Tandoor Chop House

This is by far the best Indian restaurant I've ever been to. We had Sunday special menu which is a huge plate for two, and it has a little bit of everything. Now, we're big men, but it's impossible to eat all of it. And the food... Just superb. Butter chicken was out of this world without any exaggeration. I don't know the names of all the things we had on our platter, but everything was very tasty. Lentils in sauce - the most creamiest lentils I ever had... I can't recommend this restaurant enough.

The best chicken tandoori I ha e every tasted. I loved it.. Will travel 9000 km again to have lunch . The .a mango sorbet was the bomb. Great service. We were seated right without a wait, but it was a Monday. Loved the native carmelized milk in a stick.

I tried the thali (fixed menu with an assortment of dishes) a while ago, which was great and I thought I should give this place another try. This time around I picked a few items from the a la carte menu. The tandoori chicken and paneer were good. However the dhal disappointed. No one adds chilli powder to a dish after it has cooked. It's just not a very pleasant flavour. The butter chicken and bone marrow naan were ok but left aside for a minute and they turned soggy. Please serve the sauce separately in a tiny sauce bowl. This would make it a better experience. Just as you are looking at margins I am looking at an elevated experience for the money I pay.

A delicious spin on some dishes, but the flavors remained familiar. The first time we went, we only ordered a few dishes - so we felt like we needed to come back to try more! The second time around, we ordered the roasted cauliflower again, but it was waaaaaaay spicier than the first time... If you're sensitive, then it might be worth a mention to your server.

Shouts to the manager who found us a spot! The food, the team the care they take. This place is an essential visit. Put your name down for a table, go for a walk work up an appetite and order the Big Feast! You will not be disappointed! Any place that has a photo of an Amritsar Kulcha spot you know it’s gonna be good. Looking forward to coming back soon on next trip!

Food was very good. I got the chicken tikka. It’s not a traditional Indian restaurant with curries and sauces, the dishes are mainly meat and then they have sides you kind of have to buy to make it a complete meal. The chicken tikka was very flavorful and delicious, the dishes lacked the creativity needed to bump it to a 5 star, but what they do they do very well. Naan bread wasn’t as fluffy as I’m used to but it was great still. Great vibes, wooden walls with fun white tile floors. A bit overpriced but still worth it. Probably worth it to get a reservation but we walked in and got seated immediately, all the tables were full though soon after.

What a shame! We spent over £50 only to walk out, check their Instagram and find that at the time we went (Monday between 3pm-5pm) there was a deal for all walk-ins to get 50% off! Did the staff happen to conveniently forget this? 🤔... Don't dupe your customers just to make a quick £, very unprofessional. Spoiled an otherwise excellent experience. 5 star tandoori grill, 1 star customer service! And to think I'd had this on my want-to-go list for 2 years!👎

It's close to the London Charing cross Station. The food was delicious and juicy as it's presented on the plate. Would definitely recommend everyone to give a taste of the food. Loved it 👌🥗😋

Listen, Two great things combined doesn't always work. Joggers and leggings both work. Jeggings? Something's been lost in the amalgamation. Smashing a good old English chop house together with a tandoor oven does feel like a no brainer though. Large pieces of meat on bone, slathered in Indian spices, burnished in a 500 degree tandoor oven. Is a review even necessary? Annoying bits first. QR codes for menus are nonsense. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. We come to escape the thronging crowds of Covent Garden, the boss, the hunger pangs and most of all the fickle mistress that is technology. Yet here we are fiddling on our phones just to find out what's on offer. Scroll down for mains. Swipe right on anything paneer. Check your bitcoin to see if you can pay the bill. No. It's rubbish. Restaurants, stop it. We prefer to gaze lovingly at a piece of paper so we can map out our meal in a more tangible way. Call it a life pleasure. Don't destroy that with the black and white square of death. After much scrolling and squinting we deduce the menu is fairly small. A few meats and fish from the tandoor. Four sides and a selection of naan, that's the gist of it. Something of a relief if choice fires a bright beam of light to your bunny eyes. I crave simple almost as much as I crave curry so we're in a good place here. We order the lamb chops and tandoori chicken from the tandoor along with some black dal and a tomato, cucumber and onion kachumber. My reflex 'rice for the table' is swiftly rebuked by our helpful, knowledgable server. 'This is North Indian cuisine' we learn. I like that he was steadfast about their preference for naan, of which there were a few to sample. But first some nibbles. An impressive looking stack of onion rings that weren't impressive in any other way. Soggy batter and the onion still raw inside. The smoked aubergine raita was nice though, and my index finger an adequate carriage.. Cauliflower bites were more successful. The subtlety of the cauliflower brought out with sensitive spicing, they were at once crispy and soft, the raison d'être of a croquette. The rest arrives soon after and is a pleasing array. Tandoori chicken comes with the breast separated from the thigh and leg. I wonder if they cooked it this way too because both pieces managed to retain some of their juice. Skillz to the operator of that piece of kitchen equipment. 500 degrees can do bad things to a chicken breast but this one was plump and pleasing. Spicing wasn't too dissimilar to many other tandoori chickens I've eaten and that's a compliment. That there is a universal flavour to this dish gives hope that the collective unconscious can indeed make the world a better place. Jung would be delighted. Lamb chop spices leaned more towards the pepper and clove end of the scale and were a pleasing contrast. The tandoor is a lot kinder to lamb. Outsides are allowed to be burned. Insides actually benefit from a lack of prolonged hear. Something the Chop House exploits well. Black dal came as expected. Plenty of it. Nice and creamy. Perhaps not as sugary as the daddy at Dishoom. Onion and tomato Kambuchar did its job of lying to the brain that this was indeed the right amount of green to be putting in the body. Breads worked well. Bone marrow naan was a plain naan spread with a good bone marrow sauce. Never seen that. Would order it again. The naan were thin and not indelicate. The thinness made it feel like these were to be enjoyed in their own right rather than just to fill any last remaining pockets of air in the stomach. My companion in this latest culinary adventure came all the way from Portland. An old friend lost to the brain drain. I wanted to remind her what she was missing in good old Blighty and all I could think was 'curry'. The marriage of the old English chop house provided a relaxed, informal, sturdy setting in which to gabble, gossip and grab at food. In truth, food played second fiddle. We nattered away not giving ourselves much time to do any actual ingesting. The request for a doggy bag was granted with pleasure and the staff were ever so patient given it took us an hour to order. We were blathering so much I forgot to take any pics of the mains and we didn't really dent them either. Suffice to say what was left I merrily consumed at dinner time in font of the telly watching celebs eat wholly different meats that hadn't gone near a tandoor without screaming "get me out of here!" The Tandoor Chop House does what it says on the tiffin. Meat and spice in an English Indian canteen. Simple. Effective. A good marriage. Like a spork. Prices are not your normal curry house prices, perhaps as a consequence of being slap bang in the middle of the world's capital. Nonetheless, in this age of divorce, a successful marriage of ideas which I hope lasts until my Portland pal pops by again.

This restaurant is so fire. Updating my review to highlight how awesome it is. Their traditional Indian eats are spot on but sometimes their more fusion stuff is even better. Today I had some collab dish called a "dirty burger" that didn't look at all like a burger (actually more like a taco when you folded it up) but my god it was a knock out. Rush over and try this thing. I'm uploading a picture of it and some butter chicken to help persuade you. If you've heard London does great Indian food you're probably going to hear people rave about Dishoom. Forget that noise and head straight here. No line, great service, chill vibes and 200% better taste.

Get the naan with bone marrow! Melts in your mouth. We also had the lamb chops and almost ordered 2 more! We also had the beet kabobs which were really good. Trust me. You won't look back! I'll be thinking about my meal here for a long time.

Absolutely loved this place! We stumbled on this after seeing a show in the West End and it was the best find! It was unique and so different from a normal Indian restaurant! They really mean it when they say they are like a steakhouse with Indian flavors -- there isn't typical tikka masala on the menu, but instead the focus is on the meat and the Indian flavors. My mom asked why there was no rice on the menu and our waiter said that there were hundreds of Indian restaurants around the city serving the exact same thing. They wanted to be different and focus on what made them stand apart. The garlic and cheese naan was amazing! The chicken and other meats are phenomenal! And the coronation salad was so good we got a second one.

Great food cooked in front of you. The service was fast and great. The ambiance was very nice

Enjoyable final meal during my London visit. The cauliflower croquettes were ok, but the rib eye steak and dal were both excellent. Ended with the charcoal roasted pineapple and mango sorbet which were both tasty!

What a great find!! Service charming and great! Food a great twist but traditional as well! The bone marrow naan...to die for!!

Great food, attentive and friendly wait staff. We ordered the feast for two, which was enough food for four or a second take home meal. Everything was delicious, not too much heat but plenty of flavor!

Nice location Service is solid Menu is interesting Value is solid Ambiance is ok - a bit Smokey Food / kitchen poor! Lamb overcooked Cauliflower under cooked Potatoes lack any real flavor Spices scattered with no logical approach or quantity Way too many other solid options in Covent Garden

I found the food and service to be excellent. A co worker and sampled two different (including the bone marrow) and the signature honey chicken. Presentation and flavors were really great! Very simple ambience but i would go again!

Beautiful ambience. I love that you can see the kitchen! Ordered the onion rings, chicken, Caesar salad, masala fries, chicken and the butter naan. Honestly as beautiful as everything was and the food was presented it was missing so much flavor! Food definitely needed more love.

While expensive for a college student, the food was very delicious and tasteful. For snacks for the table, we ordered the chickpea chaat and the seekh kebab rolls. Both were delicious but if you like spice, the chili in the kebab roll is wonderful and the choice for you. The chaat is nutty but not similar to traditional chaat. For main course, I ordered the tandoori duck breast which came with a citric pickled side salad. I honestly liked the side salad more than the duck, but nonetheless the duck was kept moist. I also got the green chili, garlic, and cheddar naan; this was my least favorite part of the meal as the bread was a bit dry and not very flavorful. It would have been better with a dressing or dip. Lastly for dessert I had the caramel milky ice cream on a stick. The caramel was delightful. All in all, the portions were great and if you go, opt for a cheaper main course and enjoy the snacks and dessert for an affordable delicious night out.

The food tonight was sooo good! We loved everything especially the lamb chops and the bhaji onion rings. Cauliflower fritters were great - the lime pickle mayo they came with was surprisingly good. Duck was cooked almost perfectly, black dal and butter naan also great. Wish there were a couple more veg based sides (spinach especially) but all good. The Darjeeling Negronis also went down easy. Place is small so book early if you want a table.

Service and food were amazing. We had just got into town and wanted to try some Indian food and happened upon Tandoori Chop House. Staff were very friendly and it was some of the best Indian food we have tasted. The restaurant was clean and neat and very cute inside. I highly recommend if you are looking for good Indian food at a decent price.

Outstanding food. Get the Tandoori chicken. Order family style and share. Great location.

Good food but the service was below what I expect from a restaurant of this caliber. We ordered the butter chicken naan and and the tandoor chicken. The chicken is also halal which is a plus

Awesome staff. We came without a reservation and with a baby... and they kindly squeezed us in. The food was excellent. Would return in a heartbeat! Get the green chilli naan and the onion rings.

Food is ok. The grilled chicken is good but other dishes not that great. Service is good. They don't have rice or many dishes to choose from. Very limited menu

If you like traditional Indian food - I'd stay away. 1. Everything we ordered had the same toppings. This green sauce and some pomegranate seeds. Takes away from the creativity and coolness the whole vibe is trying to offer. 2. Both entrees we ordered were charred and BURNT. The lamb and the cauliflower. Although the flavors were good, they were so burnt I couldn't taste anything else. 3. The sides were sub-par. We ordered a couple naans and the fries and they just don't hit in any way that is special. Just do yourself a favor and get some real authentic Indian food. It's not worth trying to be trendy to go here.

Pleasantly surprised by the quality and flavor. Not romantic or fancy but just a perfect excellent casual dinner. Wonderful black dahl and all of the tandoori choices are top flight in terms of flavor and tenderness.

We ate here two nights ago and were sick as dogs afterward. No question Tandoor Chop restaurant gave us food poisoning. Ruined our night & the whole next day. Should have made a speedy departure after seeing how disgusting the bathroom was, but the server was nice & we'd already ordered. Worst decision ever. Honestly, consider this a fair warning. Maybe they don't give everyone food poisoning but you're taking your chances.

The best tandoori ever. The ambiance is cozy and nice, and I love that you can see into the kitchen. You definitely need to make reservations in advance as every night is packed. We ordered the lamb chops and it is seriously the best lamb chops we have ever had. So juicy & you could taste the char from the Tandoor. We also got the keema which was great if you like a nice spice kick. I think the only "complaints" I would have are that they charge you for extra chutney/sauce. If you order a dish which already comes with it and you run out, then you should be given some more at no additional cost. I'm also gluten free and really wanted to try the Nutella naan dessert since I saw it on everyone's instagram, so they made me a gluten free naan Nutella ice cream version. WOULD GO BACK IN A HEARTBEAT!!!!!

Absolutely amazing food. Highly recommend. Ordered the shared meal and it truly is the best option. A good taste of everything that's on the menu!

Been coming here for a few years on my business trips to London. This time brought my wife on our holiday. An amazing meal for sure by a gifted team that consistently executes a memorable culinary feast. We ordered the buttered naan, my go to Tandoor Chicken, Black Pepper Chicken and the Spinach and Mustard Green Saag. Oh my god! Flavors galore - my wife couldn't believe how good the food was, table next to us asked about the Tandoor Chicken having FOMO since they didn't order it. Service is good and the food comes out hot and fast. You can see the expert team behind glass preparing the naan and chicken in the tandoor pots. Wonderful and charming location, make a reservation if you want to get in unless you are solo there's a few seats by the window you can sit at a bar and chow down.

Ever time I come to London I have to get Indian food. To be perfectly honest, I've never had Indian in NYC that can hold a candle to some of the restaurants I've tried in London. Usually I try to grab lunch at Gymkhana but this trip that wasn't a possibility. I'm not wealthy enough to afford dinner there so I figured I've give Tandoor Chop House a try. Luckily it was a great decision, and I was not let down with my meal. As other mentioned service wasn't the best, but otherwise it was a great evening. I went with the house tandoor chicken, the black dal, and some bone marrow butter naan. The naan is listed as vegetarian but I'm not sure how that's possible if it has bone marrow. That being said, it was super tasty. The tandoor chicken was also very very good with great flavor. The black dal was some of the best I've had, it was super creamy and well spiced. Overall a very solid meal. It was on the pricey side but I think it was well worth it for the quality of the food. I'll definitely be back on a future trip, I would absolutely love to check out their Sunday brunch.

Very pleasant surprise and close to everything. Each dish had its flair and distinct flavors. Fusion concept with chophouse appeal was spot on. Service was excellent and offered suggestions. I'll put Tandoor on my regular rotation of restaurants.

Horrible, absolutely horrendous. Being from NYC, I'm use to rude service. We ordered the tandoor chicken and it was incredibly salty. We were then served RAW lamb chops. Not medium, not medium rare, I'm talking purple reddish as soon you cut it. We informed the manager Estrella of our displeasure (she's a real gem). Instead of listening to our compliant, she decided to argue with us and convince us that we simply don't know medium temperature lamb chops. We informed her that we grill lamb also and know exactly what cooked and raw lamb looks like. Here's the kicker, instead of serving us a new batch of lamb chops, they instead put our raw lamb back into the tandoor and burned them! We knew because they were all cut at the same locations we cut to check. Estrella comes back with the 1 out of 3 plates we ordered and exclaims "here's your well done chops, just how you like them, flavorless!" I get sticking up for the kitchen, but don't be rude when you serve raw meat. We asked to remove the chops (which was also a hassle with Estrella) paid for the chicken and left. It's all instagram sexy no real substance

Great little spot!!! It's listed as Tandoori Indian food so there is no curry offered here if you were looking for that. We had a group of 9 folks and shared everything. You don't have to do it that way but for us it worked!!! Where do we start for things to try: for starters the garbanzo beans with spiced cornflakes, tandoori cauliflower, tiki chicken, garlic, chili and cheese naan and the black Dahl. Those are a go to must!!! It's an adventure in flavor! Didn't get a chance to try the desserts but they sounded amazing as well!! Give it a shot!!

Popped in on a Sunday for brunch and was blown away. The fixed menu was incredible. Sauces were amazing, the lamb cooked to perfection, and the naan outstanding.

Excellent first experience of Indian food. Darling and cozy place. Open window to watch the chef make your meal. NAAN was delicious. Ordered two appetizers since we were starving. Both hit the spot. Ordered entree specials. Scallops were scrumptious as was the duck. Duck was perfectly crispy. Staff was friendly, attentive and not overly bearing. Would definitely come back.

A co-worker and I were looking for a good Idian restaurant for dinner while we were in town. Walking in, it was quite obvious this is not a traditional Indian restaurant. The decor is more rustic that Hindi. Just looking around, you would expect a smokehouse or burger/steak joint. There was wood panelling everywhere and it was rather dimly lit. The menu is incredibly limited. The onion ring starters had a good flavor, but too much salt. The Black Pepper Chicken Tikka was incredibly moist, but too salty as well. The server forgot to submit part of the order, so my co-workers entree came out well ahead of mine. At one point during the meal, the same server wiped her nose with the back of her hand and then grabbed a rag to wipe a table. I'm glad I didn't have any more food coming out.

Excellent Tandoor meat but even more excellent veggies. My friend and I shared the house special sirloin and the house tandoor chicken (very good spices on the chicken) One of the best tandoor chicken Ive had in a long time. We also share the black dhal and the saag both were super delicious!!! And for dessert we share the kulfi which was a very good end to a very good meal! The only down side is that the tables are quite small

While in the U.K. we decided to try out this restaurant. The food was okay but the staff seemed to want to rush us out of the restaurant. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here.

Favorite restaurant in London. The kitchen is front and center so enjoy the show. Black dahl, tandoor chicken, cauliflower, lamb chops and naan were all excellent. Staff was very attentive and friendly.

Service was the most important part of our dining. The staffs were friendly, and helpful to us as tourists.

This place was cozy. Loved the food there. I think it's a different style of Indian food so definitely worth a try.

Very enjoyable. A busy, perfect Friday evening in London, and great food with friends at the Chop House. The lamb chops excellent. With the daal and very good nan, plenty to please all of us. Only down side, some of our group wanted rice - this is not on the menu, and so left some of us a bit disappointed. I'd go back. Overall a good experience.

We made a last minute decision to try this place and while it was ok, I won't be hurrying back. The service was adequate and we were seen to a table during peak time but it was quite busy. The food, however, want fantastic. I had paneer, which came in massive chunks. The texture was nice but it could have had a little more flavour. My wife had the rabbit leg, which she said was ok but dry. The black dahl we ordered had a very sour, smoky taste, which was unpleasant. The upside was it is a nicely done interior with what seems to be authentic tandoori style cooking.

I went there to try their new sunday lunch menu, the sunday thali (that is all they serve on sundays now). It looks enormous from the pictures (and a few food bloggers were excitedly standing on chairs to take a better aerial photo of the feast), but to be honest it looks more impressive on photos. We waited around 30 minutes for our order, drinking the warm water we were given and taking in the industrial decor of the place; quite pleasant, but with all the hard surfaces it can become very noisy. Some people who arrived after us were served before, there doesn't seem to be a plan but whatever, not gonna fuss over that. They don't have indian beer, just expensive artisanal ones; I wasn't after beer enlightenment, I just wanted something cold and light to go with my meal (especially after the warm water) and ended up paying five pounds for a small can of very bitter booze. After that I stuck with wine. We ordered for two people and most of the little bowls of food are indeed very little. The daal is tasty, but it's a ridiculously TINY amount for two people to share. The gunpowder fries are crunchy and well seasoned, but again the portion is minimal, almost like a taster. As for the meat, there's only one quarter of a chicken and two lamb chops. That's all. For two people. Apart from that you get a lot of bread and sauces and some little bowls of boring leaves/nuts that seem to be there just to give an impression of a big feast, but went mostly uneaten. There are two micro desert bowls: the banana donuts were alright if a bit dry (but again, THREE teeny tiny balls for TWO people to share; how do you even go about it? You break one in half? One bite each? Stop being mean and at least add another tiny ball, for goodness sake) and the "carrot mash" thingie was just plain bleargh. We sampled it and never touched it again. They fill you up on bread, give you very little meat and charge you £25pp. Perhaps go during the week and just order the meat, fries and the daal; we paid £50 for the food alone and I don't think the sunday thali is a good value for money.

My husband and I went to Tandoor Chop House to try their insane brunch feast on a Sunday. We made a reservation prior to come as I've heard it was super busy on weekends, especially for this brunch. And we understood why! You have to come really hungry and at least with another person to order this plate. It comes with so many different dishes and dips to try! It was a great experience and a beautiful way to try experiment Indian food and flavors. We would definitively come back some day! It's great for a special occasion too.

Tandoor Chophouse is always a great meal. I've taken many friends and coworkers there now and everyone has enjoyed their meal. I prefer the tandoori chicken, their cachumber salad, and any of their naans. So good! and the staff is always friendly.

Avoid this place if you want curry, because there isn't any here! It's not your traditional Indian food! Tandoori chicken is tasty, skip the quail, and I had tastier butter naan. Service is quick and staff is friendly!

This was the only restaurant I had bookmarked to visit when over in London last week. I'd read about it on a blog, recommended it to someone else who raved about it and then I was finally able to see for myself what the good fuss was all about. From start to finish this was one of the best meals I've ever had. Indian has long been a favorite of mine but the flavors in every dish prepared here take Indian food to a whole other level. It's not a traditional Indian restaurant but a take on Indian with a more modern chop house influence. We started with a meat na'an starter, had the cauliflower with pomegranates, lamb chops, and tandoori chicken with the garlic na'an as a main. I'm not even properly describing the dishes because I can't fully remember the names - can only just recall how fabulous everything was. The lamb chops and cauliflower cannot be missed but everything is so wonderful and flavorful. I would eat here regularly if I lived here and can't wait to return.

In London for a few days, wanted to try Indian food as my wife doesn't like it and i'm by myself. Walked by the place, and while it wasn't Indian per se, the menu looked intriguing. Tried the Tandoori chicken, tandoori cauliflower (topped with toasted/crispy chickpeas and a yogurt dressing), as well as the tomato - kalumber salad (mix of greens and onions as well as tomatoes) and the bone marrow nann. The chicken was quite good, the spices weren't as pronounced as other tandoori chicken I've had in Vancouver and Calgary and Toronto, but it was well prepared and tasty - moist white meat (not dry). The cauliflower was excellent and very light being roasted in a tandoori oven and the bone marrow nann was also excellent. I'd come back, not so much as it was authentic Indian cuisine, but it was good food with an Indian interpretation.

After seeing it all over social media, they launched their new lunch menu last week and are still giving away 50% off until the end of the week. So this was my opportunity to go check it out, having read many reviews. Its a nice, simplistic, modern designed interior with an old indian colonial feel, its not too small or shabby. Quite chic in a way. It wasn't fairly busy for a tuesday afternoon, the service is a bit slow, as I had to call the waitress over to take our drinks order. Ordering from the lunch menu was a walk in the park, although when asked the waitress what it actually contained, she had no idea..... still learning then! It's like a lunch menu was dropped on them all of a sudden and no training was given. Anyways I ordered the malabar tiger prawns. I wasn't expecting to do all the work myself by de-shelling them. There was no flavour inside whatsoever, as once deshelled the spices were all over my hands. Bit of a miss really. The dal makni was too salty, the salad looked old and the naan isn't rocket science to make. The halva was horrible. The food is average, catering to the masses of London. Definitely not the best, there is no kick of spice to liven it up, its all so bland really! A place for those who don't really like the kick of spice, I wouldn't say its indian either. Not a place i'd want to go back to! Luckily it was 50% off, or else, don't think I'd waste my hard earned cash!

Best food in London. If you like Tandoori, this is your place. The staff is great too. Roman was our server and he was beyond kind. The food is literally so good I wanted to do it all over agin when I was done.

This place is the bomb. Not only was the food incredible, but the staff and atmosphere really made it a wonderful dining experience. Please come with a few friends, family because it's wonderful to share several plates as the menu is so good it'll be impossible to decide on just one main. This was a truly memorable meal, and I am going to make a point of making reservations every time I come to London!

we went here because the line and dishoom was too long. The food was good. Cocktails were excellent. The place is cramped but food is good and the host was nice. He called us to let us know there was a cancellation and squeezed us in.

I would love to be able to come on here and praise this restaurant for exemplary food, but, unfortunately....... The service was Soooooooooo bad we just left. After being scowled at for not having a reservation, the seated in an awkward position when plenty of other tables were available. To top things off, three other separate parties walked in and were all seated and their orders taken before we were again ignored. That was it! We left. I don't care now, how wonderful the food is. If you can't get served? We took our money to another restaurant...... never to return!!!