Davanti Classico in North Tyneside

So heard good things about this place, finally paid a visit to find out the reviews were from the previous owners absolutely Shocking now !!!! visited at lunch time with my Boyfriend... 1st The Service..... was slow, even after we had finished our starters (which I will get into in a moment...) our empty plates were sat for a good 10 minutes before anyone noticed we had finished. finally come and took them away and asked if all was ok , once we had finished not during! we did not comment as of yet as wanted to see what our mains were like before commenting. 2nd Starters..... I ordered one of my Fave's, 'Cozze Crema' Mussels in a White wine sauce with sourdough. from the first bit there was a strange taste in the sauce, but I pursued with it. Mussel by Mussel they got worse and worse and I could not even finish them they were the worst I've ever eaten. My Boyfriend ordered 'Polpette Italian Meatballs', these were frozen meatballs, tasteless, stale and no flavour what so ever. 3rd..... As we are sat waiting for our mains, we hear a Microwave door and get turned on, we looked over to the kitchen instantly to see 2 Asians working in the kitchen of a so called Italian Restaurant!!! with the Microwave going a few times. 4th The Mains....25 minutes after our starters had been taken away, our main finally came. I asked "was any of this microwaved" Reply " yes!, just the Seasonal Veg"....Me "ok I am not eating that". Servers reply "I can swop it for salad, bread ect". I was not impressed, who wants salad with a hot Salmon in a sauce you want Veg, right!? anyways I went with Salad. Whilst the server had gone for the salad I take a look at my Salmon, peel back the skin to find this Fatty consistency, who gets fat on Salmon ?? and the salmon was mushy... turned to my Boyfriend to see his face after eating a little of his pasta, totally tasteless the same sauce the meatballs came in and when tried one of his Prawns he then passed me one to try.. this was the most chewiest prawn I had ever tried. Yes you got it, we did not finish eating the prawn it went straight back on the plate. 5th The Restaurant.... No background music, dated, no atmosphere what so ever and the staff were idol. The server then came back with my salad, this actually looked ok but when tried a cucumber and it was just full of oil... We complained to the server about the mains and starters and agreed we was not eating or buying anything else. he agreed for us to just pay for our drinks.. We headed over to pay and the guy taking payments then tried charging us for the starters, thee cheek after we had just been advised to only pay for drinks... We will most definitely not be back here. Shocking experience, both our stomachs have been feeling iffy since... We do not under any circumstances Advise anyone to eat here. Signed by 2 Highly Experienced Connoisseurs of Hotels and Restaurants.... Kim and Danny Please follow my Facebook page for all my Reviews on Food, Hotels, Spas 🙏🙏🙏

A unique venue with a lovely atmosphere. Couldn’t fault the service. The food was extremely good. A good menu selection and all meals were generous and excellent. Great dessert memu too!

Just popped in and had a starter as lunch. Excellent food and service.

Beautiful place. Friendly staff. Amazing food. We had the 2 course rapido. All had different choices and all looked fantastic. Would definitely recommend

Lovely Italian atmosphere,we had meal booked, used our Groupon code and enjoyed our meal

NO welcome or acknowledgement on entering, had reserved a table which staff had no knowledge of, created a great initial impression - NOT! AND our table was covered in crumbs/food debris I had the fish-cakes to start, chef had forgotten to add any fish so what i actually received was potatoe croquettes For mains, Chubby had a calzone which was actually pretty good, I had a chicken fettuccine dish - not great. The sauce was quite bland and lacking in flavour AND I feel the dish had been microwaved as it was 'red hot' in the centre and merely tepid around the edges. I really do not understand how this place scores so high on tripadvisor. Please, EVERYONE try 'Lollo Rosso' in Morpeth. 3 x courses for under £20.00 (including chicken and fish) AND phenomenal service! (Not affiliated in any manner!)

A delightful surprise! I’ve walked past this restaurant numerous times and thought I really must give it a try. I took advantage of our anniversary to book a table for two. It is situated in the Victorian Train Station (now a metro station) so it is easy to access and is a very warm and cosy environment (one can’t really see or hear the metro from inside). We had the tempura prawns and the calamari to start. Both were done to perfection. The Calamari was tender and the tempura was light and delicious. We had a nice Pinot Grigio which was light and crisp. For Mains we had Linguine Mare and Pollo Milanese. The linguine was very good but the pollo Milanese was really special. We did not have room for deserts but we finished off with a nice amaretto. The staff were gracious without being intrusive. Would I go again? Definitely.

Very nice lunch, attentive service, ideal for metros if you don't want to travel by car. Easy distance for walk at coast.

Called in on Thursday for food with mum, no booking but accommodated swiftly at 6.30, pleased we arrived when we did as it got really busy by 7, the service was good, interaction with staff great & food lovely, we have the chicken risotto & the salmon penne, absolutely delicious, great choice!

Enjoyed a really good Sunday lunch today. I was not going to return but came back as my daughter had chosen! A long-time customer, my last review was not good, so pleased they've improved and taken some fair, constructive criticism on board regarding the food and service. (And manager made a point today to let me know he remembered me - yes I bet you did mate 😜) The rib of beef was delicious melt in the mouth- the belly pork very tender with crispy crackling, lovely buttery mash & veg, thick rich gravy, home made stuffing, crispy light Yorkshire puddings. The roast potatoes need some work, a bit on the soggy side and suspected they'd been microwaved. Edible, but lacking TLC. Service was actually warm and attentive, think someone's been on the happy pills! Joke- but really that was much better. Overall - much improved ✔️

There for a family occasion and was a little disapointed in the ministroni soup, they had forgot to put any veg in it. Nice atmosphere although a little pricey but will return

Great Italian restaurant 😋 👌 👍 😀 in North Shields 🛡 Top class pizza salmone 🍕

Amazing place, found it by accident while looking on Google. The food was outstanding and very reasonably priced, will definitely look to book again

We visited on the 13th January. Very quiet so I suspect they had turned the heating off. It was freezing. The food was ok, nothing special. There was an irritating alarm going constantly next to our table and we think it was letting them know the food was ready, so what with that and it being freezing cold, there was zero ambiance. They did bring out a fan heater, but in a huge room it didn’t really do much.

We'd not been here for coupla yrs, we had fond memories of a special venue (we've taken guests here as it was high on our list of local eateries), but it's certainly lost some of its pzazz based on our latest experience this week. Firstly, the girl who met us at the door clearly didn't want to be at work, there was not a hint of a smile or any chat from her all evening, even when we paid the bill. These first impressions matter. Unf our food was underwhelming too. The menu descriptions sounded very interesting with plenty of variety, but none of our starters or mains stood out - where were all those promised flavours? Bruschetta without garlic or basil? It was all 'OK' I guess but for the money we certainly weren't impressed. Cheap ingredients possibly, but too many corners have been cut to save money it seemed to us. The venue still looks great mind, and I'm sure at weekends there'll be a grand atmosphere, but this wonderful old place deserves better. We'll def be looking elsewhere for future outings. Such a pity, this place could be really special ....

Excellent food and service, very friendly, good value, only niggle was that it was somewhat chilly with most customers keeping their coats on. Regardless of that we wouldn't hesitate to go back

I hosted a large group for lunch (18) on New Years Day - the restuarent was busy and staff minimal but the service was great and they made the day with their humour and hard work. The food was lovely and we all had our meals served together which made it easy for me as a host! A huge thank you Addi and team for a really lovely meal and for making the day relaxing and fun! Cheers Linda

Visited this place on New Year’s Eve day for the first time the whole experience was great. We were met with a warm welcome from staff and the service and food were excellent Would definitely recommend this restaurant and will definitely return again

We had heard a few bad stories about this place. We had visited many times before but not in the past couple of years. We decided to give it a chance and I’m very glad we did. We visited on a Saturday evening. The place was buzzing. The service was great. The food was fab. Cannot complain and definitely recommend !

Had xmas diner there this year and was really disappointed with the food and service for the price we had to pay. £95 a head for the adults, we expected a lot more. Wasnt even as nice as their normal sunday lunch. Didnt get offered the coffees we chose at the end, the staff just seemed like they wanted us finished so they could finish. And they added on a £55 service charge which they realy didn't deserve. I get its xmas so they have to make it worth their while but they really could have it made more effort to engage with the customers and create more of an atmosphere.

I have just got home from having a retirement meal for my father in law at divantis. I arrived a little early with my son and the staff were straight away very friendly got us to the table and got us drinks. Once everyone got there and all the way through the meal every member of staff went above and beyond making sure everyone was happy. My youngest son didn't want his meal and happily obliged to making a very last minute pizza for him and even made my mother in law extra food too. Absolutely nothing was a bother for them. When It came to deserts we were given one of their amazing cheesecakes on the house which they didn't have to do. I would very highly recommend divantis for family meals. The prices are brilliant, food and service is 2nd to none

Amazing authentic food! Great friendly staff! Fresh and vast variety of food available on the menu! Will definitely return without a doubt!

Was ok, but has been a while since I've been here. I always wonder if they ever corrected the menu so it says chunky chips and not something else!

were idol. The server then came back with my salad, this actually looked ok but when tried a cucumber and it was just full of oil... We complained to the server about the mains and starters and agreed we was not eating or buying anything else. he agreed for us to just pay for our drinks.. We headed over to pay and the guy taking payments then tried charging us for the starters, thee cheek after we had just been advised to only pay for drinks... We will most definitely not be back here. Shocking experience, both our stomachs have been feeling iffy since... We do not under any circumstances Advise anyone to eat here. Signed by 2 Highly Experienced Connoisseurs of Hotels and Restaurants.... Kim and Danny

Was a wonderful experience. Really wish I ordered the pizza over the lasagna but everything tasted great. I got the dough balls & lasagna and had a chance to have a few slices of their margarita pizza. If given a shot, I'm trying a pepperoni pizza next time. Service was professional, friendly, and present. Loved the vibe I was getting from the environment. If you can, stop here and give it a try!

Been a few times but food this time wasnt up to their normal standard

Food and service always excellent

Good food and atmosphere at a good price.

The food choice was excellent and when it arrived the food was beautiful. We were all pleased with our choices which were cooked beautifully and presented well. The Sunday roast of rib of beef was delicious as described by one of our party. She did say though that 1 carrot was rather mean. However the rest of the vegetable choice was lovely and plentiful. One of our party had sirloin steak which was cooked exactly as requested and was delicious. Three other of our family members had pasta with various sauces and once again the plates were cleared and we all thoroughly enjoyed our choices. However I must comment on the service. We paid a lot of money for this lunch, not once did we feel we were treated in a special way. The waitress appeared uninterested and didn’t interact with us at all. There was no smile, no pleasantries, no nothing really. We don’t go out very often as a family but when we do it’s a real treat. The service lets this place down I’m afraid. Gaps between orders and having to constantly ask for attention is not what we expect when we pay a lot of money. So - lovely food but improvement needed in customer service I’m afraid before we return

Fabulous food and excellent service. even though it was a busy Saturday. The ambience was just right. I had the lasagne, and it was LOVELY. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this venue.

Beautiful meal and bonus on a lunch time special

My family and I went to Devantis on Saturday for a celebratory meal for my daughters graduation. There were 17 of us in total and we cannot fault anything. The room was beautiful and the staff were amazing. The food was absolutely delicious and served piping hot. They made our daughters afternoon very special. Would most certainly recommend.

Went with a group of friends for an evening dinner and the food was absolutely amazing, and the staff were very welcoming. Personally, I had Calamari and Pizza, and both were delicious. Will definitely be going back again.

Amazing service for end of A-level trip with friends. Great food quick service and lovely staff. Can’t wait to go again :)

We turned up to Davanti without a booking due to another restaurant shutting unexpectedly. There were 13 of us, including young children and the staff could not have been more accommodating. They made room for us and made sure we were comfortable and happy. The staff were excellent and the food was of a really good quality. Despite there being such a large group, service was quick and professional. I would definitely go back to Davanti s in the future.

Brilliant restaurant very friendly loved it!

Horrific food. Sunday lunch - cold meat, dry, potatoes reheated :/ nothing like it used to be! Staff untrained, chef had no idea what dairy free means and the garlic bread tasted stale.

Very friendly place to eat with lovely food

Had a couple of cool refreshments, outdoor sitting area on the platform at Tynemouth Station, huge market there too! Lovely day out.

This was my first visit,which I very much enjoyed and look forward to going again

We booked ahead and pleased we did as it was very busy. We all had Sunday lunch, beef, lamb and chicken were all lovely. Vegetables nice and fresh. Deserts were pretty good too. Staff were all very friendly and efficient. We will defo be back

The picture doesn't do this justice. The food was fantastic, the atmosphere was great and the staff were really nice even though we had booked blue line taxis for 18:45pm and the never turned up. We rang Davanti to explain the situation and they were really understanding Davanti 5* Blue Line nil. We will definitely be back

We attended this restaurant for a family celebration where around 25 of us attended. The building itself it really nice and right by Tynemouth Metro station. Parking was free outside which is a bonus as Tynemouth was heaving due to the pleasant weather. We were...

Great place to eat properly cooked food while you watch the world go by at Tynmouth station. Excellent Sunday Roast

Restaurant is super pretty! Service was wonderful and we were well looked after which is difficult to do considering how busy it gets. Food was fresh and tasty! We did order a foccacia which looked more like a garlic bread but it was still beautiful Cost about £50 for 2 people 2 mains and 2 sides with a shared starter. 2 soft drinks and tap water

This restaurant is fabulous! The Italian food is amazing, the service is great, with friendly and professional staff; Keith, our server was just great, nothing was too much trouble! Service was impeccable and the quality and execution of the food was amazing! The pizza was...

Absolutely dismal - We booked this weeks in advance for my 30th Birthday, 14 of us. It was a car crash from start to finish, first of all, 1 server assigned to 14 people was never going to work. Our orders were taken 20 minutes...

I went with a group of friends for Sunday lunch and the food was amazing, the staff are very friendly, attentive and accomodating, will definitely be going back soon.

Went for family meal all five of us,great food lovely staff and great atmosphere on a metro station

The service was exemplary with very knowledgeable servers. The food was fantastic and the atmosphere was relaxing. As a first time disabled customer the layout was easily adapted to my wheelchair and the staff were very helpful. We'll be definitely be back.

We hired the back room for a work team event; all 14 staff loved it! Food was fabulous, room cosy and the service first class. A special big shout out to our waiter Keith who couldn’t have been more helpful and pleasant. Thank you

Never heard of the place so can't comment on it

Excellent food a little pricey not many parking spaces but right next to metro. 10% surcharge included in final bill. Perfect for a special occasion

On Saturday evening we visited Davanti's for a meal to celebrate our anniversary. We both had 3 courses, each different to the other, and they were all Fantastic. The piccante pizza I had was genuinely one of the best pizzas I've had from an Italians...

We were there for my brother’s wedding. The service, food, ambience and location were all superb. We really couldn’t fault it

It was an amazing experience. We called in at around 5.30 pm on Saturday night, and we hadn't booked hopping for a table, and we weren't disappointed although fully booked. We were offered a table where the staff were accommodating, welcoming, helpful, friendly, and attentive. The food was awesome. I could not recommend the lasagne enough absolutely out of this world......five stars isn't enough ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ that's better.

As always.. Great food, 1st class service and delightful atmosphere 👌 Thank you

We went there today with 2 kids. Food was fantastic, I would say one of the best in North East. Very authentic and generous. Ingredients were fresh and pasta was cooked perfect, aldante not mushy at all. Kids loved everything on the table. Staff were very lovely and were efficient. Will come back soon. Thank you!

Very nice atmosphere and food lovely. However we had to chase a starter and then 3 of the 4 main courses arrived. Mine was missing had ordered chicken risotto, when i asked where my meal was the brought over a pepperoni pizza! Told them thst wasn't what i ordered, they said they could do mine now or have the pizza and they wouldn't charge. Really, i am going to have mine when my friends have finished theirs! Ended up having the pizza for ease but it wasnt the best snd totally ruined the evening. Would i go back - on that experience NO definitely not.

Booked 2 weeks in advance, just happened to be Mothers day and my wife's birthday on the same day. The food- attention to customer satisfaction was second to none. The staff were very engaging and delightful during our visit. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and cannot...

Went to Davanti for a family celebration and all of us had an enjoyable meal in pleasant comfortable surroundings. However; at the end of the evening, I took the bill and paid by card. It was only the following day when I checked the bill...

Food is always spot on and service is very friendly, love coming here.

First off, I’ll start by saying the food is absolutely amazing - the pizzas taste really great and fresh. But our particular experience was very poor. Arrived at 6.45pm (no reservation), hoping to be able to get in. Luckily a table was available - on the catch that we could only have it until 8pm, which we believed to be fine. Once seated it took around 10 mins for our drink order to be taken, at which time they wouldn’t take our food order. It was then a further 12 mins before they took our food order. It was a while before starters arrived, and then it took until 7.45pm for mains to arrive. It was evident that they were understaffed and too busy to cope with several large groups. This in turn meant we didn’t get to fully finish our meal as we were being rushed so they could have the table back. 1hr 15 is more than enough time for 2 courses - if staff had been more punctual and efficient. Having more than 1 chef on would also help. Like I say, amazing food, but staff really let us down

Sunday lunch here is just out of this world. I have been with friends and my partner and every single time the meal is spot on. Belly Pork is the best I've eaten out and just never deviate from it. Other diners have had chicken...

We waited 15 minutes before we were asked for drinks Then another 15 minutes before we got them We got starters and mains but no check back on either Pizzas nice Peroni draught extremely poor lines need a good clean and warm. Expensive . Blush...

Absolutely delicious meal with family

I hadn’t been for a while, and wondered why, the food was amazing and service so friendly and helpful. Definitely a firm favourite again. Thank you Devantes 👏

Food was lovely but service was very slow.

Lovely restaurant. Great atmosphere and tasty food with fantastic flavours. Staff very friendly too and served quick. Was however odd how our starter arrived before our drinks were served, and more vegetarian options would have made the experience 5/5 (including a veggie Parmesan)!

Booked a table on there website for my daughter's birthday 12th January with my family including a 5 year old. Received a confirmation email and a reminder of our booking the next day. Upon arrival at the restaurant we see a notice on the door...

Visited yesterday. Service was good. Food was amazing. Love this place. Definitely worth a visit 👌🏼

Lovely food. Lovely service. Prices are reasonable as well.

Never expected a Restaurant next to Tynemouth Rail Station will be serving delicious Pizzas which tastes better than we'll known Italian Restaurants. Ordered Pizza Al Polo that was prepared in the oven right in front of the seating areas - it exceeded our expectations on Taste & Quality. Service Staff were Friendly, Ambience was Rustics and Appealing. There's nothing that one will not like being here. Great place to Dine with Friends & Family. Super Thumbs Up to this Restaurant.

The best lasagne I’ve ever eaten. Staff and surroundings great as well. Very large child’s pizzas too.

No atmosphere kids playing on devices drowns out any music No candles lit Poor service Food bland and stodgy Will not be going back

visited just before xmas. 16.12.22. very busy but food was still excellent well worth waiting for . we have eaten here many times but feel this time the food was much better.

Lovely atmosphere but a bit pricey

Staff were attentive and friendly at the time of my visit, so we'll done to them

Great starters delicious, but main meal chicken risotto had too much Chile. May be ok for some but lots of water required. Have eaten same meal on previous occasion and it was perfect.

It was absolutely beautiful! Food was best Sunday dinner we have ever had ! Absolutely stuffed! 5 of us could not praise it enough! The pork was just perfect ! 3 of us agreed best we ever had !

To be completely honest, the service and food were absolutely appalling from start to finish. We were greeted and taken to a table next to the only other customers in the entire restaurant - I understand they like to keep people in the same section...

To be completely honest, the service and food were absolutely appalling from start to finish. We were greeted and taken to a table next to the only other customers in the entire restaurant - I understand they like to keep people in the same section but the tables were comically close together, so much so it felt uncomfortable. We asked politely to move and they did accommodate this. We then had our order taken by, quite frankly, an extremely rude man. He seemed completely unwilling to even speak to us, and made us actually seem like a nuisance for ordering food. Our starters came, and were perfectly ordinary, if nothing at all special. However, our mains were another story. My boyfriend ordered the pizza pollo, which came with nearly all of the toppings heaped in the middle of the pizza. My own was much worse - it was a simple margherita, and I had asked for some parma ham to be added. Firstly, it didn’t come with the parma ham, I did need to ask once it came to please have it added. They did do this, however it came back with gargantuan slices of parma ham slapped on top - I couldn’t even eat them, I had to rip them into small pieces to avoid choking on it. Secondly, the pizza itself was smothered in cheese, so much so that the entire base of the pizza was entirely compromised and the result was practically a soup, it was that sloppy. It made me feel ill immediately. I attempted to eat a couple of slices and then just gave up and asked for a box to take it home (which I threw away once I left because neither me or my boyfriend could bring ourselves to eat it). It was extremely clear that absolutely no care or time had been put into this food, despite us being one of the only customers there so it wasn’t like it was during a rush. Whilst this was going on, the entire time most of the staff just stood around looking completely miserable, watching the football from their phone loudly in the restaurant and taking phone calls whilst assembling meals. Not one smiled at all, and most didn’t even pretend to tolerate us - the two girls working were by far the nicest (this was 02/12/22 at 4:30). We felt so unwelcome that we practically ran out of the restaurant as soon as someone finally came over to let us pay the bill. As well as this, by the end of our visit all of the staff were staring at us, walking past our table constantly but not ever coming over to ask how the meal is (usually a normal thing in a restaurant I would think). Overall, the general atmosphere was painfully awkward and made us feel very uneasy. I would never step foot in this restaurant again and if you value service and edible food you’d be better off going to McDonald’s for a higher quality meal.

Sunday's dinner absolutely perfect. Took a little while to get it ordered but worth it in the end. Unusual setting attached to the train station.

We come here regular and have honestly never had a bad meal. Staff so friendly and any awkward tweets we may have to the dishes are always made

Similar to the last visit. With current inflation prices up a bit but still good value and good food.

Love the interior of this restaurant. Service was efficient and friendly. I had Salmon with sauce and French fries, nice sized portion, maybe some veg would have been nice. All reasonable priced.

Good food ,good service, good atmosphere, can't go wrong. They do however need to lay off the rocket as everything pretty much seems to have some on

Just back from a gorgeous Sunday lunch. Table of 10 adults and 2 children. I had potato skins with garlic or barbecue sauce then roast beef, delicious vegetables and a huge Yorkshire pudding staff were great and looked after us all very well

Food , atmosphere and service were all terrific. We had a great time so well looked after by Bernardo . The restaurant catered for everyone families , groups of friends , special occasions — it was all happening with energy and enthusiasm making sure everyone...

An excellent Italian restaurant. Well worth a visit if you're in town.👍

Fabulous food, fabulous service. 23 of us booked in to celebrate an 80th birthday, we were sat in the smaller room and had the best night. All the staff were attentive and accommodating, Bernado especially went out of his way to make sure we had...

Staff were very polite and readily available to take drinks and food orders. Food was absolutely amazing, very flavorful and filling. Very subtle atmosphere with some light background music to set the scene. Surprising not bad for cost (definitely quality for the lower than expected price) with larger than expected portions. Definitely going to visit again. Just make sure not to eat anything for a while before hand to fit in desert 😁

Food was great as usual but the staff were not very welcoming, not a smile out of one of them. Found this strange as this is not the experience I've had in the past.

Visited on a Fri night family of 5. Table booked for 7pm. Arrived 10 mins early and had to wait for table to be ready which is fine. Made the table at 7pm and eventually someone came to take our drinks order. Had to chase...

Fantastic food great service go back again soon

I have visited Davanti's twice and both times, the food was delicious. The pizzas are traditional Italian style and the pasta a nice sized portion. I have not had the chance to taste a dessert yet, but they are on display and look very inviting. The service is good and the restaurant clean and friendly. I will most certainly be going again! 🙂

Food and service were great... Great menu and place was fantastic... only downside was they had service charge on the bill and I didn't find out until after as someone else paid. I tip usually well on good service and it's down to me to decide how well the experience has not for a place to presume how well they served. Will probably return as I had said the place was great but I'll be keeping an eye on the bill.

Do not go to this place if you are a large party. There got the drinks order wrong as well as dessert order forgot coffees and teas food was not thart god and we waited a while before orders were taken beware they also added...

Shocking food and service... 15 years a loyal customer and treated like dogs by the 'manager'... ie grumpy waiter who clearly hates his job and customers... standards here have gone down the pan! Gravy tasted like vomit rendering the whole meal inedible. They couldn't have cared less. Vile. The full sorry experience is on TripAdvisor.

Gutted to write this review- after over 15 years a loyal and regular customer! Came for Sunday lunch and immediately noticed the rib of beef was full of white fat, grey dry meat, the veg had been nuked to within an inch of it's life....