Testing the senses in Shanghai to find China's best antitourism and off-beat secrets. Dry and sometimes funny observations from a fixed gear roller, food eater and photograph taker.

Hidden above the tourism epicentre that is People’s Square, Kathleen’s 5 looks down on the trees (and up at the giant screens) from atop the fusty Shanghai Art Museum. The signs lead you to a seemingly steam-driven lift, up a flight of stairs and through a couple of old-school corridors before emerging on to the building’s decked rooftop, twinkling bar, chinking glasses and somehow piped-in sensation of exclusivity.

We’re shown to a seat by more than eager and slightly too loud staff who promptly leave us for half an hour (go figure) to read the short menu three times and soak in the view.

I’ve never seen a sausage made of seafood before. There’s a reason for that and Kathleen is no exception. The goat’s cheese cannelloni was a far better choice, lightly balancing two ingredients our china dwelling western palettes crave for once in a while.

Perhaps the western-itch was why I made the second faux pas of the evening by ordering the beef fillet. As Tomeats always says, ‘never get the steak. (unless of course you’re in a steak house or Les Trois Garcons) It was precisely as average as it could be, cooked medium, smothered in peas, bacon, mushrooms etc and not even served with chips. The winner went to a simple mascarpone risotto. I see a trend here.

With a good bottle of red or two and some heightened powers deduction, I managed to salvage the evening with a somehow yoghurt-modified cheesecake and biscuit Florentine – unique and worthy. The verdict, skip supper and impress a date with dessert at the bar.

5th Floor, Shanghai Art Museum,
325 Nanjing Xi Lu,
+ 86 21 6327 2221
http://www.kathleens5.com