The first unusual feature of the Rocket Club is its location, its set right in the heart of Birmingham's nightlife on Broad Street. Unlike many clubs that are hidden back from the main bars or clubs, the Rocket Club sits proudly alongside a collection on 'normal' drinking and dancing establishments. From the outside the club looks great too - a mad mix of tropical colours and graphics, this place looks like anything but a lap dancing club.

Convention is also broken inside, the first area you enter is a relaxed bar with not a pole or naked bit of flesh in sight. The larger dance and stage room is located along a short corridor. The idea of having a quieter, more relaxed area really appeals to me. Lap dancing clubs make great locations for taking business colleagues but are often impractical - the Rocket club has the perfect solution. The decor of this room is nice and the seating very comfortable. The girls are allowed in the chill out bar but must be dressed.

Onto the main room, this is a large area with a good sized stage. The seating is raked towards the stage giving the club a very theatrical feel. There are also seats around the foot of the stage - a great location for tipping the girls as they dance. Tipping must be done with purchased paper notes (£2 each), while £20 gold tokens are required for lap dancers. This may sound like hassle but the waitresses are always around keeping you topped up with such necessities.

The rotation of girls on the pole is excellent with apparently a fantasy hour at midnight, although this did not happen during our visit. The quality of girls is varied, not the all out models you find in some clubs, but a decent selection and I'm sure everybody would find somebody to their taste. Some of the girls on the pole were very skilled, especially when you tip. Lots of eye contact and some very sexy moves. Its well worth pulling up a chair to the stage during your visit.

Music in the main room was loud, this may have been one of the reasons the dancers didn't sit and converse with customers as you find in many clubs, we simply got the 'do you want a dance?' rounds. The dances we did have varied in quality. The private dance area is screened from the main room via a curtain. This was slightly messy on our visit, having to climb over stools and chairs to find some room. Some dances were very close and sexy - others much less so. Although I always find the dance is better when you've had a brief chance to get to know the girl first. The shared private dance area may also be slightly too open and bright for some peoples tastes.

All said, I did enjoy our visit to the Rocket Club. Its a different club in many ways and has some really nice features such as the separate chill out bar and theatrical styled main room. I believe there is room for improvement with the private dances and this is the only element that let the club down. For most of us a lap dance is a luxury and indulgent experience, sadly on this occasion it just didn't feel like it. The Rocket club comes so close to being up there with the best of them and I'm sure it could be with a few minor changes. If you are in Birmingham I would certainly recommend a visit. The fact that you can so easily call in here as part of your night out is great, couples are welcome and the staff are very friendly. We hope to re-visit the club again soon, we'll let you know how we get on.

Verdict :