Is it loud in here, or is that a…..

New York is not the noisiest place on Earth, and New Yorkers are not hands down the loudest people you’ll ever meet. But there is some strange Doppler-like effect easily noted in many of our fair city’s finest eating establishments whereby after 6PM ambient noise becomes a noxious din.

I complained long ago about the airplane-hangar noise level of the now closed “Sasha” in the Meatpacking district. That was unbearable, truly. I left with ringing ears & a hollow wallet. Now I return to the topic of noise because our restaurants are damn noisy!

Last Saturday night, we went to Les Halles on Park Avenuefor dinner. We couldn’t hear each other never mind the server, who couldn’t hear us. Let’s just say mistakes were made. One of the people at a our table, a former New Yorker now living in San Francisco, remarked on how much noisier NYC restos are.

But why?

First, there are the acoustics of some beloved NYC spots, such as City Hall Restaurant, where every clank of a dish echoes around and around the room until settling into your ear. Then, there is the ever-present pulsating disco-type music pumped in to inspire all to drink as though at a night club (a hallmark of the Meatpacking District where the line between resto and disco is indeed thin). And then there are loud talkers, the kind whose whiny voices can be heard over the noise of a subway line.

Does it have to be this way?

The answer is no, it does not. For example, Eleven Madison Park could be an acoustic nightmare, yet it is not. One can have a conversation there without feeling hoarse afterwards. And there are plenty of places like Fig & Olive where the music is hip & cool but not deafening. As for loud-talkers, well…..

So, if you are on date and don’t want to hear what the other person is saying, go to Les Halles, City Hall Restaurant, Spice Market, Ocean Grill, Coffee Shop, Artisinal.

Stay tuned as we rate the noise, and find great places where you can hear your dinner date say, “Are you having the grouper?”

Tags:   Artisinal, city hall restaurant, eleven madison park, Les Halles, noisiest restaurants in NYC, noisy

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Posted 101 days ago ( Permanent Link )
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