The Alley

5 St. Joseph St, Toronto ON M4Y 0B6

Call: (416) 922-2441

Originally from Taiwan, The Alley offers high quality and intricate beverages crafted from unique blends of carefully selected tea leaves and house made deerioca (tapioca). Their menu offers a creative twist to bubble-tea, with different flavours fused together to create an extraordinary taste! This accessible café provides a relaxing atmosphere to do work, catch up with friends, or experiment with special kinds of drinks.

The Alley is accessible through their front entrance on St. Joseph Street with double wide doors (57 inches) that can both be propped open and a half inch lip transition to enter. There is an automatic door opener that opens the west door entrance. Currently there is construction on St. Joseph Street, however the sidewalks are kept clear and free of obstruction.

Upon entering, there is plenty of turning space and room to park scooters and other mobility devices. The entire café is one level, with concrete flooring and carpets neatly placed near the entrance. The café is moderately lit and the noise level is generally kept quiet, with conversations and light music playing in the background. Occasionally it can get noisy when the blender is used.

Orders are typically placed at the bar, with the menu both hung up and on the counter. The font size may be too small to read for some individuals, but the staff are very friendly and happy to help. The seating area is quite small and may not be able to accommodate a large group. However, there are several accessible tables measured at 30 inches high and chairs with no arm rests that are 18 inches tall. There is also a bench with arm rests and a low table that is 18 inches tall, as well as a couple bar tables (40 inches).

There is one individual gender-neutral washroom at the back of The Alley. The path to get to the washroom has a 45 inch clearance when the café is not busy and when the chairs are tucked in. The Alley’s washroom has an automatic door opener, an electronic sign that indicates whether the washroom is vacant or occupied, a push button to lock, and a push emergency button near the toilet. The door is 37 inches wide and there is more than enough turning space inside. The toilet is 17 inches high, with an L-shaped grab bar (35x30”) and a horizontal grab bar (35”) nearby. The sink is 31 inches in height, with plenty of clearance below. The soap dispenser is 43 inches high and the paper towel dispenser is 48 inches high. Items can be placed on the hook behind the door (43.5”) or on the table.

If you are commuting by TTC, the closest subway station is Wellesley, but the closest accessible subway station is Bloor-Yonge which is a few blocks north. There is usually parking on the side streets, however construction is currently occupying the parking space. The closest Green P Parking is located at 13 Isabella Street or at 15 Wellesley Street East.

Overall, I was very impressed by the accessible space and washroom, friendly staff, and tasty drinks!