Tucked away on Iffley Road is a slice of brunch heaven in the form of Silvie. A fixture in East Oxford for two years, Silvie is a café that has gone from strength to strength, thanks to an ambitious scope that has seen the venue branch out into hosting events, such as gigs and supper evenings, and producing some scrumptious baked delicacies. So now seemed the perfect time to revisit this eating establishment.

On a particularly wet Wednesday my partner and I decamped to Silvie, taking a seat in the conservatory. The interior closely resembles that of a house, with the café sharing its residence with the B&B Browns. There is a fabulous counter stacked with cakes in the reception room, with additional seating in the former living room. The venue was surprisingly busy, with a healthy mix of students and new mums giving it a lively yet enticing atmosphere.

We ordered an orange juice and a hot chocolate and, having perused the menu, decided on a Full Silvie each, with my partner adding greens and tomatoes. The meals also included beans, potato bread, mushrooms, bacon, sausage and an egg (in our case poached). The staff were friendly, speedy, and mostly left us to our conversation, soundtracked to the pleasing patter of rain on the conservatory roof.

When our food came it didn't disappoint. The egg was cooked just right, deliciously yolkey, while the beans were scrumptious and distinctive enough by being the black-eyed variety. The mushrooms were small, well-cooked, with a nice texture. and the potato bread was a great addition. It broke apart satisfactorily and combined well with the egg and mushroom. The selection of meats were great, with the sausage appetising and not too herby (sometimes the risk), while the bacon was crispy but not over-cooked. The mark of a good brunch café is the quality of the food, and here Silvie showed that it was a very good destination for the mid-morning meal.

Regrettably we were too stuffed for any of the fabulous cakes Silvie sells. But past trips have left me knowing that their egg custard is the best that I have tasted, and their cinnamon swirl is gorgeous. Plus, the café has daily bakes and specials that change on a weekly basis. You almost need to revisit this establishment on a regular basis to see what new culinary experiments the owners will be coming up with next. And as it branches into evenings, there really is no reason why you shouldn't make a date with this fabulous Iflley Road institute as soon as possible!

Silvie's Bakery is a new cafe and bakery in the ground floor of Brown's Guesthouse. Being essentially the floorplan of a townhouse the tables are in a pleasantly haphazard labyrinth of rooms, so you can sit in the window at the front, in a cosy parlour, or in the conservatory. I opted for the conservatory with the resplendent resident cat. It was a good choice: as the rain hammered on the roof those of us inside felt smugly warm. When it brightened again we could look our over a narrow strip of verdant garden. I'm guessing in summer the doors are open and one can sit on the bench to drink one's coffee.

The coffee was excellent. I'm guessing it was Missing Bean since they also sell bags of that, alongside the artisinally priced sourdough bread. (I took some of this away and it was pronounced lovely if a bit airy. re the prices, I think small-batch sourdough bread is never going to be commercially competitive with cheap white sliced Chorleywood bread, but with the demise of Gibbons Bakery in Hertford St I sincerely hope Silvie's has takers aplenty.)

I also had a gargantuan chocolate meringue. It was lovely, rich and chocolately with just the right balance of crunch, pluff and goo. Had I realised they did proper hot meals and sandwiches too at the point of ordering, I would have gone for Shakshuka (a spicy tomato/pepper mix with eggs poached in it). Also on offer was Moroccan veg stew and a bacon and beetroot tart. All was served with crusty bread and it was nice to see veggie food centre stage. And they do toasties too, and plenty of types of cake.

I was lucky enough to be chosen as a seat by Rosie the cat, a long-haired tabby with kohl-rimmed eyes. She had patiently accepted some toddler love and was ready for a snooze. If I had been willing (ie able) I think she would have stayed all day. I can see that it will fast become a regular haunt for a devoted clientele, which might well include me. On this random Thursday lunchtime there was enough space one could read and take up a table eating only a meringue without feeling the staff's ire, and I saw a lady successfully navigate a pushchair through the whole series of rooms, which I suspect means the cafe is quite up for kids.

All in all it lived up to the reputation it already seems to have built up. There isn't a lot of competition on that rather desolate stretch of Iffley Rd, but even in a thicket of cafes I think it would stand out. If you like good food and friendly, unhurried service, a safe haven from the rain, some eccentric art and a companionable cat, then I would definitely steer you to Silvie's.