Acoustics in public places: why restaurants feel so noisy

Understanding reverberation in restaurants

Walk into a beautiful dining room with bare tables, exposed concrete and floor to ceiling windows and you will often hear it before you see it. The key reason is reverberation.

When someone speaks, sound waves leave their mouth and travel out into the room. In a space full of hard surfaces – floors, ceilings, walls, windows, tables – those waves bounce around instead of being absorbed. The sound lingers, blends with new sound and builds up a background roar.

Acousticians often describe this behaviour using reverberation time, sometimes called RT60. It is the time it takes for sound energy in a room to decay by 60 decibels after the source stops.

In simple terms:

• Long reverberation time – the room feels echoey and noisy, speech gets muddy
• Shorter reverberation time – words are clearer, people do not have to shout

For a restaurant where conversation is important, we typically want a relatively low reverberation time across the frequencies where speech lives. That does not mean a dead, studio like room. It means a controlled, comfortable sound where the buzz of conversation is pleasant rather than punishing.

Designing quieter spaces with the right treatments

The most cost effective way to reduce reverberation is to add sound absorbing materials so that, instead of bouncing, sound is soaked up.

In practice, that can mean:

• Acoustic ceiling panels or rafts that quietly absorb sound above diners
• Wall panels or baffles integrated into artwork, timber slats or fabric features
• Soft furnishings and finishes – upholstered seating, curtains, plants and rugs in the right balance
• Acoustic treatments around noisy areas such as open kitchens, bars or service stations

However, not all absorbers are equal, and where you place them matters as much as how many you use. Different materials absorb different parts of the frequency range, so an off the shelf product applied randomly may not solve the specific problems in your space.

At Xi, we start with how sound is moving through your restaurant, then design a treatment strategy that:

• Can be installed with minimal disruption to service
• Targets the most problematic frequencies and surfaces
• Avoids dead spots where the room feels unnaturally quiet
• Respects the interior design and brand aesthetic

Getting acoustics right from the design stage

Many acoustic problems only become obvious on opening night, when the room is full and the first wave of reviews comes in. At that point, fixes can be disruptive and expensive.

Bringing acoustics into the design process earlier helps you:

• Make informed choices about materials and finishes before they are locked in
• Test different layouts for seating, bar areas and circulation routes
• Predict how the room will sound at different occupancy levels
• Avoid surprises that lead to post fit out remedial work

Using acoustic simulation tools, we can build a virtual version of your restaurant and listen to how it will sound from different tables and positions. That allows the design team to explore options and agree a target sound, not just a target look.