Love it or hate it, karaoke has emerged as a major trend across London as we take on board the much-loved entertainment of our Japanese friends. Cella is an example of why karaoke can provide a decent alternative night out.

The Venue
Although the location of Cella is very central, being located as it is on Chancery Lane, it’s still a bit of a trek from many of the bars of Covent Garden, Holborn and Leicester Square. Best to get the tube to Chancery Lane and save your feet.

Cella is a basement bar and club, but the entryway is pretty easy to find, being located right on Chancery Lane, with an easy-to-spot sign proclaiming you’ve reached your destination. Walking down the stairs you’re met with the main club room. Dark and reminiscent of student clubs of old, there’s plenty of seating and a large central bar.

The karaoke rooms are separate: found down a corridor to the left, there are various rooms of differing sizes to accommodate your party - groups of 25 could happily fit in to the larger spaces. These rooms aren’t as garish as many karaoke venues. Dark lighting, concentrating your attention on the large karaoke screen, works well, and a central main table glows with white light. Around the outer edge is a large black leather sofa, which is surprisingly comfortable. There’s even controllable air conditioning in each room, which is a nice touch. Although there’s a slight air of Shoreditch-style griminess, it’s an overall comfortable and decent area to enjoy a night of ‘singing’.

The Atmosphere
The atmosphere at places like Cella totally depends on the group you’re with. Take some up for it mates who don’t care about being made to look silly as the warble to the sounds of Mariah Carey and Bon Jovi and you’re guaranteed a great time. Dance about, let loose and enjoy yourself - it’s the only way to do karaoke!

The staff here are particularly helpful and friendly. There’s a call button for when your guests want drinks or food or have any queries - staff will appear within mere minutes and do all they can to make sure you’re well looked after. They’ll even have a bit of a banter with you, which is great news for a Central London club, where often the attitudes of staff can be lacking. A real bonus.

The Music
The music at Cella is, obviously, down to you. You’ll find the latest chart hits, from Justin Timberlake to Kylie, to old school classics (you simply have to do ‘I Need a Hero’ or ‘Respect’!). And with a Japanese and English menu, you can get a taste of the authentic. The videos are pretty hilarious (from a cheesy vid of a man experiencing mirages across a desert to a bizarre video of a man in funny dress driving around London), but these just add to that funny karaoke experience. Occasionally you do get the real deal as far as the music videos go - BackStreet Boys ‘Larger Than Life‘, for example. All in all, it’s an excellent choice for all music tastes and singing abilities.

The Food
Simply excellent. One of the real draws to Cella above many of its rivals is the fact they’ve put real effort into their menu, offering quality dishes. Everything from fried platters of spring rolls, samosas and onion rings (£17 a plate) if you just want to pick, to more substantial dishes, including delicious noodles, special fried rice (especially excellent, complete with slices of frankfurter), chicken wings, spare ribs, calamari, and dim sum-esque pancakes mean everyone will be catered for. And at around £4-£8 a dish, between a group of you it needn’t break the bank. Each dish is top rate, fresh and hot out of the kitchen.

The Drink
Drinks are just as top quality as the food, and also reasonably priced. Whether you just fancy a spirit and mixer (they definitely don’t skimp on the alcohol!), a bottled beer or even a glass of wine, there’s a selection to rival many London bars, which is unusual for a karaoke specialist.

Best of all, their cocktails are divine, and you’ll get a decent amount of change from a tenner (coming in at the £6 mark). From a well made mojito (with just the right balance of mint and rum), a delicious caiprioska and just about every other type of classic cocktail you can imagine, you’ll not even need a pre-club bar. Just head straight along and make the most of their reasonable Central prices.

The Last Word
Cella beats off the competition with an excellent food and drink menu and top choice of tunes to warble out to. You’ll be hard pushed to not enjoy yourself if you’re out with an up for it crowd. Just be wary of a sore throat and pounding head at the end of the night!

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