My boyfriend and I visited Haidilao (Xidan branch) this afternoon and we were pleasantly surprised by their staff who were not only friendly but attentive! The waitress could tell we weren't local (what with my poor Chinese) so she explained the menu thoroughly and that we have the option of ordering half portions since there were only two of us.
(Tips: they offer soups that come without the spices/ingredients so you don't have to pick them out later, like my boyfriend did with his chilli soup)
Food was fresh and soup was tasty, though we came out smelling like hot pot! That's just part and parcel of dining at hot pot restaurants, I guess. All in all, a great dining experience - best we had so far in Beijing!