The breadth of Houston’s cocktail bar scene has range, and it is only intensifying as local hospitality pros Army Sadeghi and Brandon Duliakas announced they will debut 1111 in Montrose this winter, a destination bar with major star power behind the food and room for the city’s first omakase-style mixology stations.
Set to open in December on Lower Westheimer, 1111 will be located inside a development newly revitalized by Raydon Capital, the commercial developer behind such hubs as M-K-T Heights and the Montrose Collective. Just one block from Montrose Boulevard, it will neighbor some of the neighborhood’s buzziest haunts, including Drake’s Hollywood and Uchi.
Sadhegi and Duliakas are the power duo known for opening Melrose in Montrose last year, transforming the sprawling space formerly housed by La Grange into a dynamic cocktail lounge and courtyard that seamlessly transitions from day to night. After the success of Sadhegi’s bar, Clarkwood, a fixture of the Allen Parkway corridor since it opened in 2021, it was no surprise that Melrose was one of last year’s most anticipated openings. The excitement of Houston’s introduction to 1111 will be equally so.
Like they did with Melrose, Sadhegi and Duliakas enlisted chef Emmanuel Chavez, the talent behind Houston’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Tatemo, to work hand-in-hand with them to devise the bar’s culinary program. The menu of elevated small plates and shareable options includes items like one-bite wagyu empanadas and tuna tostadas, and entrées like Contramar-style grilled whole fish with house-made mini corn tortillas and a duo of salsas.
“Chef Chavez brings unmatched precision and poetry to every plate,” Sadeghi said in a press release. “This is not bar food—it’s a culinary journey that stands shoulder to shoulder with the best restaurants in the city.”
While Chavez’s touch will undoubtedly be a major draw, the bar’s cocktail program is the main attraction. Sadhegi and Duliakas are leaning on cocktail consultants with presence in major markets to leave their mark on an evolving menu that showcases rare ingredients and house infusions.
With both Melrose and Clarkwood, Sadhegi and Duliaka proved that they have a strong penchant for design, and 1111 will reflect that same creative eye and attention to detail. The duo joined forces with a design studio to create an eye-catching space with curved plaster forms, stone textures, and immersive lighting, anchored by a cenote-inspired installation that hangs above a 26-foot bar.
Beyond serving as a main focal point for the space, the bar will be developed as a stage for omakase-style mixology stations. A collaboration with a Los Angeles-based architectural lighting studio will add to the dramatic display by creating a sculptural interplay of light and shadow that will frame each cocktail as part of the experience.
“This isn’t just a night out,” Duliakas said in the announcement. “It’s an invitation to escape into something more refined, more beautiful, more intentional.”
If the rise in omakase experiences and exclusive tasting menus around Houston in recent years is any indication, the curated cocktail sessions will be welcomed. And, as the landscape in Montrose continues to progress, it’s safe to say that nights out in one of the city’s trendiest pockets are gearing up to get better and better.
