With its variety of spaces, Matiz reflects what is going on in Málaga. Friday evenings, the live jazz trio will perform according to the season: delighting guests with film-music during the Málaga film festival, or love-jazz around St. Valentine’s. June was inspired by Picasso, to accompany the 50th anniversary of his death, while during the August fair, the restaurant’s patio becomes a ‘caseta’, and guests will dance flamenco just as they would at the fair.

Once breakfast is over its time for something as very local as ‘tapas to share’, accompanied by the local vermouth wine or a classic cocktail but with a Málaga twist to it. We can absolutely recommend the potato salad with a super-creamy mayonnaise made with arbequina and picual olive oil, topped with tuna and dehydrated black olives from Álora. It is served accompanied by Sardinian carasau, salty super-thin and crispy flatbread.

Another alternative is the ‘buñuelos de feria’, light fried dumplings often filled with cheese. In the case of Matiz, the choice is a combination of Ronda goat’s cheese and truffle-parmesan, served on a bed of white powdered olive oil, you cannot miss out on, sprinkled with star aniseed.

For meat lovers the good news is that their pork is sourced from ecological farming, guaranteeing the animal lives in the freedom of the pasture and has a painless slaughter. Sourced at Dehesa de los Monteros, in the Genal valley, their Ronda golden-blonde Iberian pig, at one point close to extinction, gets plenty of exercise while feeding on acorns and chestnuts. The result is absolutely exquisite. Try the cured shoulder with dates, hazelnuts and Galician cheese. Also watch out for their warm stuffed brioches and cannelloni.

Should you opt for a more formal meal, you may eat à la carte or choose the tasting menu, exceptional value for money at €54 for four starters, three mains and two desserts, plus an additional €17 with wine pairing. We can highly recommend this 100 per cent Málaga experience, served on crockery by local ceramic artist, Maria Monasterio. Prepare yourself for enjoying a wonderful variety of exquisite local produce, as lightly treated as possible, so it will not lose its essence.

The meal begins with a citrus-flavoured cocktail spritz with Málaga-wine sorbet. Freshly baked local rye-bread from Obrador de Juanito is accompanied by the house olive oil, Finca La Tortaíta, intense and crisp, sourced from centenary and even millenary olive trees, and salt: white flakes or black volcanic Himalayan salt, which due to its high sulphur content evokes the flavour of fried eggs.

The four starters are served at the same time, but should be eaten in order: first the faux-ceviche of Málaga anchovy with pickled vegetables in a citrus dressing, to be followed by the exquisite Indian panipuri bread with its velvety pistachio cream and smoked eel. Next comes a bluefin tuna tartar served on a wafer and topped with spicy jalapeño and kimchi sauce. The starters finish with a very creamy croquette of shoulder of their well-treated and delicious ecological Iberian pork. The idea is to stimulate every part of your palate, while you wash down the flavours with Raspa, a crisp white wine that combines Axarquía sweet moscatel and bitter doradilla grapes.

The three main courses are served separately, starting with a ‘porra’, a cold soup reminiscent of gazpacho, of which you find as many varieties as there are villages in the province. The one at Matiz is made with purple carrots from Cuevas Bajas, accompanied with cockles, sweet chilli and pumpkin seeds. Second comes the refined scallop and prawn raviolo in a fragant basil hollandaise sauce finished with Riofrío caviar, from Granada. They are paired with Cloe, white chardonnay from Ronda, with its light particular citrus touch, resulting from the higher altitude.

For the summer season the red mullet, iconic fish from the Málaga bay, will be the third choice, served with a curried dogfish sauce. Red syrah and garnacha from Ronda based winery Huerto de la Condesa is served chilled to pair, with its pleasant reminiscence of red-fruits and a hint of oak.

On to the desserts, the white chocolate and Álora green lemon cream is simply unforgettable, accompanied by basil and green apple sorbets. The palate is refreshed and ready to greet the rich caramelised pain-perdu, made with brioche again from Obrador de Juanito, with hazelnut praline, custard and mandarin sorbet.

Both desserts are to die for and you will often see local ladies meeting to indulge in these sweet delicacies.

The desserts are paired with Pedro Ximénez muscatel from the Axarquía area, aged in butts: a Málaga version of a cream sherry with notes of roasted hazelnuts and perfect acidity.

It goes without saying that if you have any allergies or do not eat meat, the menu can be tailor-made to suit your requirements, you only need to let them know in advance.

These delights come from the hands of Cónsula-trained chef Pablo Molina and sommelier Hugo García, with María Cortés and the team making sure you’ll want to return soon. A long-serving member of staff at the hotel, Pablo was given the opportunity to head the restaurant’s cuisine. With his knowledge of local produce and creative passion, he has certainly taken Málaga cooking to new heights.

Watch out for the cold summer soups and the Picasso dessert they are working on, a citrus-flavoured false pannacotta which promises to be heavenly.