Nobody has ever complimented our chairs. We spent more time on them than on the sign above the door.
Light Low, and From Above the Table
Bright rooms empty quickly. We lit the tables and left the walls dark, which means the food is the brightest thing in front of you and the room disappears a little. It also means your face is lit from above rather than from the side, which is kinder to everyone.
Seats That Are Slightly Too Comfortable
A hard chair is a timer. We chose a deeper seat with a real back, knowing it costs us the second turn on a busy night. People stay for dessert instead, and we would rather have that.
What we measured before buying anything
- Seat depth and back angle, tested over a two-hour dinner
- Distance between table edges, for carrying four bowls at once
- Noise at full capacity, with and without soft surfaces
Sound You Can Talk Over
An empty restaurant with hard surfaces sounds cavernous; a full one sounds like an airport. Fabric on the banquettes and slats on the ceiling took the edge off both.
The goal was never silence. It was being able to talk at a normal volume at hour two.
None of this shows up in a photograph. All of it shows up in how long people stay.