Maison Kammerzell in Strasbourg, France

Magical Dining in Alsace Region of France

It's been over a year since Don and I spent an evening inside this magical Medieval building, in the heart of Strasbourg's Old Town.

​This is how the Gothic beauty looked early morning, on a cold November day. 

Busy Christmas Market

And this is how the famous Kammerzell House looked from a distance, about 6 hours later.

Skies were cloudy and moist. Streets were jammed with visitors attending the annual Christmas Market. 

Since 1427
​
This photo shows a different portion of the Maison Kammerzell Hotel and Restaurant. Was this section added much later? The dining room where we ate, was housed in the dark, ornately carved wooden structure. The oldest part of this historic building dates back to 1427.

Maison Kammerzell's neighbor is even older! Construction on the Notre-Dame Cathedral, began in 1190. It took 249 years to complete. Finished by 1439!

​Peek Inside

I spent some time admiring the building, while wandering on a chilly Monday morning. The glowing arcade windows lured me near for a peek. 

I could see a couple of tables, ready to serve breakfast. There are less than 10 hotel rooms at Maison Kammerzell and those lucky guests could enjoy a cozy breakfast, without leaving the building!  

My Favorite Door

I found another inviting door, on the Cathedral side of the building.

I was curious about the wooden structures on both sides of the door. I was glad to get a close up look at the bottle glass windows, that I'd studied high above on the building's facade. There must have been 50 of those windows, with circular glass.

Another Peek

Near the charming entrance, I found a different window that offered a look at a more formal dining space.

This room was darker and cozier, with traditional chairs and tablecloths. Castle-worthy light fixtures hung from the umbrella-shaped vaulted ceiling.  

Lights and Storks

Don and I only had 2 nights in Strasbourg. We arrived at the beginning of the month long Christmas Market season. We were able to get reservations at Maison Kammerzell on the second night. It was drizzling when we walked from our hotel and spotted my favorite entrance, with garland and lights.

I snapped a photo of the old sign. Now when I study the photo, I  notice a market rooftop, glowing below the sign. A chimney holds a nest of white storks! We saw a lot of stork decor during our stay! Storks are a symbol of Alsace. 

Rainy Monday

We headed towards the main entrance, near soggy cafe tables. What fun to dine there on a warm evening, with a view of the Cathedral. 

I looked through the glass, with an etched "K". The bright room looked welcoming and the diners looked happy. But I hoped for a table on one of the higher floors.

Out of the Rain

We closed my dripping umbrella and headed inside. 

A gracious host greeted us, not far from this wonderful mosaic floor design.

The red numbers reminded of the building's age. 597 years, since the original building was complete!
​
Heading Up!
​
As our host checked on our reservations, I looked to the left and spotted diners in the same salon that I'd seen before breakfast. The painted ceilings and bustling bar made me happy to step in that direction.

But when our host gestured towards the stairs, I got a little happier. We moved up the stairs, looking at lots of faces in frames.

I didn't exactly recognize all of the (mostly French) faces, but Liz caught my eye. Were these all famous guests who once dined at Kammerzell's? 

Spiraling Staircase

Suddenly the climb got more exciting as we began to curl upwards, inside a 16th century stone spiral staircase. It seemed like we were climbing within a medieval tower!

Curious windows on both sides, confused me. Just where were we, within this structure?  

As we moved higher, I saw giant knot hanging from a rope, on the inside of the spiral.

I have fond memories of climbing bell towers in Italy as a kid. Counting steps and never worrying about the tripping or tumbling.

I don't remember any ropes like this, from the past. 

But the kid in me had fun using the heavy rope like a mountain climber! I forgot to count steps, though.

Third Floor 

The staircase continued up, but we stepped off at the third floor.

I couldn't have been happier, when we ended up in a cozy room, with 4 tables.

​Each corner had its own charm.

This one with the rounded fireplace was inviting. A champagne bucket was at the ready.

Leo Schnug's Frescoes

In 1905, Maison Kammerzell became a restaurant for the first time. The interior was redone and local artist Leo Schnug, created frescoes in many of the dining rooms. He even hid his portrait in some of the scenes.

It was about 7:00 when we were seated, near the windows. 

A basket of bread and a bowl of pretzels awaited us, along with napkins, folded like party hats.

​Our waiter arrived with menus. He was a bit aloof and distracted, but I didn't care. My attention was drawn the simple illustration of Maison Kammerzell. 

This image is actually not how the building looked in 1427. A cheese merchant acquired the property in 1571. He kept the original stone ground floor and added 3 more stories. The ornate timber-work came later. A grocer named Kammerzelle owned in the 19th century and gave the building its current name. 

Surrounded by Surprises

We were the first guests seated in our little room. I took advantage and popped up to study our cozy space before others arrived.

There were splendid surprises everywhere I looked. The wooden light fixture above us, displayed carved fish!

We had our own little piece of Leo's art, right beside our table.

A horse and wagon scene. Were all the paintings showing us what we might see in Strasbourg, in 1905?

Cheers!

We didn't attempt to engage with our busy waiter. We did try to place our order in French and then we enjoyed a toast to the fairytale setting.

I was especially excited to add a special toast to the glass bottle windows, right behind me! How many bottle bottoms in this entire building!

​Our Alsatian Feast

​Don and I waited for our Alsatian dishes to arrive, with no big expectations. I had read a lot of whiny reviews about service and food, so we were just along for the ride... enjoying the atmosphere and happy to taste food from the region.

My dish had a long name. Fricassee de Volaille facon et Coq au Riesling, Spatzle Sautes au Beurre. My chicken and spatzle photo doesn't look as appetizing as it was. Pearl onions, mushrooms and some kind of crouton. The chicken flavor was very nice. No complaints.

Les Choucroutes Baumann ​

​Don went with one of the Alsatian sauerkraut and pork specialties. I had to chuckle when I saw his meats piled high on a bed of sauerkraut!

When I looked at Don's plate I cringed at his pink meats, 2 bland potatoes and a pickle. 

Don is always much braver than me when it comes to meat in general. But I showed him how daring I was, when I gave his blood sausage a try. (it was not a pickle) 

Quick Adventure

After giving our dinner a decent amount of attention, I was ready for the powder room. Really, I just wanted to explore! I headed down the wild staircase.

I peered into a room that showed more bottle glass and a wonderful door with impressive hardware.

I stuck my nose in one of the many dining rooms. Who were all these people? Tourists? From where? I heard no English.

I admired the frescoes for a moment, then grinned to myself. We definitely had been seated in the coziest room!

​Modern Ladies Room

I eventually found the updated  powder room.  

A totally different style of art! Surely this was not Leo's work.

I snapped a photo of the backs & rocks scene, then headed for the climb.

More Celebs

On the stairs I was happy to recognize President Macron and a waving Pope! I'm afraid I don't know which. I should though. I've actually (by odd luck) seen 3 different popes in person. In my memory, each is waving just like this photo.

There were a few more I recognized, like Winston Churchill, in 1942. I'm afraid I never laid eyes on him.

I continued up the stone staircase, heading back to Don... 

Who waited patiently in our cozy dining room, now filled with diners.

Just Right

Before heading off, we decided to reward ourselves with a sweet treat.  

3 yummy scoops of ice cream. Salted caramel, cinnamon and vanilla. Topped with a light meringue. Perfect!

Looking Up

It was just after 9 when we stepped outside, into the 40-degree drizzle.

I looked up and wondered which window was the one near our table.

We headed back towards our hotel, glancing back one last time, at the historic building beside the towering cathedral. 

What a perfect time to have visit Strasbourg, with the Christmas Market and festive atmosphere!

But next time, let it be summer! I want to stay in that historic Kammerzell Hotel and dine at the patio tables, on a balmy evening!
​