Service is an Issue

Lunch today was at an upscale, chef-driven restaurant.  The food was good, the company was better, but the overall experience was lacking.  Why?  The service was sub-par.  Drinks took a puzzlingly long time, especially as the bar was visible from where we were sitting and the room was only about half full.   In spite of the large number of cooks visible in the kitchen, the periods between courses were unusually long.  As drinks and dishes arrived, servers guessed at who was getting what and were usually wrong.  While we were eating, staff members hovered nearby, eager to whisk the plates away.  There were several attempted move-ins that were abruptly reversed as someone took another bite, although I shouldn't complain as it was the most attentive service we received throughout the meal.  Finally, the coffee order was flubbed three times.  We ordered two regular coffees and one iced decaf cappuccino, which we were assured was no problem.  Before dessert arrived we were served one coffee and one iced coffee.  We reminded them that the iced coffee was to be an iced cappuccino and that we were missing a regular coffee.  Desserts came and halfway through the course the iced cappuccino arrived but there were still no signs of the regular coffee.  As desserts were cleared we asked again for the regular coffee which finally arrived almost ten minutes later.  There were no apologies for the botched order.  The first coffee drinker was never offered a refill.  Once dessert was ordered the water glasses languished, empty upon the table.   After the desserts were cleared and his coffee finally arrived, one member of our party left.  About twenty minutes later the second member of our four also left, without another server of any kind approaching the table.  The remaining two of us tried desperately to flag someone down but it was still another twenty minutes before we were able to pay our check and go.  We all know that dessert and the check are the final impression before leaving, so, why wouldn't you try to have great finish?  If the service had picked up at the end of our meal, instead of dying completely, the experience could have been salvaged.  We would have left feeling that the service was somewhat slow but that we would probably go back.  As it stands, I highly doubt that we will return.  Bottom line, a three course lunch took three hours, any way you slice it, service was a definite issue.