The latest trends in restaurant design are having an unfortunate side effect: ear-splitting noise. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal puts a spotlight on the problem: Restaurants housed in cavernous spaces with wood floors, linen-free tables, high ceilings and lots of windows—all of which cause sound to ricochet around what are essentially hard-surfaced echo chambers. Upscale restaurants have done away with carpeting, heavy curtains, tablecloths, and plush banquettes gradually over the last decade. But these were design features which helped absorb noise. To add to the din, some high-end establishments are blaring classic rock from Led Zeppelin, Guns ‘n’ Roses and the Who to up the familiarity factor. A restaurant reviewer in San Francisco found that at one eatery, the decibel level was 80—just under the level hearing specialists consider damaging to hearing after long-term exposure.
The article offers some helpful suggestions for deflecting the noise problem. Diners worried they will end up in a noisy restaurant may want to Google pictures of the restaurant. Walls of windows, high ceilings, boxy dimensions, a surfeit of hard lines and a dearth of soft materials should raise red flags. Call the restaurant and ask if it has acoustical paneling or other sound-reducing materials. Once in a noisy restaurant, seek out tables in alcoves or side rooms, which can barricade or at least deflect noise. And if you find yourself in a sound trap, speak up. Convincing management to turn down the music is a double boon: The music itself gets softer, and then other diners lower their voices because they are no longer competing with the music.
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