We’re used to cocktail bars, restaurants and the occasional beer hall. Karaoke bars, on the other hand, are not among our usual haunts.
So, when Ziggy’s opened up at Robertson Walk, we weren’t quite sure what to look out for.
We’re not going to call it a review- we’re a little out of our depth for that, but we’re plenty happy to share our impressions.
A Pleasant Surprise
When we first arrived at Ziggy’s, it was quite the surprise. A small bar, complete with counter and shelves stocked with a fair selection of spirits greeted us. Rows of whisky, gin and cognac peeked at us from behind the bar collection at our speakeasy-styled bar. While we’re not saying that the selection was anything close to say, the Writing Club, Ziggy’s still had a few surprises for us.
While our old friend The Macallan 12 Sherry Oak was waiting for us, Monkey Shoulder was rubbing shoulders with Dalmores, Glendronachs, Lagavulins and the odd Japanese whisky. Quite the selection, considering that most karaoke places are serving mostly a couple of blends and the odd single malt. A fair range of wines and sake was also available.
For what we consider to be a small bar, the cocktails were fair as well. The Old Fashioned ($20++) was quite respectable- a little on the sweet perhaps but nothing unsalvageable. The Negroni ($20++), on the other hand, was made with Hendrick’s; we would much prefer a heavier, more robust gin. Yet, we were getting ahead of ourselves; the very fact that we were even getting respectable cocktails at all was a pleasant surprise.
So far, Ziggy’s looked like it was exceeding expectations.
Food for thought
The food, too, was much better than you would typically expect. We’ve become accustomed to soggy, tasteless, finger “food” (and we’re being charitable) on the rare occasion we karaoke. While we were expecting the usual truffle fries (which were crisp, but unremarkable otherwise), fries coated with mayonnaise and bonito flakes were also served- and those were lovely. Aside from being a nice break from truffled potatoes, they were reminiscent of modanyaki- in other words, delightfully sinful.
Sing, Sing, Sing
Ziggy’s has ten karaoke rooms in total, with 8 regular private rooms and 2 VIP rooms that can accommodate up to 20 people each. While we’re not quite eager to regale that many people with our warbling, one of the rooms can be combined to fit 40 people, if that’s your desire. The rooms are spacious and luxuriously appointed, with comfortable seats, a minibar and fun costumes and props. We were on the fence about the last bit, but we found that it was a lot more fun to be dressed like an Egyptian when belting out Dance like an Egyptian. For aspiring pop stars, rock stars, or heroes loaded on Dutch Courage, VIP rooms have a stage, complete with vintage-style microphone.
We don’t know much about evaluating the song selection, but we can tell you that the system at Ziggy’s coughed up songs in English, Chinese, Cantonese and Korean on demand. We were happily tapping away at the touchscreen menu and queuing songs from six different decades- and we found all the tunes we were looking for. From The Beatles, to David Bowie, Oasis to Jay Chou, and Bruno Mars to Adele, there was enough musical variation to satisfy everyone in the room.
All this premium stuff comes at a price though:
- $60 per hour from 5pm to 8pm Daily
- $80 per hour from 8pm to 3am Weekdays
- $100 per hour from 8pm to 3am Weekends
- VIP rooms from $2,000 minimum spend
Summing it All Up
We don’t have a score for Ziggy’s. If the benchmark was, did we have fun, then yes, we enjoyed ourselves immensely. The food and drinks were fair to excellent, and the costumes and props were a nice touch. If you happen to be at Robertson Walk and want to belt out a few tunes, Ziggy’s there for you. We suggest going there early to enjoy the lower rates; the prices are close to what we’d spend in a club.
