Start working on your song lists – karaoke rooms are warming up around Australia.
There are two species of people. The wallflowers, who are happy slinking into the corner of a booth and watching the world go by, and the extroverts, who will soon have talked to every single person in that booth, and the table over, and befriended the waiter for good measure. For the latter, god created karaoke.
Luckily for the wannabe performers in our midst, karaoke rooms are busting a move out of the ’80s and storming back into Australia’s hospitality scene, mic in hand.
Surry Hills izakaya Goros has long been one of Sydney’s favourite spots for late-night chicken karaage and belting out questionable tunes all night long, and has recently transplanted this winning combination up to Brisbane.
The new Fortitude Valley venue includes three private karaoke rooms for up to 12 at a time. Anyone who suspects they might be simply the best and ready for the main stage should look out for the themed karaoke nights in the front bar. In between sets, there’s flame-licked yakitori and a drinks list infused with Japanese spirits – but anyone in need of liquid courage need look no further than the sake bomb: a shot of sake dropped into Sapporo lager, a potent combo often blamed on American GIs in Japan after WWII.
The yet-to-be-revealed secret at new Southeast Asian eatery Island Radio in Redfern, inner Sydney, are the private dining rooms going in upstairs, one of which will include a karaoke set-up. Indonesian, Malaysian, Filipino and Singaporean flavours come together in perfect pitch across chef Andy Wiry’s menu, with fun tropical cocktails like the ube colada and classic junglebird setting the tone for a late night in the private karaoke room (with the venue having a 2am license on weekends – a rarity in these parts).
It takes two for a karaoke session at playful Mexican bar El Primo Sanchez, on Sydney’s Oxford Street. The cosy karaoke room is built for duets, with free karaoke sessions available to anyone who can squeeze into the tiny booth lit by a pulsing disco ceiling. Outside, the expert bartenders from the Maybe Sammy group shake up a stellar list of Mexican-inspired cocktails such as party-starting Patron slushies and the retro-fun Banarama. But if you’re too deep into your rendition of ‘Islands in the Stream’, deploy the “¡Emergencia! Press for tequila” button inside the booth for two shots to be delivered from the healthy tequila and mezcal list.
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Tombo Den in Melbourne inner-south suburb Windsor is one of the newest venues in the powerful Lucas stable, with the futuristic Tokyo vibes complemented by a surreptitious karaoke set-up on the second storey, overlooking Chapel Street.
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Known as ‘The Den’, the upper floor can be booked as a private dining room, with fastidiously prepared sashimi and nigiri to start, and karaoke for dessert. Trippy AI-generated imagery by local artist Tom Blachford reveal themselves as teleprompters, in what must be one of Melbourne’s most atmospheric rooms to grab a mic and do it your way.
In the city, Yum Sing House has just relaunched its upstairs karaoke bar as LKF Bar, named for the legendary Hong Kong bar district Lan Kwai Fong. Cantonese snacks provide grist for burning down the house in the four private rooms, the largest of which is the 29-person Happy Valley room. The smaller rooms also do double duty as private dining rooms, with bougie add-ons including fresh crab, caviar and lobster available on top of the set menu. Once the plates are cleared, the tunes begin.
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