I know what you mean Jacqui, we booked a meal in a top class hotel in Kensington, London, as a Special treat for our daughter Saskia's 21st Birthday party last weekend. The staff were really lovely and very attentive, but we waited over an hour for the starters to arrive and the subsequent courses took just as long which was pushing it a bit too far. The food wasn't that great either, at least not what one would expect from a 5* hotel.
Some diners left in disgust, they did offer us a complimentary bottle of wine as way of an apology but we did have a lovely celebration evening.
If it hadn't have been a special occasion we would have got up and left as well.