Dining guide and restaurant reviews from the LA Times. Find Orange County restaurants. Critic's Notebook Quiet, please. We're trying to eat in peace. I don't like to spend the evening shouting across the table.
Restaurants do seem to be noisier than ever.
Some of it is due to design and the desire for a sleek, contemporary look, which often means hard surfaces, with no carpet or drapes to absorb the sound. Often, though, restaurateurs consider a lively noise level as something positive. It signifies high energy and gives the illusion, at least, that this is where the action is. Some diners are unnerved by quiet. I remember going to a two-star restaurant in the south of France on a weekday out of season.