Do you enjoy music in Pubs and Restaurants or does it annoy you?

We went to a wonderful restaurant last night and it was silent. I hadn't realised how unusual it is until my son asked why it was so quiet. But we didn't need it, we talked, as did all the other diners.

We often ask restaurants/ pubs to turn down the music. I much prefer places where there is NO music. How do they expect people to chat when there is music blasting out I've no idea. I think they play the music for the benefit of the staff.

Glad I'm not the only one then. we couldn't talkmtoday so read the paper while eating. Unfortunately it was rather cold outside. there used to be a pub guide called 'The Quiet Pint ' recommending pubs with no music.

There's a place and time for music and it's not in a pub or restaurant normally. Having said that the live Turkish music playing in a restaurant in Istanbul added to the ambience.

I must be getting old! Once upon a time I would have enjoyed music while I ate, but nowadays if it's too loud and I can't have a conversation with whoever I'm dining with I don't like it at all. I tend not to go back to places like that. We have a sparkling new Nandos in town and I was sooo looking forward to going (I LOVE Nandos!) but was disappointed when I went with DH on it's very first day of opening to find that the music was really blaring! Shan't be going there again. Obviously turning into some sort of grumpy old grandma!

Weathspoons won't have music. Or noisy gambling machines. And the telly's on mute too. Lovely.

So why's the tv on at all? That's something that really annoys me!
Seems to be the norm in hospital waiting rooms...

I also cannot stand music playing. I remember going into a restaurant with a friend, we were the only cuastomers, so they switched on the music and turned down the lighting so that I could not read the menu comfortably. I asked for the music to be turned down and could I borrow a torch? They got the message on both accounts.

I quiet like it but it does depend on volume and style.

I can't stand it if the music is too loud especially if we are sitting beneath a speaker, or if it's that sort of thump, thump music. However, we went to a lovely restaurant a few weeks ago and there was a young lady singing (not too loudly) songs such as Can't Take My Eyes off You and Fly Me to the Moon etc, it was lovely

Yes, it does depend on what type of music is playing the ubiquitous Norah Jones is quite unobtrusive, but some may hate that! However, I may be wrong, but modern jazz is quite a specialised taste isn't it?

I hate background music like this - totally unnecessary and deeply irritating.

One exception is our doctor's surgery where there is very quiet classical music playing - it is unobtrusive and has clearly been chosen for its soothing quality. They have poems on the tables too - very civilized round here don't you know!

I agree Atqui modern jazz has a limited audience in MHO and I'm certainly not one of them !!

I like background music if it gives some ambience. If a restaurant/pub is very quiet i.e.not many diners it can feel quite 'cold' to me. I like some nice mood music- if its too loud I will ask for it to be turned down. My dislike however is connected to the tone- some people seem to turn the treble way up so its very scratchy - I like more base and something bluesy and 'warm' sounding - don't mind about which era or genre but don't want it to drown out conversation.

Normally a quiet and easygoing person i am getting increasingly annoyed at the constant rubbish and volume of "musak" that is often belting out in restaurants, shops, supermarkets, leisure centres, shopping malls etc. I went with my daughter and grandchildren the other day to one of these big play leisure domes where several childrens parties were going on. Imagine the scene, the building was a large echoey warehouse loud music belting out,children screaming and shouting as children do, adults trying to be heard above the noise. I kindly asked if the music (which was just an incessant noise by the way) could be turned down a little as we could not here any conversation we were trying to have. I immediately got a cold stare from the young woman in charge and barely an acnowlegement to my request. She did not turn the" music" down and after awhile we left vowing to not go there again.
What annoyed me even more other parents and carers were complaining about the noise but not doing anything about it so it looked as if it was just me that was complaining. I understand that music adds to an atmosphere of a place but surely it does not take an expert to realise that calm, quieter music can create a far more harmonious experience than the loud noisey excuse for music that is normally played in these places. I have also had the same experience in restaurants, shops, malls, swimming baths and supermarkets there just seems no getting away from it. I worked with children for a goos part of my life and realised early on how certain types of music effected their behaviour.
Surely there should be a law on noise pollution as there is on smoking.
What summed it up for me was the other day I went into a well named store in the shopping mall in town and the music was that loud I asked the shop asisstant that I really felt sorry for her having to listen to that music all day and couldnt she turn it down, her answer was that The stores managerial hirearchy say they have to play certain music set at a certain volume and they cannot interfere with it. How can that be right !!!!
Ok rant over.

What happened to H&S when you need it?

I had a birthday lunch with my children and grandchildren a few weeks ago and the 'music' couldn't really be heard; just the loud thump, thump, thump of the bass. To the embarrassment of family members I asked if it could be switched off or turned down because I couldn't hear myself think. In contrast I had dinner with my husband in a French bistro last week and there was quiet jazz music playing, which was not obtrusive and I actually surprised myself by enjoying listening to it when not chatting.

We went to a nice restaurant yesterday and there was very quiet background music playing. As we were the only diners, we were quite glad of it.

I agree that music can be very therapuetic and uplifting played in restaurants and other public buildings if thought has gone into it. Sometimes in these places it is needed to give the place the right atmosphere. My grumble is not about that. its just the incessant (not sure if i spelt that right) noise you get in certain public places that just drives you nuts and sometimes it is more for the enjoyment of the staff than the paying customers.

I hate it.

I don't like lift music and I hate music so loud you can't carry on a conversation. We were in a once favourite restaurant a couple of years ago when a large party of young ladies arrived. The management's response was to turn up the volume to drown the shrieking. We haven't been back.

amblu is that a name or a password?

Its my username (smile)

Snappy!