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Cold and noisy pubs restaurants

(45 Posts)
GrannyIvy Tue 18-Feb-25 18:06:45

Is anyone else noticing how cold it is in pubs and restaurants at the moment . I have had two lunches out in nice pubs and one dinner in a local hotel restaurant in the last week and all three lovely venues were just so chilly. I was dressed warmly food was good but not much heating going on. I ended up sitting in my coat.
Also why do pubs restaurants play their music so loudly. I like to meet friends for a chat and a nice lunch or dinner but hate battling with the background (definitely not background) music!

IamMaz Thu 20-Feb-25 13:41:27

I absolutely HATE being cold! My heating is on all year - that doesn’t mean it’s on all year because overall it’s controlled by s thermostat in the hallway. Individual radiators also have thermostats.
And whenever I book a table for a meal, I ask for one in a quiet area due to a hearing disability. I don’t have one but prefer to be able to talk and listen without anything too disruptive near by!!!! LOL

love0c Thu 20-Feb-25 12:50:30

Yes, we have stopped eating out because it is always so cold. Two pubs near us have log fires but do not light them. Because of health and safety!

Gfplux Thu 20-Feb-25 11:02:35

I agree with everyone’s comments.
Complain, complain and complain.
Write reviews pointing out the noise and the cold.
But
Doesn’t this problem and the replies just illustrate that some business owners are not fit for purpose.
Don’t accept second best,
Complain, complain, complain.
It’s the British disease “dont complain”
You are doing other diners/customers and even the sloppy owners a favour.

Liz46 Thu 20-Feb-25 07:45:39

We have one pub that we can walk to and the food is ok but I have battled with them about the 'music' for a long time. All I can hear is a drum machine and have no idea what the song is.

GrannyIvy Thu 20-Feb-25 07:33:01

I’m beginning to think it would be far better to cook at home. Cold restaurants, loud music, often poor slow service and expensive food and drink why bother going out.

We took off the service charge for our meal out with friends last Saturday night and told them it was because it was too cold (we sat in our coats for majority of the time) and the food took a long while to come out. It didn’t go down well!

Homestead62 Thu 20-Feb-25 03:14:08

You are very fortunate Monica. I was in a freezing restaurant last year, it was so cold that a child at the table across from us complained to their Mum and the lady had to put a coat over the child's legs the poor thing was so cold. We complained to the restaurant and we have never been back since. It's very hit and miss where we are. Restaurants now are freezing cold and many times meagre portions. Id rather cook at home.

BlueberryPie Wed 19-Feb-25 23:55:11

I'm in the US and have always thought the restaurants here tended to be too cold, even in the hottest part of the summer. What I've always heard is that they're "set for a crowd," meaning that when they fill up, so many people in the building warms it up, so they make it cool-ish to begin with. I always keep my "restaurant sweater" in the car.

I haven't noticed loud music in restaurants but it's obnoxiously loud in many bars, so loud that I can't stand to even be there.

NotSpaghetti Wed 19-Feb-25 23:50:58

I wonder if others in cold places were "early" too?

NotSpaghetti Wed 19-Feb-25 23:50:08

I have three times eaten in "too cold" restaurants in the last six weeks.
My mother-in-law kept her coat on in one.

All were early evening - because my mother-in-law now likes to eat (rather too) early and the heating hadn't got going.
All three were a lot warmer when we left!
I did tell one restaurant and they turned the heating up and apologised.

I loved the food in one but won't go back 'till the weather is better!

sazz1 Wed 19-Feb-25 23:00:12

Not had a problem with music, there wasn't any on. The pub we went to was freezing so one drink and we left. Same with the Indian Restaurant no heating on at all. Won't be going back

M0nica Wed 19-Feb-25 20:55:41

Not heating places of entertainemnt is counter productive. You jsut drive people away so your turnover drops and you can afford even less heating.

Certainly not lighting a fire, which si something many people go to pubs to enjoy is really cutting your nose off to spite your face.

rocketstop Wed 19-Feb-25 18:17:33

GrannyIvy

Is anyone else noticing how cold it is in pubs and restaurants at the moment . I have had two lunches out in nice pubs and one dinner in a local hotel restaurant in the last week and all three lovely venues were just so chilly. I was dressed warmly food was good but not much heating going on. I ended up sitting in my coat.
Also why do pubs restaurants play their music so loudly. I like to meet friends for a chat and a nice lunch or dinner but hate battling with the background (definitely not background) music!

For me , not so much the music, but I agree wholeheartedly that pubs are cold.
A fortnight ago on a particularly cold Saturday, I met friends in a pub. I took my coat off even though I was chilly as it seemed a polite thing to do, not to look likie you were ready to rush off! Well I put my coat back on after about three minutes, it was stony cold, my coat was a parka with furry lining and I was freezing, as were my friends. When my teeth started chattering, I couldn't stand it any longer, my friends were the same, so we moved on somewhere else, somewhre we know to have a blazing fire.Imagine our dismay when we got there and the fire wasn't lit. We had one drink and got ready to go, I asked why they hadn't got any heat on as it was a really cold day and they said thy couldn't afford to hat the place. It's a shame it's come to this isn't it ?Because we certain ly won't go to those two pubs until it warms up, if everyone feels the same, the pubs will be even more empty and won't be able to afford to open !!!

infoman Wed 19-Feb-25 17:24:42

Also at Wetherspoons install the app on your phone,
then sit down and order.They won't know how old you are.

LeslieL Wed 19-Feb-25 16:57:49

Try Wetherspoons! No music, and always warm.

NonGrannyMoll Wed 19-Feb-25 15:11:54

Wow! I've just Googled "aural soma" and discovered there's actually a commercial product with that name. Apparently, it's some kind of "wellness" product which calms the mind - clearly, they haven't read "Brave New World" where soma's deadening influence was used for a different purpose altogether....

NonGrannyMoll Wed 19-Feb-25 15:08:06

Oh, muzak everywhere really gets on my wick. And I mean everywhere - my friend's GS was given a little pretend radio for his birthday, which played tinny pop music at the touch of a (battery-controlled) button.
If I had that kind of mindset, I might well think the ever-present blanket of pop-crud is some kind of conspiracy to use aural soma to deaden the minds of the masses......

JdotJ Wed 19-Feb-25 14:33:54

I went to our local cinema yesterday to see the Bridget Jones film.

It was freezing cold in there. We all sat with out coats on. Someone popped outside and asked if the heating could be switched on. If it was it didn't reach where I was sitting.

Jaxjacky Wed 19-Feb-25 13:28:05

Our local has a fire and it’s warm Tenko, but doesn’t do food but we have two others not too far away that do, toasty warm, they get our repeat custom.

JaneJudge Wed 19-Feb-25 13:08:03

I don't mind music but I like to be warm

Witzend Wed 19-Feb-25 13:05:53

Worst I’ve experienced for cold, was a busy Cote Brasserie, where people who were arriving were continually standing in the doorway, instead of coming in and closing it! It was midwinter and the air was freezing. More than once I had to call out, ‘Could you PLEASE close the door?’

Cossy Wed 19-Feb-25 12:53:21

srn63

I always ask for music to be turned down if too loud and heating to be turned up if too cold. If it doesn't happen I leave and don't go back and often leave an honest review. I can sit at home and be warm, I'm not paying to sit elsewhere and be cold.

👏👏👏👏👏

Cossy Wed 19-Feb-25 12:52:38

M0nica

I suppose they assume that if the music is loud enough you will not notice how cold it is.

😂😂😂😂

Tenko Wed 19-Feb-25 12:50:39

Our two local pubs both have a log fire and it’s lovely and cosy . Sometimes it gets too hot . And the music is very low . It’s very much a locals pub and when the locals complain, things get done .
OP have you tried putting a review on Tripadvisor with your complaints? Many publicans and managers do look on TA and respond to any complaints. Especially as many pubs are struggling.
The problem is many pubs are staffed by young people who aren’t bothered by loud music or the cold as they’re busy , plus they probably don’t communicate your issues to management . I would have approached the manager or owner .

Rainbow1235 Wed 19-Feb-25 11:04:04

I meet a friend once a month in a marstons pub and always warm in there . There is music in background but u could hardly hear it

M0nica Wed 19-Feb-25 08:32:14

Good food in a warm restaurant does, so this is what we go out to eat. No problem with that round here.