Ask George: Does the noise level of a restaurant ever deter you from eating there?

Ask George: Does the noise level of a restaurant ever deter you from eating there? —Paula M., St. Louis

The universal answer has to be yes, considering that even if you prefer a lively atmosphere, at some point an occasion will arise when you want an evening meal served with a double order of quiet.

In newer restaurants, however, such a scenario is rare.  The very aspects that define what’s hip and cool—brick walls, high ceilings, tall glass windows, concrete floors, exposed ductwork, bare-topped tables, non-upholstered chairs—make sound absorption almost impossible. Unfortunately, most of the soft surfaces needed for sound abatement are typically found in older, established, expensive establishments.

Ambient noise has become a hot button with diners young and old. In one recent survey, noise ranked just behind service on a list of restaurant aggravations. You’d think that restaurant designers and architects would take that into consideration, but few do for two reasons:

1. Restaurant owners either want to create an especially vibrant space,
2. The budget doesn’t allow for expensive sound dampening. (Alas, it’s often the first line item to get the ax.)

SLM dining critic Dave Lowry’s take: “We have noisier restaurants because we have abandoned the architectural model that produced a quiet ambiance—it’s almost as if the intent is a deliberate effort to make the spaces as noisy as possible. As with many foods, we have abandoned classicism; we should expect that to offer consequences. If you want to sit in what amounts to a building suitable for manufacturing rivets, it’s apt to be noisy.”

That said, here are a few general suggestions:

• Dine early.
• Dine during the week.
• Seek out perimeter tables.
• And round tables.
• Consider smaller side rooms.
• Look for rooms with space between tables.
• Dine outdoors.

I can aso recommend the following somewhat quiet restaurants in St. Louis. The list is by no means exhaustive, so feel free to share your favorite low-decibel hangout in the Facebook comments section—because there aren’t enough quiet restaurants, and all of us will benefit.

I said, BECAUSE THERE AREN’T ENOUGH QUIET RESTAURANTS, AND ALL OF US WILL BENEFIT.

Expensive

• The high-end steakhouses (801 Chophouse, The Tenderloin Room, The Capital Grille, certain areas of Ruth’s Chris, Fleming’s, J. Gilbert’s)
• The Kings of the Hill (Dominic’s, Charlie Gitto’s on the Hill)
• The Claytonites (The Crossing, Oceano Bistro, 801 Fish)
• The SSC’s (Sidney Street Café and Stone Soup Cottage)
• Andria’s Countryside (Edwardsville)
• BC’s Kitchen
• Cinder House
• Edera
• Herbie’s
• Il Bel Lago
• Lombardo’s
• Pan D’Olive (in one of the booths)
• Paul Manno’s
• The Preston
• Tony’s
• Truffles

Moderately Priced

• Big Sky Café
• Bowood by Niche
• Cafe la Vie
• Café Provencal
• Dominic’s Trattoria
• Dressel’s Pub
• El Milagro Azteca (third room)
• Eleven Eleven Mississippi (upper level)
• One 19 North (upper level, in back)
• Robust (side room)
• Sanctuaria
• Sapore Italian Café
• Sunset 44
• Winslow’s Table

Editor’s note: This article has been updated from an earlier version. 

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