We took a tour of a new 1950s-inspired fine dining restaurant in west Fort Worth
An evening at The Mont feels modern, yet timeless, with its contemporary atmosphere, 1950s-inspired decor, glamorous views and rhythmic service. It can be whatever you want it to be.
From the minds of co-owners Jason Cross and Jeff Payne, and culinary director Michael Artis, The Mont is a mid-century modern restaurant with contemporary American cuisine. The new establishment opened Aug. 7 in the Montserrat neighborhood of southwest Fort Worth.
The star-Telegram took a tour of the restaurant the first week of August. Here’s what we saw.
What The Mont looks like
A wall decked with windows gives a view of tree tops, which is a hard find in planar Fort Worth. But the restaurant interior, designed by Fort Worth firm Maven, speaks for itself.
The green and white waved floors lead you into a sparkling, velvet-upholstered dining room. Every pink booth, animal-printed chair, green marbled table and gold lamp matches the retro yet timeless and modern feel of the mid-century modern restaurant.
The menu rotates with the seasons. The goal is to curate an environment where Fort Worthians can find their familiar favorites, made exceptionally, Artis said.
Diners can book their reservations now. But before you go, here’s a look inside the newest fine dining restaurant in Fort Worth.
How did The Mont start?
The Mont came to be out of chance. Originally, Cross and his team were looking for a space for their Mexican restaurant, Beverly’s, that will soon occupy the basement of the iconic Hogan Building at 901 Houston St. in downtown Fort Worth. However, their vision for that restaurant is a dimmer, natural cave atmosphere that the light, airy Mont building wouldn’t quite capture.
Cross stopped by the vacant 5,314 square foot space on St. Amand Circle. The lot spoke to him.
“It was a shell, just dirt floor, and I looked out and saw the view,” Cross said. “It was a space that moved us. We felt inspired and felt like it would be a great setting to give [customers] an experience.”
Though Montserrat neighborhood talk, Cross knew the residents were looking for a good hangout spot. Just as Cross discovered this space and transformed it into his vision, he hopes customers at The Mont will do the same and make it their own.
“If they come in and want to just sit back and enjoy wonderful things and experience what we provide, then that’s great,” said Cross. “But if somebody wants to come in and have a wonderful night out and dress up, then we fit them all.”
The name came from the developing process. Trey Edwards, the developer working with Cross, kept calling it “The Mont.” The name stuck.
How to spend a night at The Mont
Culinary director Artis told the Star-Telegram how he would spend a night at The Mont. For those who want to take in the full experience, here’s a little guide from the brains behind the production.
“I would come in and sit down, ideally my wife and I,” said Artis. “The first thing we’ll do is probably order a cocktail each.”
The Mont serves seasonal amuse-bouche or a quick bite to get the palate going. Artis says the quick bite and cocktail are a great way to get the snacking-grazing experience going.
“If the cocktail is done, I’d probably move on to a really nice table wine that’s very light and clean as we are chatting, getting comfy and cozy, getting acclimated to everything,” Artis said.
The Mont also serves seasonal bread as its own course as a way for guest’s tastebuds to enjoy a seamless experience.
“This is sort of two worlds of thought– some people like their own entrees. When we dine out, we always order a couple to share, which I always think that’s the best way to see the most at a restaurant,” Artis said.
“After a few entrees and maybe a couple sides, I’d probably be switching to bubbles to wrap up the latter end of the dining experience,” he said.
The Mont also serves a seasonal sorbet as a palate cleanser: “a pre-dessert surprise.”
“And dessert. You know, ideally for me, I’d get an after dinner pour, maybe that’s a scotch. We offer some really wonderful sipping rums. And then a couple desserts again to share and just enjoy that,” Artis said.
If guests prefer coffee as their after-dinner pour, The Mont serves coffee with little cookies to graze, dunk and sip.
Finally, “We have these little takeaways to take with you as well. So you get a little loaf of some sort. And the idea, of course, is that tomorrow morning when you brew your coffee, you can have a little crumb cake or something with coffee.”
Artis and Cross hope guests can come to The Mont, focus on themselves and have a great time. Even during the nastiest part of the night, the bill, servers bring little candies for guests to snack on.
Sneak off to Fort Worth’s The Mont
The Mont is located at 4729 St. Amand Circle in Fort Worth. They are open daily from 4 to 10 p.m. Dinner service does not start until 5 p.m., but the bar is open for the first hour.
Cross and Payne bring decades of restaurant experience from Cousins BBQ and Uncle Julio’s Mexican Restaurant. Beverly’s is another endeavor that is supposed to open in late 2025.
Culinary director Artis has worked in Florida, Maine, Chicago and Houston. Before The Mont, he worked as culinary director at The Beast and Company, a now-closed fine-dining restaurant on Magnolia.
The executive chef at The Mont is Michael Duff, previous executive chef at Eddy V’s seafood restaurant in Fort Worth’s West 7th Entertainment District.
This story was originally published August 8, 2025 at 11:52 AM.