring out the flavours of the tea.

They definitely brought very creative teas to the table, and their popular choices include their Jelly Trio which feature a mixture of colourful jelly, their Garden Milk Tea with its Oreo crumbs and dinky mint leaf, and many more.

At their Thornhill location, they offer Deerioca on Friday and Saturday nights starting at 8pm. Their homemade version of tapioca, Deerioca is a bit more chewy and reminds me of mochi more than tapioca. While I enjoyed their black sesame Deerioca, I wasn’t a fan of the chocolate one nor the accompanying drink. The price is a bit steep, but worth a try – but be warned, it usually sells out quickly.

While I like their other offerings, I usually default to their No. 9 or their Iron Goddess milk tea (tieguanyin), which is my all-time favourite tea. Tieguanyin milk tea is usually a milky disappointment in many bubble tea shops, but the Alley has a strong tea base that doesn’t disappoint. Between them and Kung Fu Tea Shop, they are my favourite places for tieguanyin.

So I’m super happy they opened a new location in Markham , and now we won’t have to make the drive along the neverending construction that is Highway 7!