Treat yourself to small-group adventures with our Holiday Sale – Save up to $525! Limited spots.
Trip destinations

The Best Karaoke Bars in Los Angeles

The Venue in Los Angeles
The Venue in Los Angeles | © Juliet Bennett Rylah
Juliet Bennett Rylah

When singing in the shower isn’t enough to sate your desire to belt out your favorite song, karaoke is the perfect solution. Whether you’re a true chanteuse who can enchant a crowd, or you prefer a private room where you can warble among friends, Los Angeles has a karaoke bar for you.

View All Trips

Smog Cutter

Bar, American

Smog Cutter
© Jared Eberhardt / Flickr
Smog Cutter isn’t pretty, but it’s a cheap cash-only bar that serves strong drinks and offers any patron willing to abide by their two-drink minimum the chance to serenade the crowd with their favorite guilty pleasure. Service with a smile is not at the forefront of this surly dive, but it’s ideal for cutting loose and making new, perhaps overly loquacious friends.

R Bar

Bar, Korean

R Bar requires guests to supply the bouncer with password to enter. Luckily, it’s as easy as checking this neighborhood haunt’s Facebook page beforehand. There’s plenty of space in the back booths for intimate conversation, but the small stage is where the action is, with live bands or karaoke multiple nights of the week. Reasonably priced drinks, including craft cocktails, are available, as well as a solid menu of American bar food.

Cafe Brass Monkey

Bar, American

Brass Monkey
© Juliet Bennett Rylah
Karaoke is the main draw of Brass Monkey, an unassuming Koreatown haunt tucked into a strip mall. People show up as early as 5pm to sing, and by night, the bar is packed with crooners. Show up early for a turn, but be prepared to dance, sing along, and high-five your fellow karaoke singers as this bar can get rowdy. It serves the usual bar cuisine, with various daily food and drink specials.

Backstage Bar & Grill

Bar, American

This Culver City bar is a favorite haunt for employees of Sony Studios, which is located across the street. Backstage has karaoke every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Guests can sign up as early as 7:30pm, which is advised as the bar gets packed in the later hours. Yet the crowd here really gets into the performances, cheering one another on throughout the night. The drinks are cheap, and quality bar food is available.

The Venue

Restaurant, American

A karaoke room at The Venue
© Juliet Bennett Rylah
Enter an inconspicuous building off of Wilshire, descend a flight of stairs, and emerge in The Venue, a dimly lit, intimate fine dining restaurant serving upscale California cuisine and delicate craft cocktails. One libation even comes served in a large golden chalice shaped like a pineapple. In the back are 13 private karaoke rooms available for rent, the largest allowing up to 50 guests. A separate menu is available in the karaoke rooms, including sizable platters, charcuterie, nachos, wings, and desserts.

SoopSok Karaoke

Bar, Korean

400714758_0b9ee6bf57_o
© gin_e / Flickr
SoopSok (around since 1986) offers numerous private karaoke rooms, each containing a robust book of songs in English, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese. Order beer, wine, and cocktails from the bar, as well as American and Korean food. Their smallest rooms can accommodate parties of six, while their largest rooms can hold up to 30 people. Prices range from $20 to $60 an hour.

Boardwalk 11

Bar, Pub Grub

Boardwalk 11 is tucked into a strip mall in Palms and features a collection of over 50,000 different songs to choose from. The menu skews to American bar food, and it’s got plenty of beer, including domestic session ales and interesting craft brews. Boardwalk 11 has a full coffee bar, too, in case anyone needs a pick-me-up before serenading their friends with their favorite ’90s jam.

Sardo's

Bar, American

Sardo’s has karaoke every night of the week, but it’s famous for Porn Star Karaoke, hosted every Tuesday. It’s exactly what it sounds like: a karaoke night purportedly frequented by people who work in the adult film industry. For something completely different, family-friendly karaoke is hosted every Friday, 7:30–9:30pm. Sardo’s has over 20,000 available songs, which can be browsed online.

Break Room 86

Bar, American

Break Room 86
Courtesy of DYLAN+JENI

It can be hard to get into Break Room 86: it’s often packed, there’s a dress code, and entrance is hidden around the side of The Line hotel. Yet inside is an ’80s-themed wonderland of arcade games, Cocktail-style bartenders slinging creative drinks, the occasional ’80s cover band, and a hydraulic a stage that periodically lowers to reveal breakdancing troupes or Michael Jackson impersonators. The karaoke occurs in a series of clandestine rooms, which can be booked for parties up to 20. On Tuesdays, there’s live band karaoke with band The Good Time Boys.

Complex

Bar, American

Tired of hearing Billy Joel and Adele? Check out Ground Control Karaoke, every Monday night at Complex in Glendale. The book here contains all the obscure new wave, punk, indie, goth, and rock tracks an alternative karaoke singer could want. There’s never a cover, and patrons who ride their bikes will receive their second drink for free. Doors open at 8pm.

The Gaslite

Music Venue

At The Gaslite, no one has to be a great singer to have a good time, but that doesn’t mean some truly talented singers won’t make an appearance. This Santa Monica bar’s claim to fame is a 2010 Funny or Die stunt in which Jewel, in disguise, shows up and sings her own songs. Karaoke, dancing, and drink specials go down nightly. Happy hour is daily, 4–9pm.

Max Karaoke
Max Karaoke offers a number of private rooms accommodating up to at least 25 singers and a vast collection of songs in several languages. Patrons can BYOB, and all three locations stay open until 3am on weeknights and 4am on the weekends. From 1–8pm, it’s only $4 per person, per hour on weekdays, and $5 per hour, per person on the weekends.
culture trip left arrow
culture trip brand logo

Volcanic Iceland Epic Trip

meet our Local Insider

Hanna

women sitting on iceberg

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE?

2 years.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB?

It's the personal contact, the personal experiences. I love meeting people from all over the world... I really like getting to know everyone and feeling like I'm traveling with a group of friends.

WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST?

I have so many places on my list, but I would really lobe to go to Africa. I consider myself an “adventure girl” and Africa feels like the ULTIMATE adventure!

culture trip logo letter c
group posing for picture on iceberg
group posing for picture on iceberg

Every CULTURE TRIP Small-group adventure is led by a Local Insider just like Hanna.

map of volcanic iceland trip destination points
culture trip brand logo
culture trip right arrow

See Our Culture Trips
landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

X

Holiday Sale Offers on Our Trips

Incredible Savings

Find Out More
Edit article