You know you're onto a good thing when you head out on a wet, blustery, icy cold Tuesday night, and you can barely get a table at a neighbourhood restaurant.

Across from Silo Bakery in Kingston, Pomegranate has been serving Mediterranean cuisine for around three years, having moved into the space under the York Apartments, previously home to Artespresso and then the European.

There's nothing that flashy about Pomegranate's fitout – the decor and furnishings are kept simple, in a way that manages to be smart, warm and inviting. The lighting is low, white linen tablecloths are spread across tables and everyone this evening looks like they've dressed up for dinner, but the tone is still casual.

The real excitement is happening in the kitchen, which is on display when you first walk in, but somewhat hidden from the dining area. After years working at Ottoman Cuisine, owner and head chef Erkin Esen has carved out his own path working with local produce to create Mediterranean-influenced modern Australian a la carte menu with three-course banquet ($62) and four-course degustation ($72) menus available.

To start, the zucchini flowers ($19) come with their stems left bare and a green parsley batter, and we initially find the colour a bit off-putting visually. But it's quickly forgotten once we tuck in – the batter is light, and a creamy mix of goat's cheese, fetta and bocconcini bursts out, the blossoms drizzled with a tart yoghurt. It's a warming and hearty starter.

We get a taste of the restaurant's namesake in the ravioli entree ($21). Three plump pillows of ravioli are stuffed with rich, moist duck, and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and a touch of spice, with dollops of carrot puree on top.

Wines by the glass are limited, with only 11 options, but they're very good value at $10-$11 each. Things get more interesting when you move to the wines available by the bottle, with plenty of locals and Australian drops, and a smattering of internationals.

Ordering the lamb cutlets when you're hungry is usually not a great idea, but that isn't the case tonight. The lamb cutlets ($33) is a generous serving of four plump cutlets with a hint of smokiness from the char-grill, on a warm potato salad, with delicious tzatziki. It's a simple dish, but with meat that is handled very well.

The spatchcock ($33) is also a generous serve, that is again, a great meat dish. It is char-grilled with a nicely crisped skin and succulent meat through the whole bird. 'Cracked wheat pilaf' – a precisely-formed rice mound – and some grilled vegetables add plenty of flavour.

To finish, the beautifully plated chilled chocolate fondant ($15) is small, rich and delicious. The silky chocolate morsel comes with a scoop of bright pink raspberry sorbet, which strikes a nice balance between tang and sweetness.

Pomegranate manages to strike a difficult balance as somewhere you go for a special occasion, but with great value for money, also somewhere you could go regularly. Three years in and the restaurant has cemented its popularity, and keeps impressing in its own understated way.