London's most sought-after restaurants are increasingly turning to acoustic design to combat excessive noise, a problem that has plagued the capital's dining scene for decades. From acoustic plaster on vaulted ceilings to bespoke Irish linen wall coverings, restaurateurs are investing in soundscaping to ensure conversation remains possible, according to experts interviewed by What's On.
"Restaurants don't realise they've got it wrong until people start complaining," says Steven Saunders, co-founder of interior design firm Fabled Studios. "Railway arches in places like Bethnal Green are the worst offenders. Any curved ceilings are the perfect enemy."
The quest for acoustic comfort
Bob Albon, founder of Sandy Brown acoustics, says the issue affects everyone. "It defeats the object of being there, really, doesn't it? It affects everybody. Everyone wants to be able to have a conversation when they go into a restaurant. That is ultimately the driver."
For The Wolseley in the City of London, the challenge was calibrating the din rather than eliminating it. Saunders, who contributed to the launch, says sound forms "part of the experience." The clatter of cutlery, footfall on marble flooring and crockery meeting tables enhance the atmosphere, but none reaches levels that hinder conversation.
Fabled Studio and Sandy Brown collaborated on The Wolseley's soundscaping, using acoustic plaster on the domed and vaulted ceilings to absorb sound while preserving the character. "There was the concern that putting sound-absorbing materials would kill the vibe," says Albon. "But this material doesn't look like it's sound absorbent, so it doesn't conflict with the aesthetic of the space."
From plaster to linen: materials that work
Absorbent plaster has been used to dampen noise since the 1920s. Manufacturers blend cork, wood, mineral wool or recycled glass granulate into plaster to prevent sound waves from rebounding directly off surfaces. Some contemporary versions are so sophisticated that, visually, the material appears identical to conventional plaster.
Core by Clare Smyth, one of six triple-Michelin-starred establishments in London, represented another collaboration for Saunders and Albon. Rather than relying on subtle fixes such as plaster, Smyth wove sound reduction into the restaurant's aesthetic design. Saunders travelled to Ireland, reflecting Smyth's roots, to source absorbent Irish linen for the wall coverings. "We had it stitched with this copper thread to recreate the grapevine from Clare's logo, and that wraps itself all the way around the room," he says.
George Orwell addressed the issue of noisy establishments as far back as 1946. In his essay titled The Moon Under Water, he outlined his vision of the ideal pub: "it is always quiet enough to talk. The house possesses neither a radio nor a piano, and even on Christmas Eve and such occasions the singing that happens is of a decorous kind." This piece served as inspiration for Tim Martin's JD Wetherspoon chain—he's so fond of it that 13 of his establishments share the name. While they may offer budget-friendly beverages, those substantial carpets ensure that even when packed with revellers, patrons can at least communicate with each other.
Simple fixes and the Cognitive Load Index
Even with a cooperative landlord, achieving quality sound design is far from straightforward. "It's always a bit of a fight," says David Graham, director of Sound Division. Interior designers frequently grow "paranoid" about the aesthetic impact of sound dampening measures, particularly regarding speakers clashing with statement walls or mirrors. Clients themselves can harbour unrealistic expectations. "I tend to call them magic speakers," jokes Graham. "Where a client says 'We want the most amazing sound in our restaurant, but we don't want to see the speakers.' I say, 'Well, if you want amazing sound, you have to have speakers that are big enough to reproduce it.'"
Saunders goes as far as suggesting that the "vast majority" of London restaurant proprietors fail to give adequate thought to their venue's acoustics. However, restaurateurs needn't spend a fortune to spare their diners discomfort. Practical solutions such as thick carpeting can make a considerable difference, and the worst-affected venues—those featuring expansive floor space, low ceilings and highly reflective surfaces—can implement straightforward improvements. "Drapes, rugs, the lining of the tables, that kind of thing," says Saunders. "When you can approach sound design beyond the more utilitarian, rudimentary ways of hanging acoustic panels from the ceiling, it can be incorporated sensitively and very beautifully into the room."
Sonic Design Studios believes conventional approaches are fundamentally flawed. Their Cognitive Load Index assigns every venue a rating from 1-100 to measure how much mental effort conversation requires, factoring in surfaces, capacity levels and timing. "Every internal space should be specified for the cognitive performance of the people inside it," says founder Tariq Ibrahim, whose clients include Claude's Club at Chotto Matte, a members' listening lounge in Soho. "Homes, workplaces and hospitality venues are all still designed room-blind," he says. "One acoustic specification is applied across a whole site, when a bar, a dining room and a private room make completely different demands on a person. A restaurant can currently meet every acoustic standard and still be exhausting to sit in for two hours. Diners never say the reverberation time is wrong, or that the hard modern finishes on the walls and ceiling are too reflective. They just don't rebook." Ibrahim says this human-centred approach has gained traction in healthcare settings and offices, though "hospitality and residential have been slower to catch up".
The rise of listening bars
For Nick Wood, who operates his own sonic consultancy, sound ought to shift regularly, much like the menu. "We're constantly trying to tell a story," he says. "Like when a chef's obsessed with seasonality or farm-to-table, that story is an ongoing experience. If the chef is telling a story from his summer to his autumn menu, we feel the music should evolve."
While diners persist in raising their voices over dinner, one significant development indicates a fresh chapter where more consider the acoustics of their evenings alongside the appearance and flavour of their meals. Listening bars—establishments taking pride in their music as much as their food and beverages—have grown increasingly popular, alongside culinary and wine occasions focused on how music elevates taste. Currently, over 20 bars across London combine music with dining, predominantly concentrated in eastern and central districts. These innovative venues should offer guidance to restaurants seeking to enhance what reaches their customers' ears.
