Look for the neon martini glass. That’s how you’ll find the unassuming entry off Melbourne’s Toorak Rd into the new hidden bar, Backroom. This compelling detail also immediately suggests you’re in for something a little different. Sitting below all the action at boutique hotel Ovolo South Yarra, this moodily lit basement venue is nothing like the hotel bars of old. This is an intimate underground gem – and now you know the insider’s way in.

Backroom opened in July and, in contrast to South Yarra’s often-showy scene, this Art Deco-inspired room is for when you want to squirrel away for a chat over a drink. Ideal for a cocktail, small bite or a nightcap, it can make a great detour before or after dinner. The backlit bar is the beaming centrepiece here, and a range of high and low tables, and plush, tucked-away banquettes provide plenty of distinct spaces.

Ovolo’s group creative drinks director, Andrew Gualdi, formerly of Sydney’s Maybe Sammy, has put the focus on an ever-changing menu of drinks and snacks. The team will also stage month-long collabs with various brands, and our visit coincided with the inaugural takeover, which was an all-Australian affair. The result was a concise selection of cocktails and dishes specially designed to showcase Feels Botanical eau de vie spirits, Regal Rogue vermouths and CAPI mixers.

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Standout drinks included the Wild Rose Bennett ($20), a smart take on the classic, which combines Feels Bask and Regal Rogue Wild Rose with lime, sugar syrup and Angostura bitters. The Revel Negroni ($20), made from Feels Revel, Campari, Regal Rogue Bold Red and orange bitters, would keep any staunch negroni purist happy, and the Wild Rose Fizz ($18) was deliciously refreshing. Beyond the list, Backroom’s team is happy to mix up any other drinks to your tastes, so you’re in capable – and proactive – hands here.

Reflecting Ovolo Hotels’ focus on vegetarian food (Melbourne chef Ian Curley is the group’s creative culinary director), Backroom offers innovative plant-based snacks. On our visit, this included warm, charred rounds of potato bread ($12) to spread with rich Vegemite butter and shiitake anchovies. We also went for the fried haloumi doughnuts ($18), which were lifted by the fresh Botanical Rousse, Hibiscus and Morita chilli jam. And with other dishes incorporating elements such as rockmelon pickled in Feels Botanical Vivify, the team was clearly committed to showcasing the takeover’s brands and flavours.

Upstairs, Ovolo South Yarra has become a destination for its bustling Latin-inspired restaurant Lona Misa, with celebrated Melbourne chef Shannon Martinez (Smith & Daughters, Smith & Deli) a creative partner in that venture. It’s also worth noting that Backroom’s dishes come out of that busy kitchen, so snacks at peak times may take a little longer.

With the ever-changing menus a key feature at Backroom, keep an eye on its website and socials to stay across the offerings. The pop-up menu approach is a winner, as is the venue’s intimate charm. And while you can get to this bar via the hotel’s main entry – through its colourful and quirky ground floor – you won’t want to miss the neon martini glass for the full VIP experience.

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