Listening bars and restaurants: the latest trend from abroad – dining to the beat of the music

A new international trend is bringing an often-overlooked element back to the forefront of the restaurant scene: listening. From the listening bars of Tokyo and Seoul to London and New York, and now in Italia too , the number of venues is growing that transform music from mere background noise into the centrepiece of the experience . High-fidelity sound systems, selections curated by DJs and vinyl collectors, intimate concerts and live performances are redefining the way we experience bars and restaurants, creating places where the pleasure of dining intertwines with that of listening .

In an age dominated by speed and the distracted consumption of content, these spaces invite us to slow down, pay attention to detail and rediscover the value of music as a shared experience. It is therefore no surprise that more and more hotels, restaurants and cocktail bars are investing in projects that combine design, gastronomy and sound culture. Here are some of the most innovative examples in Italia.

In Rome at Ludo, the space transforms, inviting guests to experience it with greater freedom, rising from their tables and letting themselves go to the rhythm of the music in an atmosphere that gradually builds in intensity. The dining club thus evolves into a more fluid and nocturnal setting, where the boundary between dining, entertainment and clubbing dissolves completely, giving way to a continuous and immersive experience. It is here that the most authentic identity of the nhow Roma project takes shape, a contemporary hub where aesthetics, sound and interaction coexist without hierarchy, creating a narrative that is ever-changing depending on the time of day, the people and the energy present.

In Porta Romana, Milan, there is a place where pizza moves to the beat of the music. Ultra is born from the fusion of gastronomy, mixology and nightlife culture, transforming every visit into an experience where flavours, people and sounds coexist in the same space. The project embodies a new concept of urban conviviality, where the DJ set does not merely accompany the evening, but defines its atmosphere, creating a continuous dialogue between cuisine and music. This identity also takes shape in the culinary offering created by chef Nazar Usachuk, expressed through three pizzas that symbolise the venue. The Margherita Ultra reinterprets tradition with San Marzano tomatoes, fiordilatte and 36-month-aged Parmigiano Reggiano. The Ultra Piennolo showcases the more contemporary side with Piennolo tomatoes, burrata from Andria, basil sauce and extra virgin olive oil. Heat, on the other hand, brings the project’s boldest character to the table, featuring buffalo mozzarella cream, Lucanian pezzente sausage, tomato cream and nduja.

In La Villa, Alta Badia, the evening is taking on a new rhythm: moving away from the high-energy, loud après-ski scene towards a new focus on listening and presence. B-Side Alpine Hi-Fi Listening Bar is a listening space where music isn’t merely background noise: it shapes the experience. The project draws inspiration from international listening culture and reinterprets it in an Alpine style, featuring a bespoke hi-fi system developed with New Fidelity and resør electronics, and a visual identity designed by KLSR. At its heart is the “frequency menu”: cocktails created based on sound frequencies in Hertz, which can also be accessed via QR code, in a direct dialogue between sound and taste. B-Side thus offers a new concept for an evening in the mountains: less noise, more listening. From après-ski to after listening.