Not the singing type? Come to Karaoke Box with its chic bar, private rooms and outstanding service, and very soon you will be.

The Venue
Say goodbye to any preconceived notions you may have about karaoke bars being small, dark and dodgy places with those old 16 inch TVs.

A stone's throw from Farringdon Station, Karaoke Box on Smithfield Street is a chic, modern and spacious bar, complete with slate walls, recessed lighting and clean lines. Along the perimeter of the bar itself are the sixteen private karaoke rooms of varying sizes and capacities, which are outfitted with plenty of attractive features: flatscreen TVs; leather seating; surround sound; wireless microphones so you can shake your booty while you sing; easy-to-use touch screen monitors with thousands of songs searchable by title or artist; dimmer switches for setting the right mood; and the all important red button for waitress service when you just can’t pry yourself away from the microphone. If you don’t want to sing in English, or you want to show off your second language skills, five rooms are available with songs in Japanese and all rooms have French, Spanish, Swedish and German language options.

Prices for rooms vary according to size, and an hour of singing euphoria can cost anywhere from £20 for a four person room to £150 for the fifteen person VIP area. The largest room can fit 25-30 people and costs £90 an hour from noon-9pm and £120 an hour from 9pm-3am.

The Atmosphere
The Smithfield Karaoke Box was born out of the success of the decade-old Soho location, but with a variety of improvements. The result is a perfect marriage between karaoke and bar. The bar itself is totally legitimate in its own right, even if you never enter a karaoke room. But after a few drinks with your mates and behind closed doors, you will be compelled to sing. The bar makes a seamless transition into the soundproof rooms with easy access and friendly swinging doors.

Karaoke Box is really all about having fun. Music in the bar is designed to energise, waitresses are extremely friendly and good natured, and the bartenders are quick and helpful. They’ve kept all the best bits of the Japanese theme too, with waitresses dressed in contemporary black kimonos, tempura on the snack menu, and sake behind the bar. Needless to say, Karaoke Box is ideal for corporate functions and bonding with coworkers. With musical genres of all types, don’t be surprised if you find yourself swaying arm in arm with that guy from IT, singing classic rock ballads at the top of your lungs or doing your best Spice Girls impression.

The Food
Karaoke Bar offers a menu of snacks that can be delivered right to your room. Snacks range from about £3.50 to £15 and include tempura, chips and surprisingly authentic Italian pizza. They also do restaurant quality sushi catering if booked in advance. Catering will cost you - or your boss - about £20-£25 per head.

The Drink
Even though they have an array of beer, wine, sake and spirits, Karaoke Box is all about the cocktails. They’ve come up with modern twists on almost all the classics, but one of the best has to be the Japanese Samba, which is made with Germana, passion fruit puree, lime juice and Shochu. Instead of ordering your usual, ask the bartender to recommend something unique based on what you like; you won’t be disappointed.

The Last Word
Designed for karaoke virgins and veterans alike, Karaoke Bar on Smithfield Street offers a good time for just about everybody.

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