Gagopa Karaoke

I’m really disappointed in this place after having my birthday there this Saturday. Maybe they just cater to Asian people because I don’t understand how the reviews are so great. I reserved a room for 14 people, they stuck us in a room for 12 people for the first 2 hours. It was so cramped we had to move the table and I had to sit on it. No one in my group was obese either. Despite being cramped, they still charged me over 300 bucks which means they charged for 14 people. We were too drunk and in a happy mood since it was my birthday to dispute the bill so we just paid it. Also the room had no AC. It was soooo hot in the room. It might be because there was too many of us in there though. I’m not sure.
Also, they called me I believe twice and text me saying I better be there at the time of my reservations because they will give my room away, yet when we got there we had to wait around for 15 minutes.
For the last hour they moved us into a larger room, that was so much fun and great. Though they claim 30 – 40 people could fit in it. HARDLY. We were a group of 14 and i would have only MAX put 10 more people in there. I mean maybe they are going by Manhattan sq footage standards… But I don’t want to be rubbing hips with the person next to me.
If you get a room that’s big enough for your group this place could be a lot of fun. The BYOB is great too.

I’m not too big on the «karaōke» scene, but Gagopa is definitely one of the better known places in Koreatown (midtown-​west). A friend of my wife’s had a birthday here, and I was «forced» to go check it out
One of the first things you’ll notice is that it’s a bit hidden. If you blink, you’ll walk right by and completely miss it. Once inside you’ll have to navigate up to the third floor and most likely encounter some pretty clueless hosts (no, seriously… I don’t think they keep very good track of where everyone is, etc.). In any event, a simple text solved the problem and we went into one of many private rooms.
Alcohol is essentially BYOB as you’re allowed to bring your own beer and wine. They have a limited variety of beers available for purchase, but if you have a chance to stop at a bodega for some 6-​packs beforehand, it would be better. Not that I need the liquid courage to fire up the vocal chords, but it does help!
Another gripe I had with this place is that the microphones were very inaudible. Not that I necessarily want to hear the high pitched, off-​key renditions of pop songs that people perform, but it completely defeats the purpose at low volumes. As far as some positives go, the selection is vast… you can pretty much find anything you want, and the list is updated quite often to allow for the latest songs. Entering songs into your queue is pretty easy as well.
Overall this is a great place to spend some time with a close group. The private rooms are a nice thing for those already embarrassed to play in front of complete strangers. Bring your own brews, find some nice tunes and belt em out without killing someones love of a song… and their eardrums

Great karaōke spot in Koreatown. BYOB for wine and beer, and the staff is super helpful and friendly! I’ve been here a few times, and each time they have been great. They’re well organized with great private rooms — different sizes to accommodate different groups. Would definitely go back!

Bring yo’ IDs.
This place is a bit tough to find, but once you do, climb up a few stairs and enter the bright disco entrance room. The front desk will ask for your IDs, regardless of whether or not you intend to drink, due to precautions against the occasional random police check.
The rooms don’t smell of smoke, tamborines provided, songs organized by title and artist (more recent songs all piled in the back), and the prices are on point. They use these cute cloth covers on the microphones to prevent cross-​contamination while singing.
Sing yo’ heart out!

I usually only review restaurants, but there is something so joyous about this place, about being beside someone as they sing a song you recall from long ago, that compelled me to write this:
What really is Karaōke? It is to stand both virtually naked beside others as you perform a song that can never be as good as the original, it is to set out on a failing venture and to fall in love with that failure. And yet, it is also to be hidden, to create art within the context of another’s creation.
And this place brings so much of that into clarity. It is a strange hideaway in K-​Town, where millennials wander drunk and surprised, as if they had just woken up to some new reality. The people who own this place look on with equal parts concern and bemusement.
Each room is like a small universe, a hideaway in which 80s rap or emo or 90s rock or Britney Spears is still important, still extant and beautiful and whole. It could make you cry to find a Karaōke bar like this, in which people are allowed to devote themselves to their obsessions, to those they love, to become performers for even a moment.
It was a joy to find this place. To be in New York City and not forget that NYC is something wholly strange, wholly unique, and never to be repeated again. You can sing here with the thought that this is love: to give one’s self to another wholly, to embody that which they utter, to repeat and to be repeated in joy.

Gagopa is always fun! Nice, decent rooms, with decent service that’s personalized to your liking with BYOB and food options!
Not to mention they also have the actual videos of music videos playing (of even the current ones!) instead of random, mismatched videos that make no sense (though comical — haha). This is one of my friends’ favorite place to hold karaōke events or just have random get togethers. They also have disco lights and tambourines with multiple coat hangers. A definite good place to go sing in our beloved K-​Town!

Such a fun night here! We reserved the room for 3 hours on a Friday night and it was $ 7 per person per hour. They have song books by song title and one by artist and the room was small but perfect for a group of 12 or so. It’s byob for wine and sake.

cool spot with friendly staff. we got a large room with nice lounge type seating. you can sing to your heart’s content here as there’s a little disco ball, strobe lights, standing mic, and tamborines. hey, the possibilities are there… beers are cheap for $ 3 a pop, but it’s also BYOB. also, they ask for tips and we got some comp waters on the way out. I would come back here again.

BYOB. I really like that.
Whether you feel like drinking a lot, or not drinking much, this place is perfect!
If you want to drink a lot, you will save a lot of money by bringing your own alcohol. If you don’t want to drink much, you don’t have to worry about splitting a bill where you barely drank any of the alcohol.
This is a no frills place. No, you don’t get fancy leather seats and stuff, but its clean. The song selection is good. The remote control was a little hard to use, you really had to point at the TV to make it work.
For our large group, it was only $ 21 per person for 3 hours. That is amazing!

BYOEverything! This place is super lax and it’s great. We brought a bunch of booze for our company karaōke night, and they were thoughtful enough to give us a giant Tupperware full of ice to chill our drinks in. We ordered some pizzas too and they delivered it straight to our room! The song selection is decently good. And the mic stand provides for the most entertaining/​embarrassing performances. Room 8 is painted with a Union Jack theme and has a framed picture of Elvis on the wall to serve as a muse. The lobby and public areas are covered floor to ceiling in Christmas lights. The whole vibe of this place is really fun.

BYO karaōke?
Unfortunately this fact was not known to us the night of. But then again, at 3AM on a Thursday, you’re not really thinking about too much. After a few games at Krush, we meandered over to Gagopa and plopped into an eight-​person room. Fast forward an hour, we paid for our room, and they promptly kicked us out.
We paid a little earlier than our hour was up because a few people had to leave. In the middle of a song, the staff literally came into our room, took the mic from our hands, and shut down the system. Kind of a rude awakening and it was a little annoying, especially because there was no wait and a few other rooms still had patrons (not like they were trying to close up shop). The song selection was decent and the BYO aspect is clutch, but the service leaves more to be desired…

Had a fun night of karaōke here! There was a great mix of American and Korean songs and the workers were friendly and helpful! After a night of fun, we got complimentary bottled waters before leaving!
Note: They lend out cell phone chargers and have free candy in the front!

Check me out, I’m a bi-​coastal karaōke star.
I was pretty hesitant about this noraebang/​karaōke spot. The elevator ride was sketchy and when we entered the lobby, there was a girl crying. We were told the rooms were completely full and there was no telling when one would open up. I was already in need of hydration from bar hopping earlier in the night and my friend had to use the restroom so we milled around a bit. By the time I finished my Korean soft drink, a room had opened up for us!
GREAT selection of songs. And some of the more current songs will have the actual music video for you. I don’t recall seeing a button to press for service but a sever would occasionally pop in and ask if we needed anything.
Everyone working here is super friendly and accommodating. Inside the rooms there is a surge protector and a sign that you can charge your phones — the front desk has different cell phone chargers for you. In addition to this nice service, they have complimentary candy and bottled water for you.
All of my initial hesitation because of the noraebang’s sketchy look and crowd were washed away by the end of the evening. I wish LA karaōke joints were as friendly as Gagopa. Until the next NYC karaōke outing!

Definitely a fan! Here are some tips for you:
1. BYOB. They provide cups and bottle opener for you. They have some beer and wine for sale but go to the supermarket directly across the street for cheaper beer
2. Arrive (and leave) on time for your reservation
3. Two credit cards maximum per group. Bring cash
4. Relatively clean single-​stalled bathroom
5. 30% discount with reservation (Sunday — Thursday). They also have early bird special (from 6 — 8 PM) — don’t know if that means the same thing as the discount. You can make a reservation online
6. Bring ID to show you are 21+
7. They have phone chargers and outlet for you
8. You can search online to see if they have the songs of your choice in advance
9. You can adjust the lighting level and intensity
I have been here multiple times. One time I was with a huge group. Another time I was here with a group of 5 people walking in without a reservation on a Saturday at 7 PM. Fortunately they had one last room open until 8 and we were able to karaōke for one hour. Most recently, I made a reservation for a Thursday night (at 7 PM) online for 6 people for one hour. We ended up staying for two hours. This guy (looks like the owner) came in at 9 PM and told us there would be another group coming in at that time. He is always pretty nice and would give us an iced cold bottled water immediately after. I will be back!

Came to Gagopa last weekend with a group of 10. Probably the best and cheapest korean kareoke spot in all of NYC.
This spot is BYOB but they say it’s only BYO Beer and Wine. (No hard alcohol). Although they say that, they don’t check so feel free to booze it up or bring water bottles/​flasks with liquor.
Gagopa has a ton of music to choose from and phone chargers in case you’re out of battery.
Great and fun place to get trashed and sing your little heart out to classics or mainstream pop. ENJOY!

For the various karaōke places I’ve been to in Ktown, this has probably been the best once. So for that reason, I’m giving it a 5. However, in the whole karaōke world, this might be a 4.
Gagopa — BYOB??? Seriously? I’ve never heard of this. And I’m not sure if they charge more per hour because of this, but this is a damn good deal — not having to buy their drinks. However, they don’t allow hard liquor. They also give you little snacks and stuff. A beer and wine opener is located hanging on the wall for your convenience.
Songs — so many songs and it’s all up to date! You can find the latest hits towards the back of the English books. I wanted a couple Chinese songs, but apparently that’s a whole different CD and it would be too much work. A+ for songs. However, the stupid remote and the location of the machine didn’t sync/​line up too well so it was a bit of an effort to key in our song choices.
Service: the best thing about Gagopa — they leave you the hell alone and let you be. Sometimes less is better.
Had a great night here!

Um~ excuse me, how does this place not have a gazillion stars and madd reviews?!
First off, in-​house kitties, that’s got me sold.
Second, clean restrooms with a sign that says «Ladies, we have feminine product in the cupboard in case you need» Wuttt~!
Third, ALL diff sizes of plastic cups that you’ll ever need for your BYOB room, plus disposable utensils, and even freakin cake candles just sitting neatly in the communal area to take freely.
Fourth, even though I didn’t make good use of this, but the cellphone charging station in each room… also with a sign saying they have chargers for loan… Just. Mind. Blown.
This place ain’t just a KTV, it’s your home away from home. And the song selections? Fuggedaboutit, they’ve got everything to everything. Oh, did I mention that for our room of 15 heads for 3 hrs, it only came out to $ 15 per? You won’t find this deal in Flushing or Chinese KTVs.
I hope this joint stays open forever, I can’t wait to come back!
*** Shout out to the host of the night Jon «Black Diamond» V., birthday girl Siu N., girl that ditched me @ the subway Stephanie P., BoA lookalike cutie Julia C., and the hot @$$ Spanish-​speaking Chinaman Jandito.

Environment: ³⁄₅
Cost: ⁵⁄₅
Accessibility: ⁵⁄₅
Total:13/15
Synopsis: I am sad to utter these words, but it’s the last standing karaōke place that allows you BYOB! How is that possible? It’s really sad, but that means we can party harder than ever on a cute little budget. Furthermore, if you sign up online, you instantly get 30% or they give you a card to get discount. Cool, huh? The song selection is reasonable, but still come with wide selections so you are able to sing for 3+ hours straight. It is safe to say I was able to do this on a constant basis.
Environment: Definitely not the prettiest karaōke place, but spacious enough so you don’t feel like you are sardines in a tin can. They have disco lights and little drums you can play to make the karaōke experience that much better.
Cost: It’s pretty cheap once you have more people and during non-​peak days. I forgot how they distribute the cost whether it’s per person or per room. But I can guarantee you that it will be cheaper than elsewhere. :D
Accessibility: Definitely easy to reach by train. It’s right by the stop! Convenient baby!

Bring beer. Leave behind inhibitions. Belt out tunes — it’s just that simple.
I’m not an aficionado, so perhaps the dozen other karaōke places I passed on the block on the way here are every bit the same or better, but this seemed like a very cool place to karaōke once you make it up the mildly-​concerning elevator to the 3^rd floor (I do hate when taking stairs 2 – 3 flights is simply not an option.)
It is BYOB (only beer, wine and sake permitted), which I actually think is far preferable to getting charged $ 10 for crappy beer at places that serve. Great song volumes — nay, encyclopedias. Damn near everything you can imagine from the last 50 years of pop. Seem like they even have songs that were released as singles like last week. Prices are reasonable, and when you leave, they give you a free bottle of water and let you choose from an assortment of hard candy to soothe your velvet pipes after your exertions.
My one complaint would be that the room seemed very small. If you’re going to Wake Me Up Before You Go-​Go, you really need ample room to Jitterbug around. But space aside, this is a fine option.

Here’s the thing about Koreatown… it’s so tacky that it works! [Though may be unsuitable for those with seizure conditions, and no, that’s not a joke.] I’ve been to Gagopa several times now and it’s definitely a fun place, great for an inexpensive alternative night out. The song selection is massive so bring a crowd and sing your heart out!
It’s BYOB but they also sell alcohol there at reasonable prices. Bring food if you’d like because they have plasticware. The rooms are equipped with song books, tambourines, bottle openers, corkscrews, and for all you germaphobes out there… MICROPHONE COVERS! Basically, they suit all your party needs and even offer baskets of free candy at the register. After your karaōke session, they give you a complementary water bottle… you’re gonna need it it.
Also, I recommend taking the stairs instead of the elevator. It’s tiny, it’s shaky, it looks like it’s going to get stuck any second. Avoid.