Noises Off

I joined a couple of friends for dinner Saturday night at a hip and trendy restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. I was excited to experience this eatery that’s been getting lots of buzz lately. And indeed, when we arrived, the place was packed. We had to wait an hour for a table, but luckily snagged a spot in the bar area where we could wait comfortably (rather than standing for an hour on a marble floor in high heels). We ordered drinks and appetizers and chatted while scores of people milled about us. The atmosphere of the restaurant was more like that of a club, with music blaring, women wearing mini-dresses and hooker shoes, and colorful cocktails swirling in martini glasses. And the incessant din of everyone screaming at each other.

I don’t get this new trend in dining. Well, I say “new,” but it’s been going on for years. I’m talking about the sheer volume of noise that accompanies a meal these days. I don’t know about you, but I don’t particularly like having to yell across the table to my dining companion. It’s one thing if you’re in a club and dancing and drinking and you’re already loud and obnoxious, but when you’re trying to eat a gourmet meal and have a conversation with a couple of good friends, it’s really annoying to have to practically burst a vocal chord when trying to catch up your best pal on all the events of your life.

What I don’t get is why restaurants are not designing their spaces with acoustics in mind. This particular establishment I was patronizing was housed in a former bank. And it seems they did little to reconfigure the space. High ceilings, marble floors, and white walls surrounded rows of tables and little else. There wasn’t even a piece of art hanging on the walls. And I understand minimalist design. But this was more like bare bones design. It reminded me of an upscale cafeteria, only noisier.

So, the food was good, the company was great, but the overall experience was disappointing. Leaving a restaurant half deaf from sound decibels you’d normally find at a rock concert should not be the standard in dining. But these days, it is. Isn’t anyone else bothered by this? Or am I just a cranky old fart?

Ciao,
Lucie