By Anya Schiffrin with help from Joseph E. Stiglitz
My husband is 81, and we don’t eat out much because restaurants are too loud for us. It’s not just us: an informal vote in my class at Columbia University a couple of weeks ago was unanimous: restaurants are just too noisy. “New York is loud enough as it is!” said my student, AdalÍ Friaz Denis, a Fulbright Scholar from Mexico. When the class votes on where to have a group dinner, everyone wants to come to my place and now I know why. Being able to have a conversation is more important than going out.
There are many theories about why restaurants have become so loud over the last 20 years or so: music makes restaurants seem more festive and encourages alcohol consumption; loud noise helps turn over tables more quickly; minimalism is more elegant; and it is more expensive to install sound-absorbing fixtures. There’s even an app, SoundPrint, that measures the decibel level of a restaurant. When speaking to waiters to ask for the music to be turned down, we sometimes invoke the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) requirement for “reasonable accommodations” — adjustments or modifications for people with disabilities — after reading about it in The New York Times years ago.
For years, Joe’s go-to for work lunches was Henry’s on West 105th Street. But now, under new management as The Ellington, the loud music and conversations and the hard floors have made it so noisy that we’d rather eat at home. We had our first date at Café des Artistes on West 67th Street, with its legendary murals, but a recent visit back to the Leopard, located there, firmly disqualified the classic restaurant from the quiet list. We love Gennaro’s (my dad was crazy about the lamb), but we prefer takeout.
Sometimes, however, venturing forth is required. Whether it’s a pre-theater meal, a friend from out of town, a work meeting, or just not wanting to cook, desperate times call for desperate measures. So, we spent the last couple of months scouring the Upper West Side for quiet(ish) restaurants.
For this unscientific study, we asked all our friends if they knew any quiet restaurants, and we tried them on Fridays at 8 p.m., just to see where it’s possible to hear one another speak. We’re not saying this is the best food the UWS has to offer. We’re saying you can have a conversation at the restaurants on this list and, sometimes, that’s more important than anything else.
Here are our picks. It’s not an extensive list, but it’s a start. Send us your ideas in the comments and we will write a second piece in the fall:
Grain House — has some of the best Sichuanese food on the Upper West Side. I crave the cumin fish with the magical chili peppers that leave a tingly mouth feel in their wake, and the greens stir-fried with fresh garlic. My husband loves the soft beancurd used in the Mapo tofu. But Grain House has no atmosphere at all. It’s a strictly utilitarian, bare-bones spot with just a few tables; food delivery makes up most of its business. This means it’s always empty and therefore is the perfect place to eat. Just you and the delivery men. You won’t linger over a cozy meal but you will be able to hear and you will eat well.
GRAIN HOUSE IS TEMPORARILY CLOSED FOR INTERIOR RENOVATIONS UNTIL THE END OF APRIL, ACCORDING TO THE WEBSITE.
929 Amsterdam Avenue between 105th and 106th, 212-531-1130.
Metro Diner — At lunchtime, Metro Diner is buzzing. Families with kids, old friends discussing their hernia operations and everybody else from the West 100s. It can even get a bit loud on the weekend. But in the new, quiet, post-pandemic nighttime, Metro is empty. After 5 p.m. it’s easy to hear there. They serve all the classic diner food: sandwiches, chicken noodle soup, and big breakfasts (beware of overcooked eggs), but have expanded to include a salmon platter, many salads, and even a Mexican fiesta bowl. The standard dishes are uniformly good and we love the Greek salad, which comes draped with anchovies and is big enough for two people if they are dieting.
2641 Broadway, between 100th Street & 101st; (212) 866-0800
Awash –This is only medium quiet. At 8pm the restaurant was full. But we love spicy Ethiopian food and the veggie platter which serves a pile of different spiced veggies on the fermented injera bread. The staff is lovely and moved us to the quietest table in the house. By 9pm it had emptied out. Go on a weeknight and you should be ok.
947 Amsterdam Ave, between 106th and 107th, 212-961-1416.
Atlantic Grill — Times have changed. Pre-pandemic, the Atlantic Grill would not have made anyone’s quiet list but today it is a good option, if pricy. The décor is clubby combined with Soho-loft industrial, and the walls are lined with comfy banquettes. Saturday night is louder (of course) so I’d avoid, but recent visits on Sunday and during the week were quiet. The oysters and seafood are the specialty, but they have all the standards: burgers, salads, and steak as well as pizza. As the writer Claudia Dreifus said to me recently, “Very civilized. Good food and service. Nice seats.”
50 W. 65th Street, between Columbus and Central Park West, 212-362-7800.
Aangar — On a recent rainy night, we were pleasantly surprised by the quiet and delicious Indian food. There is no sound-absorbing carpeting or flocked wall paper, but, because the restaurant is small and does a brisk takeout business, we could hear. Although the tables were full when we sat down, there are only about five, so it wasn’t bad (upstairs looked noisier). The food came quickly and we loved the intensity of the eggplants in sauce while the chicken tikka was a solid low-cal option. Verdict: Affordable and reasonably quiet.
283 Columbus Ave, between 73rd and 74th, 212-393-4040.
Send us more ideas in the comments and we will resume in the fall…..
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Angaar is my ALL TIME favorite Indian restaurant. I have tried just about everything on their menu over the past years and it is consistently delicious. HIGHLY recommend!
Do they have chicken a la king?
Aangar is great – no disrespect to them at all – but if you are further downtown, try Mughlai on Columbus at around 84th. It is also terrific.
Did you mean “If you are further uptown”? Aangar is on Columbus between 73rd & 74th>
I like their sauces but in my experience, they overcook their chicken so much that it’s difficult to enjoy.
They were my pandemic go-to. You can still find me once a week or so in the front shed devouring their tandoori chicken and nan.
It is interesting how quiet everything is post pandemic at night. I don’t think there are any 24 hours diners anymore. The one by me the owner said they tried closing at 11 and it just didn’t make sense anymore so they close at 9
I work nights in the ED and I know all the 24hr diners by heart and, no, there are not many. However, we do have Flame at 58th and 9th always a solid choice.
What’s the ED?
Used to be the ER
emergency department
Emergency Department at a hospital.
I cited the ADA and anti-age-discrimination laws to Equinox because of their loud music (I am a “senior” and have tinnitus). They didn’t care.
We went to STK in midtown for a nice meal. Fancy, expensive, la-de-da. I suffer from hearing loss and tinnitus. When we got there, I found out the restaurant actually had a DJ playing way too loud music from his DJ booth. A DJ in a restaurant?!! I can’t hear in restaurants already and then add to the mix a friggin’ DJ. He looked so proud of himself up in his little stupid raised platform area. Meanwhile, nobody could hear anybody and everybody had to scream to have a conversation. Ruined the entire night. Will never go back to that dump again. So, thanks for the quiet restaurant list. What’s wrong with restaurants today thinking people want to hear music played too loud? If we wanted that, we’d be at a nightclub, not a restaurant.
People mostly use headphones, so I don’t understand why places need to blare music. Don’t misunderstand me, I enjoy music and I enjoy it loud, but it shouldn’t be forced on you. Particularly in that we don’t all enjoy the same genre of music.
Stepping off my soapbox….
Sarabeth’s (Amsterdam & 81st) is reliably quiet in the evening and the food/service are always good.
I worked there for a while until she fired me. She was not nice to work for.
I to get a little bit annoyed with the loud restaurants today. Not fun at all!
My restaurant now is in my kitchen. And dining room. I’d rather order from the restaurant and have it home.
Or if it’s a nice day, pick it up at the restaurant and go to the park or have the restaurant GrubHub/DoorDash delivery to you in the park.
It’s wonderful you can order wine appetizer main course and have it delivered to you on the Great lawn or picnic table.
Try it out!!!
So much fun!!!
Yes, but you get a lot of plastic with take outs.
Thanks so much for your truly useful tips. I’m glad the restaurants you mentioned are not just in the hundreds, but go down to the 70s where I live.
Great article.
A test of a restaurant’s respect for their customers is when they lower the music’s volume upon request. The buzz of the room remains loud, but if you are lucky, you no longer have to lip read.
I remember asking a waiter at a white-tablecloth French restaurant in the East 80s if the blaring music could be turned down so my guest and I could enjoy our conversation and he said, “Of course, I understand, but somebody will turn it right up again; the staff likes it loud.” He was right, but at least we could hear each other through the appetizers.
It’s terrible when they favor staff over customers, or the people who live upstairs.
Bella Luna at 88th & Columbus is quiet! The Italian food is good and food and drink are generous and not too expensive. & they have very pretty sheds. Great place.
They make the BEST pasta Norma in the city!!!
I just want to second Gail’s recommendation. Bella Luna is one of the few places you can still have dinner without shouting. All of my friends-who live all over the city-ask to meet at Bella Luna.
Haha! Years ago, when I went there with some friends and requested a quiet table, the manager smiled and said, “We are a restaurant for grown-ups.”
Great place.
I would love to have a longer ‘quiet’ list. Please add to the list WSR gave. I’m not quite to hearing aids but won’t go near a noisy restaurant, I enjoy conversation not shouting at one another. Summer is better because outdoor dining is available. Any additional suggestions would be very much appreciated. Old folks spend money too……
We will definitely get to work in the fall and write another article. We’ll watch the comment section for suggestions and keep asking friends
It’s not just loud music that’s so awful! Plenty of restaurants have no music! It’s just rude people who for some reason want to shout at each other? Horrendous.
If you go to Europe the locals are fed up with the noise that American tourists seem to feel is appropriate … They’re not happy!
Bodrum on Amsterdam and 88th Street is pretty quiet. Bella Luna on Columbus and 88th Street is quiet. I, like you, hate noisy retaurants and especially the loud music most of them play.
Is Papardella still there? Or was it Panarella? I can never remember.
Plus the food is very good!
Second bodrum
Third Bodrum. That was going to be my suggestion! (Plus they have 50% off a bottle of wine on Mondays.)
Thank you for this. There are many really good restaurants that my friends and I like but no longer go to because of the noise levels. Too bad. We enjoy meeting for dinner in a nice restaurant before a concert or play. I think the reason why so many people prefer outdoor dining is because it’s more quiet. Note: Most outdoor dining ‘sheds’ don’t protect you from Covid or much else because they shut people in. Without adequate cross-ventilation, one is only breathing all the pathogens that other people have exhaled. But the sheds are more quiet than the indoor dining rooms. Please, we need more recommendations for quiet restaurants.
The sheds may not have loud music but honking car horns,sirens and general traffic sounds are not quiet either.
There are so few restaurants in Manhattan where one can have a really good meal as well as a decent conversation that I am not going to share my go-to places on this list. They are few and far between, and they’d be overwhelmed if I shared their addresses. I will say that diners are fairly reliable both for consistent food quality and non-deafening noise levels.
I’m really surprised that Grand Feast, a small, extremely quiet family restaurant is not on this list! It is in 102nd and Amsterdam, and has been producing great food from pastas and burgers to duck and chicken and short ribs at reasonable prices for 2 years!! Please check it out!
I will try it out. Thank you for your generosity. And I agree that I’ve worried if I give out a list of quiet places, they won’t be quiet anymore, but let’s see. Also agree about diners often being a good option and some Thai and Chinese restaurants. I took my class to legends on 72nd st at 9pm on a Monday in April and the food was wonderful and we had the place to ourselves.
Thank you everyone for the article and the great suggestions. I, too, hate a loud restaurant where people have to scream to be heard. I go out to eat, drink, and enjoy conversations with friends, and it’s nerve-wracking to have loud music pumping throughout the locale. A bit out of the way, but lovely and quiet is Turkuaz on West 53rd Street, which is Turkish, charming, and has delicious food. I also like Sushi Damo on West 58 Street between Broadway and Columbus.
I also bemoan the fact that too many restaurants are much too loud. As additions to the ones mentioned a reasonably quiet meal can be had at Tessa on Amsterdam btw 76 & 77. Also Cafe Du Soliel on Bway btw 104 & 105
Enjoy.
Hmmm I have had bad luck with noise at cafe du soleil. Maybe it’s changed and I should try it again. Thank you.
Yep, same. It’s a great spot, and I love it, but quiet? Not in my experience. Quite the opposite.
Osteria 106 is quiet and has fantastic food.
The food is terrific, but when the restaurant is full, it can be uncomfortably loud. I recommend going before 7 pm.
I’m surprised that nobody has mentioned the widespread prevalence of hearing loss among residents – and all people today. I’m a senior with profound hearing loss, but after age 65 one in three people have measurable hearing loss; over 75, it’s one in two. And everyone has increasing difficulty processing speech as they age.
Thanks, Anya, for your article. More of us need to ask for quiet(er) tables when we dine. Noise should only be tolerated at singles bars, sports bars and the like.
Viand– corner 76 and Bway
Serafina on West 105th and Broadway is fairly quiet during brunch and lunch. Haven’t been there for dinner recently. I also miss Henry’s peaceful and calm atmosphere.
if you feel like a very special celebration , I may add “essential by Christophe” just next to shake shack on 77tn street and.colombus. It just gone one star Michelin. The food is very good , the ambience is soothing , the service quite nice but it is definitely pricey.
Buceo 95, a Soanish tapas place on 95th between Broadway and Amserdam, has very good and interesting food, and the outdoor patio is relatively quiet.
Bellini’s on Columbus and 83rd! Great food, nice ambiance and wonderfully quiet!
Barney Greengrass is not large enough to be too loud, I think.
Thank you for this article and for doing the leg work for all of us upper west siders.
It’s impossible to go into a restaurant without music blasting and you’re quite right, you just can’t speak with whom you’re with. I think whether you’re young or old or in between one wants to sit and be able to talk with the person that one is having dinner with — or at least have the option to. Thank you again.
Amazing that you found one.
My husband and I also seek out quiet restaurants when we can. We have found that eating in the outside sheds is much quieter than inside. Here are some we like:
The outside shed at Cafe Luxembourg, 70th Amsterdam, is pretty quiet. Amber (Thai/Sushi) at 70th Columbus is quiet. The outside shed at Manny’s Bistro, Columbus between 70th and 71st is usually quiet. Simply Noodles (ramen) on Amsterdam between 69th/70th is very quiet because it too is mostly a takeout destination. I think it only has six tables. Trattoria Il Gusto Wine Bar has very good food and was quiet on the Saturday night that we were there a few months ago. It’s on Columbus between 90th/91st.
I am going to keep a list. Thank you.
my cutie hubby and I had a lovely dinner at Toloache on East 82nd street, at covered, heated outdoor shed. amazing delicious food! was commenting to the neighboring table what a lovely experience we were each able to have. Thinking of West Side options… as a woman in my 40’s, i have very sensitive hearing. Hearing loss runs in my family so am very mindful and aware. thank you for sharing awareness on this topic!
The other day, I was seeking a quiet AND affordable place, with good lighting (not too bright or dark). Swagat fit the bill — a Northern Indian place betw 79th and 80th on Amsterdam.– fit the bill. There are other quiet places in this neighborhood, such as La Sirene, which is very good — but much more expensive. One generally has to pay for quiet. This is a great idea for a column!
I consider La Sirene “reasonable”. It is far from expensive.
Grain House is more than temporarily closed, you guys covered it yourself in your openings/closings, there’s a whole new restaurant going in there.
I was so afraid of this. I wrote about them weeks ago and when I submitted to Carol (WSR publisher and editor), I worried that it was gone for good. Thank you for the fact check . I’m keeping a running list of all the ideas in the comments and I will resume eating out in the fall.
Hmm, I have never had this problem in Paris…or London, or Roma, or Frankfurt. What is it about NY? Seriously, why are we so loud?
agree. I remember one time I was in Paris and the French people, at the table next to ours, asked our group to lower our voices. Our French friend was embarrassed, and immediately spoke in softer tones. I’ve noticed that in French restaurants people are respectful and often greet the strangers at the next table when they sit down. My dad loved the formality of life in Paris. Another thing I appreciate is that when we’re waiting on line for a museum or flight in Paris, the guards always move my husband up to the front as soon as they see his cane. We don’t even have to ask.
Thanks for this article. In my experience, Cibo y Vino has been quiet enough for good conversation. It also has a nice, calm atmosphere.
Friend of a Farmer on West 71st is nice and quiet and has a lovely atmosphere in general.
I went to Gennaro’s last night and mentioned that I needed a quiet table because I have trouble hearing in loud spaces. I noticed that the music was much louder than expected. But then, the volume of the music dropped right after I sat down. Without me asking, the manager lowered the music volume. I didn’t even have to ask. That it was so thoughtful!
Lelya, 108 W 74th St. I don’t know about the evenings, but during the atmosphere during the day is easy.
Thank you so much for the idea of this article, as well as for sparking the creation of a list. Perhaps collectively we can alert the operators of restaurants that their noise is not as welcome as they may have imagined, and that by reducing the noise they may actually attract more customers who currently shun them. Good for you!
The noise problem is created not only by loud music but also by the insistence on cramming in as many tables as possible. As a result one’s efforts to talk with the person (or persons) at your table directly conflicts with the conversation at the next table barely inches away, sometimes on either side. While I appreciate the need to maximize revenue per square inch, owners should appreciate (again) that they may be chasing away potential patrons by intruding not just on conversations but also on basic personal space. A little more space may translate into a lot more customers!
I would add to the list Han Dynasty on 85th Street near Broadway. It’s cavernous, the tables are decently spaced and you can have a conversation with your chosen companions. The food is good, too.
I appreciate the hard research, Anya. I recommend
ABA, a Turkish restaurant on West 57 easy-ish for Carnegie Hall good Mezze and kebabs. And a very friendly attitude towards BYO wine. .
Maybe there could be a follow-up article on good !restaurants who deliver. La piccola cucina was a terrific Italian restaurant with homemade sauce and everything came piping hot but sadly they couldn’t stay afloat because of the pandemic. A whole article with suggestions would be appreciated.
And since the pandemic, why do the restaurants close so early? You’re hard pressed to find a restaurant that’ll deliver after 9:00 p.m.. I think the crime rate would go down if restaurant stayed open later as they used to.