Best Karaoke Bars In New York City
Duet 35
53 W. 35th Street 2nd Floor
New York, NY
www.karaokeduet.com
With nearly 150,000 songs to choose from, Duet 35 is the perfect venue for music lovers of any persuasion. Their song lists are updated monthly - and include songs in eight different languages - so you and your friends can sing along to your new favorite Katy Perry song, stick with an '80s classic or test your chops on one of the over 80,000 Japanese songs on file. It is a Room Karaoke place with private rooms accommodating between two and 30 people, but be sure to call ahead for reservations if you've got a big group. Rooms are rented by the hour, charged per person and cost between $4 and $8.50 depending on time of day and day of the week. If you're in the mood for a singing marathon, they'll let you sing from open til 8 p.m. (up to 7 hours) for $12 Mon-Thur and $14 Fri-Sun.
Pulse Karaoke Lounge
135 W. 41st Street
New York, NY
www.pulsekaraoke.com
Including both private rooms and a public singing venue, Pulse Karaoke Lounge gives you the choice of limiting your embarrassment to close friends or throwing caution to the wind and putting on a show for everyone. The main lounge is an all-white room with a stage surrounded by tables, chairs and LCD screens playing music videos. The private rooms includes Guitar Hero and Rock Band 2 in its private rooms. Catering to lots of tourists and after-work office-dwellers, the Pulse is a trendy den with a lengthy bottle-service menu, limited beer selection and pricey cocktails.
Arlene's Grocery
95 Stanton Street
New York, NY
www.arlenesgrocery.net
Singing along to a recorded track not enough for you? Come to Arlene's Grocery on Monday nights and live your dream of being the headliner for a rock band. Every Monday at 10 p.m. this bar and music venue has a live band playing everything from AC/DC and Led Zeppelin to Rage Against the Machine and U2. Get there early to pick out a song and sign up to perform with the live band behind you. There is no cover for this rock-and-roll karaoke and the experience is something you'll never forget.
Karaoke Duet 48
304 E. 48th Street
New York, NY
www.karaokeduet.com
The little sister of Duet 35, Karaoke Duet 48 is another room karaoke joint. Located in the midtown east area, the bar's got 16 private rooms and more than 18,000 English songs to choose from. Each room comes with a phone with a direct line to the bar so you can order drinks and Japanese snacks without missing your best friend's embarrassing rendition of "Thriller" - complete with drunkenly, uncoordinated dance moves.
BINY
8 Thompson Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY
www.biny.com
The over-the-top decor at BINY (standing for Best In New York) may be a little off-putting at first, but the sushi and karaoke keeps visitors coming back. With both private rooms and a public singing venue, you can go to goof off with friends on your own or take it to the main stage. The long cocktail list does wonders for the crowds gathered, giving liquid courage to the sheepish and "beer muffs" for those listening.
J'z Karaoke
23 West 32nd Street
New York, NY
www.thejznyc.com
One of the more elegant karaoke bars, J'z has a more mature crowd of singers (read: not as drunk or rowdy as the typical karaoke group). The songs, which will cost you $2 a piece, consist of American karaoke favorites and Korean pop. Self-conscious singers are welcome to sing right from their seats instead of getting up on stage. This karaoke joint is closed on Sundays and is located on the 4th floor, so take the elevator or "walk up for exercise" as a sign along the entrance suggest.
