diff --git a/virtualizarr/readers/tiff.py b/virtualizarr/readers/tiff.py
index a9b6df33..9d170450 100644
--- a/virtualizarr/readers/tiff.py
+++ b/virtualizarr/readers/tiff.py
@@ -1,23 +1,15 @@
-import warnings
 from typing import Iterable, Mapping, Optional
 
-from xarray import Dataset, Index
+from xarray import DataArray, Dataset, Index
+import zarr
 
-from virtualizarr.readers.common import (
-    VirtualBackend,
-    construct_virtual_dataset,
-    open_loadable_vars_and_indexes,
-)
-from virtualizarr.translators.kerchunk import (
-    virtual_vars_and_metadata_from_kerchunk_refs,
-)
-from virtualizarr.types.kerchunk import KerchunkStoreRefs
-from virtualizarr.utils import check_for_collisions
+from virtualizarr.readers.common import VirtualBackend
+from virtualizarr.readers.zarr import virtual_variable_from_zarr_array
 
 
 class TIFFVirtualBackend(VirtualBackend):
     @staticmethod
-    def open_virtual_dataset(
+    def open_virtual_dataarray(
         filepath: str,
         group: str | None = None,
         drop_variables: Iterable[str] | None = None,
@@ -26,48 +18,40 @@ def open_virtual_dataset(
         indexes: Mapping[str, Index] | None = None,
         reader_options: Optional[dict] = None,
     ) -> Dataset:
-        from kerchunk.tiff import tiff_to_zarr
+        
+        from tifffile import imread
 
-        drop_variables, loadable_variables = check_for_collisions(
-            drop_variables=drop_variables, loadable_variables=loadable_variables
-        )
+        store = imread(filepath, aszarr=True)
 
-        if reader_options is None:
-            reader_options = {}
+        # TODO exception handling for TIFF files with multiple arrays
+        za = zarr.open_array(store=store, mode="r")
 
-        reader_options.pop("storage_options", {})
-        warnings.warn(
-            "storage_options have been dropped from reader_options as they are not supported by kerchunk.tiff.tiff_to_zarr",
-            UserWarning,
-        )
+        vv = virtual_variable_from_zarr_array(za)
 
-        # handle inconsistency in kerchunk, see GH issue https://github.com/zarr-developers/VirtualiZarr/issues/160
-        refs = KerchunkStoreRefs({"refs": tiff_to_zarr(filepath, **reader_options)})
+        # TODO should we generate any pixel coordnate arrays like kerhunk seems to do?
 
-        print(refs)
+        return DataArray(data=vv, dims=vv.dims, attrs=za.attrs)
 
-        # refs = extract_group(refs, group)
+    @staticmethod
+    def open_virtual_dataset(
+        filepath: str,
+        group: str | None = None,
+        drop_variables: Iterable[str] | None = None,
+        loadable_variables: Iterable[str] | None = None,
+        decode_times: bool | None = None,
+        indexes: Mapping[str, Index] | None = None,
+        reader_options: Optional[dict] = None,
+    ) -> Dataset:
+        
+        from tifffile import imread
 
-        virtual_vars, attrs, coord_names = virtual_vars_and_metadata_from_kerchunk_refs(
-            refs,
-            loadable_variables,
-            drop_variables,
-        )
+        store = imread(filepath, aszarr=True)
 
-        loadable_vars, indexes = open_loadable_vars_and_indexes(
-            filepath,
-            loadable_variables=loadable_variables,
-            reader_options=reader_options,
-            drop_variables=drop_variables,
-            indexes=indexes,
-            group=group,
-            decode_times=decode_times,
-        )
+        try:
+            zg = zarr.open_group(store, mode="r")
+        except zarr.errors.ContainsArrayError as err:
+            # TODO tidy this up
+            print("TIFF file contains only a single array, please use `open_virtual_dataarray` instead")
+            raise
 
-        return construct_virtual_dataset(
-            virtual_vars=virtual_vars,
-            loadable_vars=loadable_vars,
-            indexes=indexes,
-            coord_names=coord_names,
-            attrs=attrs,
-        )
+        raise NotImplementedError()
diff --git a/virtualizarr/readers/zarr.py b/virtualizarr/readers/zarr.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4fda7e5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/virtualizarr/readers/zarr.py
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+import io
+
+from xarray import Variable
+import zarr
+
+from virtualizarr.zarr import ZArray
+from virtualizarr.manifests import ChunkManifest, ManifestArray
+
+
+def virtual_variable_from_zarr_array(za: zarr.Array) -> Variable:
+    """
+    Create a virtual xarray.Variable wrapping a ManifestArray from a single zarr.Array.
+    """
+
+    # TODO this only works with zarr-python v2 for now
+
+    attrs = dict(za.attrs)
+
+    # extract _ARRAY_DIMENSIONS and remove it from attrs
+    # TODO handle v3 DIMENSION_NAMES too
+    dims = attrs.pop("_ARRAY_DIMENSIONS")
+
+    zarray = ZArray(
+        shape=za.shape,
+        chunks=za.chunks,
+        dtype=za.dtype,
+        fill_value=za.fill_value,
+        order=za.order,
+        compressor=za.compressor,
+        filters=za.filters,
+        #zarr_format=za.zarr_format,
+    )
+    
+    manifest = chunkmanifest_from_zarr_array(za)
+
+    ma = ManifestArray(chunkmanifest=manifest, zarray=zarray)
+
+    return Variable(data=ma, dims=dims, attrs=attrs)
+
+
+def chunkmanifest_from_zarr_array(za: zarr.Array) -> ChunkManifest:
+    import ujson
+
+    of2 = io.StringIO()
+
+    # TODO handle remote urls
+    za.store.write_fsspec(of2)# , url=url)
+    out = ujson.loads(of2.getvalue())
+
+    print(out)
diff --git a/virtualizarr/tests/test_readers/test_tiff.py b/virtualizarr/tests/test_readers/test_tiff.py
index 60abaa0a..48c8e043 100644
--- a/virtualizarr/tests/test_readers/test_tiff.py
+++ b/virtualizarr/tests/test_readers/test_tiff.py
@@ -1,20 +1,16 @@
 import numpy as np
-from xarray import Dataset
+from xarray import DataArray
 
-from virtualizarr import open_virtual_dataset
+from virtualizarr import open_virtual_dataarray
 from virtualizarr.manifests import ManifestArray
 from virtualizarr.tests import requires_pillow
 
 
 @requires_pillow
 def test_random_tiff(random_tiff):
-    vds = open_virtual_dataset(random_tiff, indexes={})
+    vda = open_virtual_dataarray(random_tiff, indexes={})
 
-    assert isinstance(vds, Dataset)
-
-    # TODO what is the name of this array expected to be??
-    assert list(vds.variables) == ["foo"]
-    vda = vds["foo"]
+    assert isinstance(vda, DataArray)
 
     assert vda.sizes == {"X": 128, "Y": 128}
     assert vda.dtype == np.uint8