By: Amanda Jacquelin Phua

Not satisfied with just offering good food and drinks at moderate prices (a Tiger draft mug goes for $6, cocktails average $13 a pop), BluJaz Cafe frequently organises events and competitions for local talents to showcase themselves that patrons can sign up for and enjoy at no additional cost.

The 3-storey shop house at Bali Lane is a restaurant, a bar, and a lounge all in one. To top it off, its cosy, but loud, interior and friendly staff make it difficult to leave after dinner.

Says Benjamin Raymonenq, BluJaz’s PR & Marketing Manager, “Our regulars come for dinner, head up to the bar, and when they feel like relaxing, they simply head up again to the lounge!”

The restaurant features an al fresco dining area along with indoor seating. With an open concept, the restaurant is not only well ventilated, jazzy music also spills out onto the corridor, so you hear it even before you see it.

The second-floor bar is dimly lit, with mannequins providing a stand for lamps. Faux safari prints, like zebra and leopard print cushions and plush mismatched seats you can literally sink into, welcome and intrigue you at the same time. More than enough conversation starters here, that’s for sure. The bar’s also equipped with a professional DJ console where in-house DJs 44Beatz, Good Times, Pushin’ On and COUP spin every month.

As you go up to the lounge on the third floor, snatches of laughter can be heard over the music, which is at a slower tempo as compared to the first 2 levels. The lounge has a bar as well so you don’t have to worry about having to wait too long for your drinks to make their way up.

Frequented by both locals and expats, BluJaz aims to be the platform where locals can showcase their talents. Benjamin explains why: “I’ve been to local bars where local bands play, but they play only covers! They need to produce their own songs, make their own music.”

BluJaz also has regular jazz bands playing at the restaurant on the first level. Greg Lyons, a music teacher at LASALLE College of the Arts, plays every Monday night, and he’s on again with his band on alternate Friday nights.

This regular band is so friendly with the rest of the patrons that it’s easy to see why they enjoy such support from them.

The casual layout of BluJaz coupled with the cosy feel creates a homey atmosphere that is hard to duplicate, resulting in a quickly packed building. With another 3-storey shop house being converted into a second outlet, it’s going to be difficult to resist the charm of BluJaz and its music.

Visit http://www.blujaz.net/ for more details.