Deda, one of Shanghai's oldest restaurants serving Western food, is reluctant to abandon its classic dishes despite rising pressure from competitors.

A reminder of Shanghai's heyday in the 1930s, Red House once enjoyed a reputation like no other restaurant in the city.

The 74-year-old redbrick building stood as an attraction and synonym of superb Western or French food. Its baked clams a la maison, grilled mustard pork, French onion soup au gratin and Italian cassata were just a few of the signature dishes relished by locals as well as celebrities and state leaders.

The restaurant was once frequented by Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang and Eileen Chang, the Chinese novelist best known for "Lust, Caution". Many powerful state leaders including Liu Shaoqi and Zhou Enlai also patronized the place.

But like many state-owned companies and restaurants, poor management and service as well as increasing competition from foreign-funded Western restaurants forced Red House to degenerate into a second-class eatery over the past three decades.

Amid a rough estimate of 1,600 Western restaurants now in Shanghai, painful battles to revive Red House's past glory and that of other formerly celebrated Western food restaurants are now under way.

But the process is not easy. Most of these restaurants' appeal depends on their reputation and traditional staple foods, an appeal that makes innovation, change and ultimately their ability to remain competitive that much more difficult.

"They rely on nostalgia," said Shi Yiming, head chef at the luxury Jin Jiang Tower and referee of numerous culinary contests. "The quality of the food is okay, but the presentation and raw ingredients they use do not cut it when compared to a five-star hotel."

Red House on Huaihai Road once attracted many celebrities and state leaders with its superb French food.