After a short hiatus, nightlife institution Balaclava finally reopens this month at its new downtown location. Nestled on the fifth floor of ION Orchard, the new Balaclava sports a sleek futuristic look which makes clever use of the mall's iconic facade.

One thing that is noticeably missing is the loud kerrang of guitars and raucous atmosphere that the bar is known for.

At its former Suntec City Mall location, Balaclava was the spot to be after-hours if you work in the Marina Bay area, and it attracted throngs of shirt-sleeved executives and music fans who drop by for an ice-cold pint or to rock out to bands such as Shirlyn & The UnXpected, Tabula and Enigma. And in their place, local DJs such as X'Ho, Debbie, Amanda Ling and Ulysses spin chill-out, house and acid jazz tunes from the turntables. 

Despite the lack of the live music element, the new Balaclava seems to going more for the Orchard Road shopping crowd plus the custom of it regulars. So have at it, punters!

Balaclava is located at #05-02 ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn, 6634-8377.