“I wanna dance with somebody… I wanna feel the heat with somebody”. We all know the rest of this gem of a song right? And what better place to channel your inner Whitney Houston than at a karaoke bar? Luckily for us Londoners, there are plenty of places to get your sing-along on in our beloved city. And, drinking is actively encouraged. Win, win. Here’s our rundown of 10 of the best karaoke bars in London where you can unleash your inner diva:
1. The Star by Liverpool Street
Okay, technically we’re cheating here since this venue doesn’t open until November. But when we tell you about the karaoke extravaganza they’ve got coming, you’ll understand faster than your one mate thinks he can rap into the microphone a few drinks in.
Liverpool Street’s newest pub might as well call itself a karaoke hub, with five different karaoke rooms in the venue – each with their own individual theme and over 10,000 songs to choose from. That’s scope for a whole headline set of floor-fillers, or, you know; Angels by Robbie Williams 10 times in a row. Oh, and the best part? To celebrate their opening, the venue are giving away 1,000 hours of free karaoke and 1,000 free drinks. That’s right free as a bird (another great selection on the karaoke machine), and you can register for the offer here.
All fuelled by great beers, cocktails and street food – The Star by Liverpool Street is one you’ll need to check out when it opens next month.
But if you can’t wait for the inviting offer at The Star of Liverpool Street, there’s more Star venues offering great nights right below…
2. The Star of Bethnal Green, Bethnal Green
There are plenty of popular East End boozers, but The Star of Bethnal Green is definitely pretty near the top of that list. They’re known for their legendary parties – even Idris Elba has been behind the decks here – as well as their themed brunches, drag bingo and various different drink tastings. They also do a mean pub quiz.
One other thing that this great spot is known for is its raucous karaoke nights. Open until midnight on Mondays to Thursdays and until 2am on the weekends, there’s plenty of scope here to let loose any day of the week. The plush karaoke room here is loaded up with over 10,000 songs, and it can fit up to 20 – perfect for a group of mates looking to try and give Grammy-worthy performances. Or not…
You’ll find The Star of Bethnal Green at 359 Bethnal Green Road, London, E2 6LG. Nearest station is Bethnal Green.
3. Lucky Voice, Islington, Soho, Spitalfields and Holborn
Lucky Voice is all about the party atmosphere – a place to ‘cut loose’ and belt out some real classics. Private booths here have dancefloors and can hold up to 30 people – perfect for a birthday party or a stag or hen do – and they do some great cocktails which you can order directly to the booth too using a ‘thirsty’ button.
Plus, even the fussiest singers will find something they will want to sing at their four different locations – there are over 10,000 songs on the catalogue here, with everything from current chart hits to old-school classics. There’s also a DJ booth in the bar area playing tunes until the wee hours, so there’s no reason not to get your party on here.
There are four different locations of Lucky Voice in London. You can find out more here.
4. Nonna’s Attico at Bunga Bunga, Covent Garden
For fairly obvious reasons, restaurants inspired by scandal-tarred politicians don’t often thrive in the modern world. Well, all except one. Joyfully bucking this trend is the fun-loving Bunga Bunga, a madcap Italian restaurant partly inspired by the scandalous and salacious antics of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
The team here clearly believe there are three keys to a good party: lots of food, outrageous entertainment, and generally getting as silly as you can. Though their Battersea branch recently shut up shop, their Covent Garden branch still has the goods. Styled around a classic Italian nanna’s house, Nonna’s Attico is a private karaoke space with pizzas, cocktails, fancy dress trunk and a ‘Push for Prosecco’ button – available for hire Wednesdays to Saturdays.
You’ll find Nonna’s Attico at Bunga Bunga Covent Garden, 167 Drury Lane, WC2B 5PG. Nearest station is Covent Garden.
5. The Old Queen’s Head, Islington
Situated just down Essex Road close to Angel tube station, The Old Queen’s Head is a lively spot which is famous for its pub quizzes, gigs, Sunday roasts and club nights at the weekends. It’s also one of the best places to enjoy karaoke in London. They’ve got two options for karaoke here – you can book the ‘karaoke room’, which can hold up to 15 people and where you’ll have your own private host.
Alternatively, you can make use of the much larger ‘Play Room’ – no, not that kind – which can hold up to 70 people and has the capacity of over 10,000 songs. If you’ve had enough karaoke, you can also challenge your mates at table football or on vintage arcade games.
You’ll find The Old Queen’s Head at 44 Essex Road, London, N1 8LN. Nearest stations are Angel and Essex Road.
6. Leyton Star, Leyton
This casual pub is a great spot in which to watch sports, but it’s also one of the best spots in which to enjoy karaoke in London. Above the pub lies their aptly-named ‘karaoke room’ which will give you the chance to warble to your heart’s content.
The Leyton Star has also got a weekly pub quiz as well as one of the largest beer gardens in East London – so why not make a full day and night of it?
You’ll find the Leyton Star at 116 High Road Leyton, London, E15 2BX. Nearest station is Leyton.
7. Electric Ballroom, Camden
What started as a busy Irish club playing host to performers such as Jim Reeves has, 80 years on, become Camden High Street’s iconic live music venue, which sees people queueing round the corner every day to watch bands from U2, The Clash, and Red Hot Chilli Peppers to Joy Division, The Smiths, Foals and Blur.
The Electric Ballroom is also doing a range of karaoke-themed nights over the next couple of months, with music from the 80s and 90s – think ‘Girl Power’, ‘Britpop’ and the ‘New Romantics’. Rock on.
You’ll find the Electric Ballroom at 184 Camden High Street, London, NW1 8QP. Nearest station is Camden Town.
8. The Star By Hackney Downs, Hackney Downs
The Star by Hackney Downs is the ultimate east London boozer, with a whole host of brilliant beers and some awesome grub – as well as gluten-free and vegan choices that don’t feel like the short straw. They’ve also got a great karaoke room – sponsored by Lucky Voice – which can hold up to 15 punters.
What better spot to get your groove on and channel your inner material girl, hey?! They also offer numerous drinks packages – because who wants to keep running down to the bar when you’re on round three of ‘Rolling in the Deep’ right?
You’ll find The Star by Hackney Downs at 35 Queensdown Road, London, E5 8JQ. Nearest station is Rectory Road.
9. Lan Kwai Fong, Camden
Famous for their digital beer pong tables, Lan Kwai Fong is a great spot to come in Camden when you’re looking for a night on the town. Taking inspiration from Hong Kong’s lively Lan Kwai Fong district, they take the classic uni sport and elevate it to the next level, with plenty of flashing neon lights and the expectant crowd slowly ratcheting up the tension.
But they also have some cracking karaoke on offer here, with two private rooms which you can rent out which are decked out with all the latest songs. Throw in their signature cocktails and some excellent food and you’ve got a great night sorted. Good reason for adding this one to our list of the best karaoke bars in London.
You’ll find Lan Kwai Fong at 27 Chalk Farm Road, Chalk Farm, London, NW1 8AG. Nearest station is Chalk Farm.
10. The Bat and Ball, Stratford
Our penultimate entry onto this list of the best karaoke bars in London is one that’s sure to bring the fun in spades. The Bat and Ball is something of an institution in this neck of the woods, and it’s pretty easy to see why.
Stocked with over 20,000 songs, their private, UV karaoke booth is just waiting for you and your mates to channel Beyonce et al, and there’s space for 19 different people so this is one for the partygoers. As well as karaoke, there’s also beer and prosecco pong, table tennis, pool and live DJs on Fridays and Saturdays.
You’ll find The Bat and Ball at Westfield Stratford City, The Street, London, E20 1EN. Nearest station is Stratford.
11. All Star Lanes, White City and Brick Lane
Rounding off this list of the best karaoke bars in London is All Star Lanes, a chain that is well known for its bowling but also offers karaoke rooms in its White City and Brick Lane branches.
You’ll be able to sing your heart out to all the classics for – get this – under a tenner per person! As well as all the karaoke fun, you’ll also be able to wine and dine on authentic American diner food and two-four-one tankards of piña coladas. There’s photobooths too in case you’re wanting to remember some of the night…
You’ll find All Star Lanes at various different locations in London. You can find out more here.
So there you have it – a roundup of the best karaoke bars in London. So what are you waiting for? Grab your best party shirt, warm-up the vocal chords and we’ll see you in the karaoke booth!