Fawlty Towers fans, this Aussie hotel dinner is the chaos you crave

Before being seated diners are warned to refrain from fondling the staff. But that doesn't stop the waiters going in for a back rub while you eat, climbing between your legs during the mains, or standing on your table.

Rats* are not out of the question, nor are bursts of violence and shouting from the hosts - and guests may be told to "shut up" more than once.

In the chaos of the Leura Gardens Resort dining area, set a few streets back from the plunging sandstone cliffs of the Blue Mountains World Heritage-listed national park, jaws ache with laughter.

It's the perfect setting for a Fawlty Towers tribute show, bringing back the iconic and absurd 1970s sitcom characters Basil, his wife Sybil and long-suffering waiter Manuel in their dysfunctional management of a fictional drab English country motel set in the seaside town of Torquay in Devon.

The seasoned actors are part performers, part hosts and much of the dialogue is ad-libbed as they move between shared tables of diners in an endless repartee of mishaps and misunderstandings.

"Right!" Basil Fawlty barks frequently, channeling actor/writer John Cleese's famous portrayal of the cantankerous hotelier with scary precision.

"Yes, dear?" is his refrain each time Sybil castigates his incompetence in her signature nasal tone (of barely concealed contempt).

And, of course, the ever-baffled Manuel invariably responds with "Que?" whenever Basil issues a clipped instruction.

On 2025 opening night of the Faulty Towers the Dining Experience at the resort - this year marks half a century since the show first aired on television - a diner asks Basil for butter to spread on her starter bread roll.

He returns with a fist full of wrapped butter portions and unceremoniously throws them on her plate, before storming off.

Another guest is invited to lunge at Manuel's serviette in a mock bull fight, while his nether regions are protected with a plate borrowed from a diner and shoved down the front of his pants.

(Don't worry, he wiped it with a cloth before returning it to the table.)

Basil, meanwhile, at one point ends up with a plastic fish wedged between his bottom cheeks and the chef's false teeth go missing and must be foraged out of soup bowls.

And Sybil exercises her voice box by singing "happy birthday" with operatic gusto to three of the guests.

The performance is peppered with references to the original TV show - including a loose rat.

Even the war that shall not be mentioned gets a mention.

The set menu accompanies the entertainment perfectly. It is hearty and filling (there's no Waldorf or Ritz salad) and all very creamy, sitting heavily in the gut like all good British stodge.

But it works. And allowances are made for vegetarians and gluten-intolerants.

The cream of cauliflower soup entree and chicken supreme or gnocchi main, followed by a white chocolate brulee or panna cotta, are the perfect complement to a nostalgic romp in 1970s English comedy. So too is the accommodation.

Leura Gardens Resort, built in 1970, is reinventing itself after a series of ownership changes. The 92-room motel joins the fancier Fairmont Resort and Leura Golf Club nearby under the Schwartz Family Company banner. With a fresh lick of paint, refurbished bathrooms and furniture, the studio and family rooms, along with self-contained apartments, are clean and comfortable.

The room door might stick a little as you pull it closed and the narrow walkways overlooking the car park are single file only, but it's all part of the charm.

There's a solar-heated outdoor swimming pool which looks beautiful in the Blue Mountains mist, but I'd be keen to test the warmth in mid-winter.

And a gym, barbecue area, guest lounge with games and conference facilities make this a convenient but affordable stay, just a couple of minutes' drive from Leura village, its cafes and boutiques.

Katoomba's famous Three Sisters rock formations, stunning clifftop walks and Scenic World rides are just a few minutes further on.

A game of giant garden chess is another way to enjoy the fresh Mountains air on site but, if it's raining in a nod to English weather, there's table tennis inside.

The grounds will be opened to the public for guided tours during the annual Leura Gardens Festival in spring when the pink water lilies and daffodils bloom.

And more motel refurbishments are afoot, including a restaurant redesign.

But my advice is to book and stay when you can be happily abused by Basil or serenaded by Sybil over dinner and a glass of wine or three - then tour the gardens the next day after breakfast.

*Not real rats

The writer was a guest of Leura Gardens Resort.