Reflex

If you love a cheesy atmosphere and great 70’s, 80’s and 90’s music and cheap drinks then this is the place to go. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea however i’ve had a few good nights here getting my groove on to retro pop music. It’s not just cliché mature women and cougars in here. There are people of all ages having a good time. Great setup with the dance floor area on one side and seating on the other. £4 entry at the door. In my opinion it’s worth checking out.

Urk. Reflex. I can honestly say I have only been here twice (and both times under duress). Once was many moons ago for a hen night and more recently, on Thursday night as part of #SantaCause (a charity event for RSVP West Midlands). It’s SO not my thing… To be honest, the whole of Broad Street isn’t really my thing (but we won’t get into that right now).
So, back to Thursday. The event was a bit of a food/​pub crawl over 4 venues in the Brindley Place/​Broad Street area. We started off at The Brasshouse (which I have reviewed before see
) and then on to the Slug and Lettuce (TBR — To be reviewed) before mooching over to Reflex for stop 3.
The venue always looks pretty gaudy from outside in the evening (as the disco balls shine through the windows and cast patterns of light on the pavement) and depending on the night, you can hear the crowd inside before you see them. A Thursday night is quieter than the weekends (obviously), but there was still a reasonable amount of people in this venue (which label’s itself as «Birmingham’s best party — 7 days a week» according to the DJ last night).
The entry is quite reasonable and if you do fancy an adventure into this venue then look for the people on Broadstreet touting free/​VIP entry and cheap bottles of plonk to persuade clubbers to visit their venue. Saying that, entry and drinks aren’t hugely expensive anyway and there is normally an offer or two on. If you want the full «Reflex» experience, then go for a sickly sweet fishbowl cocktail.
My main problem with this venue (as with most) ISN’T the music believe it or not! It’s the «meat market» feel. It seems as though many of the punters here are on the prowl, so be prepared to be chatted up when you’re here. If that’s your thing, I suppose that could be quite a laugh… but having blokes older than my dad hanging around on the off-​chance they might score a peck on the cheek isn’t my idea of a fun crowd.
The music is supposed to be 80’s themed, but the night we visited it was «The best of the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and Today» (which I think very much depends on your view of the best of music from those era’s. DJ *Dave clearly has different ideas to me). I popped in, had a quick natter to some of the other #SantaCause attendees, drank a totally discgusting shot and left before Steps had a chance to finish «5,6,7…».
You might view my review as unfair, especially if you’re a fan of these venues, but this is just my take on it. I’m sure if you are up for a cheesy music, booze fuelled night out… You could have a great time. It’s just not my thing.
*Note: The DJ’s name might not have been Dave. He just very much sounded like he should be called DJ Dave.

As a child of the 1980s I was easily persuaded to visit retro nightclub Reflex on Birmingham’s Broad Street, you know where I mean, the one place in Birmingham where it is apparently illegal to wear a coat. Given the name of the venue and the presence of 4 foot Transformer Soundwave perched on the outside I was expecting Duran Duran and was bitterly disappointed to be treated to B*witched B*witched. It seems one man’s retro is another man’s «turn this off my ears are bleeding!» If you don’t like it there are no alternative rooms to opt in to, although there are quieter areas to be found.
Most of the action occurs on or around the revolving dance floor which seems like a cross between Take Me Out and the conveyor belt in the Generation Game. There are no fondue sets to be had, but plenty of cuddly toys. The club has Sofas for chats about how your friend ‘shouldn’t have said what they said in the way they did’ and an outside space (Thanks Kirsty and Phil for making me say that) for smokers. Its not cheap but it is cheerful I didnt get a moody vibe at all. If you are looking for a guaranteed 80s experience then don’t believe Soundwave and move on, he was a Decepticon after all. if you are prepared to dance to absolutely ANYTHING then you can do worse, you might even enjoy it. I didn’t have a great night, but you know… C’est Le Vie.

I’ve been told reflex is good on saturdays. I went on a thursday and it was dead. They have some cheesy music but me and my friends quickly moved on luckily it was free entry

Nothing beats going back in time to the groovy seventies with songs we all know by heart (whether we admit to it or not!) and the atmosphere as funky as the historic decade! Welcome to Reflex!
Just about every time I’ve been, I’ve come across revellers who are dressed for the occasion with flares, platforms and crazy wigs. So when you’re under the influence you can lose sight of reality and momentarily believe you’ve been switched back a few decades to the age when Bohemian prints rocked!
You’re guaranteed a bustling atmosphere with a crowd of usually older punters who appreciate old-​skool music. It can get quite cramped, which is down to how popular this place is! They usually have offers on so we once enjoyed two cocktails for the price of one — who could complain!
Even if the 70s were not your kinda decade, Reflex is definitely worth a visit!

As publicized, Reflex is more inclined to the older generation as opposed the young adults, like myself.
However, this hasn’t stopped groups of people my age heading down Broad Street and having a quick look in Reflex. These rare occasion’s have often ended in somewhat disappointment, with the club being fairly empty on practically every visit.
This surprise (you’d think we would learn our lesson) was compounded by the expensive drinks. Whether that’s our personal opinions as tight students or just a bunch of guys looking for a good time, I’m undecided, but regardless, we seem to have missed Reflex in full flow.
Definitely the place to be for a cheesy night out, worth checking out whatever your age, just hope you catch it on a busy night!

I love the Reflex in London. This was hideous though. And empty. Honestly. 5 people in there. And one of those was the DJ.
The music gives it a star and the revolving podium gave it another.
1 drink. 20 minutes. 2 Stars.

Ah, the eighties. To be honest, I don’t remember much of that decade that doesn’t involve Mattel-​sponsored toy adverts masquerading as children’s entertainment shows. All the same, after a visit to Reflex I could swear I’d been part of the eighties music scene, especially after a few of the bar’s more colourful cocktails.
Drawing easy comparisons with the nearby 70s dive Flares, Reflex comes across as the other bar’s mellower, friendlier cousin. I’m quite happy to report I’ve not found myself in Reflex too many times over the years, but to be fair whenever I’ve been it’s always been a fairly peaceful affair, thanks in no small part to the excellent work by the eternally patient door staff. About the worst you can expect from a night in Reflex is a drunken reveller experiencing an adverse reaction to the bar’s notorious rotating dance floor.

By the way, how are your reflexes? Because you need pretty good ones to avoid the flailing arms on the dancefloor of this over-​rated night spot. Why do people enjoy queuing for half an hour to pay too much money for entry into an expensive club without enough space where you’re continually sweated on by all and sundry. Am I showing my age perchance?
Actually, predictably, when I got over this and started on the Tequila shots, all memories of my beleaguered past disappeared and I found myself having a really good time. Something about the volume of people make it a vibrant place to be, and they do play some good music, albeit eighties. So if you just want to blow out, then this may well be the right place.

This place is lots of fun and also a bit cheesy — the perfect way to a begin a night that will inesvitably end up with you strutting your stuff and singing your heart out at Flares.
A great place for a hen/​stag do and it is alwasy full and bustling.
There is a reasonable smoking area too, with tables and chair, as well as overhead cover in the vent of rain.
Not the cheapest night out, but then again you could do alot worse.

Not the cheapest night out in Birmingham but definitely one of the most fun, go with your older mates to see just how many of them remember the 80’s and exactly how many of the tracks you know and love are

Good night out, dead 80’s. Only go if you know and like the music otherwise it’s a wasted night out.
I always manage to have fun but it will never be the fullest bar on a night out.

I would never go back here. I went out for my birthday here, my sister had her bag stolen and the staff were very unhelpful. It is cramped, dirty and the toilets are filthy. The drinks are overpriced. The bouncers are lippy and very unhelpful, they would not let me back in to find my sister despite the fact she had been pickpocketed