The food was good. We got the lobster spaghetti and some oysters and it was all enjoyable. The menu was pricey but that was to be expected. The reason i rated Little Whale 3 stars is because gratuity was an automatic 20% for 2 people dining. I consider this an unacceptable practice for small parties. If you are going to include 20% gratuity for all parties, bake the cost into the menu prices. This practice is deceptive. The service was not bad but not great. read more

All I will say is, hidden 4% service charge and a mandatory 20% tip. No negotiation, just slapped on your bill. Be warned read more

Stopped by here whilst cruising the newbury street Sunday shutdown. Beautiful day. The spot is pretty pricey as expected being on Newbury. Went downstairs and inside to get seated, it's a seafood joint so it does smell like so from up on the staircase: they had AC on inside and diners enjoying their luncheons. We opted to sit outside and watch the festivities and soak in some sun. Small eats calamari and clam chowder. The calamari was well cooked. Crispy, seasoned and had a nice marinara style dip with chunks of tomatoes. This was RI style so add the jalepenos ! The chowder had a good consistency, ample amount of clams it seemed but was a bit on the super bland side for me. Requested salt and pepper and all was good. Our server was nice, waters refilled and food came out timely! Would come back again. We stop in from time to time. read more

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got the lobster roll with mayo and a dozen oysters ($2 each). the lobster roll was delicious and i was a big fan of the fries. the oysters were fresh and tasty! will definitely be coming back read more

Little Whale - lobster roll - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Absolutely incredible. I was in Boston for 5 days, and had to come twice for dinner--I took my friends the second night and they loved it just as much. I ordered the Mussels and Clams. My favorite by far was the Mussels which was paired with an incredible broth. It has a calm ambiance with both bar and table seating. Most of all, my waitress made my experience the most special. This restaurant is perfect on all fronts. read more

We searched for fried clams and ended up here. Everything is amazing, especially the raw oysters. Hot sauce and red onion vinaigrette accompaniments are awesome. Best clam chowder ever. The fried clams way exceeded expectations. This place is 6 out of 5 stars! read more

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Very good..except the clams & linguine dish was way too salty! Enjoyed the calamari, beet salad, and oysters.

Ridiculously expensive. We paid $55 each for small lobster rolls that were mediocre. In addition the service was lacking and we were shocked to find out that 20% gratuity was already included and a 3% operations fee. read more

In the overpriced world of eating on Newbury Street, the food at Little Whale is at least pretty uniformly delicious! We found it easy to get a reservation and enjoyed sitting outside on a sunny day recently. For lunch, we shared the clam flatbread (which was delicious with lots of clams, and a great shared dish as an appetizer); my husband got the hot lobster roll which had lots of very well prepared lobster meat in flavorful butter (with perfect crispy thin fries); and I had the tuna tartare, which was super fresh, a good portion and minimally messed with (aka mostly good high quality tuna!). The lobster roll being over $50 was a bit of a shocker, but otherwise really enjoyed our meal and would return. read more

Everything went well. I had some of the best swordfish I've ever eaten there. The server was pleasant and accommodating. We sat outside on a busy Sunday evening when Newbury St. is closed to traffic. read more

Little Whale - Swordfish - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Had a delicious meal at Little Whale! Great service, very Boston/Newbury street ambiance & absolutely delicious seafood. Would absolutely return / recommend to anyone visiting Boston & looking to try some tasty local seafood! Food - we enjoyed oysters, mussels, crab toast, & a delicious lobster pasta. Everything was SO tasty & so well crafted. Great portion size as well but not too big, allowing us to try many dishes! Service - we sat at the bar & were taken care of by a very friendly bartender with great suggestions. Service was very attentive overall & food came out quickly! Ambiance - Newbury street restaurant located downstairs in one of the brick buildings. Not the biggest restaurant at all, a handful of tables & some bar seating. Can get pretty crowded in there especially when you account for all the winter coats! Great vibes overall. read more

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Lovely seafood restaurant with a great wine list, albeit a little pricey. Service was fine and the fish sandwiches were ok. Overall, not the most memorable dinner.. read more

Little Whale - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Great neighborhood gem. Saw this place as I walked by in the morning on my way into office (stopped by the local coffee shop a few doors down). It's in a converted brownstone. Was able to score an early dinner and was seated outside on patio. While did not have a full dinner there (was going to catch a game later in evening with team at Fenway) did have several appetizers and a very nice Riesling. They take reservations on Open Table and I was able to get a last minute reservation for the early dinner. Was promptly seated and walked thru the oyster menu and specials. Ordered 6 oysters, a beet salad, the smoked bluefish and of course a bowl of chowder. All came out beautifully. My only regret is I did not see this place the evening before, instead of the hotel dinner I had. Can't wait to come back to Boston to eat here again. Would highly suggest this place over the more touristy places every day of the week. read more

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Stopped by in early December for an excellent dinner. Little Whale is located in a cozy brownstone right in the middle of the action on Newberry St. If you're waking, this makes the location quite convenient! Likewise, Back Bay Station is nearby, making it a convenient spot to transit to as well. Though be warned, you will need to navigate stairs either up or down depending on where you're seated. The decor is very sweet and classy-- perfect for a nice dinner in Boston. In terms of food, the oysters were perfect. Shucked beautifully, served ice-cold on a platter of crushed ice, complemented with lemon wedges, pink mignette, and cocktail sauce. The menu offers a nice selection of oysters from up and down the coast, and the platter is served with a guide so you know from where each shell came. Price-wise, $3.25/ $4.25 is fair compared to other haunts around Boston-- though certainly not a deal. The fried clams were the star of the show. Served on a crisp bed of paper to soak up excess oil and presented with a homemade tartar sauce, I somehow felt like I was at a sea side clam shack and at the Ritz Carlton all at the same time. The clams were perfectly battered and fried, and the tartar sauce had an incredible flavor packed with dill, lemon, and salt. It made for an epic, ocean-lover's bite. The sprout plate was lovely as well. For drinks, be aware that Little Whale is beer and wine only-- no mixed drinks. Also, no dessert menu. Overall, I would absolutely return for a happy hour-- but without cocktails and dessert, I likely wouldn't plan for a birthday dinner. read more

Little Whale - Dressed oyster - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Amazing!! Excellent all around -- food, service, and ambiance. Restaurant is pretty small but the wait staff were very attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. Pricey, but was able to claim a $50 off using inKind app. Would highly recommend the blue crab tagliatelle (would come back to Boston just for that). read more

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Delicious and fresh crab toast, muscles in broth with crusty bread, and broccolini. Wine selection was expansive. We ate at the bar and had a great time. read more

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I wasn't really hungry before coming into Little Whale, but after inhaling the buttery, salty aroma of fresh seafood, I really couldn't resist going in for a bite! My family wanted to try some authentic New England lobster rolls before leaving Boston, and this truly was the perfect place to find them! We had the choice of ordering our lobster rolls cold with mayo or warm with butter, and we all chose warm with butter. My lobster was absolutely drenched in butter, and it was so soft that it melted in my mouth. All the rolls came with a heaping side order of French fries, which were simple but delicious. The only thing I didn't love about the lobster roll was that the bread didn't really add anything to the dish, it was merely a vessel to hold the lobster. We also ordered a bowl of clam chowder, and while I'm not usually the biggest clam chowder fan, I really enjoyed it! It was so thick and flavorful, and it warmed me up after a morning of walking in the cold. Little Whale is also known for their oysters and mussels, and after seeing them on other people's plates, I really wish I had the chance to try some! I'm glad I finished my entire lobster rolls before leaving, because if I didn't, I would've felt cheated out of almost $60. The lobster rolls are listed on the menu at "market price", and we ordered 3 without even looking at the price. It really was a delicious lobster roll, but I feel like the price was outrageous. Also, 20% gratuity is included with every bill regardless of party size, so our total came out to around $250 for just 3 rolls, a cup of soup, and 2 soft drinks. I enjoyed my meal, but I did not think the quality matched the price. I would be back if it was less expensive! read more

Little Whale - Classic Boston Lobster Roll! - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

My wife and I ordered the Newbury raw bar platter. It was fantastic and plenty of food for the two of us. Not a bad price for all that was on it. Service was fast and friendly. read more

Nice place to stop for lunch! I think the prices were a bit expensive for the place but if you look at the picture, they stuff the roll with lobster. The lobster roll was extremely good, but it was leaking from the bottom and making the bread a little soggy. That day I was dining by myself, and the waitress, who was helping me, was extremely kind and gave great suggestions. I was suggested to try the Hamachi Crudo, and everything on that plate paired very nicely with one another. All of their seafood was very fresh and it was nice to be able to sit outside with the nice weather over the weekend. read more

Little Whale - Lobster roll - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Out of all the seafood restaurants we tried while visiting Boston, this restaurant was my favorite! I enjoyed everything we ordered minus the clams on flatbread - I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it was not my favorite. Sautéed clams - delicious spicy broth, we drank it like soup! Broccolini - simple, yet so tasty and a much needed source of fiber on our vacation. read more

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The lobster spaghetti was delicious. The lobster meat was very fresh, and the spaghetti was moderately soft. Highly recommend! read more

Little Whale - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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What can be shared about Little Whale that hasn't already been extolled?? The savory blue fish pate? Nope. The cozy and intimate ambiance? Already done. How about the cutest name for a restaurant ever? Ha! And the food.... Welcoming service?? Sorry, no. So what can I add dear reader to further convince you to dine with LW? Here we go. So I have a shellfish allergy. That's right, and I refuse to have it define and limit me. So yea no mussels and lobster and shrimp and oysters. Big deal right? And when I informed our waitress she immediately consulted with the chef. Unfortunately no epic fish sandwich given they share the fryer with shrimp and clams. Ok, we shared the bluefish pate, beat salad and a delicious whitefish dish. And because the side of chickpeas were also fried, they served them on a separate plate so my wife could enjoy them. Their attention to my care was extraordinary. And so was their empathy. They even gave us a glass of sparkling rose. How special! Thanks for a wonderful anniversary dinner LW. You're special. Enjoy! read more

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I am writing this review after having had some of the best seafood on the west coast and trying several locations in the east. Little Whale is easily a 5-star location. It's expensive because you get the flavors of the seafood that you don't get anywhere else. You can do better wine on the west side, so my main focus here is the seafood. Oysters? GET THEM. And try a few different options. They taste different from each other, smoothly come off the shell and are delightful. Wow. I can almost remember the taste even after a few days. The clam chowder is very clean. Not overly salted, so you can add more salt. I didn't think any more salt was needed, so I thoroughly enjoyed this dish. Now the lobster roll? I'm so grateful my server suggested that I get it warm with butter. It was PERFECT. The butter was light, so it did not overpower the dish. The lobster was a delicacy and you can actually taste it. I'm surprised they didn't actually charge more for the lobster roll. A good chunk of my bill went towards the wine which I would have traded for a plateful of oysters haha. I would definitely come back here on a special occasion. read more

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OMG this place was fabulous! We came on a Tuesday evening with a large party of 7 and they were able to accommodate us. We had appetizers, dinner & drinks. They had a private party upstairs so we ate downstairs. Francesca was our amazing server and she was super attentive, friendly & just THE BEST! We started with drinks & appetizers: a selection of 4 types of oysters (all delicious), mussels (with chunky pieces of bread, roasted cauliflower and beet salad. I really could have eaten a dozen oysters by myself but I had to save room! For dinner, we ordered the lobster roll, fish sandwhich, halibut, swordfish, crabcake, steak, & mussels. Everyone enjoyed their meals - nothing bad to say about any of it! Then it was time for dessert - sad to say this is when Francesca informed us they don't serve dessert. My waist line & love handles thanked her. She was so sweet and gave us a round of Rose shots to finish off our meal. If we had 2 more people, we could have tried every entree! Francesca graciously declined to join our rowdy group but we would have bought her dinner too! What a great meal to end our week in Boston for work. Can't wait to come back! read more

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The food was decent; the service was very accommodating; and just as another reviewer said, ambiance was chill but elevated. I'd come back to host another friend, but not with boston residents. We came starving and a bit harangued with everyone having different opinions of where to eat --we needed a spot with clam chowder for an out of town guest! We didn't have a reservation but after inquiring whether or not we could out on the wet patio, the hostess immediately and graciously accommodated. We rushed an order of clam chowder. It was thin, didn't include a ton of clams, had bacon and as expected for an elevated dining's version of a clam chowder, but a bit of a bummer for a tourist. I wouldn't repeat. We also shared family style: mussels, fish and chips, linguine with clams, and the swordfish dip. The swordfish dip was a bit disappointing- a better texture than a block of tuna, topped with something savory and a spot of a tangy berry compote. It was ok and not a repeat. The mussels were surprisingly medium chubby when I would've expected tiny, a bit cold, and the sauce thin. I was expecting more since I love moules frites but my friend enjoyed it. The bread was thick and crunchy but very unremarkable in taste; I've had better. They can offer more complimentary bread if you ask for it. The linguine was tangy, tasty, but didn't blow my socks off. For $38, I was hoping for it to be more substantial and for it to blow me away. The fish and chips was a splendid surprise. I have extremely low expectations of American fish and chips, even if it's from my native New England, but the fish was piping hot, tender, and succulent. The batter thick and crunchy and so, so tasty. The fries were thick. They gave enough ketchup, but the tartar sauce, or whatever it was, was very meh. An aioli would've been better. Coldslaw was also included. Very hearty of an entree! I wish we did wine but we didn't have the chance. I was very disappointed they didn't have a dessert menu but preferred that choice over an overpriced underwhelming one. As an other reviewer said, 20% tip was automatically added to the bill despite us being a party of 3. We were warned by our server in advance though, which was much appreciated. The hostess and our server Jackie were very nice. The busboy server was very brusque and disorganized. The interior is pretty and the noise level mild, so you can have a good conversation. All in all, I'd come back for a nice elevated experience for out of town guests but probably wouldn't venture on my own to eat there on a Friday night out. read more

Little Whale - Swordfish dip on top left, fish and chips on top right, mussels at the bottom. - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Loved this tiny restaurant on Newberry Street. You enter down a set of stairs to a bar and row of tables. We sat at the bar. Started with a dozen Wellfleets and Beau Soleil oysters. Cold and briny, amazing. Then we split the tuna crudo - tuna sitting on a citrus-laced yogurt and sprinkled with olives, picked onions, matchstick cucumber, radish, parsley, and feta. This was my favorite dish. Then mussels with lots of bread for sopping. And the branzino, curried, with cauliflower and red onions, roasted chick peas, and mango. It was incredible. Service is great and wine by the glass is generously poured. Can't wait to go back. read more

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Oysters: These are a MUST. They are local, fresh, and full of flavor. I would recommend trying at least a few of them. The most expensive one, I forgot what it's called, was defintiely the favorite selection. Raw Bar: Shrimp cocktail was a nice little appetizer with your classic cocktail sauce. Good, but sadly only comes with 4 pieces of shrimp. I wish there was more. Both the tuna and salmon crudo were delicious. I personally liked the salmon more than tuna. Starters: Clam chowder was yummy, although not the best you can find in Boston. Bluefish dip was so so good, highly recommend. Even the roasted cauliflower, which doesn't sound very exciting, was very delicious. Best starter dish though was the fried ipswich clams. Something about these clams with tartar sauce was amazing. Sandwiches & Co: Fish sandwich was great and came with lots of crispy fries. The fish was beer battered and fried to perfection. White clam flatbread was topped with garlic, oregano, chili flakes, and parmesan cheese. All these ingredients came together really well. Mains: Lobster spaghetti was by far my favorite dish out of everything I tried here. I loved the added texture from the breadcrumbs. The tomato sauce with basil and shaved parm was so good and the amount of lobster was actually generous. I would say the gloucester swordfish was the second best main dish. The cook of the fish was just right and the country mustard beurre blanc was the perfect sauce for it. Peekytoe crabcake was also delicious, especially with the cider vinaigrette and dill mayo. read more

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Came for the wine and $2 oysters. You can only choose the first option of the oysters they have available as part of the promotion. Oysters were great and very fresh. If you don't have a reservation expect to sit at the bar area. read more

Little Whale - Half shelled Oysters - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Very cute and cozy seafood restaurant nestled in Back Bay. Has some outside seating right off the side walk (makeshift seating area on the road), and small indoor area with a long bar parallel to tables, and an open kitchen in the back. Service is pretty fast because you have multiple waiters servicing your table (or you're sitting right at the bar). The food itself was memorable and quite tasty. I ordered the Maine mussels and the lobster spaghetti- both large portions that I could not finish. The mussels themselves were large, plump, and juicy, cooked to perfection, soaked in a white wine-based sauce. The pasta dish had a fair amount of lobster in it with a big amount of spaghetti noodles cooked al dente. The chunky tomato ragu sauce paired perfectly the buttery lobster and cheese. Upon observing the kitchen, the most popular dishes I saw come out time and time again, were the lobster spaghetti and the lobster roll. I enjoyed my meal and the ambiance of this restaurant, and I would return (to try the lobster roll next time!). Best restaurant I've had ON Newbury Street. read more

Little Whale - Lobster spaghetti. - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Stopped by Little Whale for a quick clam chowder & calamari! Service is quick, server was very attentive and friendly. Both dishes were yummy and had solid flavor. The clam chowder did need a bit of salt and pepper, but otherwise , love that the chowder had whole clams in it. I also liked that for the calamari, they gave nice pieces of squid. Their food is on the pricey side, for what you get. The portion sizes are smallish & not really justifiable for the price. read more

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Was so delicious! We had the blue crab toast to start, the fish and chips and the octopus fusilli! Everything was delicious and the service was good as well as the restaurant was very cute inside read more

Little Whale - Blue crab toast - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

OpenTable Dinner reservation doesn't specify where you will be seating so just note it could be bar seats. I love bar seats for dates so nbd. Bartender was great. Place has a great look. *Oysters 5/5 - Good variety and they were all so damn good. *Greek Branzino 5/5 - Branzino is my go-to fish and loved this one. Highly recommend *Lobster spaghettini 3.5/5 - fun dish but doesn't shine on its own so worked well that we went halfsies with this and the fish. I think it intentionally is supposed to be on the light side, but it was a little plain for me. read more

All around nice place to eat! Love the ambiance of this intimate restaurant. Service was attentive but we didn't feel rushed. We enjoyed Happy Hour prices on delicious oysters. My husband had fish and chips, which he said was excellent. I had Halibut that was quite good. read more

Boo yah!! Lovely little boutique restaurant set up on the lower level and 2nd level of the Newbury district. Beautiful inside- great expansive bar for people that like to sit and eat at bar as well as nice booth table seat combos. Great interior and decor nice little booze selection for regular and upscale drinkers and amazing menu of fresh seafood- as well as happy hour Oyster special woot woot. It wasn't overly busy when I was there but great service in my opinion! read more

Little Whale - So good - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Our daughter and her fiancée brought us to the Oyster bar while our visit to Boston. We had a great experience and fun happy hour. We sat on the front patio and enjoyed a great atmosphere and location, right on nice Newbury street. The oysters were so fresh and delicious, chilled white wine was the perfect match. Very good service We will definitely come back on our next visit read more

The little whale looked amazing online, and met that expectation when we got there. Everything was five stars worthy. The food was amazing. The wine and beer selection was wonderful. The appetizers; a beet salad, and the brussel sprouts were excellent. My main dish and my dining partners main dishes were beyond reproach, but when we asked for a check we got an auto gratuity of 20% on the whole tab on a party of two.... Which was just unacceptable. Hence the two stars and unfortunately I won't be coming back. With the auto gratuity the bartender, as we ate at the bar, would have gotten far more than 20%. read more

Cutest seafood restaurant on Newbury St! The interior is tiny so it's a good date spot. There's so much attention to detail in their decor. In terms of food, everything we had was well seasoned and delicious. Their fresh oysters were very refreshing, you can't go wrong with any of their selection. The swordfish was moist and seasoned perfectly. Our server was fantastic too, our wait wasn't long at all. Can't recommend Little Whale enough. read more

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Loved my meals here. Cold weather in New England, or anywhere produces prime flavors in shellfish, oysters, and other bivalves. Shrimp is excellent too. And other crustaceans. I haven't had good luck sourcing restaurants in Boston that serve good crab, so will leave that alone for a while until I meet a restaurant I love that makes a good crab. Otherwise the seafood platter was dahvine- a few glasses of their sauvignon blanc and I was in heaven. The roasted broccolini with white anchovies featured a touch of heat from Fresno chile -- it hit the spot for me. Did not have space for dessert and took 1/2 the platter back to my hotel to boot. Came back another time but left my phone at the hotel so no pictures for that visit Little Whale is a place I'm looking forward to visiting again and again. It serves beautiful seafood: so fresh it tasted FOTB and clean tasting. For now it has not been hit by Iggies yet--like the other seafood resto down Newbury and the Other one in North Beach. Hope to snag a spot when it gets invaded Lol. End of Yelp. read more

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Definitely a "my wife would love this place" restaurant. Came with a coworker and there is an amazing vibe and simple menu. Lobster rolls on point! Great wine parings as well. My wife would scream about the "cuteness" of the place. And because I love my wife I find myself visiting places like this and loving them as well. I'll be back...next time with my wife for sure! read more

Little Whale - Bars Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I'm so happy to see another seafood restaurant pop up on Newbury Street. They have such a huge selection of seafood to choose from! Here's what we got (ranked from favorite to least favorite): Lobster Spaghetti ($48) Must get! I've had lobster pasta at other restaurants, but this was the best I've had by far. They really loaded up on the lobster meat - there were actually more lobster than pasta! The lobster was fresh and sweet and paired well with the spaghetti and the roasted tomato ragu. The ragu was creamy and complex in flavor with the toasted garlic breadcrumbs and the parmesan cheese. Maine Mussels ($20) Generous portion of fresh and plump mussels in a white wine based sauce. The sauce was absolutely delicious and had a strong white wine flavor! It tasted incredible with the mussels. They served it with 2 chunky slices of country bread. The crust of the bread was a bit tough so definitely let it soften up in the sauce! Oysters (varies by selection) The oyster selection changes daily depending on what they have. We got the Island Creek ($3.75 each) and Wellfleet ($3.95 each). Both were fresh, large and cleanly shucked. They came with 3 sauces: cocktail, hot sauce, and mignonette. Tuna Crudo ($23) Thick slices of tuna with pickled cucumber on top. They were refreshing with the avocado green goddess dressing. However, I think more could've been done to enhance the tuna more. Overall, everything tasted so fresh and delicious. I would definitely come back to try some of their other dishes. read more

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