529 Wellington

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Mansion with a Mission

The building at 529 Wellington Crescent has a story worth telling. Designed in 1913 by Winnipeg architect J. H. G. Russell for hardware merchant J. H. Ashdown, the grand mansion later served as a Shriner's temple before WOW Hospitality Concepts transformed it into what is now widely regarded as Winnipeg's finest steakhouse. The second floor's warren of intimate and larger dining rooms makes it equally suited to a quiet dinner for two or a private event for a crowd, while the outdoor Terrace offers a welcome alternative when Manitoba weather allows.

The Rarest Beef in Canada

The centrepiece of the experience is Canadian Prime beef — a designation awarded to less than half of the top one percent of beef produced in Canada. 529 Wellington is, by its own account, the only restaurant in the country where you'll find it consistently on the menu. The approach is deliberately personal: servers guide guests through what the restaurant calls the "Tour de Beef," walking through available cuts, preferred doneness, and the choice of sides or sauces before the kitchen takes over. The dinner menu extends well beyond the steakhouse canon — surf-and-turf combinations pair a 6 oz. tenderloin with options ranging from prosciutto-wrapped scallops to butter-basted lobster tail and king crab with béarnaise. The seafood side of the menu stands on its own too, with poached Canadian lobster tails, sushi-grade ahi tuna, and a rotating fresh catch.

The Team Behind the Kitchen

Executive Chef Fraser McLeod has been part of the 529 Wellington story since its opening, taking the head role in 2008. His background spans the University of Winnipeg, early kitchen work at WOW Hospitality, and a stint at Hy's Stanley Park in British Columbia before returning to Winnipeg. He works alongside three Red Seal Chefs, with a stated focus on teaching and consistency. On the floor, Wine Director Michael Au — a WSET Level 3-certified professional with 16 years in the industry — oversees a cellar that holds more than 17,000 bottles across over 700 selections.

A Wine List That Earned Its Stripes

When founder Doug Stephen opened 529 Wellington, his stated goal was to offer the best wine list in Canada. That ambition caught the attention of Wine Spectator, which granted the restaurant its Award of Excellence on the very first submission in 2002, and has recognised it with the superior-tier Best of Award of Excellence every year since 2003. The designation — reserved for lists with extensive vintage depth, multiple major wine regions, and strong harmony with the food menu — makes 529 Wellington the only restaurant in Manitoba, and one of a very small number in all of Canada, to hold it. For guests who take wine seriously, the list is a destination in itself.