K.STAR (Clarke Quay)

K.STAR at Clarke Quay is a late-night karaoke bar in Block C of the riverside blocks, rather than inside a mall.

The rooms are science fiction throughout — striking futuristic decor and a fully space-themed experience — fitted with unusually large screens, and the sound system is the best thing about the place. Rooms are on the spacious side, and there is a proper bar: soju, somaek, and a honey-lemon drink worth ordering for a tiring voice. It opens at 2pm and runs to 3am, stretching to 5am from Thursday to Saturday, which makes it one of the latest karaoke rooms anywhere in Singapore.

It is built for parties and company nights out, which is what the room sizes and those hours are for, and booking ahead beats arriving on spec. Expect around $45 an hour at a weekend. The one real weakness is the English-language catalogue, which runs thin on recent releases; the venue’s answer is a YouTube app in the room, which works but is not the same thing. Service is generally warm, with the occasional sharp exception, and the operator responds when it slips.