Karaoke Box Soho: Private Karaoke on Frith Street Since 1997

Karaoke Box opened its first private karaoke rooms on Frith Street in 1997 and calls itself the UK's first karaoke box venue. It is still at 18 Frith St, London W1D 4RF, half a minute from Ronnie Scott's and Bar Italia, and on Thursday, Friday and Saturday it stays open until 3 am. Every booking is a minimum of two hours, paid in full when you book, so this is the Soho address for private karaoke near me when your group already knows it wants a long night.

The venue's own story is short and specific: in 1997 it brought a piece of Japanese nightlife to Frith Street, in the form of closed private booths where a group sings only to itself. Its site describes Soho as the original, 29-year stronghold, and a second branch followed on Maddox Street in Mayfair in 2010. The claim to be first is worded with care on the official page, as far as the owners know, and nobody seems to have disproved it.

The location does a lot of the work. The neighbours on the official 'how to find us' panel are Ronnie Scott's, the jazz club that has been on Frith Street since 1965, the garlic-themed restaurant Garlic & Shots and Bar Italia, the late-night espresso bar that has served Soho since 1949. Old Compton Street is a minute away. The venue sells itself as work, stag and hen approved, date-night friendly and first-timer friendly, which is a fair description of who fills the rooms: office leaving dos, birthday tables and couples who wanted somewhere louder than a wine bar.

Soho has eight private rooms, and the online booking system lists them by capacity, from a small room for three up to a room for twelve. You choose a room that fits your group, rather than paying per head, and the minimum booking is two hours; the booking flow offers two- or three-hour sessions.

Pay attention to the size you pick. The terms say every room has a maximum safe capacity that must not be exceeded, so a room booked for five will not stretch to seven on the night. The reverse also costs you: if fewer guests turn up than booked, the original room charge still applies. A discretionary service charge of 12.5% may be added to food and drink tabs, not to the room hire.

Karaoke Box runs table service in the rooms, so drinks come to you instead of someone missing their song to go to a bar. The pizza menu is made with Bar Italia, which the venue names as its pizza partner, so the slice in your hand comes from the same Frith Street family that has been pouring espresso next door for more than 75 years.

Outside food and drink are not allowed, but the house rules make one exception that groups use constantly: you can bring a birthday cake. Time Out's original review singled out a house cocktail called Lost in Karaoke, a mix of Japanese whisky, cranberry, Angostura bitters and lime; the current printed menu is a PDF on the official site, so ask staff what the house cocktail is tonight rather than assume it is still the same one.

The rules are stricter than at most Soho bars, and they are worth reading before you send the group chat a link. Bookings are paid up front, in full. With 72 hours' notice or more, the lead booker can cancel for a refund minus a 10% administration fee, or reschedule once without a fee. Inside 72 hours, the booking is non-refundable, and between 20 November and 23 December the festive period rules make bookings non-refundable altogether.

If your group has not arrived within 30 minutes of the start time and has not called, the venue can release and resell the room. Guests under 18 can attend permitted bookings but must leave by 6 pm, and they must be declared in advance; staff may ask for valid photo ID. For anything after 6 pm, treat this as an adults-only venue.

Until Friday 30 October 2026, the October Early Saver takes 30% off the room charge for early sessions: Monday to Thursday from opening, finishing by 9 pm, and Friday from opening, finishing by 8 pm. It is not available on Saturday, and on Sunday it applies from 12 pm to 7 pm. The discount is applied automatically when the booking fits, with no code.

Honest advice: skip Sunday and Monday if you want a late finish, because Soho closes at 11 pm on both days. Tuesday and Wednesday run until 2 am, and Thursday to Saturday until 3 am. If Frith Street is full, the sister branch on Maddox Street in Mayfair takes the same online bookings and is a 15-minute walk west; Lucky Voice Soho on Poland Street is closer, about eight minutes away across Wardour Street.

Before your slot, walk north up Frith Street to Soho Square, the 17th-century garden square with a statue of Charles II and the small half-timbered gardener's hut in the middle. On the way, look for the blue plaque marking where the eight-year-old Mozart lodged with his family in 1764 and 1765, when he performed for London audiences.

From Soho Square, cut back down Greek Street to Old Compton Street, the spine of Soho's late-night life, then return along Frith Street past Ronnie Scott's. If you have time for one stop, sit at Bar Italia's counter for an espresso under the Rocky Marciano poster; the whole loop is about 20 minutes and puts you back at the door ahead of the 30-minute release rule.

Address: 18 Frith St, London W1D 4RF. Closest tube stations named by the venue: Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus; Tottenham Court Road on the Elizabeth line is also a short walk north. Hours: Monday 12 pm to 11 pm; Tuesday and Wednesday 3 pm to 2 am; Thursday and Friday 3 pm to 3 am; Saturday 12 pm to 3 am; Sunday 12 pm to 11 pm. Closed 24 to 26 December and 1 January.

Booking rules: two-hour minimum, full payment up front, free reschedule or refund less 10% with 72 hours' notice, no refunds inside 72 hours or for walk-ins and same-day bookings, rooms may be released after 30 minutes, under-18s must leave by 6 pm, birthday cakes allowed but no other outside food or drink, and a 12.5% discretionary service charge on food and drink tabs.