President Hotel, London WC1N 1DB – reduced family tickets available until 1st September 2026
Reviewed by Julia Spargo
4****
I am a lifelong Fawlty Towers fan. At age 13 I could recite the scripts of all the episodes. I loved Andrew Sachs, who played Manuel in the television series, which ran from 1975 to 1979. So, thus far, I have stayed clear of any shows, spin-offs or experiences featuring the well-loved British sitcom.
Until I was invited to attend Faulty Towers The Dining Experience with my family. The experience takes place in the dining room of the President Hotel, just off Russell Square in London. It was the school holidays. There was food involved. My children were unfamiliar with Fawlty Towers. What could possibly go wrong?
Answer: everything, but in the best possible way.
Arriving at the President, we were greeted by staff and shown to the bar. We were told we would be shown to our seats by the cast as part of the experience. I gave my kids a quick precis of the characters: Basil is a very rude hotel owner. I’m glad I led with this. My daughter was having the children’s menu. He looked her up and down, raised one eyebrow at me and said, “You’re really pushing this one aren’t you. Chicken nuggets indeed. Tsk.” It was a good indication of what was to come.
Manuel (Nick Moon) went all-out to keep guests (noted by my kids as predominantly over 50) entertained. Bread rolls to go with the tomato and basil (naturally) soup were lobbed over diners’ heads. Butter was thrown onto the centre of the table. I am not sure the parsley garnish actually made it into anyone’s bowls but I found some in my hair. One group’s water was served by Manuel who was standing in the centre of their table. Audience participation was expected. One bald diner’s head was polished by Manuel’s tea towel. Sybil checked her hair in it moments afterwards. My daughter, who uses her knife and fork the wrong way round, had them snatched and replaced the correct way by Basil, who muttered through gritted teeth, “Most people have this mastered by the time they are four.” We get this brand of humour. We laughed. One table did not last the distance. This was not a huge surprise. Fawlty Towers is regularly listed as one of the most quintessentially British sitcoms. I am not sure the guests at the table were familiar with it. They probably had quite a shock.
For the enthusiasts, however, all the usual gags are there. A couple of familiar scenes from the television program were reenacted to great cheers from the diners. Slapstick, farce, snobbery; it was all there. By the end of the two hours we were exhausted. As my daughter exclaimed, despite having been mocked more than once, “That was fun!” It was. A great way to pass a summer holiday evening, particularly with the family discount currently available until 1st September. Just brace yourselves.