The roots of the Viennese establishment go back to the early seventeenth century: In 1618, Johan Baptist Cameel bought the building on Bognergasse, already steeped in tradition by that time, began selling spices, and gave the shop its current name. Zum Schwarzen Kameel soon evolved into a dignified culinary institution, and a wine bar has complemented the deli since the early nineteenth century. An exciting and diverse crowd increasingly found their way to the Kameel, purveyor to the imperial court since 1825, including nobility, noted socialites, and artists such as painter Georg Ferdinand Waldmüller and composers Friedrich August Kanne and Ludwig van Beethoven. In 1901, the restaurant was redesigned with its current Jugendstil interior, which has remained a Gesamtkunstwerk to this day. The deli, buffet, and restaurant have always complemented each other well, and liquid treasures await connoisseurs on the three ancient underground stories down below.
Patrons of the restaurant drink from Lobmeyr water glasses—the iconic Alpha service in green, designed in the 1950s by Hans Harald Rath. An engraved camel graces each cup.