
Dining Decibels™ is a resource for restaurant noise levels. Use our restaurant noise reviews to find a local restaurant where you can connect and communicate. Noise ratings are determined by ease of communication, comments (and optional noise measurements from phone apps like Decibel X). Remember that dining at different days/times will influence ease of conversation. (Not a food critique.)
Easy Conversation (60-70 decibels) = ![]()
Difficult Conversation (71-75 decibels) = ![]()
Raised Voices Necessary (76-80 decibels) = ![]()
Extremely Loud (80 + decibels) = ![]()
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Restaurant Noise Review: Gonza Tacos y Tequila

Gonza Tacos y Tequila: Durham, NC Saturday, December 16, 6:39 PM
Restaurant Noise Decibel Rating: 80 dB
Sound Equivalent: Loud dishwasher
Conversation: Raised voices necessary
Rating:
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Comments: Restaurant noise interfered with conversation. We were unable to chat with those at our table. We were seated in a corner of a large dining area with high ceilings and loud music. All hard surfaces plus wooden table/chairs and floors exaggerated noise levels. This made it difficult to hear even across the table. Dining at “peak” dining time, most of the tables were taken with the noise to prove it! Food was delicious but recommend off-peak hours or outside dining on their patio if you want an easier time chatting!

Restaurant Noise Review: Dulce Cafe

Dulce Cafe: Durham, NC Sunday, November 12, 1:00 PM
Restaurant Noise Decibel Rating: 65 dB
Sound Equivalent: Quiet Office
Conversation: Easy
Rating: ![]()
Comments: This is a great place to go to chat with a friend or family member! Small, casual cafe allows for EASY conversation and minimal noise interference. Good “go to” place to catch up – with great food for lunch or dinner!

Restaurant Noise Review: Primal Food & Spirits

Primal Food & Spirits: Durham, NC, Wednesday, November 1, 2017, 7:00 pm
Restaurant Noise Decibel Rating: 68 dB
Sound Equivalent: Office
Conversation: Easy
Rating: ![]()
Comments: This restaurant allowed us to chat easily at a large table in a reserved room. A sliding door kept the ambient noise at bay. Our group appreciated the separation and enjoyed catching up with minimal interference from other tables. Great place to reserve a room for a group celebration!

Restaurant Noise Review: Shiki Sushi

Shiki Sushi: Durham, NC, Wednesday, August 23, 2017, 6:30 pm
Restaurant Noise Decibel Rating: 70 dB
Sound Equivalent: Vacuum
Conversation: Easy with occasional difficulty
Rating: ![]()
Comments: This restaurant allowed us to chat easily at a table for 4 even during a busy dining time. The tables were close but did not interfere with conversation. Enjoyable to dine and hear! Suggest choosing your table near perimeter to keep conversation easy. Also keep in mind the busier weekend evenings may be noisier than mid-week.

Restaurant Noise Review: Lucia

Lucia Bar Italiano: Durham, NC, Saturday, November 7, 2015, 7:30 pm
Restaurant Noise Decibel Rating: 79 dB
Sound Equivalent: City Traffic
Conversation: Raised voices necessary
Rating:
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Comments: Restaurant noise interferes with conversation. Lucia’s is a delightful open area restaurant with very high ceilings and wide expanse of windows reflecting on mirrors – all of which create poor acoustics for conversation. The open bar created additional noise that echoed throughout the dining area. When asked for a quiet location, we were seated in a corner booth away from the bar and center tables. Yet, even though we were in a corner booth, it was difficult to hear each other. Frequent repetitions were necessary along with raised voices. We were there to celebrate an event, yet could not engage each other in meaningful conversation. Enjoyed the food but would recommend going at a less busy time if you desire conversation.

Restaurant Noise Review: The Cheesecake Factory

The Cheesecake Factory: Durham, NC, Saturday, October 3, 7:30 pm
Restaurant Noise Decibel Rating: 78 dB
Sound Equivalent: Washing Machine
Conversation: Raised voices necessary
Rating:
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Comments: The restaurant was crowded and noise was bouncing around in all directions: the open bar, patrons waiting to be seated as well as full dining tables all contributing to the noise overload. Fortunately, we were seated in a booth away from the bar and waiting area – which helped subdue the overall noise levels. This was “peak” dining time with the noise to prove it. Surprisingly – once we were in the booth, we were able to converse with only a few repetitions and raised voices. The upholstered booths were able to isolate some of the noise from the open bar and waiting patrons. Enjoyed the food, but would recommend off-peak hours if you want an easier time conversing together during dinner!

Restaurant Noise Review: Tupelo Honey Cafe

Tupelo Honey Cafe: Raleigh, NC, Monday, July 13, 2015, 7:30 pm
Restaurant Noise Decibel Rating: 70 dB
Sound Equivalent: Quiet Passenger Car
Conversation: Easy
Rating: ![]()
Comments: Easy conversation for this dinner on weekday! It appears that the design of this restaurant was purposeful for easy conversation. Separating adjacent booths with wood and glass partitions and using small groupings of tables kept the intrusion of other conversations from interfering in your own. No eavesdropping here! Great place to linger over a good meal and enjoy conversation.

Restaurant Noise Review: JuJube

JuJube: Chapel Hill, NC Wednesday, July 8, 2015 6:30 PM
Restaurant Noise Decibel Rating: 68 dB
Sound Equivalent: Office
Conversation: Easy
Rating: ![]()
Comments:
Easy to chat and catch up at JuJube, since we were not eating at a peak time. Initially, we were seated under a music speaker, which was promptly turned down making conversation much more tolerable. Few windows, leather chairs and use of tablecloths minimized noise interference as well as being separated from the bar in another room. As more patrons began to fill the dining area, it continued to be easy to enjoy conversation. Great place to go to catch up and enjoy a nice meal when dining at off-peak hours.

Restaurant Noise Review: Fishmongers

Fishmongers: Durham, NC – Tuesday, May 3, 2015, 7pm
Restaurant Noise Decibel Rating: 76 dB
Sound Equivalent: Chamber Music
Conversation: Raised voices and repetitions necessary
Rating:
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Comments: Hard to follow our group of 4 when talking together. The wide open restaurant area with expansive windows and high ceilings made frequent repetitions necessary – even at non-peak restaurant hours. Hard surfaces such as wooden chairs/tables and floors caused the reverberation that interfered with our conversation. Enjoyed the food but were frustrated with poor continuity of our conversation.

Restaurant Noise Review: Kitchen

Kitchen: Chapel Hill, NC, Tuesday, April 26, 2015, 7:30 pm
Restaurant Noise Decibel Rating: 78dB
Sound Equivalent: Washing Machine
Conversation: Raised voices necessary
Rating:
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Comments: Initially, restaurant noise did not interfere. We were able to chat easily since we arrived early at this cozy French Bistro. But as the evening progressed, there was much more restaurant noise – and much more difficulty following conversations. Contributing to this noisy competition were the closely set tables and high ceilings that created a noisy interference with your neighbor. I would suggest coming to this delightful restaurant at an earlier time with less interference and enjoy your dining with easier conversations! Choose your table wisely!

Restaurant Noise Review: Gocciolina

Gocciolina: Durham, NC – Thursday, March 26, 2015, 7pm
Restaurant Noise Decibel Rating: 78 dB
Sound Equivalent: Washing Machine
Conversation: Raised voices necessary
Rating:
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Comments: As a group of six, we found it difficult to have a conversation that included all of us. We were seated at a large table near the food order area which we found distracting and noisy. Lots of activity surrounding our table made it difficult to maintain a continuous conversation between us for a group celebration. Tables were spaced close together which also contributed to the noise intrusion. Frequent repetitions were necessary and frustrating as we wanted all to celebrate and understand each other! Although we enjoyed the food, perhaps an earlier time would have been best to dine together and catch up.

Restaurant Noise Review: Acme Food and Beverage

Acme Food and Beverage: Carrboro, NC – Tuesday, March 17, 2015, 7 pm
Restaurant Noise Decibel Rating: 62 dB
Sound Equivalent: Laughter
Conversation: Easy
Rating: ![]()
Comments: We found conversation to be easy and pleasant at a table for two. We were seated near a partition which helped block out surrounding table noise. There was no intrusive music in the background. The tables were separated from the open bar and there was a separate kitchen area which kept noise to a minimum. This restaurant had high ceilings and hard surfaces (floors, wood chairs/tables) so we were pleasantly surprised that noise did not interfere with our conversation, especially since the restaurant appeared to be at capacity on St. Patrick’s Day! Good place to go to catch up and enjoy a nice meal!

Restaurant Noise Review: Melting Pot

Melting Pot: Durham, NC – Saturday, January 3, 2015, 7:30 pm
Restaurant Noise Decibel Rating: 70 dB
Sound Equivalent: Quiet Passenger Car
Conversation: Easy
Rating: ![]()
Comments: Easy conversation was a treat for the entire dining experience! The restaurant noise was low because it incorporates the elements necessary for good acoustics while dining. We were seated in an upholstered dining booth with high backs that created necessary barriers to nearby conversations. Other positives: no loud background music to intrude in conversations; adequate spacing between other diners with separate bar and kitchen areas that made this a pleasant experience for all! The Melting Pot is on our list for those who wish to connect and enjoy conversations without need for repetitions!

Restaurant Noise Review: Bonefish Grill

Bonefish Grill: Durham, NC – Thursday, January 15, 2015, 6:30 pm
Restaurant Noise Decibel Rating: 75 dB
Sound Equivalent: Dishwasher
Conversation: Occasionally Difficult
Rating:
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Comments: We found conversation to be pleasant with occasional difficulty. The absence of loud background music was a plus as we were seated in a booth which offset the overall restaurant noise interference to a minimum. Being near the entrance resulted in more activity and restaurant noise but we were able to follow our conversation without too many repetitions because we were in a booth. The separation of the bar and kitchen areas from the dining area kept the restaurant noise interference to a minimum. We enjoyed the food and found Bonefish Grill to be a place to enjoy a nice meal and conversation if you are selective in your seating.

Restaurant Noise Review: Bennett Pointe Grill

Bennett Pointe Grille: Durham, NC, Sunday, December 9, 2014 – 7pm
Restaurant Noise Decibel Rating: 73 dB
Sound Equivalent: Living Room Television
Conversation: Occasionally Difficult
Rating:
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Comments: We enjoyed the food, but conversation was occasionally difficult and required some repetitions for continuity. We were seated at a table in the middle of the dining area that contained hard floors with no upholstery or soft coverings to absorb the sound. Booths were present around the perimeter which may help reduce the noise but did not have seat cushions to absorb the noise. Separate kitchen and bar areas helped control the noise interference. A notable feature was the absence of loud background music – which helped reduce the overall noise interference. This restaurant can be a place to enjoy a meal and conversation if you choose a booth and do not sit in the center of the dining area.
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