6 Paris Street, Exeter

Music.Coffee.Community.

An independent record shop, coffee bar and live music venue in Exeter.

Shop records What's on
Free UK delivery on all orders over £50Curated by humans in ExeterJoin the 12 bar CollectiveYour Order supports independent culture

Selected by us

We've done some of the digging for you.

Not a catalogue. A handful of records we're excited about this week — the rest is a click away.

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Record of the Month

One record.Properly loved.

This monthAir — Moon Safari

Ten songs. Forty-three minutes. Air’s Moon Safari turned vintage keyboards, soft-focus strings and imagined space travel into one of electronic music’s most enduring debut albums.

Read the story Buy the record · £29.99

Right now at 12 Bar

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The people behind the records

We're not trying to sell you every record,just the ones we love.

We're a small independent team in Exeter, obsessed with discovering brilliant music and sharing it. Everything we stock, recommend and write about starts with someone here actually listening to it.

Meet 12 Bar
Sam Tame, founder of 12 Bar Music & Social, in the record shop
Sam — founder

  1. Curated, not endless.

    We choose records we think are worth your time, rather than trying to stock everything that's ever been pressed.

  2. Real people, real recommendations.

    Tell us what you love and we'll help you find your next record — at the counter, or drop us a line.

  3. Support the scene.

    Every order helps us put artists on stage, host listening parties and keep independent music and culture going in Exeter.

People browsing records and drinking coffee inside 12 Bar, Exeter
Records all day
A singer performing to a packed room at 12 Bar, Exeter
Live music
12 Bar Music & Social in the evening, Exeter
After dark

6 Paris Street, Exeter EX1 1GA

Visit us

People seem to like it here.

Don't just take our word for it

4.8 / 5 · 100+ Google reviews

I am not sure whether to describe this as the best coffee shop, or the best bar or the best record shop in Exeter. It is probably all three.

DeborahGoogle review

It’s hard to fault 12 Bar - a real range of contemporary releases and a growing pre-loved section means the scale of temptation is high for any vinyl lover.

StuartGoogle review

Just had I think the best coffee I’ve ever had in Exeter. Great service from Francesca, a hidden gem this music café is.

SimonGoogle review

From the Journal

Digdeeper.

Stories, listening guides and rabbit holes for curious ears.

  1. Featured RecordsInside A La Altura: Meet Mexico’s Experimental Music PioneersMeet five of the musicians behind A La Altura—from Luis Pérez’s reconstructed pre-Columbian orchestra and Jorge Reyes’s ritual electronics to Ana Ruiz’s radical free jazz.
  2. Featured RecordsFeatured Record: Isaac Hayes — Hot Buttered Soul
  3. An introduction to…An introduction to... Spiritual Jazz
Read the Journal

The Sunday Dig

Good music.No algorithm.

One email a week. Records worth hearing, gigs coming up, and the things we'd tell you about if you were standing at the counter.

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