The best karaoke bars in London: 10 places to release your inner diva

Looking for the best karaoke bars in London? You've come to the right place. A long time favourite of many, you can't quite beat getting a group together to belt your heart out. No matter what you're planning: whether it be team building experiences, birthday bashes or even just a casual Friday night - karaoke is always a good idea.

There’s not much known about the origins of this glorious pastime, but it’s thought to have begun in Japan. The tale goes that a performer pulled out of doing a show one evening, and the owner of the bar where they were scheduled to appear decided to play music and invite the punters to come up and sing along to fill the silence. Pretty genius, we’re sure you agree. And so, the birth of a beautiful thing; a thing that we will be forever grateful for.

In true London style we’ve adopted this ritual and made it our own, having welcomed it with open arms (and lungs) since it landed on our shores. Now, we’re proud to say, the karaoke London has to offer is some of the best in the world. From low-lit, budget karaoke dens in Chinatown to all singing, all dancing KTV rooms in some of the city’s coolest restaurants, London's best karaoke bars have something for every occasion.

Most operate a price per head booking policy, meaning you can hire a room or area for an hour or two for your group, and lots come with the potential to order food and drink packages too. Because there’s nothing sadder in this world than being at the bar queuing for a drink and hearing your friends or colleagues singing your favourite tune, we’d recommend picking a spot that has a table service so you don’t miss a second of the action.

We do have some bad news though, while we can deliver you the following list of the best karaoke bars in London, there’s nothing we can do about Karen from accounts insisting on singing that Westlife duet on repeat. Enjoy.

Lucky Voice, various locations

What: Perhaps the most recognisable karaoke bar brand in London, Lucky Voice has five venues across the city to ensure wherever you find yourself you’re within easy reach of pelting out a few belters. If you happen to be outside of the big smoke there there is also a venue in Brighton. All rooms come with a ‘thirsty’ button that allows you to summon service, and once your two-hour slot is up you can enjoy the atmosphere of the main bar area in each location. On weekends these spaces are filled with the sound of a live DJ and host photo booths so that you can take a quick snap with friends or colleagues before you stroll off singing into the night.
Capacity: 4-30 people per room
Where: 52 Poland Street, W1F 7NQ; 84 Chancery Lane, WC2A 1DL; 173-174 Upper Street, N1 1RG; 1 The Avenue, EC2M 4YP; The Sidings - Waterloo Station, SE1 7LY
Book now: Lucky Voice Soho; Lucky Voice Holborn; Lucky Voice Islington; Lucky Voice Liverpool Street; Lucky Voice Waterloo&nbsp

BAM Karaoke Box, Victoria

What: Parisian karaoke brand BAM has arrived in the UK with a debut site in Victoria. There’s a reason BAM has become one of Europe's top karaoke destinations, with its quirky decor, top notch sound system and extensive collection of tunes. There are 22 uniquely decorated rooms in total, alongside photo booths and two separate cocktail bars. Sing your heart out in The Masquerade Room with its wall of golden masks, or serenade your group in The Bird Cage Room with its smashed mirrors and abstract painted walls. Pick one of the site's playlists or curate your own in advance, meaning you don’t have to waste a second and can get straight on with the singing. One thing about an evening at BAM: It’s sure to be a memorable one.
Capacity: 4-30 people
Where: 74 Victoria Street, SW1E 6SQ
Book now: BAM Karaoke Box

Inamo, Covent Garden

What: This futuristic London spot is well known for its interactive tables, embracing technology and inviting diners to play games or draw pictures on table tops whilst waiting for their food. But did you know that this is also an excellent spot for a bit of karaoke once you’re done chowing down on some sushi? The site’s Onyx Room can be hired out to give you a private room to get your groove on. The room comes with an exclusive bar alongside gaming and karaoke options, with a track list of over 90,000 songs! Plus, if you get peckish then there’s a vast menu of sushi and Asian tapas to keep you whole group fed. 
Capacity: Up to 70 people
Where: 11-14 Hanover Place, WC2E 9JP
Book now: Inamo

BAO, Various locations

What: BAO has come a long way, from Netil Market stall to a genuine London juggernaut, with seven sites and counting. Five of those locations also offer karaoke, complete with private KTV rooms available for hire. These magical, disco-lit spaces offer a library of 300,000 songs, from Western hits to a whole realm of Korean and Japanese pop to try if you’re feeling adventurous. All rooms are available for a £35 minimum spend per person, with guests able to tuck into a specially curated KTV set menu, large-serve cocktail jugs and soaring beer towers, all with two hours of non-stop karaoke.  
Capacity: 2-23 people
Where: Various London locations
Book now: BAO Shoreditch; BAO Borough; BAO Battersea; BAO City; BAO Marylebone

The Karaoke Hole, Dalston

What: This east London hotspot has become increasingly popular since it opened, solidifying its status over the years as one of the best karaoke bars in the city. Differing from most of the other venues on our list, The Karaoke Hole takes karaoke back to its glory years of it being a public performance. Each night the communal stage is graced by a drag queen who plays host for the evening, and brave sing stars are invited up on stage to perform in front of the packed bar. Our favourite part is predictably centred around food. This special place finds its home above Voodoo Ray’s and you’re allowed to order up pizza to keep your singing sustained throughout the night. Ideal. This is an over 21’s venue, so make sure you remember your ID.
Capacity: Big! 
Where: 95 Kingsland High Street, E8 2PB
Book now: The Karaoke Hole 

The Old Queen’s Head, Islington

What: This old boozer in Islington might not strike you as a top spot to sing your heart out, but The Old Queen’s Head offers party nights, DJs and, of course, karaoke. This incredibly instagrammable spot is highly sought after, often serving as a backdrop for photoshoots and filming. But you can also book a couple of spaces with your friends to belt out all the classics. A private room for up to 12 people is available as well as the site’s Playroom, a larger space perfect for a bigger party. There’s a pretty varied music list too, which happily means you can cater to mixed groups easily.
Capacity: 10-50
Where: 44 Essex Road, N1 8LN
Book now: The Old Queen's Head 

Star of Bethnal Green, Bethnal Green 

What: Karaoke at the Star of Bethnal Green is actually powered by the team behind Lucky Voice, so you can expect a pretty professional line-up of songs, from current chart-toppers to old school classics. The room is hired on a private basis so you can let your guard down and get a few of your favourites off your chest without feeling shy. The only problem might be relinquishing the space once you’ve found your feet - that performance rush is real.
Capacity: Up to 15 people
Where: 359 Bethnal Green Road, E2 6LG
Book now: The Star of Bethnal Green

All Star Lanes, various locations

What: As the name might suggest, All Star Lanes is perhaps better known for its bowling rather than its karaoke but, for us, this addition is the icing on the cake. The dedicated party rooms are decked out in cool large-print wallpaper and green leather banquette seating to help you get your all-important Instagram op, while the large TV and iPad-style control helps make things as simple as possible (which is always useful when you’re a couple of glasses of fizz down). For around a tenner per person you can enjoy a good singsong, and if you’re feeling like really going to town you could always enjoy a few rounds of bowling and some burgers before or after your performance.
Capacity: 1-14
Where: 95 Brick Lane, E1 6QL; Victoria House, WC1B 4DA; Westfield Stratford City, E20 1ET; Westfield London, W12 7FU
Book now: All Star Lanes Brick Lane; All Star Lanes Holborn; All Star Lanes Stratford; All Star Lanes White City  

Plum Valley, Chinatown

What: What’s better than enjoying a Chinese feast with friends? Enjoying a Chinese feast with friends while singing along to a whole host of bangers, of course! Plum Valley provides the perfect venue for this unique combination, offering up four private karaoke rooms at its central London restaurant. As well as cooking up creations from China, the team here also serves up Japanese and Thai dishes, so there should be something to suit everyone.
Capacity: 8-30 people
Where: 20 Gerrard Street, W1D 6JQ
Book now: Plum Valley

The Exhibit, Balham

What: The Exhibit is a bit of a mishmash of goings on with everything from boutique cinemas, bottomless brunch and a bit of karaoke. With a catalogue of 10,000 songs you’ll have plenty of choice so there’s really no excuse for anyone to be singing Wonderwall. There’s a number of karaoke packages on offer here, each boasting two hours of karaoke along with a selection of drinks to ensure you stay hydrated and can keep singing all night long. 
Capacity: Up to 30 people 
Where: 12 Balham Station Road, SW12 9SG
Book now: The Exhibit 

Looking to add to your repertoire of extracurricular London fun? Check out our round-up of the best mini golf places in the capital.