The London bubble tea scene has been changed forever, for good, ever since actual Taiwanese boba brands expanded into London. Though somewhat disappointingly, some of these brands have failed to maintain their quality as they move across the globe. But that’s not the case for The Alley London.
If you follow me on my Instagram, you’ll know that we regularly visit The Alley for our bubble tea fix and always regard them as the best bubble tea spot in London. The globalised bubble tea chain has set the bar high since the opening of its very first branch in Holborn and has gone from strength to strength over the years. Before you know it, they’ve opened in Mayfair, then Camden, Hammersmith, White City, and Stratford. They’ve also gone beyond just bubble tea and serve both savoury & sweet foods such as Croffles, Halal Korean Sandos, Tteokbokki, etc.
The Alley: The Best Taiwanese Bubble Tea in London
They say the third time’s a charm. I first came across The Alley in Hong Kong. I’ve been meaning to try for a long time but the queue had always been horrendously long. Then I spotted them in Da Nang, Vietnam – however only through the windows of my taxi on the way to the airport while we were leaving. When they announced their opening in London in late 2019, I just knew it was finally my time and the rest is history!
What makes The Alley so good ought to be its fresh & natural ingredients. They are committed to making their ingredients in-house, including their tapioca pearls, with strict quality control worldwide to offer the freshest quality possible.
Yes, The Alley is a HMC halal-certified establishment.
The Food & Drinks at The Alley
Date of visit: Various since December 2019
Brown Sugar Deerioca Creme Brulee Milk
This popular signature drink at The Alley is my no.1 favourite go-to order. I just love a good boba milk so much and this one always nails the spot. If you ask me, I’d always recommend going for the Creme Brulee Milk over regular Brown Sugar Boba Milk as it offers different layers of texture. It starts with a creamy layer on top, then to the little creme brulee bits that add texture to the drink. The milk was rich and velvety. It’s got the right amount of syrup and the tapioca pearls were oozing of that alluring brown sugar fragrance. The texture of the tapioca pearls was nicely al dente and I loved the fact that it’s warm – meaning it’s freshly cooked!
Ube Taro Brown Sugar Deerioca Milk
I usually am not the biggest fan of taro but this Ube Taro Brown Sugar Boba Milk has made me love it! Not only was the drink gorgeous to the eye with its layered colours, but it was superb to the taste buds too. The Ube was blended smoothly and added a richer texture to the already-luscious drink. Flavour-wise it was on the milder end so it would make a great starter introduction to those who are curious about trying out ube or taro.
Matcha Brown Sugar Deerioca Milk
If you’re a matcha fan, the Matcha Brown Sugar Deerioca Milk is not too shabby either at The Alley. It leans on the sweeter end so, again, makes an easy starter introduction for those who are first looking to try matcha latte (it is essentially that plus brown sugar tapioca pearl). As you can expect from all its drinks within the Deerioca series, it was very silky & velvety texture-wise to taste.
Crunchy Cocoa Milk Tea
The Crunchy Ice series is probably my second-most favourite order, especially during summer. My favourite one from the series ought to be the Original Crunchy Milk Tea but we sometimes like it with a dash of cocoa in it as well, i.e. this Crunchy Cocoa Milk Tea. The milk tea has a uniquely light & delicate flavour profile that I absolutely adore. You’ll find it blended with ice into a slushie-like texture, topped with tapioca pearls, cream, and crunchy flakes. There’s plenty of texture for this drink and it’s going to be an icy one!
Crunchy Tiramisu Milk
Another popular one on the Crunchy Ice series is definitely the Crunchy Tiramisu Milk. It’s all in the name – a tiramisu dessert in the form of a blended ice drink, featuring a thick foamy layer of mascarpone cream and crumbled butter biscuits plus cocoa powder dusted on top. My personal preference remains with the milk tea but I know many people love this one!
Mango Lulu
If you like something fruity with a tropical taste, then you’d adore this Mango Lulu drink. It consists of blended mango slush and chewy jelly balls, topped with rich coconut milk and a layer of sea salt sweet cream. This drink is as refreshing as one can imagine, featuring the perfect blend of sweetness & tangy fruitiness. It is my husband’s favourite order every time!
Korean Bullgogi Beef Sando
Fancy a bite to go with your boba? Or looking for a good halal sandwich to munch on? Then the Korean Sandos are a great option to choose from. These are only available at their Holborn & Camden stores, with two filling options available – the Bulgogi Beef and Chicken Danjjian. We went with the former and were glad to report back that these sandwiches are pretty good. The staff can toast them warm for you, which we’d highly recommend doing so. It may not seem much at first glance but the beef was surprisingly tender, laced with a tinge of sweet BBQ flavour from the bulgogi sauce.
Croffle
And for something sweet to eat, you can find croffles available at multiple stores. Pictured is the chocolate croffle but they also have other toppings such as brown sugar boba and creme brulee to choose from. Whilst tasty, I find the croffle too tough to eat where our wooden fork actually broke while trying to cut a slice to eat. It lacked fluffiness, unfortunately, and didn’t taste freshly made. This is probably the only item at The Alley that we haven’t gone back for seconds.
The Alley Review Summary
Knowing we are regulars, you already know I remain a huge fan of The Alley. Its opening in London back in 2019 had been ecstatic news to me and I couldn’t be more excited at its rate of expansion across the city. Unlike some other boba establishments, they’ve managed to maintain high standards of quality. I’d still say you can taste minor differences across the branches (my favourite is the Oxford Circus branch), but it’s overall consistent. Without a doubt, they’re securely on the top of my favourite bubble tea list in London. If you love boba as much as I do, you need to give The Alley a visit!
Looking for more Taiwanese bubble tea spots in London? Check these out too:
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Where to Find The Alley in London
Locations (click below to open on Google Maps):
Best bubble tea spot in london!
We couldn’t agree more! What’s your favourite go-to order?