The Alley is tucked in between old shops and the famous
Kuan Yin ‘Goddess of Mercy’ Temple at Stewart Lane. From the outside, the
signboard actually says Kedai Gaharu Keat Seang that use to sell incense. The
owners of The Alley thought it’d be a good idea to rent the place and turn it
into the hipster place to be. However, the signboard remained there as per
request of the original shop owner, thus giving this very modern establishment
a historical feel. The place is laid out with polished floors and black and
white walls, and limited but creatively put together seating giving the shop
its rustic and industrial fun.
The Alley serves only a small selection of specialised items, because they strive for quality rather than quantity. Starting off with the coffee, Alley does theirs medium to dark roast house blend double ristretto. The Cappuccino here is served with a twist in a ceramic kopitiam style cup accompanied with a local favourite peanut candy. The coffee itself has a sour-ish hint at the end with well textured foam.
Next are their cakes that all seem to be based with cheese. Selections include the signature Lemon Cheesecake, and the pleasant surprise of the Dirty Chai Cheesecake. The Alley is one of the cafés that sells cronut; a mix in between a croissant and a doughnut with spread options like the Salted Caramel and Nutella. They also serve Churros in big or small sizes with dip choices of nutella, chocolate, salted caramel, caramel and cinnamon sugar.
Parking here can be quite a nightmare so try to park further down and walk to the shop. They also offer a menu of non-caffeinated drinks like the Pink Guava Frappe and the Macho Mango Frappe.
