Founded in 1618 by Johan Baptist Cameel, the Friese family took over the Schwarze Kameel business in the late 1950s. It used to be a grocery, trading in fine foods and spices, becoming over time also very well-known as a wine merchant. In fact, the establishment has a very long history as a trading place, starting from Roman times,

When, in the postwar period the Friese family did take over, there was an enormous crisis for the supply of delicacies and food in general all over Vienna. The Viennese had to create meals from nearly nothing, or ingredients which could be supplied by the farmers from the suburbs. Mr. Friese’s inventive mother created most delicate spreads with simple ingredients and applied it on dark bread. For this creation she was able to supply her customers with a good wholesome meal and a good quality glass of wine for the lunch break or after work.

A tradition that is prolonged by the recent customers which meet for a chat in the morning, having a coffee and sandwich, for lunch, a glass of cool wine and quick meal and after work for finishing their day’s work with an amicable get together. This habit is typically Viennese and runs through all parts of society.

Nowhere in Vienna is as egalitarian as the Kameel. Office workers, dancers, shop owners, opera singers, cabdrivers, artists, writers, technicians, lawyers, students, film stars mix with university professors, doctors or princesses of old noble families sit, side by side, chatting animatedly on the day events.

Just as in former times, high quality food and wine are still today pillars of the Zum Schwarzen Kameel offering.

Patisserie
The visual jewel of the Kameel’s patisserie is the elegant black display case by Josef Hoffmann, which occupies a prominent place in the middle of the bar. It is full of Esterhazy slices, Parisian lace, lime roulades, fruits dipped in chocolate and much more, which come fresh from the kitchen every day.

Wine cellar
“Caves Romains” - the Kameel’s cellar takes its name from the bricks that came from the Roman camp of Vindobona. In the early Baroque period, when the cellar was built, the workers built with the old stones they had found into the vaults.

Maître Restaurateur Peter Friese enthusiastically observed that it was a great honour for him and his restaurant “Zum Schwarzen Kameel” to become a part of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs.

Every guest in the Zum Schwarzen Kameel experiences a small, precious world of delights as it could not be more Viennese.

Zum Schwarzen Kameel
PuM Friese GmbH
Bognergasse 5
1010 Wien

Tel: +43 1533 8125
Web: www.kameel.at