OLD FELLAS 52 HIGH STREET COLCHESTER, C01 1DN 01206 768777

MY first impression of Old Fellas was the brand was unclear.

The black and white signs and classy decor, including a picture of Marilyn Monroe, give the impression Old Fellas is an American-style diner.

To our surprise we were told it serves Scandinavian, Mediterranean and French food.

I like all three cuisines, but without wanting to sound too much like Gordon Ramsay on one of his contrived TV shows, I’m not sure a multi-theme approach is a recipe for success.

Instead of choosing one style and building the menu around it, Old Fellas is a combination of what the owners and chefs do best.

They certainly do service very well.

It was the kind of attention you get at a taverna in Greece. It started with the waiter making a fuss of our six-week-old son Sam.

He doesn’t need any more people making a fuss of him to be fair, but it was nice anyway.

It was followed by slabs of pitta bread and impressive dollops of hummus and salsa on the house.

The generous portion size was something of a theme.

Then instead of simply nodding when we placed our order, the waiter was keen to impart his knowledge and make sure we got the best, or what he considered to be the best, out of our meal.

My wife Danielle and I had calamari for starter and I’ve never seen squid rings so big.

The giant squid circles were served with two dipping sauces, a peppercornrich mayo and yellow pepper.

We ordered the Anatolian lamb stew for a shared main course.

It arrived in the pan it had been cooked in, resting on a clay pot heater to keep it warm.

Although we’d ordered lamb, the chef added some beef into the mix because he said it improved the dish.

Some people might balk at getting additions they hadn’t asked for, but we had asked for advice and were happy to go with it.

The dish was a mixture of melt-in-your-mouth chunks of meat, spiced lentils and spicy tomato, served on a bed of rice.

Again, it was dish for diners with big appetities.

There was no choice for dessert, there was just chocolate cake.

So we had chocolate cake...with two scoops of ice cream and a raspberry sauce.

It was unspectacular, but the fact it was washed down with coffee on the house made it a bit sweeter.

If you want to try something different in terms of food and service, I’d heartily recommend Old Fellas.

DOMINIC BOWERS