Everyone’s favorite BYO activity (karaoke, of course) has expanded downtown—well, mainly in Chinatown. We’ve handpicked some relatively unknown places that would be perfect for a night out. Best of all, they all offer “minimum spending,” meaning if you spend enough on food and drink to cover the hourly rate, the room fee’s waived. Booze on, and belt out.
When you arrive, you’ll enter through the glass doors and walk down a set of stairs where strobe lights and booming music greet you. Lair KTV opened six months ago, but they've already become a presence in Chinatown's karaoke scene. There’s a bar and a dance floor in the public karaoke area, where you can drink and duet with some strangers. The rooms themselves aren’t exactly subtle in their interior design, but there’s something deliciously kitschy about it—especially the garish, ornate couches that complement each room. Lair is perhaps the best of the five on this list, as it has a killer surround system and overall the most "nightlife–y" vibe—though a permanent smell of smoke does permeate the venue.
Address: 1025 Arch St, under the Canton 11 restaurant
Price: $100, $120, $150 (go with 15 friends, relish in the spacious room, and it's still only $15/hour each!)
Vibe: Somewhat of a sleazy nightclub feel, but the drinks keep you coming back.
Go with: A big group of your closest friends to split the cost, or try to host a formal or date night here (Rumor gets old after a little while, no?)
What to sing: Any modern pop songs, and quite a few throwbacks as well. For any bilingual speakers, there’s also a huge selection of Chinese songs.
Downstairs, you’ll find a restaurant that offers “Asian Fusion,” including a variety of Chinese/Korean/Thai/Japanese dishes. Plus, there’s a decent bar selection, with Japanese and Korean selections and some wines. If you’re a fan of the harder stuff, you can also order speciality cocktails. The actual karaoke lounge upstairs is decked out in neon lights, though still more subdued than its rival Lair KTV. K–top is also smaller and holds around eight or so rooms. We recommended you book in advance if you’re really looking to sing your heart out.
Address: 911 Race Street
Price: $38–$75 per hour
Vibe: Low–key
Go with: Chill friends who won’t mind the somewhat suspect outside appearance, or your roomies—nothing says bonding like karaoke.
What to sing: Go for the old–school Britney or N*SYNC songs
This restaurant and karaoke lounge comes with the most bar–type feel of the five listed here. The restaurant downstairs boasts a impressive selection of Japanese dishes (read: sushi). Patrons can take the elevator upstairs to the rowdy main karaoke lounge, and an offshoot of eight private lounge rooms. The karaoke lounge is 21+, and the website sternly states, "We check IDs." But Sunday to Monday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. is family hour, where all ages are welcome. The lounge itself has an almost dive–bar feel and is definitely the loudest of the bunch, with hordes of people clinking glasses (and microphones) in their inebriated renditions of pop songs.
Address: 211 N. 11 Street
Price: Sunday–Thursday is $15–$35 dollars hourly, while Friday and Saturday is $30–$70/hour, depending on room size.
Vibe: Everyone’s favorite dive–bar (though drink prices are definitely higher than the normal watering hole)
Go with: Visiting hometown friends—show them what lies outside the Penn bubble. Alternatively, foodie friends who'll appreciate the award–winning cuisine downstairs.
What to sing: The newest hits—the walls are not nearly as soundproof here, so you’ll want to make sure the people out in the lounge aren’t laughing at your version of “I Will Always Love You.”
Likely the strictest of the lounges listed, they start carding after 9 p.m., even for the private karaoke rooms. What’s more: if you have a room of mixed ages––some legal, some not––you can’t bring any alcohol back there, so it might be wise to keep the freshie groupies at a minimum. It’s a restaurant/bar/lounge that serves mainly Japanese food and has a selection of speciality cocktails, sake cocktails, sake, beer, wine and bottle service, if you’re feeling fancy. As a bonus, all their drinks have interesting or punny names, ranging from the “Hello Kitty” to the “Johnie Green Tea” and the “K–Bomb.” The lounge rooms themselves are nothing too special, but the sound system’s nice, and they boast a library of more than 15,000 songs.
Address: 1021 Arch St
Price: $50–150/hour, depending on room size.
Vibe: Lounge/nightclub vibe, complete with a rather big bouncer (he's very nice!)
Go with: A group of 5–10 people for a BYO or club bonding sesh.
What to sing: Try out the Vietnamese, Taiwanese, and Chinese songs. Is C–Pop still a thing?
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