Usually if a guy says this, he says it after he has ascertained that the lady WANTS the fish. He's not dictating her dinner choice, simply conveying it to the waiter.
I have a friend who's QUITE elderly, and when I go to a restaurant with him, he does this, and I kind of like it. VERY old-fashioned manners. He also stands when you leave the table to go to the ladies room and stands when you come back.
