Photo: ©John Valls
Portland restaurants are often very loud. Psychologists say that noisy restaurants not only make people feel like they are part of something, but they also tend to make diners eat faster, which helps turn tables. That might be fine on a Saturday night with friends, but sometimes you just want quiet conversation. An anniversary, perhaps. A first date… Last week I couldn’t wait to get out of a Little Big Burger, where the average decibel reading was 1021.
Out of 436 votes in the 2013 survey, four restaurants stand out as favorites in your mind:
- Paley’s Place – 1204 Northwest 21st Ave. Portland, OR 97209 Map (503) 243-2403. My review
- Castagna – 1752 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland OR 97214 Map (503) 231-9959
- Bar Avignon – 2138 SE Division St., Portland OR 97202 Map (503) 517-0808
- Genoa – 2832 SE Belmont St., Portland 97214 Map (503) 238-1464
1Why yes, I do carry a DB meter from time to time – 102db is just below the level of a rock concert.
Jill-O says
September 16, 2013 at 12:34 pmYep, I downloaded a DB meter app too. It is insane how loud some public places are…and when I go to see live music, I always have a pair of earplugs on me.
Food Dude says
September 16, 2013 at 12:40 pmThere is an app? doh! I should have known. I actually carry a full-sized meter, which is difficult to conceal during the summer.
JandJ says
March 9, 2014 at 10:58 pmYes, there are a bunch of iPhone apps out there (and likely Android as well). Noise is a pet peeve of mine and I’ve been to more than one place in town where the din was into the Db triple digits. OK I guess if you’re alone or not feeling conversational. Hell otherwise (at least IMHO).
Emily Woods says
October 9, 2013 at 4:22 amPaley’s is my favorite too! And that pic is luring me to my favorite haunt :P Next time you guys do a similar survey, count me in :) I love participating as well as creating surveys on my fav. SoGoSurvey!