The Best Karaoke Bars in London

The flagship London karaoke venue, with private rooms that are maintained to a standard that rivals dedicated karaoke operations in Tokyo or Seoul. The song library exceeds 60,000 tracks and updates weekly. The rooms are bookable in two-hour slots from noon until 3am on weekends. Cocktail packages are competitively priced and arrive promptly. Book at least a fortnight ahead for Friday and Saturday evenings.

Order: Cocktail bucket package — the Prosecco add-on is worth it

The Smithfield branch is the choice for City workers — close to Farringdon and Barbican, open until 2am on weeknights, and popular with groups coming directly from offices. The rooms range from intimate four-person booths to a large suite that holds fourteen. The weeknight pricing is significantly cheaper than the Soho equivalent. The song selection is strong on 80s and 90s pop, which is exactly what the after-work crowd wants.

Order: Beer tower to the room — efficient for large groups

Not the children's restaurant — this is a separate bar venue that runs karaoke on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights with an open-stage format and a genuinely theatrical host who treats every performance as if it is opening night. The crowd that assembles is mostly regulars who take the performances seriously enough to cheer when someone nails a difficult song. Cheap cocktails and a song list that leans toward showtunes and pop anthems.

Order: House cocktail pitcher — better value than individual rounds

The Moth Club runs occasional karaoke nights in its main room — an ornate former working men's club in Hackney that provides an incongruously grand setting for singing Take That. The song list skews toward 80s and 90s pop and indie. Entry is cheap, drinks are cheaper than they have any right to be, and the crowd is the specific mix of musicians and music fans that Hackney produces. Check the schedule before planning around it.

Order: Whatever the bar is promoting — usually a local craft lager

A Scandinavian-inflected bar and music venue that runs karaoke on certain Sunday nights as part of its mixed programming. The audio setup is the best of any bar-format karaoke in east London. The rooftop terrace is available before the karaoke starts. The crowd is friendly and the host exercises just enough editorial control over the song list to keep the energy consistent through the night.

Order: Aquavit shot to start, then whatever is on draft

The famous Dalston pizza bar runs irregular karaoke nights that combine slices and singing in a combination that works better than it sounds. The karaoke setup is simple but functional. The song library concentrates on crowd-pleasers from the last thirty years. The bar is small, which means the audience is always close enough to feel involved. Low-pressure, cheap, and reliably fun on a night when you want neither a production nor silence.

Order: Dollar slice and a Modelo — the karaoke standard here

A Brixton institution that runs karaoke on Friday nights to a crowd that does not require much encouragement. The song selection runs heavy on soul, R&B, and 90s pop, matching the neighbourhood's musical identity. The bar is cash-only, the drinks are priced accordingly, and the atmosphere is the kind that develops only in a bar that has been doing the same thing for many years. Arrive before 10pm if you want to be near the front.

Order: Red Stripe or rum and Coke — the room's standard

Better known as a live music venue, the Windmill runs karaoke nights that are distinctly musician-attended — which means the standard is higher than at your average bar night but the atmosphere is just as warm. The song selection runs toward post-punk and indie, reflecting the room's regular clientele. Entry is £3. The beer is good and cheap. An excellent night for people who take karaoke somewhat seriously.

Order: Craft lager and avoid the wine

A Brazilian bar in Shoreditch that adds karaoke to its rotating programme of events. The multilingual song library — strong in Portuguese and Spanish as well as English — makes for an unusually international crowd and an unusually diverse set list. The cocktails are among the better South American-influenced drinks in east London. Karaoke nights are announced on social media and fill quickly.

Order: Caipirinha — the correct choice regardless of the occasion