The Importance of Sound in Restaurants

Similarly, take the example of a classic British establishment such as The Ritz or Claridge’s where the decor is the epitome of English elegance and the entire experience pivots around gentility and refinement. It’s customary to have a grand piano playing in the background as you sip tea or even a string quartet soothing you into another finger sandwich. Why? Because live, classical musical is the very best accompaniment to the decor and what it means to dine here. It is as complementary as the clotted cream to the warm-from-the-oven scone. LuxDeco Studio's Interior Design Director, Linda Holmes summarises:

Music momentarily to one side, recall too the other sounds heard while dining away from home. Depending on the character of the place, the functional noises emanating from the kitchen contribute positively. Examples include when dining at the chef’s table where you may watch a master at work. Here, the heavy thud of the knife on the board, the roar of the furnace that is the wood-fired stove, the call of fellow cooks to one another as they work as a well-oiled machine, provide buzz as you immerse yourself in the thick of it.

“Of course, sound goes beyond music and it isn’t always good. There are plenty of bad sounds found in a restaurant, particularly because hospitality spaces tend to use more hard surfaces and that results in sharp noises, clanging and sound reverberation. The goal of the designer when creating schemes for restaurants is to make sound an asset, not a liability, by making sensible use of materials, creating smaller, more intimate spaces and installing a great sound system.”

Social distancing measures aside, the spacing between tables is a key consideration in a restaurant’s design too. Place them side by side and you can expect the character of the place to be much more convivial, contrasting a scheme of tables which are spaced apart and where the murmur of conversation travels much less and the atmosphere becomes far more intimate.

“We design restaurants to enable people to escape temporarily into the worlds we create. There is nothing more distracting or irksome than the clattering of noise in the background. In Bob Bob Cite, an open ceiling allowed for sound to be carried away which was crucial due to the hard, man-made floor throughout.

“Acoustics are imperative to a successful interior and something we consider from the outset. For instance when designing with our longstanding client Corbin & King, we will always consider the acoustics of any new restaurant as early as possible in the design. There is a fine line between a noisy, buzzy restaurant and a loud, irritating restaurant. Corbin & King’s restaurant The Wolseley is a perfect example of the former and something we try to achieve in every restaurant we design for them. We always consider acoustic plaster on the ceiling to absorb sound, felt on the underside of tables, and suggest considering the use of drapery where possible, and even carpeting certain areas as we did in Soutine retrospectively to control noise levels.”

Next, Bob Bob Cité in the Leadenhall Building designed by the aforementioned BradyWilliams. Electronic indeed with its dazzling lights (1200 bulbs in fact) and mirrored surfaces and yet its menu is French brasserie. That’s what I love about the place—it’s full of contradictions and surprises; it hates to conform. Sat in diner-like banquettes, you’d expect a jukebox to call the music shots, but I often don’t even notice what’s playing as here is a restaurant where the chitter chatter and the buzz is as electrifying as the decor.

And finally, I can close my eyes and easily picture myself at the tiny and terribly chic marble counter at LA’s Petit Trois. Yes, the decor was as dreamy as you’d expect being designed by LA-based designer Brigette Romanek, and, yes, I dined on Trout Almondine with praline Paris-Brest for pudding, but it was the distinctive sound of understated French hip-hop that almost stuck with me more. It took this French fancy to a new dimension that was less accordion and more achingly cool.

I caught up with Romanek to discuss her thoughts on the sound issue. “It’s a crucial part of the ambience. It can make or break the mood you’re trying to convey,” she assures me, “If the music is right, even the food tastes better. If it has the wrong feel, it can bring the vibe and energy down.”

As it happens, she is not only a white-hot designer, she also has a close personal connection to music—she herself lives in what was once a recording studio for everyone from the Beatles to Jimi Hendrix and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. “My own house has musical history. I can feel it,” she reveals, hinting at music’s power even once the last chord has been played or the rooms fall silent.

She explains her favourite musical vibe for a restaurant this way: “I can describe it best by expressing what I look for in the experience. Is it fine dining? Is it a bar with food? Sushi? Etc. In other words, I like music that’s tailored to enhance, to elevate that environment [and] experience and not be disruptive. Just music that’s present enough to bring the experience home.”

So wherever it may be that you’ve dined your greatest, next time you visit listen out for and savour too the satisfying sound of the clink of glasses with good company, the cutlery clatter as the crescendo signalling the finale of a delectable dish, and laughter—three musical accompaniments that do a good restaurant make.

Header Image: Amazonico Restaurant