Vienna — Zum Schwarzen Kameel

Zum Schwarzen Kameel in the heart of Vienna needs no introduction to most of our readers. For those who don't know what I am talking about: This establishment started out as a gourmet shop centuries ago and supplied European royals, among them Emperor Franz Josef of Austria. It quickly became a hotspot for the who's who of all times. Nowadays, there is also an excellent restaurant in addition to their bistro and food shop installed in the same building. Their speciality is Beinschinken, a cooked ham made especially for the Kameel — not from camel of course, but from non-encarcered pork. Their Mehlspeisen (or sweets) are also worth a try. Luckily, the bistro servers every dish in a small size so one can try a variety of different things at a time. Zum Schwarzen Kameel also stocks a wide selection of Austrian and international wines. I went the local route with a traditional Wiener Gemischter Satz, a white made from several varietals which were grown, harvested and fermented together.