The Black Camel Restaurant is one of the most prestigious restaurants in the Old Town of Vienna. Its history dates back to the 17th century, when camels, deserts, exotic countries and distant worlds were the stuff of legends for Europeans. The restaurant was established by Kamelius, who returned to Vienna from his trip to the Spanish Philippines. At first, gourmet dishes of delicate flavours were served here, but, after succumbing to the subtle taste of the Austrians, the place became a centre for alcoholic drinks. The new fashion for good food and quality drinks, which conquered Vienna at the height of the bourgeois revolution in the second half of the 19th century, pushed the Black Camel to look for new tastes, and thus the place became a gourmet restaurant again.