I am writing this review specifically about the Haidilao in the Hua Shang Building on Chaoyang Road (located about 1 km west of East 4th Ring Road):

I am prompted to write this review after having had one of the most attentive restaurant service experiences in my life (and that's saying something). This was my second visit to Haidilao, but the first time coming with visitors who speak less Chinese than I. We arrived on a Friday evening, and though they were very busy (as always), we were well looked after. After struggling to read the Chinese menu (there is no English menu), the English-speaking server offered us a tour of the kitchen to see the dishes in person. After being greeted by the manager, we donned hair nets and were shown refrigerator cases full of meats and racks full of vegetables, and unknown dishes were cheerfully explained to us. Our choices were marked on our order sheet, and we were led back to the waiting area. Our wait was expectedly long, but we were kept happy with plenty of drinks, snacks, and games. Once we were seated, the excellent service continued with an English-speaking staff member checking in on us every so often in addition to the other waitstaff. At one point, my glasses became fogged with the steam from the hot pot, and an eyeglass cloth deftly appeared before me on the table (reminiscent of how servers at fine restaurants keep your wine glass full without you even noticing). I can't say enough good things about the staff; everyone seemed genuinely concerned with our well-being, and their cheerful demeanor was infectious, so we couldn't help but have a good time. (And the dancing noodle show surely doesn't hurt the fun, either!) To top it off, the hostess informed us as we were leaving that it had started to rain pretty hard, and called down to her colleague at the front door to prepare single-use rain ponchos for us (which saved us a guaranteed soaking on our short walk home.) My visitors couldn't have ended their stay in Beijing on a happier note. I would already recommend Haidilao for its excellent food and reasonable prices, but the stellar people there are what make this restaurant exceptional.