To hate how noisy so many restaurants are?

Sausagenbacon · 2023-12-15T07:10:36+00:00

I'm going out more than normal atm. And I'm seriously fed up with paying for a meal but not being able to hear what anyone says. Wouldn't it be lovely if venues had carpets and curtains that absorbed noise?

DilemmaDelilah · 15/12/2023 07:17

The problem for me is when the 'background' music is louder than the conversation. We went to Cote last week and were both pleasantly surprised that it was barely noticeable. The table next to us, however, were having a lovely time! 4 elderly people (I can say that as I am over 60) who must have had some hearing difficulties I think!

StoneTheCrone · 15/12/2023 07:21

I completely agree with you - restaurants sound like canteens these days - but I'm guessing that people would wipe things on curtains and throw food on the carpets. Nobody behaves themselves these days, especially after a few drinks.

HeraSyndulla · 15/12/2023 07:23

Totally agree. I’ve stopped going to the Cote near to us because it’s like being back at school.

dudsville · 15/12/2023 07:25

It's awful! So unpleasant. I think one problem is they have to ram so many tables in to make the most profit they can. I never can hear a thing either and i hate having to shout myself. Perfectly nice food, drinks, venue, lovely friends ... and shouting? Ridiculous.

HomburgandTrilby · 15/12/2023 07:27

Where are you going that it’s so noisy? I’ve been out to dinner three times in the last ten days (work Christmas dinner, DH’s birthday, seeing an old friend) in three different restaurants, all completely full, and not had an issue hearing and being heard…

Sockknitterg · 15/12/2023 07:29

I’ve noticed this. I can’t eat if it’s too noisy (sensory stuff), and the last time we went out we had to leave - tried a few places after and all were loud, either with chatter (fair enough), or music (not on).

Haveyouseenthemuffinman · 15/12/2023 07:29

Lots of chain restaurants near us in concrete rooms with “on trend” unfinished ceilings, all of those metal pipes just adding to the surfaces off which the sound bounces.

MissyB1 · 15/12/2023 07:32

I’m glad it’s not just me! I was beginning to think there was something wrong with my hearing, restaurants are sooo noisy!

Whinge · 15/12/2023 07:34

It's not just you. We had our work Christmas meal the other week and I could barely hear the person sat next to me.

TheCadoganArms · 15/12/2023 07:35

Cote jumped the shark a few years ago. The place used to be my go to venue for that pre cinema/theatre meal but it has gone massively down hill with quality of food and service. Thanks private equity groups.

WaitingForSunnyDays · 15/12/2023 07:36

I understand they all want nice easy to clean flooring not carpet, but I wish they woul add more of those sound baffles that hang from the ceiling, and really think about having sound absorbent screens in some places. My hearing isn't great and I get fed up with nice meals spoiled by the noise too.

Clarabellasingsthisbit · 15/12/2023 07:41

I totally agree.There's one particular restaurant that comes to mind for me;it's a local independent but between the clatter of the open kitchens,the lack of sound -absorbing surfaces,loud music and even louder chatter,I can no longer tolerate it even though it has excellent food.

NancyJoan · 15/12/2023 07:41

There is a very smart restaurant near us that I honestly cannot go to, despite the food being so so good. The noise is like a school canteen. No way am I paying £100+ a head to leave with ringing ears.

echt · 15/12/2023 07:43

I've walked out of restaurants that are too loud or where I'm parked under the speakers and in others ask them to turn the music down as I have a hearing deficit. It works. My hearing is perfect.

Think about it, what customer ever said what this restaurant needs is loud music and I'll leave this quiet one right now.

Original poster

Sausagenbacon · 15/12/2023 07:45

Tbh, when I order I always find myself asking for the music to be turned down, and they always do, with good grace. The trouble is that the volume always inches up over the evening.

OP posts:

Homesweethome23 · 15/12/2023 07:47

Was in turtle bay a few weeks again with some work colleagues , we couldn’t even have a conversation with the person next to us as it was so loud in there. Won’t be going back anytime soon.
I do generally avoid restaurants where tables are on top of each other as well.

AlinaSquareQueen · 15/12/2023 07:54

YANBU.

One of the worst places for this is Zizzi, and I reckon that why it’s full of children and younger people who don’t seem bothered. Likewise, Nando’s.

When restaurants are rammed full of diners, it’s unavoidable, although I find Miller & Carter OK noise-wise - they must have carpets/curtains and tables more spaced out (but not particularly cheap to go there!).

Bluevelvetsofa · 15/12/2023 09:10

We went to a branch of the Ivy last month and it was appallingly loud. A group of six and we couldn’t hear each other speak. Poor acoustics, hard surfaces and loud music which they wouldn’t modify. Very posh uniforms, glitzy surroundings, poor service and indifferent food.

SnapdragonToadflax · 15/12/2023 09:14

Yes! I thought I was just getting old but I had hearing tests this year (for another reason) and my hearing is perfect. There's a Zizzi's near us we don't go to anymore because it's SO loud.

I favour a nice old country pub, with carpets!

WenttheDayWell · 15/12/2023 09:27

There is a really decent upmarket restaurant in the city that is closest to us. They have padded chairs and they have huge boards that are padded covered in material on the ceiling and a few on the walls. They are covered in nice looking material and are a design feature as such. So the acoustics are really good as quite a bit of sound must get absorbed and less hard surfaces for noise to bounce around. I was out a couple of weeks ago and the place were in was very busy, it was quite noisy but they did have carpet, would have been unbearable without.

A local restaurant has recently opened , I tried for a table on opening night but would have had to wait at the bar, which would have been all fine. But that few minutes, my God the noise was awful we decided to never eat there. It’s a lovely old building and was a funeral home built in the Victorian era so has really high ceilings. The noise was unbearable.

MaybeImbad · 15/12/2023 09:31

Totally agree. I find Bills is awful - I asked them to turn the music down once - was genuinely struggling to hear the person I was having dinner with and there were just the two of us! They apologised very nicely but said they couldn’t as management insisted they had it at a certain level - said a lot of people asked for it to be turned down. I can only assume it’s because they want a higher turnover - we didn’t stay for dessert.

MissyB1 · 15/12/2023 09:50

Bluevelvetsofa · 15/12/2023 09:10

We went to a branch of the Ivy last month and it was appallingly loud. A group of six and we couldn’t hear each other speak. Poor acoustics, hard surfaces and loud music which they wouldn’t modify. Very posh uniforms, glitzy surroundings, poor service and indifferent food.

That sums up the Ivy to me.

CranfordScones · 15/12/2023 09:52

All the big town centre restaurants are so 'corporate' these days - all the same - every detail is seemingly "value engineered" by a bean counter to maximise profit. I wonder if being loud is deliberate so people don't feel inclined to hang around.

There are two issues. The noise (eg music) and the room echo because, as you say, there's nothing to absorb the sound. You can understand them not wanting carpets, but there are other ways of absorbing sound.

I don't know what the answer is, other than don't patronise them.

dressedforcomfort · 15/12/2023 14:01

Definitely NBU.

My DS has autism and finds the noise in a lot of restaurants unbearable. I think the trend for having more 'open' kitchens in restaurants, has added to this massively. All the bashing and clattering of pots and dishes adds so much din!