Thanks goodness. Imagine if Hayato became as popular as Applebee’s.
Side question (and going in I fully realize this is gonna be totally subjective, and probably belongs on a different board/thread): Does music in the background during dinner add/subtract/modify from your enjoyment of it?
some light jazz in the background feels right for a Japanese place to me. 
Oh, I think this topic certainly deserves it’s own thread! (Robert?)
Music is definitely a huge issue for me. Light jazz played at a low volume is nice, though I don’t mind the lack of music at Hayato one bit. Loud, buzzy, contemporary music is absolutely not fine. We had a good dinner at Kato recently, but early on I realized that if I was going to make it through the evening with my appetite and good humor intact, the obnoxious hip-hop/rap/whatever you call it HAD to go (even though it wasn’t loud), so I asked the server for another choice (and the restaurant was nearly empty so I didn’t feel bad about my request). Turns out it was the chef’s own playlist, so it was a bit embarassing I guess, but they kindly switched to something more palatable. Another time I had an early dinner at Otoño and the music was sort of classic rock (which is fine), starting out at a moderate volume and getting progressively louder and louder as the evening progressed; the sound system was just awful, full of distortion and buzz, and I ended up cutting my dinner short because my headache had gotten so bad. I just don’t understand the logic behind party music at a nice dinner.
that may be by design to turn the tables
One reason that I don’t like Bestia nearly as much as the board consensus is the loud hip hop.
One reason I like Yess much more than the board consensus is that they play interesting artsy music.
I also think there is a correlation between what music the chef / manager likes and the food style.
For me, it really more depends on the volume (since I’m decently sensitive to sound). Volumes that other people might kind of enjoy are genuinely painful to me.
Type of music doesn’t really matter.
I think for a fine-dining kind of place, though, I’d prefer no music (assuming I’m w/ dining companion[s]).
get buzzed, get loud, have fun. am I supposed to be quiet after my 4th $20 cocktail?
(only half joking. there’s certainly a time and place for both environments)
i’m not a fan of recorded music during dinner, but i would enjoy live music as long as there was also space to dance, so the music would probably have to be a ballad/slow blues or maybe something i could dance argentine tango to (think ‘scent of a woman’ though pacino really didn’t do an argentine tango). i fully recognize that i represent an extremely minority view on the subject, the music would be completely adjunct for me.
Just waiting for a milonga to spontaneously erupt during appetizer and main course lol… #PiazzolaWithYourPizza
Post Momofuku, playing boom bap 90s hip hop became an absolute cliche at a certain style restaurant. That choice is now as staid as classic rock was then.
Since it’s harder to find undiscovered music with all of human history on our phones, music in restaurants probably detracts more than adds. I respect what you’re saying @PeonyWarrior but think most places, regardless of cuisine type, fall into cliche, just the conventions vary based on the style of food. At Kismet I can almost guarantee you’ll hear a Fleetwood Mac/Christine McVie ballad, not that I don’t love her.
Definitely depends on the meal and the company. I like generally like music in the background. We have several haunts out here that have live music, and that’s great as long as it’s not too loud.
There’s a good brunch place called Hash Kitchen that I wish I had known played loud hip-hop before taking my 81-y/o mother to (my bad), but she took it like a champ and really enjoyed her meal.
LSXO plays uncensored hard core gangsta rap on Wednesdays at lunch (or at least they used to). They told us ahead of time when they called to confirm our reservation to make sure we were okay with it. We were, but the family that wheeled in the stroller must not have heard that message. They asked for it to be changed/turned way down, and the staff politely declined. All good in my book, and it wasn’t so loud that it took away from our amazing meal there.
I won’t eat in restaurants with music that’s too loud for normal conversation. I’ve never understood the appeal. I remember the first time I encountered that, in the mid-80s I was visiting LA and a friend took me to some Thai place. What the fuck?
I"m not a fan of live music in restaurants. Seems disrespectful to the musicians that the people listening are focusing on something else, if they’re listening at all.
Did it have live music? If so, my friend’s band played there. I must’ve been in LA for some other reason at the time, because no way would I have flown cross country just for that.
Not live music.
Damn, I wish I could remember the name of this place. I feel like it was just called “Thai Restaurant.”
I think even asking for a change in volume can be rude, depending on the circumstances. Unlike asking for say a modification to a menu item due to an allergy (or even a preference) where such change only impacts your dining experience, a change in music volume impacts the dining experience of the entire restaurant. Many restaurants, especially at the high end, curate an entire experience that includes music selection and music volume. If the music is “loud”, it’s likely intentional.
There’s a free iPhone app called SPLnFFT Noise Meter that measures the ambient decibel level. SPLnFFT Noise Meter on the App Store
If the decibel reading at the restaurant is >90, which is the level at which you could experience long term heaving damage after 2.5 continuous hours of exposure, then I think it would be appropriate to inquire about a reduction in volume, because at that point there is a legitimate health risk. If the decibel level is just barely below 90, I see it as an edge case. If the decibel level is way below 90 (say 85 or below), then I think it could be rude to ask.
I’m particularly sensitive to noise, but I’m also sensitive to the experience that the chef and restauranteur are presenting.
At the end of the day though, asking for a change in volume is not that big of a deal, but if a restaurant is playing a genre of music you don’t like at a volume too high for you liking, perhaps it’s not the right restaurant for you?
I couldn’t agree with you more. My comment on saying it might be okay to ask about volume was begrudging hahaha.
Some of my favorite experiences are when a place has a POV on music and isn’t just playing today’s top hits in Spotify.
Particularly Blanca where you can get up to browse the vinyls and throw one on
I think asking to change music or even volume is not ok. If you don’t like the vibe or atmosphere the answer is please choose a different place to eat.