Setting the tone for a dining experience is a delicate balance. Yes, the food and service are paramount, and the decor and ambience play big roles as well. But the often-overlooked factor that can enhance or detract from the entire experience is the music echoing from the speakers.

Choosing the right soundtrack for a dining establishment is no easy task. It must resonate with the vibe of the restaurant without assaulting the ears of diners. What makes it even trickier is that this decision is sometimes left to individuals who are not even physically present. Case in point, I once worked in a corporate-allied restaurant where an eternal three-hour-looped playlist was not anything I had control over. The song selections became so insufferable that even the festive tunes ended up causing much annoyance during the holidays.

At times, customer requests could override the never-ending drone via the jukebox, but this would sometimes lead to overplayed tracks like “I’ll Be Missing You” by Puff Daddy, which became a whole new audial nightmare. To regain my sanity, I would occasionally just put on my happy song, “You’re The One That I Want” from Grease, to lighten up the atmosphere or simply to get back at the ungrateful co-workers or customers.

Musical harmony with the establishment's milieu is critical. Once in a sports pub, I was caught off-guard by the choice of explicit hip-hop pumping through the speakers–not the ideal soundtrack for a lunchtime meal. Everyone has different tastes, but the music selection should be something that appeals to a broad audience rather than just accommodating one staff member's personal preference.

At an eatery I worked at in Queens, I catered the tunes to the clientele - mainly people of my own age group. 1980’s New Wave hits turned out to be a perfect addition to the burger-loving atmosphere.

But the solution isn’t always easy-listening or elevator Muzak. It's about finding the right atmosphere-enhancing soundtrack that can be the white noise filling the silence between conversations. Top 40 hits, jazz classics, or tracks from the Great American Song Book can work magic. After all, who could object to a lightly-aired Ella Fitzgerald’s "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered"? However, the ear-assaulting wails of Five Finger’s “Mother May I” might not be received as well. The music selection, like much else in a restaurant, needs to be adapted to the location and the vibe.

Diners must remember that the servers, more often than not, cannot control the audial background of the restaurant. Comparably to the thermostat settings, it’s someone else’s responsibility and it’s on continuous repeat, much to their dismay. Criticising your server for unappealing music would be misdirected frustration.

The ideal soundtrack at a restaurant may go unnoticed when it blends in perfectly and heightens the experience, but when it’s wrongly selected, the dining experience drops a few notches. In this subtle pursuit of ambience perfection, just remember – your server might have a favorite from the Grease soundtrack too.