Calle Ocho
Categories: Cuban, Latin American, Breakfast & Brunch, Lounges [Edit]
Neighborhood: Manhattan/Upper West Side446 Columbus Ave
(between 81st St & 82nd St)
New York, NY 10024 (212) 873-5025
- Nearest Transit:
81st St (B, C)
79th St (1)
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Music: Juke Box
- Best Nights: Fri, Sat, Sun
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: Yes
118 Reviews for Calle Ocho
I have to say, I know I give this place 3 stars, but I do bring guests here often. Food is mediocre (hence the 3 stars) but the ambiance is very nice. If your guests want to get dressed up and enjoy some good latin music, drinks/ bar social area, plus some cuban food....this is a great place to take them, It's not truly authentic, but the food passes.
When I first moved to NY, I did recommend the place to my company for our holiday party. My coworkers did enjoy themselves, but interestingly enough, our fellow latin colleagues were not sooo impressed with the food. Drinks maybe, but they can keep with the appetizers.
Big portions, Good Drinks (try the cojitos), and okay food.
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This weather is making me want to curl up & die. It's too freaking grody outside. My boss is Brazilian though and COMPLETELY encourages caipirinha's during lunch time so I figured why the hell not. Anything to suck up.
Anywho, one thing this weather does make me wanna indulge in is seafood. I popped my ceviche cherry today, and had one with lobster, jalapeno, lime, & shrimp today. I took one bite and mentally kicked my ass for not trying ceviche earlier. shit was gooooood! Very delicioso.
my lunch was this dessert made of toasted coconut ice cream, with a chocolate shell & fresh pinapple.While tasting orally orgasmic, it made me quite thirsty. So I had a tangy sweet caipirinha to wash it down.
This place was pricey as all hell, I'm glad we expensed it.
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Ive been to calle ocho many times and the food has been great... not amazing but still pretty great. the service has always been somewhat lax, but my girls and i came in for brunch this morning just as ladies day out and we had the best time ever! the food was perfect (usually other people cant make pollo ranchero without dousing it with salt). the sangria was delish but i have to say that the best part was our server. short tan thing with glasses and a bit of accent (i couldn't place it either england or south Africa), but he was energetic and SO genuinely enthusiastic. he made our entire meal seem like he was more a friendly host more than a robotic waiter. You will definitely be seeing me around again
grazias chicos!
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Two words: All you can drink Sangria bar!
Well, that's more than two words, but Im so drunk from said Sangria bar right now I cant think. Did I mention it's FREE? And it's only on Sunday. But it's all frigging day and the sangria bar has tons of varieties. And the setting is delightful. The food was ok, to be honest, but whatever, free booze make up for it.
Of all the restaurants I went to while i visited New York, this one was my favorite. I came here with my gals for Sunday brunch. The front of the restaurant is nice with a big bar and a very comfortable looking lounge area. You walk into the back where the main dining room is and you get a burst of light and color. The room is festive and immediately, you feel like this will be a great experience.
My favorite part was the sangria bar. Not only are there about 10 different sangria flavors/mixes but the sangria is free. Half were white wine based and the other half were red wine based. The 2 flavors i had were delicious. I would have had more but heat + drunkiness = not a good outcome, especially since we were planing to walk around after brunch.
The wait staff was friendly and very helpful. They also did their best to accommodate all our requests. They come out with a basket of bread and with this bread they give you a bean dip and some strawberry butter. Most of the bread was sweet with chocolate chips or some type of corn bread variation. The menu was simple and not overwhelming. Everything looked delicious. I had the Tortilla Espanola which was okay but still better than average.
The food was reasonably priced considering the sangria was free. I'll be back here for sure on my next visit.
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Sangria bar = awesome.
I came here for Sunday brunch with some of my buddies, and you get all you can drink, absolutely free sangria! When we first got there, you enter into a small loungey bar area. Unfortunately, we were informed that reservations were required and actually many people were being turned away. We eventually waited long enough that they let us be seated and it was well worth it. The ambiance of the lounge area is SO different from the dining room. I had the omelet and it was deicious. I only tried one of the sangrias, but it was awesome... real chunks of fruit... yummy
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Only go on a Sunday when there's a sangria bar featuring 6 varieties of sangria mixes for both red and white wines. So that's 12 different types of sangria to choose from.. and completely free! Otherwise, the food is so so. It's a cool spot to bring friends though, they will surly be amazed by the cool decor and the sangria bar.
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The girls and I went there for a late Saturday dinner. We were pleasantly surprised at the architectural aspects of the main dining room..and the bar/lounge area was none to shabby either. The waiters were friendly and attentive. As for the menu..we ordered a little of everything..from service to arepas to the sangria. Sangria was to die for!!! As for the arepa, they weren't quite what I'm used to having, like they make them in Miami. The stairs to the bano was quite interesting..try not to be tipsy and on heels when walking down those steps :)
Overall, we were very happy with our dining experience!
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As usual I was a fashionably 20 minutes late... but my friends forgave me because of their awesome bar area. When the waitress seated us, I couldn't believe how huge the actual seat area was - the spaciousness, tall ceilings, and high energy scene of Calle Ocho was amazing. It made for a great Friday night out. Make sure you try a few pitchers of sangria!
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Was pleasently surprised and shocked at how big the space was and how good and CHEAP the food was here! The front is deceiving, as you think thats all there is, but then you walk up these stairs to a huge back, that is vibrant and fun!!! The food was GREAT. We had a taco sampler that they say is an appetizer, but let me tell you, there was enough food for me and my boyfriend to have as our entire meal! That just left more room to order mojitos, which I must say were going down so easy, one after another... and big plus - they use real sugar cane which was so great!!! Also found out, they do sunday brunch, with a FREE SANGRIA BAR, WITH 10 DIFFERENT TYPES OF SANGRIA. FUN!!! Am definitely going to venture back there for a sunday funday!!!
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I've only been here for brunch, but I can tell you this much: I. love. their. sangria. All the reds are amazing, the whites are hit-or-miss.
The pollo ranchero is heaven, the cachapa de salmon could be better. I always have room for more breads and spreads.
Some super-cute babies but also some terrible twos (and threes) here.
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great cuban food experience. big mojitos are only $8, the atmosphere is great, including in the cavernous back room you would never know is there but you're glad it is. delish food - not cheap, but you won't regret it. i hear good things about the sangria bar too...
I went to Calle Ocho with a group of friends after reading all the great reviews. We were seated promptly since I've made a reservation from the night before, so that was not a problem. Our waiter, on the other hand, was extremely rude! Now, I can handle a little bit of sass and attitude, but seriously, just because you hate your job doesn't mean you have to ruin the positive moods of others! He really didn't listen to our orders, got it mixed up, didn't apologize, and just did a half-ass job overall. The food was too salty and the portions aren't even worth the price. The Pollo Ranchero (a little bland) was, I think, the best of all the dishes, compared to the Vaca Frita and the Gallitos plates. The breads that they give you were interesting with the black bean spread and the strawberry butter. The sangria bar was impressive - I didn't expect that there would be all the different types. All okay-tasting, but all free! I liked how they were playing great latino music, and the place gets pretty packed. One experience was enough, and no, I will not be coming back. iNo propina!
On my first trip to "the Ocho" I was in and out, only staying long enough to down a refreshing cocktail in the stylish bar up front before continuing my quest of sophisticated Upper West Si-eed nightlife options -- places a little fancier that the typical Amsterdam Avenue draft beer dens thick with Jagermeisters and Jagermistresses.
It seemed like a nice bar and I assumed the menu, heavy with ceviche options, was a hip, Latin take on bar food.
On my second trip, the bar was packed and the hostess asked if I wanted to grab a table. Sure, I could go for a cocktail table tucked somewhere in the back of the bar. The only thing is the back of the smallish bar led to a smallish hallway which led to a cavernous dining room and there were even a couple of smaller dining rooms leading off the massive dining hall. It's so big and the front of the building seems so small, I felt like Alice in the Martini, er, Looking glass.
Once settled I ordered two kinds of ceviche that were above average and a sampler platter. The only Spanish I know outside of the Spanglish lyrics to "Rico Suave" is what I have learned during my glorious career as a taco tester and Tex-Mex connoisseur. I never knew "sampler platter" is Spanish for a big-ass mountain of food. Or at least that's how it is translated at Calle Ocho. These weren't the best tacos on this planet, but far from the worst.
All things considered, it's worth a trip for drinks or dining or both, unless of course, Lewis Carroll gives you nightmares.
Went here last Sat night for a birthday dinner. The huge dining room was comfortable and not too loud. Service was great. We ordered two kinds of sangria, very tasty, and the paella was delicious, as were the other dishes we had- ropa vieja and steak. They even brought me a set of four chocolates for my b-day to share at the table. Would like to try brunch next time we go to NYC. everyone seemed to be dressed casual, we were alittle more on the night-clothes side.
I really this place. The drinks are strong (sangria is amazing) and the food is very tasty. We ordered the apple empanada (pretty good...not excellent), tuna ceviche (excellent), seafood paella (very very good), and the grilled chicken (ok.... probably the least impressive dish we ordered). We didn't have room for dessert as we loaded up on the free bread rolls (which are excellent)
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I have no idea how this place has such high reviews. The food is definitely 2.5 stars. However, the all you can drink sangria (Sunday's only) is probably what draws the crowd here. I admit they are pretty good and the have 6 + different kinds that you just help yourself too. The assorted bread basked is also great!
This place is huge and can accomodate large groups. We had 18 in our party.
Still it boggles my mind how this place has an overall rating of 4.5 stars. It was unanimous in my group the food was definitely sub par. Just don't get it.
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I live for their coconut mojito (cojito!).
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Really liked this place. Date liked it. Very spacious and good atmosphere. I ordered Ceviche. I wasn't very hungry, but i enjoyed what i had. I forget what she had. Prompt service, but kept interrupting the conversation which i cant exactly fault.
This is one of my favorite spots in NY. Love the mojitos and the food... mmm.... Great staff, and love the atmosphere. A great time, any time, and although the food is a bit pricey, it's worth the money.
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I've been here for just about everything: dinner date, post break-up happy hour, brunch with friends.
All in all, calle ocho does not disappoint. Their food is full of flavor, and nothing beats their little bread and bean sauce! During brunch their bread selection is expanded to include sweeter, dulce de leche filled bread- YUM!!! My brunch was amazing, and the 8 barrels of sangria options made even better. Just be sure to go up as many times as possible because their service is so great that you get your food quickly!!! They're so accomodating that they even provided my french friend with special chocolate sauce for her pancakes b/c she mis-read the menu.
Also, their mojitos are just about the best ones I've had in this city. And for $5 a pop on Monday with free tapas, there's no better way to start your week.
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Curses!! Curses to the gene that made me intolerant of more than one serving of alcohol within a 12 hour period.
The Sangria was great (the one glass I did have, Harlem, which had spicy notes of cinnamon)...I wish I could've tried the six other kinds. My friend had one of the white sangrias with lychee and coconut...totally yummy, like the best sugary fruit juice you can imagine.
Bread / pastry basket was good, but not excellent, though it came with a nice strawberry butter (details, details) and sufficiently quelled my brunchtime urges for sweet things (I usually have to order one savoury and one sweet dish for brunch, which always leads to leftovers and generally unpleasant food comas for the rest of the day). I ordered the Latin Benedict, whereas my companions ordered the skirt steak and eggs (which was very delicious). My dish was pretty mediocre, and TINY! I even commented that it was tiny to the waiter (at that point, the sangria may have hit me already. I'm pretty sure it did). What can I say, I'm a big girl. I like big portions. *shrugs* But yes, nothing special.
Overall, it was cheap (roughly $35 w/ tax and tip for 2 ppl), fairly tasty, and got me crazy drunk enough to sleep the rest of the afternoon away when I should've been doing work. Try it!
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Came here for restaurant week and ordered off the RW menu.
I really enjoyed the drinks - the white wine sangria was amazing!
I think the most memorable part of the meal was the bread. SO GOOD!!! The only bread that i've ever had that was better was at BLT Fish. YUM! It was warm (and heavy... weird?) and sweet. The bean dipping sauce was great!
Ceviche was interesting.. (I think it's official - I don't enjoy ceviche) but the empanadas were so good!
I had a pork entree and it was made really well. I enjoyed it a lot.
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found myself in the upper westside the other day and used my trusted iphone/geddy to search for a place to eat. we probably all agree that your experience at a place can be different depending on the day. i went on a monday. can't beat $5 delicious mojitos and daiquiris on monday nights in the dining hall as well as the free tapas in the bar/lounge. some must haves: the cojito, camarones, and mango mousse. some must pass: the paella (no flavor on the seafood) and ostras (missed the value for the dollar mark).
check out http://cidnyc.wordpres... for pictures and more.
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brunch fantastic, dinner not.
I would come here for brunch any sunday I was feeling the need of "spanish sweets" which is often...their brunch menu is great! Breads and muffins great! Free Sangria Sunday, this place is a nice find for sunday brunches =)
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Planned this for my gf start off by saying this place is PRICEY lol
but the food was really good i thought it was worth the money for the food and for her happiness to eat the food of her choice...and basket full of bread was really good..
they had some weird shots with like oysters in it....i thought it was good haha
from what i know alotta celebs go there....did see and meet Matt Dillion the girls took a picture with him...me and my friend were dying to say VICTORY to mess with him LOL but that would be too messed up....
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Fun place, nice ambiance, great decor, BUT the service albeit friendly was questionable....
My friend and I waited over an hour for one appetizer (the soft taco platter for two) and a side order of rice and beans... What the fondue???!!! Imagine how long it would've been had we ordered two entrees!
I'm willing to give it another shot because the food was yummy and the crowd seemed cool. For a Wednesday night, even in the early evening, this place was bustling.
Ok, so when you get a reservation, that implies that you have a reservation... right?!! Wrong on a Friday night apparently, we had to wait 25min b/c it was ridiculously busy... and it was way way way too loud.. so by now Im sure you are wondering why I gave "Ocho" 4 stars? Well, the mojitos were spectacular ( not too sweet) and the options for vegetarians was pretty decent for new york, and the lobster and shrimp ceviche was wonderful!! My sis and I split the paella ( which came with a freakin half lobster.. yummy) and her boyfriend ( the token vegetarian) got the mushroom paella and that was great as well! All in all, the food was a conversation piece and I am looking to go back on my next vacation to see my sis and friends
Ayyyyyy Calle Ocho. Que bueno! Te amo con todo de mi corazon...
Any place with not only FREE sangria with brunch but a help yourself sangria BAR? You get some major kudos from this direction. Red on the left. White on the right. And everything's gonna be alright...
The food was fantastic as well. They brought out this basket of fantastic breads, muffins, and small pastries. One was absolutely delicious, oozing the most perfect subtle dulce de leche. Ooooh. I wanted to take home a bunch and I'm not too proud to admit that when the table to our right got up and left leaving most of their basket untouched, I rescued a few select yummy items from the circular file in the kitchen. Cause that, now *that* would be a travesty. Just being a considerate patron...
I had their french toast, which was more like these fabulous cinnamon bun of toast with almost some sort of subtle cream in the interwoven layers. Not sure the details there, but it was absolutely fantastic. I just can't complain about anything here. Accentuated by fabulous salsa music, and we had one fabulous brunch. This one's *definitely* going into high rotation - don't even care that we're talking UWS here people ;-)
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Que chuleria! Cuidao con el Cojito, loco!
There's a reason that with 79 reviews this place maintains over 4 stars. It's the shizzits! Came here for restaurant week. Everything was on point. Even walked away with a $25 off coupon for next time! And don't miss out on their mojitos which are deceivingly sweet but will sneak up on you! I reached my happy zone quick!
I have to say that because I've been eating latin food all my life I've felt uptight about paying top dollar for food I can basically get on the block. But these types of fusions and reinventions of classic cuisines make it worth it! I'm def comin back!
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Yum.
The pre-meal bread alone deserves 5 stars. The rest of the food, for the most part, was delicious. The ruby and golden beets in my beet salad were memorable, but the 'goat cheese' they poured on top of it was not. But my friend's food was fantastic, and the sangria perfect.
I would definitely go back to try their other dishes - I think this was just another case of me always ordering the wrong dishes.
Minus one star for lackluster service. Granted, the restaurant was very busy, but any requests took an inordinate amount of time. On the other hand, the restaurant's vibe was very fun - the music almost had me jump out of my seat to dance in the aisle. (Fret not, I didn't)
4 stars for great Latin food, and a fun atmosphere.
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Do not come here without an appetite and hung over. Bad idea.
They have free sangria! They have really interesting combos of food. They have the greatest atmosphere in NY (in my opinion) and it wont cost you an arm and a leg.
Can't wait to go back when I can stomach more than just fries.
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I had a terrific experience at Calle Ocho - and Calle Ocho has become my favorite restaurant in the UWS!
I came here for dinner on New Years, and the food was amazingly good, and the service was exceptional. For the main course, I had the salmon with a sweet mango sauce lightly covering a puree of potatoes. Having looked around at what others were having, I cant wait to come back and try out their other dishes.
Great drinks here too :-)
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Citrus is my standby when staying on the Upper West side, but my friends persuaded me we should check out Calle Ocho - I'm glad they did as we had a great meal.
1. Beverages. Between three of us we managed to sample the caipirinhas, mojitos and sangria. All were very good, and having spent plenty of time in Brazil, these were top notch caipirinhas.
2. Appetizers. We went with a special, short ribs that were cut off of the bone. They were fantastic. The best ribs I've ever had, no lie.
3. Entrees. Between us we had a lamb special that was served on an old school cafeteria trey with tortillas, a lamb shank served over hominy and corn and paella. All were great. I ordered the lamb shank and it was one of the best meals of lamb I've ever had.
4. Specials. 2 of the 4 food orders were specials and both were great.
5. Ambiance. It looks like a tiny little bar, but once you make it through that part of the restaurant it opens up into a wide room that is spacious and well decorated. The pillars are dressed up like giant lamps and while it was loud, there were plenty of nooks and crannies which allowed for a real conversation.
6. Reservations. We managed to get seats for 3 of us with an hour call ahead on a Friday night. Not bad.
I loved this restaurant and will definitely return.
NOTE
I have Celiac disease and follow a wheat / gluten free diet. The wait staff was understanding, but not terribly helpful. There was no ability to swap out corn for flour tortillas, but otherwise they asked the right questions of the chef and I enjoyed my meal.
Everything you have read is true.
Free sangria bar on Sundays for brunch (note: NO BRUNCH ON SATURDAY, which was a huge disappointment) and fantastic food. Brunch dishes ran about $12-16, which was not bad at all considering the free drinks PLUS a fabulous basket of assorted pastries that comes before the meal. Portions were a very good size and the interior is really fascinating for a space you'd never expect to be there.
If you eat earlier in the day, there will be 4 red and 4 white sangrias to sample, but as the day wears on, if one runs out (most likely the Harlem... yum!), they might not replace it.
Reservations are easily made on OpenTable.com, so no reason not to go for Yelp's favorite brunch!
Recommended for: lunch/dinner with friends, business dinner, a date.
Food 5, Service 4.5, Ambiance 5.
Wow... Let me just start off with that. I am no expert what-so-ever when it comes to cuban, or latin cuisine but if this is what I can expect from it, then I am a believer! From the outside you can tell that this is one cool restaurant with a refurnished exterior to look like architecture from another land.
Enter the restaurant and you can feel the latin beat, enticing you to drink, be merry and enjoy excellent food. I came here to meet up with my guru of technology and coolness and boy did he pick the right place. He suggested that we get Pisco Sour but with a Peruvian liquor that tasted phenomenal. That coupled with their version of bread (with black bean dipping sauce) set the tone of the evening. You can tell a lot about a place just through their bread. There's was hot, crisp on the outside, and soft, light and a bit chewy on the inside (almost like a mochi interior). I kept gobbling it up and wanted a second batch pronto!
For an appetizer, I ordered the Chicharron which came out perfectly. Many places either over or under cook calamari, but they got it just right. Crisp, light, tangy and spicy the dish came with sprouts on the side, making it more than just a mere appetizer, it was an awakening to what was next to come. Going on the recommendation of our lively waitress, I ordered the special of the evening which was a Cuban Skirt Steak. It was juicy, tender and had a kick (or maybe that was the second Pisco Sour). It had a red rice (can't recall the name) and a few vegetables on the side. The dish was fantastic!
As I write, I am feeling the rhythm of the music that played that night flow through me, doing a little "happy dance" as I recall the sights, sounds, smells and tastes. Given the fact that my friend had just got off of a plane a few hours ago and hadn't slept in nearly 22 hours, lets just say while we got work done, the tangents we went on were hilarious.
Someone tell me more latin food is like this! If not, then I will come here again and again for a festive experience that tantalizes not only the taste buds, but my eyes, ears and soul.
Sean Approved: Absolutely Definitely Yes!!!
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Came for brunch. We were late for our reservation but it wasn't a problem. The food was delicious and interesting. The restaurant was beautiful. The best part: unlimited free sangria bar! God bless Calle Ocho brunch.
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Brunch is my favorite meal of the day. Add the ambience, complimentary bread and muffins (amazing!), Latin flavored food, and unlimited sangria, brunch at Calle Ocho is for sure good times. I don't venture out to the westside much, but for you, Calle Ocho, I will make an exception. Can't wait until the next time I go.
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A wonderful place for brunch! Calle Ocho has a very lively crowd, an interestingly designed cavernous main dining space, a variety of complimentary bread and muffins, and unlimited sangria. Best amenities I've seen in Manhattan for a menu that is reasonably priced.
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I have been here several times, each time a wonderful experience. If you enjoy Latin American / Cuban food, you should not be disappointed here. I have seen others come here for tapas and drinks -- so if this is what you want, you may want to try it this way (I have not done this; I always come for diner).
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