“I could imagine that a court would say the fundamental nature of a restaurant is serving food,” Colker said. “Is it fundamental to the nature of a restaurant to offer background noise?

On the other hand, background noise levels of 40 to 45 dBA increase speech privacy and help mask conversations between tables. Reducing noise levels also benefits restaurant staff.

Quiet voices, encouraged by softer background music, make the meal appealing and the social aspect satisfying. Get with it, restaurant owners.

Noise can make food taste more bland, but also increase the perception of its crunchiness. Christopher Intagliata reports ...

Others want me to take a strong anti-noise stand. Recently, I received an email from a physician who calls himself a noise activist, comparing restaurant noise to secondhand smoke.

Jewellery Quarter restaurant plans have been given the green light despite fears over noise. A unit in the historic ...

Dear Miss Manners: Over the past few decades, restaurants have become much less relaxing and enjoyable. The noise level in many high-end dining establishments has become painful and obnoxious.

Restaurant noise routinely climbs into the high 70-decibel range (the whir of a canister vacuum) and sometimes hits the mid-80s (the roar of a nearby diesel truck).