Different coffee shops serve different purposes for different people. Some provide a quiet, cozy space akin to one’s living room, others a stylish spot to sit and gab with friends (and hopefully, air conditioning). Some provide a nice little hidden nook as respite from the noise and bustle of city life. Rainbow Coffee in Gu Lou is one of the latter.

Psychedelic seating, man.

Rainbow’s interior is, like all the other little gems we like to write about, quirky, unique and comfortable. These qualities, once a rarity in Ningbo, have become par for the course along with excellent coffee. The shop mixes traditional Tibetan elements and modern Chinese wackiness (think Yue Minjun-inspired statues and wall decorations) to create a place full of color and personality.

Jean-Michel Basquiat meets ADHD

The interior, however fun it may be, isn’t even close to the highlight of Rainbow’s décor and atmosphere. The top floor opens up to a deck that—for lack of a less overused phrase—is a wonderful little oasis right smack in the middle of the city. The deck is surrounded by plants, providing a perfect place to bathe in the shade and let an afternoon pass by over a cup of coffee (or beer, or wine). It’s not the only roof deck in Ningbo, but it’s certainly among the most alluring.

If you can’t see them, they can’t see you.

Some days demand a little time to run away and hide. Rainbow is an ideal place to accomplish that goal, and its location in one of the city’s most vibrant areas means there’s plenty to do steps away once one’s batteries, both literal and figurative, are recharged.

Run…and hide.