About Gulu-Gulu Café & Bar
Salem’s Bohemian Coffeehouse & Craft Beer Bar
Welcome to Gulu-Gulu Cafe, Salem’s favorite bohemian outpost. Located right behind the Samantha statue on Essex Street, we are a quirky, independent artisan sandwich shop, craft beer bar, and community gathering space.
Whether you’re an artist looking for locally brewed coffee, a young professional seeking the best draft beer list in Salem, or a visitor craving our famous sweet and savory crepes, you’ll find your spot here. We aren’t just a restaurant, and we certainly aren’t a corporate coffee chain. We are Salem’s living room.
Our Story: From a Cafe in Prague to a Salem Staple
The Gulu-Gulu story begins over 4,000 miles away. Founders Marie Feldmannova and Steve Feldmann first met in a cozy, eccentric cafe in Prague called Gulu Gulu. Inspired by the warm, artistic culture of European coffeehouses, they decided to bring that exact feeling back home.
Steve and Marie opened the first Gulu-Gulu Cafe in Lynn in 2005. In 2007, they found their true home in Salem, MA, growing the cafe into a North Shore institution praised by Zagat for its “endearing boho vibe.”
The Next Chapter: Jessica and Eric Crescimano
In 2024, Steve and Marie passed the torch to another local couple, Jessica and Eric Crescimano. As service industry veterans – Jessica running the back of house and Eric running the front – they were longtime fans and regulars of the cafe before taking the helm.
Today, Jessica and Eric are dedicated to keeping Gulu-Gulu exactly what it has always been: an eclectic, inclusive, arty space where locals can hang out and visitors can experience genuine Salem hospitality.
The Vibe: Art, Music, and Craft Culture
At Gulu-Gulu Cafe, we believe in feeding both the body and the soul. We’ve designed a space that strikes the perfect balance between a lively neighborhood pub and a laid-back, late-night college library.
- Live Local Music & Art: Our walls and stage are dedicated to Salem’s creative community. We regularly host local bands, singer-songwriters, and performance artists, and you can always view local artists’ work on our walls.
- The Menu: We are proud to serve a wholesome, veggie-friendly assortment of soups and artisan sandwiches, alongside a variety of gluten-free and vegan options. But our crown jewel is our expansive crepe menu, featuring both sweet and savory fillings made to order.
- The Drink List: We pour hard-to-come-by craft beers you won’t find anywhere else, pull the perfect espresso martinis, and serve exceptional, locally roasted coffee.
Visit Us in Downtown Salem
Whether you’re looking to get some work done, read a book, or meet up with friends, we’re here for you. Say hello to Jessica, Eric, and our, dedicated staff – and keep an eye out for our official mascot dogs on the patio!
Gulu-Gulu Cafe Quick Facts:
- Location: 247 Essex St, Salem, MA 01970 (Right behind the Samantha statue).
- Vibe: Casual, artsy, and welcoming.
- Pets: Our outdoor patio is fully dog-friendly! (Inside is reserved for ADA Service Animals only).
- Seating: We do not take reservations. To keep service smooth, we cannot accommodate single parties over 6 people, but we are happy to split large groups when possible.
Recalling the inspiration drawn from that Prague Cafe, Feldmann notes, “When we first started out, I don’t think people knew what to make of us. We have music, but we aren’t a club, we have food, but we aren’t really a restaurant, and when people used to say ‘cafe,’ they would think Starbucks. We definitely aren’t Starbucks.” … Gulu Gulu is more comparable to Hemingway’s Closerie des Lilas.
North Shore Magazine
This popular coffeehouse teems with a motley mix of crunchy artists and trendy young professionals. Salem’s endearing boho vibe is captured through the focus on visual and performance art, … while local bands and singer-songwriters play [throughout the week]. And there’s pure art in the food, which focuses on a wholesome, veggie-friendly assortment of soups, sandwiches and – most delightful of all – an expansive crepe menu of sweet and savory fillings.
Zagat
The mixture of the right amount of distraction, a dash of free wifi, a pinch of good vibes, and a sprinkle of freedom between coffee, wine, tea, or classy beer provides me the perfect balance between yuppy, real world Starbucks and old feel of the laid back college library.
Young Stragglers Magazine
