How loud is a restaurant?
Restaurant noise typically ranges from about 65 dB(A) up to as high as 85 dB(A) over an evening, according to a 2022 Scientific Reports paper summarising earlier measurements. Experiments show diners start to feel disturbed at about 52 dB(A) and raise their voices from about 57 dB(A).
- Level
- 65–85 dBAA-weighted sound level
- Daily limit
- 8 h a dayNIOSH, at the loud end
- Versus conversation
- 18× energyabout 2.4× as loud
What the numbers mean
How it was measured. Typical evening restaurant noise as summarised from earlier measurement studies in a 2022 Scientific Reports paper; laboratory work found diners are disturbed from about 52 dB(A).
The main source of restaurant noise is the diners themselves. As background noise rises, people involuntarily raise their voices (the Lombard effect), which pushes the level up further. In a laboratory study using recorded restaurant noise from 35 to 85 dB(A), Bottalico (Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 2018) found participants began to be disturbed at 52 dB(A) and to raise their voices at 57 dB(A), and their willingness to spend time and money fell from 52 dB(A).
A follow-up study with adults over 60 (Scientific Reports, 2022) found a similar voice-raising point of about 57 to 58 dB(A) and concluded that background levels below 50 dB(A) let older diners, including those with hearing loss, follow conversation with little extra effort. Its introduction notes that typical restaurant noise ranges from 65 dB(A) to as high as 85 dB(A).
Hard surfaces, open kitchens, high ceilings without treatment and loud background music all add to the din. Researchers suggest thinking in terms of 'acoustical capacity', the number of people a room can hold while still allowing conversation, rather than seats alone.
How long is safe?
NIOSH recommends no more than 8 h a day at 85 dBA (no limit at the quiet end, 65). OSHA's legal limit is not reached below 90 dBA.
| Level | NIOSH limit (85 dBA, 3 dB rule) | OSHA limit (90 dBA, 5 dB rule) | UK/EU 80 dB(A) action value reached after | UK/EU 85 dB(A) action value reached after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85 dBA | 8 h | No limit | 2 h 32 min | Not reached in 24 h |
Times are for a whole day’s exposure, with the rest of the day quiet. The workplace limits were written for adults at work, not for children. Work out a mixed day with the noise dose calculator.
Protecting your hearing
Ask for a table in a corner or away from the kitchen and bar, visit at quieter times, and sit with your back to a wall. High-fidelity earplugs reduce noise while keeping speech clear.
Earplug and earmuff ratings (NRR in the US, SNR in the UK and EU) are lab figures; real-world protection is usually lower. How to read the ratings.
Compared with sounds nearby
Using midpoints of each range. Energy multiplies by 10 every 10 dB; perceived loudness roughly doubles (why).
- Inside a car (65–77.2 dBA): this has about 2.5× its sound energy and sounds about 1.3× as loud.
- Cinema (61–84 dBA): this has about 1.8× its sound energy and sounds about 1.2× as loud.
- Lorry (heavy truck) (76–82 dBA max): it has about 2.5× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.3× as loud.
- Air compressor (78–81 dBA max): it has about 2.8× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.4× as loud.
- Normal conversation (55–70 dBA): this has about 18× its energy and sounds about 2.4× as loud.
Questions
What is a comfortable noise level for a restaurant?
Research suggests below about 50 dB(A) for older diners; younger diners start to feel disturbed around 52 dB(A).
Why are restaurants so loud?
Diners raise their voices as background noise rises, from about 57 dB(A), and hard surfaces reflect the sound back.
Sources
- Lombard effect, intelligibility, ambient noise, and willingness to spend time and money in a restaurant amongst older adults, Scientific Reports. Supports: dB_low/dB_high: 65 to 85 dB(A).
Typical restaurant noise can fluctuate throughout the course of an evening ranging from 65 dB(A) up to as high as 85 dB(A)
Checked 2026-11-02. - Lombard effect, intelligibility, ambient noise, and willingness to spend time and money in a restaurant amongst older adults, Scientific Reports. Supports: 50 dB(A) recommendation.
background noise levels lower than 50 dB(A) will allow senior customers to minimize their vocal effort
Checked 2026-11-02. - Lombard effect, ambient noise, and willingness to spend time and money in a restaurant, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. Supports: 52 and 57 dB(A) thresholds.
As the noise level increased, participants began to be disturbed by the noise at 52 dB(A) and began to raise their voice at 57 dB(A).
Checked 2026-11-02.
This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have ringing in your ears, muffled hearing or any change in your hearing, see an audiologist or your doctor.