Hold udvar has gotten boring. It seems the DJ owns, max, 2 copied CD's that consist mainly of karaoke favorites and he plays those two over and over and over and over again every night. Even worse is the service. If you get a table then you're lucky if the waiter even scowls your way. If you stand in line at the bar, then it will take you at least 1/2 an hour to get a drink, during which you have to battle line-cutters, elbowers, etc. Then when you do get to the bar they ignore you for another 15 minutes. Hold udvar is atrociously understaffed. but i guess i should be used to this by now. still... it's freakin' boring.

The great news is that Holdudvar is now four times bigger and, arguably, even better than before. The new venue may be swankier and leafier, but the oversized café atmosphere hasn't been lost, gauranteeing that its large, loyal and mixed band of followers will be making their way onto Margit sziget all summer long.

The bad news is that Holdudvar has been put on hold and won't be reopening this summer, at least not in this location.

Slalom through the campus of Budapest's biggest university (ELTE) and you will find packs of local students in their preferred natural habitat. Holdudvar is a medium-sized but very pleasant courtyard where low-key chats over cigarettes and coffee coexist with out-of-control drunkenness and dancing into the early hours. Major sporting events are sometimes shown on the big screen.