Look at the threshold
Before judging the decoration, notice the entrance. Can you understand where to wait and where to go? An observation notebook can describe that first moment without claiming to speak for every visitor. Sketch the doorway, the bar and the path through the room.
Separate atmosphere from service information
Low light, conversation and closely spaced tables are impressions. Hours, accessibility arrangements and booking rules are operational facts that need a current provider source. Keep those two kinds of note separate when planning an evening.
A useful comparison
Compare two published descriptions of a room and ask what each writer noticed first. If one focuses on the street and the other on the interior, that difference may tell you more about their interests than about a change in the venue.
