We Can't Hear You. We're Eating.

Restaurants aren't just getting more expensive. They're getting louder too.

Look at our smiles!. We should always be this happy when we eat at restaurants.Photo by2foodtrippers

We eat out a lot both for pleasure and for work. It’s something that we’ve loved doing since before we met. And, while eating at great restaurants still gives us a thrill, we’re noticing a disturbing trend. Restaurants are getting louder.

Before you start judging us as cranks, we’re not that old and our ears still work just fine. However, we shouldn’t have to work so hard to hear each other, not to mention the servers, during our meals. It’s even more so when we dine out with friends.

We noticed this trend recently at a small, trendy restaurant where we’ve eaten many times. The small dining room hums with youthful exuberance and the walls are covered with street art. Food options, displayed on a bold blackboard menu, include a mix of chef-driven Brazilian, Portuguese and world cuisine. It used to be our local go-to restaurant when we had visitors in town.

But our most recent meal there left us feeling annoyed. The food, prepared with wonderful, locally sourced ingredients, was as good as ever. However, we couldn’t hear each other over music that bounced off the walls and straight into our ears. And, as happens, the noise level rose in direct proportion to the flowing wine. Forget about hearing the server or staying for dessert.

And then it happened again this past weekend while we were sharing a Middle Eastern tasting menu with friends at a different restaurant. The music wasn’t just loud. It also had a club vibe that made conservation a chore.

To us, conversation and human interaction is what dining is all about. Well, that and eating great food. We simply don’t want to yell across the table as if there’s a construction crew jackhammering in the background.

According to noted food writer John Mariani “Sonically speaking, 65 decibels is considered to be “normal conversation,” which sounds just fine to me.” While we don’t always need things to be hush-hush, we do appreciate an environment where we don’t have to strain to hear across the table.

Restaurant trends come and go. Let’s hope that playing overly loud music in dining rooms is one that’s gone sooner than later.

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