So, you recently enjoyed a tasty meal at a noisy, hip restaurant only when you were headed home you noticed your ears and head were throbbing leaving you wondering if you had just dined at an industrial construction site? Don’t worry, you haven’t suddenly morphed into your grandparents (unless you’re also dining at 4:30PM), and you probably aren’t imagining things either. You’ve just entered the increasingly common, ear-splitting world of high-volume modern fine dining.
So, what to do about noisy restaurants? Unless you’re regularly packing ear plugs, here are some more practical tips that might help:
1. Do some homework. If you’re unsure about your destination’s atmosphere and you need a place with a quiet vibe, do some research on what kind of acoustic environment to expect; reading through recent reviews on OpenTable is a good place to start. You may not mind a full-on raucous hoopla on a casual night out with some friends. But if you are taking out your future in-laws for the first time, you’d be well advised to head someplace you can savour their every word.
2. Share your beef. If you find yourself sitting inside a human snare drum, don’t be afraid to ask the management to adjust the volume. Just know that they may well resist. One critically-acclaimed but infamously cacophonous Italian eatery has been known to inform their customers that neither the music selection nor the decibel level are negotiable and have gone so far to nudge their diners to head elsewhere if it’s not to their liking. Other, less rigid restaurants, however, typically strive to keep their customers happy and may bend to accommodate your polite request.
3. Relocate. Even the loudest places may have a cosy nook or two where lip reading is not required. Ask to move as soon as you can so you don’t hold up your meal. It’s a hassle to move tables, but it’s a better option than suffering in silence. Well, not exactly silence, but….
4. Improvise… If you’re stuck in a gastro rock concert, try and make the best of it. I’ve been on many a meal where guests sneak outside for frequent non-cigarette breaks to clear their heads. Large groups can swap seatmates after each course so they have a snowball’s chance of talking with and hearing someone across the table. This may drive your waiter a little crazy when they try to figure out who got which dish after a round of musical chairs but it also sends a subtle message to management.
Are you bothered by noisy restaurants or do you like it when eateries pump up the volume? Share your thoughts here or over on Facebook or twitter.
This is a guest post from Stan Sagner – a former chef, now a NYC-based food and travel writer.
