Obvious and then not obvious .. It's just the thing you want. It's a cultural difference, I personally feel offended if somebody is efficient. If he brings me the bill without having asked for it. It cries "LEAVE we have other guests!" After paying the bill, I generally stay for about 30 minutes on my table. In the US I would never dare to..
It's just a feeling about time - in Europe, we have a lot of it, in the US or in NYC people just don't and ask for efficency - <but IMHO eating is not about efficency. I want t i m e on my own, digest, rest, stay, look, talk, having an other espresso, chat with the waiter, make jokes, talk about other customers, become a regular and beeing treated like this. The waiter brings me my favorite drink to finish and then again, I finally ask for the bill. 15 minutes passed. still no bill. I finally get it and leave. After 30 new minutes.
This is europe in a really good place with good waiters.

I know, my american friends would get bored by this. I LOVE it.