Playing background music in upscale restaurants and lounges is a challenge. My experience is, people listen. They may not be as vocal as customers at other types of venues, but they are sometimes more knowledgable and just want to hear the music without additional "baggage".
you have to really watch the volume, minimize the "clinkers" and make sure the versions of tunes you play are not too "busy".

These are the places I work, and I'm happy to get the opportunities...

Russ