diff --git a/src/zarr/codecs/arrow.py b/src/zarr/codecs/arrow.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..12bd2a7767
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/zarr/codecs/arrow.py
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import io
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+
+from arro3.core import Array, Table
+from arro3.io import read_ipc_stream, write_ipc_stream
+
+from zarr.abc.codec import ArrayBytesCodec
+from zarr.core.common import JSON, parse_named_configuration
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from typing import Self
+
+    from zarr.core.array_spec import ArraySpec
+    from zarr.core.buffer import Buffer, NDBuffer
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class ArrowIPCCodec(ArrayBytesCodec):
+    """Arrow IPC codec"""
+
+    column_name: str
+
+    def __init__(self, *, column_name: str = "zarr_array") -> None:
+        object.__setattr__(self, "column_name", column_name)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def from_dict(cls, data: dict[str, JSON]) -> Self:
+        _, configuration_parsed = parse_named_configuration(
+            data, "arrow-ipc", require_configuration=False
+        )
+        configuration_parsed = configuration_parsed or {}
+        return cls(**configuration_parsed)  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+
+    def to_dict(self) -> dict[str, JSON]:
+        return {"name": "arrow_ipc", "configuration": {"column_name": self.column_name}}
+
+    def evolve_from_array_spec(self, array_spec: ArraySpec) -> Self:
+        # TODO: possibly parse array dtype to configure codec
+        return self
+
+    async def _decode_single(
+        self,
+        chunk_bytes: Buffer,
+        chunk_spec: ArraySpec,
+    ) -> NDBuffer:
+        record_batch_reader = read_ipc_stream(io.BytesIO(chunk_bytes.as_buffer_like()))
+        # Note: we only expect a single batch per chunk
+        record_batch = record_batch_reader.read_next_batch()
+        array = record_batch.column(self.column_name)
+        numpy_array = array.to_numpy()
+        # all arrow arrays are flat; reshape to chunk shape
+        numpy_array.shape = chunk_spec.shape
+        # make sure we got the right dtype out
+        # assert numpy_array.dtype == chunk_spec.dtype.to_native_dtype(), (
+        #     f"dtype mismatch, got {numpy_array.dtype}, expected {chunk_spec.dtype.to_native_dtype()}"
+        # )
+        return chunk_spec.prototype.nd_buffer.from_numpy_array(numpy_array)
+
+    async def _encode_single(
+        self,
+        chunk_array: NDBuffer,
+        chunk_spec: ArraySpec,
+    ) -> Buffer:
+        # TODO: generalize flattening strategy to prevent memory copies
+        numpy_array = chunk_array.as_ndarray_like().ravel(order="C")
+        arrow_array = Array.from_numpy(numpy_array)
+        table = Table.from_arrays(arrays=[arrow_array], names=[self.column_name])
+        # TODO: figure out how to avoid copying the bytes to a new buffer!
+        # Doh, this is the whole point of Arrow, right?
+        buffer = io.BytesIO()
+        write_ipc_stream(table, buffer)
+        return chunk_spec.prototype.buffer.from_bytes(buffer.getvalue())
+
+    def compute_encoded_size(self, input_byte_length: int, _chunk_spec: ArraySpec) -> int:
+        raise NotImplementedError
diff --git a/src/zarr/core/metadata/v3.py b/src/zarr/core/metadata/v3.py
index a14373c340..c313509ba9 100644
--- a/src/zarr/core/metadata/v3.py
+++ b/src/zarr/core/metadata/v3.py
@@ -105,7 +105,10 @@ def validate_codecs(codecs: tuple[Codec, ...], dtype: ZDType[TBaseDType, TBaseSc
     # TODO: use codec ID instead of class name
     codec_class_name = abc.__class__.__name__
     # TODO: Fix typing here
-    if isinstance(dtype, VariableLengthUTF8) and not codec_class_name == "VLenUTF8Codec":  # type: ignore[unreachable]
+    if isinstance(dtype, VariableLengthUTF8) and codec_class_name not in (  # type: ignore[unreachable]
+        "VLenUTF8Codec",
+        "ArrowIPCCodec",
+    ):
         raise ValueError(
             f"For string dtype, ArrayBytesCodec must be `VLenUTF8Codec`, got `{codec_class_name}`."
         )
diff --git a/tests/test_codecs/test_arrow.py b/tests/test_codecs/test_arrow.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bb42f1c35d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_codecs/test_arrow.py
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+import io
+from typing import Any
+
+import numpy as np
+import pytest
+from arro3.io import read_ipc_stream
+
+import zarr
+from zarr.codecs.arrow import ArrowIPCCodec
+from zarr.core.array_spec import ArrayConfig, ArraySpec
+from zarr.core.buffer import numpy_buffer_prototype
+from zarr.dtype import parse_dtype
+
+CPU_BUFFER_PROTOTYPE = numpy_buffer_prototype()
+
+
+numpy_array_fixtures = [
+    (np.array([[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6]], dtype="int64"), None),
+    (np.array([[1.5, 2.5], [3.5, 4.5]], dtype="float32"), None),
+    (np.array([[True, False, True], [False, True, False]], dtype="bool"), None),
+    (
+        np.array(["foo", "barry", "bazo"], dtype=np.dtypes.StringDType()),
+        zarr.dtype.VariableLengthUTF8(),
+    ),
+    # both come back as object dtype, but if we pass object array to Zarr, it complains about dtype resolution
+    # np.array(['foo', 'barry', 'bazo'], dtype='U5'),
+    # np.array(['foo', 'barry', 'bazo'], dtype=np.dtypes.StringDType())
+]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("numpy_array_and_zdtype", numpy_array_fixtures)
+async def test_arrow_codec_round_trip(
+    numpy_array_and_zdtype: tuple[np.ndarray[Any, Any], zarr.dtype.ZDType[Any, Any] | None],
+) -> None:
+    numpy_array, zdtype = numpy_array_and_zdtype
+    if zdtype is None:
+        spec_dtype = parse_dtype(numpy_array.dtype, zarr_format=3)
+    else:
+        spec_dtype = zdtype
+    codec = ArrowIPCCodec()
+    array_config = ArrayConfig(order="C", write_empty_chunks=True)
+    array_spec = ArraySpec(
+        shape=numpy_array.shape,
+        dtype=spec_dtype,
+        fill_value=0,
+        config=array_config,
+        prototype=CPU_BUFFER_PROTOTYPE,
+    )
+
+    ndbuffer = CPU_BUFFER_PROTOTYPE.nd_buffer.from_numpy_array(numpy_array)
+    encoded = await codec._encode_single(ndbuffer, array_spec)
+    decoded = await codec._decode_single(encoded, array_spec)
+
+    # Test that the decoded array matches the original
+    numpy_array_decoded = decoded.as_ndarray_like()
+    np.testing.assert_array_equal(numpy_array_decoded, numpy_array)
+
+
+async def test_custom_field_name() -> None:
+    numpy_array = np.array([[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6]], dtype="int64")
+    spec_dtype = parse_dtype(numpy_array.dtype, zarr_format=3)
+    codec = ArrowIPCCodec(column_name="custom_field_name")
+    array_config = ArrayConfig(order="C", write_empty_chunks=True)
+    array_spec = ArraySpec(
+        shape=numpy_array.shape,
+        dtype=spec_dtype,
+        fill_value=0,
+        config=array_config,
+        prototype=CPU_BUFFER_PROTOTYPE,
+    )
+
+    ndbuffer = CPU_BUFFER_PROTOTYPE.nd_buffer.from_numpy_array(numpy_array)
+    encoded = await codec._encode_single(ndbuffer, array_spec)
+    decoded = await codec._decode_single(encoded, array_spec)
+
+    # Test that the decoded array matches the original
+    numpy_array_decoded = decoded.as_ndarray_like()
+    np.testing.assert_array_equal(numpy_array_decoded, numpy_array)
+
+    # test that we can read the arrow data directly
+    record_batch_reader = read_ipc_stream(io.BytesIO(encoded.as_buffer_like()))
+    record_batch = record_batch_reader.read_next_batch()
+    assert record_batch.num_columns == 1
+    _ = record_batch.column("custom_field_name")
+
+
+def test_string_array() -> None:
+    # IMO codec tests should be much more self contained,
+    # not end-to-end array round-tripping tests.
+    # But don't see a better way to test this at the moment..
+
+    a = zarr.create_array(
+        shape=4,
+        chunks=(2,),
+        dtype=zarr.dtype.VariableLengthUTF8(),  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+        serializer=ArrowIPCCodec(),
+        store=zarr.storage.MemoryStore(),
+    )
+
+    a[:] = np.array(["abc", "1234", "foo", "bar"])
+    result = a[:]
+    np.testing.assert_equal(a, result)
diff --git a/tests/test_codecs/test_bytes.py b/tests/test_codecs/test_bytes.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..31b72f84a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_codecs/test_bytes.py
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+from typing import Any
+
+import numpy as np
+import pytest
+
+from zarr.codecs.bytes import BytesCodec
+from zarr.core.array_spec import ArrayConfig, ArraySpec
+from zarr.core.buffer import numpy_buffer_prototype
+from zarr.dtype import parse_dtype
+
+CPU_BUFFER_PROTOTYPE = numpy_buffer_prototype()
+
+
+numpy_array_fixtures = [
+    np.array([[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6]], dtype="int64"),
+    np.array([[1.5, 2.5], [3.5, 4.5]], dtype="float32"),
+    np.array([[True, False, True], [False, True, False]], dtype="bool"),
+]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("numpy_array", numpy_array_fixtures)
+async def test_bytes_codec_round_trip(numpy_array: np.ndarray[Any, Any]) -> None:
+    # Test default initialization
+    codec = BytesCodec()
+
+    # numpy_array = np.array([[1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6]], dtype='int64')
+    array_config = ArrayConfig(order="C", write_empty_chunks=True)
+    array_spec = ArraySpec(
+        shape=numpy_array.shape,
+        dtype=parse_dtype(numpy_array.dtype, zarr_format=3),
+        fill_value=0,
+        config=array_config,
+        prototype=CPU_BUFFER_PROTOTYPE,
+    )
+
+    ndbuffer = CPU_BUFFER_PROTOTYPE.nd_buffer.from_numpy_array(numpy_array)
+    encoded = await codec._encode_single(ndbuffer, array_spec)
+    assert encoded is not None
+    decoded = await codec._decode_single(encoded, array_spec)
+
+    # Test that the decoded array matches the original
+    numpy_array_decoded = decoded.as_ndarray_like()
+    np.testing.assert_array_equal(numpy_array_decoded, numpy_array)