In Aalborg, Denmark, Restaurant Nam has built its new dining experience around more than food. With a carefully planned DALI sound system integrated into the new building, music helps shape the atmosphere from the first arrival to the last cocktail of the evening.
When Restaurant Nam opens its doors in Aalborg, the experience begins before guests even sit down.
Music is already playing outside. Inside, the sound follows guests through the restaurant, from the dining areas and bar to the toilets and kitchen. As the day progresses, the music changes with the mood: calm and understated at lunchtime, livelier through the evening, and more energetic as the restaurant reaches its busiest point.
For co-owner Anne, this is exactly what sound should do in a restaurant. It should be felt rather than noticed.
The sound sets the mood. When the restaurant is full around nine, and everything is buzzing, that’s when I really feel that it works.”
A new restaurant and a chance to get the sound right
Restaurant Nam previously occupied a location on Vesterbro in central Aalborg. The sound in the old restaurant was acceptable, but it could be inconsistent, with noticeable variations throughout the space.
When the opportunity came to move into a completely new building at Østre Havnepark, overlooking Aalborg Cable Park and the Limfjord, the owners saw an opportunity to approach the sound differently. This time, they wanted to get it right from the beginning.
The move also gave Nam something the old location could not: the chance to design the sound system as part of the building itself.
The restaurant was involved in the construction process from an early stage, allowing the team to plan cabling, network connections and speaker positions before the ceilings and other elements were finished. Rather than adding a sound system once the restaurant was complete, sound became part of the architectural planning.
For a hospitality business, that can make a significant difference. Speaker positions can be considered alongside the layout and seating plan, cables can be hidden from view, and different areas can be given their own level of control.
That was particularly important at Nam, where the restaurant wanted several distinct zones.
The solution
Indoor
16 × DALI PHANTOM K-60 LP in-ceiling loudspeakers
Subwoofers
Outdoor
6 × DALI GARDIAN OW 6 weatherproof loudspeakers
Control & amplification
Bluesound POWERNODE-based system
Zoning
Multiple zones covering dining areas, bar, toilets, kitchen and outdoor areas
Installation
Planned and integrated during the construction of the new restaurant in collaboration with HiFi Klubben and the teams responsible for the interior, ceiling, power and network infrastructure.
Designed around the way the restaurant works
The indoor space is divided into several zones, including the main dining areas, bar and toilets, while the outdoor area has its own zones.
The system comprises 16 DALI PHANTOM K-60 LP in-ceiling loudspeakers indoors, supported by subwoofers, with Bluesound POWERNODE-based amplification and control. Outside, six DALI GARDIAN OW 6 loudspeakers extend the experience beyond the restaurant itself.
The system was planned together with HiFi Klubben, who helped Nam evaluate different loudspeakers and determine their positioning according to the acoustics and layout of the space.
For the owners, hearing the different options themselves was an important part of the process. They chose the solution they felt sounded best, even though it meant spending a little more.
The result is a system that can adapt to the restaurant rather than forcing the restaurant to adapt to the system.
At lunchtime, the music is deliberately restrained. As the afternoon moves towards evening, the level increases. Around 9pm, the lighting is lowered and the music becomes more upbeat.
Sound is not simply a constant layer in the background. It becomes one of the tools Nam uses to shape the pace and atmosphere of the evening.
Atmosphere without sacrificing conversation
For a restaurant, creating energy through music comes with an obvious challenge: the music should add to the atmosphere without getting in the way of the people who have come to eat, drink and talk.
That balance was important to Nam.
Anne wanted the system to have enough warmth, depth and impact to create atmosphere, while still allowing guests to have a conversation and staff to communicate with them.
You can have a good atmosphere and have the music a little louder, but you should still be able to talk to each other.”
It is a distinction that matters in hospitality. A restaurant can be energetic without becoming uncomfortable, and a sound system needs to perform at both ends of that scale.
Nam finds that the new system works equally well when played quietly and when the volume is raised later in the evening.
And that flexibility has another benefit: the sound can change with the people in the room.
The experience starts outside
The six DALI GARDIAN OW 6 loudspeakers outside are another deliberate part of the concept.
Nam keeps the outdoor speakers running even outside the main outdoor dining season. Guests still step outside during the evening for a smoke or some fresh air, and the owners wanted the atmosphere to continue with them.
The outdoor area also forms part of the arrival experience. Rather than walking into silence and only encountering music once inside, guests are met by sound as soon as they arrive.
I think it’s great to be met by an atmosphere straight away.”
For Nam, that small detail contributes to the feeling that the outdoor and indoor areas belong to the same experience.
DALI GARDIAN OW 6
Hi-Fi sound meets all-weather durability with the DALI GARDIAN OW 6 outdoor loudspeaker. Designed to perform, rain or shine.
When the technology disappears
The sound system also had to fit visually into the new restaurant. Nam’s interior combines Scandinavian references with Asian influences, and the owners wanted the technology to be discreet. The in-ceiling loudspeakers are integrated into the architecture, and the team specifically waited for the black versions so that they would blend into the dark ceiling.
The aim was not to make the speakers a design feature. Quite the opposite.
We wanted a solution that wasn’t very visible. You shouldn’t really think about the fact that there’s a speaker there.”
For a restaurant where considerable thought has gone into furniture, lighting, colours and materials, this matters. The sound system has an important role, but it should support the environment rather than compete with it.Sound for the people behind the scenes
The system is not only designed for guests. Music has also been extended into the kitchen, giving staff a soundtrack while they prepare for service and work during the day.
Ease of use was an important consideration. The team wanted a system that staff could access without having to spend time figuring out complicated technology. That simplicity is particularly valuable in a busy restaurant, where the sound system is one of many things staff need to manage.
DALI PHANTOM K-60 LP
Designed for spaces where discreet installation is essential, the DALI PHANTOM K-60 LP combines a slim, 36.5 mm mounting depth with high-quality sound. Its ultra-shallow design makes it ideal for integration into ceilings with limited space, delivering detailed audio while keeping the technology almost invisible.
Sound for the people behind the scenes
The system is not only designed for guests. Music has also been extended into the kitchen, giving staff a soundtrack while they prepare for service and work during the day.
Ease of use was an important consideration. The team wanted a system that staff could access without having to spend time figuring out complicated technology. That simplicity is particularly valuable in a busy restaurant, where the sound system is one of many things staff need to manage.
Start with sound early
If Anne has one piece of advice for other restaurant owners planning a new venue, it is to involve audio specialists early. Not only because speaker placement and cabling are easier to deal with before a building is finished, but because choosing the right sound is difficult to do from specifications alone.
We’re not experts in sound, so it’s been really valuable to have specialists involved. You might not know how many speakers you need in a room like this.”
For Nam, the process involved listening to different solutions, working with HiFi Klubben on speaker placement, and coordinating the installation with the interior and construction teams.
The result is a system that is largely invisible but constantly contributing to the experience. And perhaps that is the best measure of success. Guests may not leave Restaurant Nam talking about the speakers. They may not even consciously notice the sound system at all.
But when the lights go down, the restaurant fills up and the music lifts the atmosphere without drowning out the conversation, the sound is doing exactly what it was designed to do.
It becomes part of the experience.
Restaurant Nam
Restaurant Nam is an Aalborg restaurant founded by Anne and Kim, combining food, drinks, atmosphere and interior design to create an experience that goes beyond the meal itself.
Having previously been located on Vesterbro in central Aalborg, Nam has now moved to a new building at Østre Havnepark, with views towards Aalborg Cable Park and the Limfjord.
The new restaurant reflects the owners’ desire to create different experiences throughout the space – from its distinctive interior and individual toilet designs to the changing music and atmosphere throughout the day.