diff --git a/doc/source/api.rst b/doc/source/api.rst
index fc42564..9680614 100644
--- a/doc/source/api.rst
+++ b/doc/source/api.rst
@@ -4,5 +4,53 @@ API
 Opening Measurement Sets
 ------------------------
 
+The standard :func:`xarray.backends.api.open_dataset` and
+:func:`xarray.backends.api.open_datatree` methods should
+be used to open either a :class:`~xarray.Dataset` or a
+:class:`~xarray.DataTree`.
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+    >>> dataset = xarray.open_dataset(
+                    "/data/data.ms",
+                    partition_columns=["DATA_DESC_ID", "FIELD_ID"])
+    >>> datatree = xarray.backends.api.open_datatree(
+                    "/data/data.ms",
+                    partition_columns=["DATA_DESC_ID", "FIELD_ID"])
+
+These methods defer to the relevant methods on the
+`Entrypoint Class <entrypoint-class_>`_.
+Consult the method signatures for information on extra
+arguments that can be passed.
+
+
+.. _entrypoint-class:
+
+Entrypoint Class
+----------------
+
+Entrypoint class for the MSv2 backend.
+
 .. autoclass:: xarray_ms.backend.msv2.entrypoint.MSv2PartitionEntryPoint
     :members: open_dataset, open_datatree
+
+
+Reading from Zarr
+-----------------
+
+Thin wrappers around :func:`xarray.Dataset.open_zarr`
+and :func:`xarray.DataTree.open_zarr` that encode
+:class:`~xarray.Dataset` attributes as JSON.
+
+.. autofunction:: xarray_ms.xds_from_zarr
+.. autofunction:: xarray_ms.xdt_from_zarr
+
+Writing to Zarr
+---------------
+
+Thin wrappers around :func:`xarray.Dataset.to_zarr`
+and :func:`xarray.DataTree.to_zarr` that encode
+:class:`~xarray.Dataset` attributes as JSON.
+
+.. autofunction:: xarray_ms.xds_to_zarr
+.. autofunction:: xarray_ms.xdt_to_zarr
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 77d0f55..2e65841 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -14,9 +14,10 @@ distributed = {version = "^2024.5.0", optional = true, extras = ["testing"]}
 cacheout = "^0.16.0"
 arcae = "^0.2.4"
 typing-extensions = { version = "^4.12.2", python = "<3.11" }
+zarr = {version = "^2.18.3", optional = true, extras = ["testing"]}
 
 [tool.poetry.extras]
-testing = ["dask", "distributed", "pytest"]
+testing = ["dask", "distributed", "pytest", "zarr"]
 
 [tool.poetry.plugins."xarray.backends"]
 "xarray-ms:msv2" = "xarray_ms.backend.msv2.entrypoint:MSv2PartitionEntryPoint"
diff --git a/tests/test_zarr_roundtrip.py b/tests/test_zarr_roundtrip.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4f1dadc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_zarr_roundtrip.py
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import xarray.testing as xt
+from xarray.backends.api import open_dataset, open_datatree
+
+from xarray_ms import xds_from_zarr, xds_to_zarr, xdt_from_zarr, xdt_to_zarr
+
+
+def test_dataset_roundtrip(simmed_ms, tmp_path):
+  ds = open_dataset(simmed_ms)
+  zarr_path = tmp_path / "test_dataset.zarr"
+  xds_to_zarr(ds, zarr_path, compute=True, consolidated=True)
+  ds2 = xds_from_zarr(zarr_path)
+  xt.assert_identical(ds, ds2)
+
+
+def test_datatree_roundtrip(simmed_ms, tmp_path):
+  dt = open_datatree(simmed_ms)
+  zarr_path = tmp_path / "test_datatree.zarr"
+  xdt_to_zarr(dt, zarr_path, compute=True, consolidated=True)
+  dt2 = xdt_from_zarr(zarr_path)
+  xt.assert_identical(dt, dt2)
diff --git a/xarray_ms/__init__.py b/xarray_ms/__init__.py
index e69de29..157430f 100644
--- a/xarray_ms/__init__.py
+++ b/xarray_ms/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+__all__ = ["xds_from_zarr", "xdt_from_zarr", "xds_to_zarr", "xdt_to_zarr"]
+
+from xarray_ms.core import xds_from_zarr, xds_to_zarr, xdt_from_zarr, xdt_to_zarr
diff --git a/xarray_ms/backend/msv2/entrypoint.py b/xarray_ms/backend/msv2/entrypoint.py
index 6f44edb..8812384 100644
--- a/xarray_ms/backend/msv2/entrypoint.py
+++ b/xarray_ms/backend/msv2/entrypoint.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 from xarray_ms.backend.msv2.antenna_dataset_factory import AntennaDatasetFactory
 from xarray_ms.backend.msv2.main_dataset_factory import MainDatasetFactory
 from xarray_ms.backend.msv2.structure import (
+  DEFAULT_PARTITION_COLUMNS,
   MSv2Structure,
   MSv2StructureFactory,
 )
@@ -30,14 +31,7 @@
 
   from xarray.backends.common import AbstractDataStore
 
-  from xarray_ms.backend.msv2.structure import PartitionKeyT
-
-
-DEFAULT_PARTITION_COLUMNS: List[str] = [
-  "DATA_DESC_ID",
-  "FIELD_ID",
-  "OBSERVATION_ID",
-]
+  from xarray_ms.backend.msv2.structure import DEFAULT_PARTITION_COLUMNS, PartitionKeyT
 
 
 def promote_chunks(
diff --git a/xarray_ms/backend/msv2/structure.py b/xarray_ms/backend/msv2/structure.py
index b590119..3110f1d 100644
--- a/xarray_ms/backend/msv2/structure.py
+++ b/xarray_ms/backend/msv2/structure.py
@@ -103,6 +103,13 @@ def is_partition_key(key: PartitionKeyT) -> bool:
   )
 
 
+DEFAULT_PARTITION_COLUMNS: List[str] = [
+  "DATA_DESC_ID",
+  "FIELD_ID",
+  "OBSERVATION_ID",
+]
+
+
 SHORT_TO_LONG_PARTITION_COLUMNS: Dict[str, str] = {
   "D": "DATA_DESC_ID",
   "F": "FIELD_ID",
diff --git a/xarray_ms/core.py b/xarray_ms/core.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b1418cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xarray_ms/core.py
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+import json
+
+import xarray
+from xarray.backends.api import open_datatree
+from xarray.core.dataset import Dataset
+from xarray.core.datatree import DataTree
+
+try:
+  import zarr
+except ImportError:
+  zarr = None
+
+
+def encode_attributes(ds: Dataset) -> Dataset:
+  """Encode the antenna_xds attribute of a Dataset."""
+
+  # Attempt to encode the the antenna_xds attribute
+  ant_xds = ds.attrs.get("antenna_xds", None)
+  if ant_xds is None:
+    return ds
+  elif isinstance(ant_xds, Dataset):
+    ant_xds = json.dumps(ant_xds.to_dict())
+    return ds.assign_attrs(antenna_xds=ant_xds)
+  else:
+    raise TypeError(
+      f"antenna_xds attribute must be an xarray Dataset "
+      f"but a {type(ant_xds)} was present"
+    )
+
+
+def decode_attributes(ds: Dataset) -> Dataset:
+  """Decode the antenna_xds attribute of a Dataset."""
+  # Attempt to decode the the antenna_xds attribute
+  ant_xds = ds.attrs["antenna_xds"]
+  if isinstance(ant_xds, str):
+    antenna_dict = json.loads(ant_xds)
+    ant_ds = Dataset.from_dict(antenna_dict)
+    return ds.assign_attrs(antenna_xds=ant_ds)
+  elif isinstance(ant_xds, Dataset):
+    return ds
+  else:
+    raise TypeError(
+      f"antenna_xds must be an xarray Dataset or a JSON encoded Dataset "
+      f"but a {type(ant_xds)} was present"
+    )
+
+
+def xds_from_zarr(*args, **kwargs):
+  """Read a Measurement Set-like :class:`~xarray.Dataset` from a Zarr store.
+
+  Thin wrapper around :func:`xarray.open_zarr`."""
+  if zarr is None:
+    raise ImportError("pip install zarr")
+
+  return decode_attributes(xarray.open_zarr(*args, **kwargs))
+
+
+def xds_to_zarr(ds: Dataset, *args, **kwargs) -> None:
+  """Write a Measurement Set-like :class:`~xarray.Dataset` to a Zarr store.
+
+  Thin wrapper around :meth:`xarray.Dataset.to_zarr`.
+  """
+  if zarr is None:
+    raise ImportError("pip install zarr")
+
+  return encode_attributes(ds).to_zarr(*args, **kwargs)
+
+
+def xdt_from_zarr(*args, **kwargs):
+  """Read a Measurement Set-like :class:`~xarray.core.datatree.DataTree`
+  from a Zarr store.
+
+  Thin wrapper around :func:`xarray.backends.api.open_datatree`."""
+  if zarr is None:
+    raise ImportError("pip install zarr")
+
+  return open_datatree(*args, **kwargs).map_over_subtree(decode_attributes)
+
+
+def xdt_to_zarr(dt: DataTree, *args, **kwargs) -> None:
+  """Read a Measurement Set-like :class:`~xarray.core.datatree.DataTree`
+  to a Zarr store
+
+  Thin wrapper around :meth:`xarray.core.datatree.DataTree.to_zarr`.
+  """
+  if zarr is None:
+    raise ImportError("pip install zarr")
+
+  return dt.map_over_subtree(encode_attributes).to_zarr(*args, **kwargs)