Sydney’s newest brewery, Atomic Beer Project, has worked out the formula for success. Essentially, it’s not enough to pour out a good beer, you need to have a first-rate food menu, too.

While not quite molecular gastronomy, the food at Atomic is as refined as any restaurant in the city. I mean, when was the last time you saw Hiramisa kingfish tartare with mustard shoyu dressing and wonton crackers on your local pub menu? Forget burgers and steaks, head chef Jordan McLeod has instead opted for a selection of South East Asian snacks and share plates which complement the suds surprisingly well.

Start small with the turmeric pork and kaffir lime sausage rolls with tamarind ketchup, then work your way up to the grilled ocean trout with green mango salad, which is given a jolt via nam jim jaew. The curried chicken egg noodles with pickled mustard greens and chilli jam tastes as good as anything at Longrain, which unsurprisingly, is one of the many fine diners on McLeod’s CV.

From the sweet section of the menu, the pandan pavlova with green mango sorbet and kiwifruit may look slightly radioactive, but the taste is exactly the opposite – clean, cool and refreshing while the meringue is lighter than nitrogen and hydrogen combined.

Rigorous scientific method also comes into play with the beers, which are the same as parent brewery, Gage Roads in Western Australia. Gage famously use Cryo Hops, which are hops cryogenically frozen with the lupulin glands removed. This technique results in enhanced flavours and aromas, with less vegetative material (but you don’t need a science degree to know they taste good).

Equally important, the beers are super fresh. The onsite brewing equipment is actually connected to the taps at the bar, which means you’re drinking straight from tank. Choose from the core range, which includes Atomic Pale Ale, XPA and IPA, or try one of the seasonal or experimental brews on offer.

If you’re not much of a beer drinker, there’s also a specially-curated wine and spirits list that revolves around the best local producers from Brix Distillers to Poor Toms and Archie Rose.