Quick!! What starter for this meal pls

[ODFOx]

Elderly relative birthday meal this weekend. I've promised him a beef dinner and cake with candles.
It's a traditional roast with trimmings, potatoes two ways, Yorkshire puddings, choice of veg, gravy etc .
I need a classic starter. He's early 80's. I serve them soup or salad or a garlic Bread most weeks but want to step up a little this week. I'm contemplating melon with ginger. Is it too kitsch?

Next weekend is her birthday but she loves salad, soup, prawns, chicken in white wine, mini salad, ice cream; which sounds a lot but is an easy taster menu with variations.

His menu needs to be punchy, not obviously smaller portions while being smaller portions, and impactful for a celebration. All suggestions welcome Thanks in advance.

Smoked salmon?

Prawn cocktail? Marie Rose sauce

Prawn cocktail

I'd do a good pate with Melba toast. I don't know why but I never want a starter with a roast dinner! But for that age range it sounds grand.

Yes, prawn cocktail.

Prawns with melon?

I was going to say prawn cocktail but it sounds as though you might have that earmarked for next week?

Pate on melba toast
Melon with Parma ham
French onion soup (tone down the portion)

Pate of some sort? Homemade chicken liver or mackerel or salmon pates go down well with my grandmother

Prawn cocktail if that isn’t too close to what will be had for the other meal

Scallops are a showstopper if done well

Terrine also goes down well with my grandmother - I think she just likes soft things mainly now I think about it…

Prawn cocktail!

I know you said you often do soup but could you do a more fancy soup than usual? Or fancy it up with croutons or swirl of something.

Scallops

Individual baked camembert with red currant sauce and crusty bread

Duck and orange salad

Smoked salmon on blinis with dab of creme fraiche and dill and lemon. Or on small pieces of rye bread. Or with a neat little salad.

Oh my goodness. Melon with ginger was one of Mum's go to starters for Christmas Day. Always made me sneeze!

I'd do proper retro prawn cocktail with shredded iceberg and lots of tiny prawns in the sauce with some cucumber and tomato and a sprinkle of cayenne.

Or pate and oatcakes with cucumber and tomatoes.

Oh potted shrimp or crab is another favourite

Little fish cakes with a homemade tarte sauce - crab or salmon

If you want full retro what about vol au vents?

Easy to make with pre-made puff pastry and a filling of choice - mushroom, cheese, prawn/salmon etc You can make in advance then pop in the filling and just heat them up on the day etc

Serve on a bed of dressed salad and your elderly relatives can have just one and more hungry guests can have more.

Smoked salmon blinis, with cream cheese and watercress on top.

Thank you all!
I will be doing prawns next week so have gone for smoked salmon pate as I have all the ingredients in the freezer so only needed to order cream cheese and capers. Thanks for the suggestions. I really don't know why pate slipped my mind!

Or instead of prawn cocktail what about potted shrimp?

At DHs suggestion I asked what the Birthday boy would prefer. And as ever he surprised me: he chose a chilled cucumber soup!!
I'd never made it before but it was actually successful, and so light that I'll add it to my summer recipes for next year.
I'm not sure it was a good fit with roasted topside and trimmings but as a requested Birthday dinner it went down well.

Thanks for all the advice!