Quick answer: Fine dining and omakase counters are small and quiet, but hard timber, stone and glass make every voice and clink carry. Subtle panels in colours that suit timber or fabric walls, plus soft seating, keep the room intimate, so guests hear the chef and their own table without hearing everyone else.

Key takeaways

  • Hard timber and stone carry every sound.
  • Subtle panels in suitable colours.
  • Guests hear the chef, not the next table.

Why it matters

Guests pay for an experience, and that includes the chef talking them through each dish. In a hard room, the chef's words get lost. Voices from the next seats carry too.

Subtle panels

Panels can be chosen in colours that sit well with timber or fabric walls. Set into frames, they look like part of the design. See matching interiors.

Not sure what your room needs? Send us a photo on WhatsApp or request a free quote. We'll tell you how many panels, where they go and the price. See our restaurant acoustic panels and recent projects.

Intimate sound infographic

Ceiling

A few panels above the counter or tables soak up sound before it spreads. They can be small and neat. Ceiling panels are always fixed mechanically.

Fine dining room diagram

Soft touches

Upholstered seats, fabric wall sections or curtains soak up a little sound. They add warmth to a hard room. Panels still do most of the work.

Music

Very low background music works well once echo is under control. It covers small noises without drowning the chef. Without panels, music tends to get turned up.

Install

We work Monday to Saturday in working hours; night and Sunday installs are possible with a surcharge, quoted case by case. Typical installs take a few hours to 1 to 2 days. Panels are from S$185 each supplied and installed.

Private rooms

Small private rooms with one table and hard walls echo quickly. Two to four panels make them feel calm. Pick a colour that suits the room.

Counter seats

At a counter, guests sit side by side facing the chef. Panels on the wall behind them stop voices bouncing down the line. Each guest can then hear the chef clearly.

Counter seating

At an omakase counter, guests sit side by side facing the chef. Panels on the wall behind the diners and above the counter stop voices bouncing down the line, so each guest hears the chef.

Materials that suit fine dining

Fabric panels colour-matched to timber, linen or plaster, or set into wall frames, look like part of the design.

Private rooms

Small private rooms with one table and hard walls echo fast. Two to four panels make them feel intimate.

What we see on real jobs

In fine dining, panels in a colour close to the timber tone are easy to miss.

Get a straight answer for your room

WhatsApp us (+65 8930 1905) a photo of your dining room, ideally taken during service, and tell us when it gets loudest. We'll come back with a ceiling-and-wall plan and a price. Ask us about installing outside opening hours.

WhatsApp us a photo · Request a free quote · See prices

Related reading