The right noises
Noise is a critical - if invisible - aspect of restaurant design. If the sound level is right, customers never give it a moment's thought. If a restaurant is so quiet that customers whisper, or so noisy that they have to shout, they may never return.
It is a difficult balance, and it is not always easy to satisfy all your customers simultaneously - as the Portrait restaurant in London has discovered. Opened last May and operated by Searcy's, the 60-seat restaurant at the top of the National Portrait Gallery is about to install acoustic padding to damp down the sound levels following complaints from some diners. No music is played, but diners and staff generate high sound volumes.
Liz Reece, assistant manager, says: "When we're busy there's a real restaurant noise - which I find is a buzz to work in, but the reaction of customers depends on their age.
"We get the younger crowd in for Saturday brunch and on Thursday and Friday nights when we're open for dinner, and the noise doesn't bother them at all. But older people and businessmen who come for lunch want a bit of peace and quiet."
Reece explains that the decor is uncluttered, with nothing to soak up the sound. There are grey and white walls, wooden floors, dark grey uncovered tables and a vast expanse of windows giving stunning views across Trafalgar Square. "We thought tablecloths might soak up a bit of noise, but they made it look like a hospital," she says. The planned acoustic padding will not be obvious and will not change the look of the decor, but it is hoped it will subdue the sound.
One of the loudest restaurants in London is the Conran-owned Mezzo in Soho, which seats around 850 and is also a live music venue. Sarah Aldridge, associate director of designers Conran & Partners, explains that sound levels have been carefully considered to appeal to Mezzo's market. "It's meant to be lively. It's a crossover between a restaurant and nightclub, so you have higher levels of sound than a normal restaurant would."
She adds that quality of sound is important, so Mezzo has a sophisticated speaker system on a time delay, with speakers at the back of the restaurant relaying music at the same time as those in the front. Moreover, consideration has been given to the fact that Mezzo has residential neighbours. And for those who want a little peace inside, the mirrored wall at the back is made up of hinged pieces, creating angles to break up the noise.
Aldridge explains that smaller Conran restaurants, like Sartoria in Savile Row and Orrery in Marylebone High Street, are designed to be quieter and more intimate, with thick carpets and fabric to absorb sound.
However, a different approach tends to be taken at larger restaurants which are inherently noisy because of the numbers of people in them. Aldridge adds: "Large restaurants get a lot of wear and tear, so you tend to go for hard finishes, which can exacerbate the noise issue."
But even hard surfaces can be designed to break up noise if a texture is created in them. For example, the plaster in the ceiling of Alcazar in Paris is slotted. Similarly, Bridge Market in New York has slots cut into the curved timber panels above the ground level.
Sound was an important factor for Michael Caines when he opened Michael Caines at the Royal Clarence last year. Designed by Lydiatt Plumtree, the 80-seat dining room is intended to have an intimate, conversational atmosphere. Wood and glass partitions prevent intrusion by conversation from neighbouring tables. There is a wooden floor which might be noisy were it not for the fact that the chairs have soft studs under their legs. And the low ceiling, tablecloths and upholstery all help to dull sounds. Music is played only in the bar.
Says Caines: "I wanted an intimate atmosphere. We don't play music in the restaurant because when you get lots of people you can't hear it. And what do you play? You always get disagreements and it's easy to alienate people with music. If you have to create a restaurant's atmosphere through music, I think you've got the concept wrong."
