Business and pleasure meet at Atomic Beer Project

Even if you don't know your XPA from your IPA, Redfern's Atomic Beer Project is worth visiting. The microbrewery, which opened late last year, bills itself as a "taproom, restaurant and free co-working space", although how much work you'll accomplish with this much beer around is debatable.

The first east coast outpost for Western Australia's Gage Roads brewery might not inspire high rates of productivity, but it does provide a good setting for an office lunch or after-work drinks.

The microbrewery's front section has the industrial look of a work site because, well, it is one.

Behind the bar is the "cockpit" for head brewer Nick Ivey and all the tanks and equipment are key to what ends up in your schooner, explains Clint O'Hanlon from Atomic Beer Project's team.

"From pure water and grain to something that comes out of the tap – that happens in two and a half weeks," O'Hanlon says. "Once the brewing process is finished in tank, he puts a single pipe from that tank to our cooling system and then it's on tap."

It means the citrus-bright notes of East Coast Eclipse beer in your glass, for instance, are ultra-fresh.

And given that Atomic Beer Project exists to showcase what it's brewing, it's a no-brainer to request a paddle of beers, so you can sample the breezy XPA, the smoky, chocolatey hints of the India Dark Ale or the local tribute to a pilsner (aptly named The Fern, after the suburb).

If nerding out about beer isn't your thing, there's still plenty to drink, from Marq wild-fermented chardonnay from the Margaret River to Archie Rose vodka and plenty of booze-free options, such as smoothies, juices and the mysterious "Dark Heart" concoction.

The back section, with its bright colours and milk crates, is inspired by Asian hawker markets, as is the menu.

The kitchen is overseen by Jordan McLeod, who has previously worked at Longrain Tokyo, and the food has an understandably beer-friendly focus: think turmeric pork and makrut lime sausage rolls with a tangy tamarind ketchup.

There's a spiced turmeric dip that began as a resourceful way to use up leftover chickpeas, but ends up being a snackable companion to the crisp, pan-fried roti it's served with.

And whether or not you mess up your roti-to-dip ratio, or need something to soak up your roast cauliflower yellow curry with, I suggest getting extra roti. Its scrunchy, flaky, pan-crisp folds are one of the menu highlights.

Also recommended is the stir-fried tofu with eggplant, baby corn and mushrooms.

On paper, it might not sound like a star dish, but its sweet and vinegary contrasts make it an item worth ordering. Ditto the wok-fried eggs, with Thai basil and garlic oil. And the croissants are pretty much a fixture on every table.

The bestselling snack is like the brewery's take on a banh mi and features wagyu beef cheek that's been slow-cooked in a caramel reduction made with the brewery's porter. Like everything else on the menu, it's worth drinking to.

The low-down

Atomic Beer Project

Where: 158 Regent Street, Redfern, atomic.beer

Main attraction: Beer-friendly, Asian-inspired dishes at a buzzing microbrewery.

Must-try drink: The beer paddle is, unsurprisingly, a good way to sample the Atomic Beer Project range, from its signature pale ale to cryo hops experiments.

Insta-worthy dish: The beef cheek croissants – although the Atomic pavlova is worth a close-up, too.

Drinks: From $4 for ginger ale to $68 for a bottle of Poachers riesling.

Prices: From $8 for spiced beer nuts to $32 for chargrilled riverine sirloin with green chilli chimichurri.

Open: Monday-Weds 10am-11pm; Thursday-Saturday 10am-midnight; Sunday 10am-10pm (kitchen opens from midday to 10pm)