Gulu-Gulu Cafe

Gulu-Gulu Cafe

Gulu-Gulu Cafe | Café & Bar | Salem, MA

About Gulu-Gulu Cafe

Gulu-Gulu Cafe is a one-of-a-kind bohemian café-bar located at 247 Essex Street in Salem, Massachusetts — right behind the Samantha statue. Founded in 2007 by Steve Feldmann and Marie Feldmannova, who named it after the Prague café where they met, Gulu-Gulu has become one of Salem’s most beloved local institutions. Furthermore, as North Shore Magazine once put it, the cafe is more comparable to Hemingway’s Closerie des Lilas than anything else — because there is truly nothing else quite like it.

Our Experience

Nearly two decades of community presence have made Gulu-Gulu a Salem staple for locals and visitors alike. The café has earned numerous awards for its curated craft beer list and built a loyal following through its commitment to local art, live music, and genuine hospitality. Additionally, in 2024 the torch was passed to new owners Jessica and Eric Crescimano — Salem residents and service industry veterans who are committed to keeping Gulu-Gulu exactly what it has always been.

Core Offerings

• Craft beer — award-winning draft list and curated bottles and cans
• Cocktails, mocktails, cordials, and wine by the glass and bottle
• Gourmet coffee, espresso, signature lattes, and tea
• Pressed sandwiches, breakfast, salads, soups, and sweet treats
• Weekly live music, open mic nights, and karaoke
• Weekly drag brunch — Diamonds Dine-In every Sunday
• Weekly bingo nights
• Monthly featured local artist exhibitions
• Dog-friendly patio

Gulu-Gulu Cafe Food Menu

The kitchen punches well above its size. Breakfast is served until 2PM on weekdays and 4PM on weekends — featuring Belgian waffles, breakfast sandwiches, bagels, and sweet treats. The lunch and dinner menu spans pressed sandwiches and wraps, salads, soups including the signature Czech-style Gulu-Gulu Goulash, and shareable bites like spinach artichoke dip, spiced pickled eggs, and Czech marinated feta. Moreover, generous vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are woven throughout the entire menu.

The Beer & Drink Program

Gulu-Gulu’s award-winning beer program is the stuff of legend on the North Shore. The rotating draft list spans IPAs, lagers, wheats, Belgians, sours, and nitro pours from breweries across New England and beyond — with bottles and cans rounding out a selection that regularly surprises even seasoned craft beer drinkers. In addition, the cocktail menu features seasonal specials, modern classics, a dedicated espresso martini lineup, aperitivo and amaro selections, and creative mocktails for non-drinkers.

Gulu-Gulu Cafe Live Music & Events

Something is always happening at Gulu-Gulu. Weekly programming includes Thursday open mic nights with no cover, Tuesday karaoke with Maxine Harrison, Wednesday bingo with the Bingo King, and weekend live music from local and regional artists. Meanwhile, the monthly Drink n Draw brings artists and beginners together for a social creative night, and special events fill the calendar year-round.

Local Art Program

Gulu-Gulu features a rotating gallery of work by local artists throughout the year, with a new featured artist each month. The program is open to applications and reflects the café’s deep commitment to Salem’s creative community. Consequently, the walls are always worth a look — and the artists are always worth discovering.

What Makes Gulu-Gulu Cafe Special

Gulu-Gulu defies easy description — it is not a restaurant, not a bar, not a music venue, and not a coffee shop, but it is all of those things at once. The atmosphere is genuinely welcoming to everyone: solo workers, first dates, groups of friends, drag brunch devotees, beer nerds, and curious visitors. Additionally, the café’s no-reservations, first-come-first-served approach and dog-friendly patio keep the energy casual, community-driven, and refreshingly unpretentious.

Contact Gulu-Gulu Cafe

Address: 247 Essex Street, Salem, MA 01970
Phone: (978) 740-8882
Email: info@gulugulucafe.com
Website: gulugulucafe.com
Instagram: @thegulugulucafe
Facebook: gulugulucafe
TikTok: @.thegulugulucafe

Not a club, not a restaurant, not a Starbucks — Gulu-Gulu Cafe is Salem’s most beloved bohemian outpost, and there is genuinely nowhere else like it.