Auberge Collection brings Café Boulud to Mayflower Inn & Spa

Auberge Collection is launching an exclusive culinary residency with chef Daniel Boulud at Mayflower Inn & Spa in Washington, Connecticut, starting this July and running through the end of 2026. The partnership adds a new Café Boulud menu in the Garden Room, plus dishes in the Tap Room and a ticketed launch event, as Auberge looks to elevate the property’s dining program.

Why it matters: - The partnership gives Mayflower Inn & Spa a new signature restaurant concept from one of the best-known names in French fine dining. - The move expands Auberge Collection’s food-and-beverage push at a property that already markets itself as a luxury dining and wellness destination. - Guests get a more formal, chef-driven option in the Garden Room and more accessible Café Boulud dishes in the Tap Room.

What happened: - Auberge Collection announced an exclusive culinary partnership and residency with chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud at Mayflower Inn & Spa, Auberge Collection. - Café Boulud will move into The Garden Room at the Washington, Connecticut, property. - The residency begins in July and continues through the remainder of 2026. - The partnership includes menu additions in the Tap Room and an exclusive ticketed launch event with Boulud.

The details: - The Garden Room will debut a new menu curated by Boulud. - Menu items include Chilled Corn Velouté with Maine Lobster, Open Faced Ravioli with Eggplant, Wild Mushroom Risotto with Summer Truffle, Tournedos Rossini, and Île Flottante with Peach and Verbena. - Café Boulud at the Mayflower will be open Thursdays through Saturdays from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the Garden Room. - Dinner service will offer 2-course meals for $95 per person, 3-course meals for $125 per person, and 6-course meals for $170 per person. - Café Boulud will serve lunch daily from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. - Café Boulud favorites will also be available daily in the Tap Room from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. - Boulud said the partnership gives him a chance to create a seasonal dining experience that celebrates the region’s ingredients. - Marco Bustamante, vice president of food and beverage at Auberge Collection, said the deal reflects the company’s commitment to extraordinary dining experiences tied to each destination. - Boulud is founder of The Dinex Group and has built an international restaurant portfolio spanning New York City, other U.S. locations, Toronto, Montreal, Singapore, Dubai, The Bahamas, Riyadh and Hong Kong. - Boulud’s Michelin-starred restaurants include Restaurant Daniel, Le Pavillon, Jōji and Café Boulud at Maison BARNES. - Boulud can be followed on Instagram @danielboulud. - More information is available on the Mayflower Inn website and Auberge Collection’s website.

Between the lines: - The residency extends Auberge Collection’s strategy of using recognizable culinary brands to sharpen the identity of individual properties. - Mayflower Inn & Spa already leans on New England fine dining, so Café Boulud gives the property a more visible national brand without changing its luxury-country-retreat positioning. - The Tap Room additions suggest Auberge wants the partnership to touch more than one venue, not just the main dining room.

What's next: - Café Boulud service is scheduled to start this summer and continue through year-end 2026. - The ticketed launch event is expected to introduce the partnership publicly at the property. - Auberge Collection will likely use the residency to refresh the Mayflower’s broader culinary program across the inn.