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Restaurants & Cafés Acoustic Design Guide

Restaurant acoustics directly influence customer experience, dwell time, and return visits. The challenge is controlling excessive noise and reverberation while preserving the lively ambience that din...

BS 8233:2014ISO 3382-2:2008WELL v2 Feature 74AS/NZS 2107:2016

Key Challenge

Balancing noise suppression with desired ambience levels — overly dead rooms feel sterile and uncomf...

Typical Budget

0.3–0.8% of fit-out cost

Primary Standard

BS 8233:2014

Room-by-Room Requirements

Acoustic targets for each room type within restaurants & cafés buildings.

RoomRT60 TargetKey Metric
Dining Area0.6–1.0sLAeq ≤75 dBDetails →
Bar Area0.8–1.2sLAeq ≤80 dBDetails →
Kitchen≤1.5sSTC 45+ to diningDetails →
Private Dining≤0.6sSTI ≥0.60Details →

Applicable Standards

The following standards govern acoustic performance for restaurants & cafés buildings.

1.

BS 8233:2014

2.

ISO 3382-2:2008

3.

WELL v2 Feature 74

4.

AS/NZS 2107:2016

Green Certifications

Voluntary certifications that include acoustic performance credits for restaurants & cafés projects.

WELL v2 Sound

Michelin Green Star

BREEAM In-Use

EHO Noise Compliance

Frequently Asked Questions: Restaurants & Cafés

What is the ideal noise level in a restaurant?▾
Fine dining restaurants should maintain LAeq 65–70 dB during peak service, while casual dining can tolerate 70–75 dB. Levels above 80 dB cause the Lombard effect, where diners raise their voices creating an escalating noise spiral. The target RT60 of 0.6–1.0 seconds in the dining area balances speech intelligibility with a lively atmosphere.
How do you reduce noise in a restaurant with hard surfaces?▾
Modern restaurants with exposed concrete, glass, and tile can reduce RT60 by 40–60% using suspended acoustic baffles, upholstered booth seating, and acoustic plaster on ceilings. Under-table acoustic panels and heavy drapes provide additional absorption without compromising the interior design aesthetic. Treatment should target mid-frequencies (500–2000 Hz) where speech energy is concentrated.
Should kitchen noise be isolated from the dining area?▾
Yes, the kitchen-to-dining partition should achieve STC 45 or higher to prevent kitchen noise from intruding on diners. Open kitchen concepts require careful acoustic design with absorptive hoods, ceiling baffles above the pass, and strategic speaker placement for background music. A well-designed service corridor acts as an acoustic buffer between kitchen and dining.

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