At Roman Oasis restaurant, eccentric is the norm

WHEN a parrot is bigging up the coffee and pancakes, you know you’re not in a regular restaurant.

This was the surprise welcome one couple received from Ruby the African grey, when they went for dinner at the Roman Oasis in Manilva.

“What’s going on here then? I’m Ruby, I’m a parrot, what are you?” was the unusual introduction the expat couple from Estepona received.

And things got stranger the following night when George the cockatoo entered the fray.

George, who is quite an upstart, suddenly began to imitate restaurant owner Paul Hickling.

So convincing is he at mimicking the restaurateur, who has been running the eponymous restaurant for three decades, that even his wife Kaat believed it was him.

Attempting to get a siesta, she was bemused to hear her husband telling the bird off: “George! No, no! You’ll go to prison, bad parrot.”

“Is that you sweetie?” she called out, but sweetie was in fact nowhere around… it was the newcomer George.