I stopped by the Starbucks about 12 after it opened. It was about 6:00pm and the line was about 40 people long, with about 6-8 of those being helped and about 15 of those outside waiting patiently.
I took a picture of prices and after looking at them, and calculating, they are about US$1 more per fru-fru drink than they are in the States.
Taste? I'm sure they still burn the shit out of their beans so that they the flavor is consistent and you don't have to worry about each batch of beans true flavor identity sneaking through the roasting process.
Cappuccinos here... basically coffee blows here. There is a coffee shop on the corner of Lavalle & Rodriguez Pena that sells a variety of high end coffee makers as well as an assortment of beans from various countries (including my preferred Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf flavor of Costa Rican Terraza). You might try here, because they tend to know what they are doing.
For best results, buy beans from the place listed above, grind within three days of using, and then make with a French Press. (Bodum is really expensive, so I recommend buying a locally made press. They are ~AR$25 at Falabella? on Calle Florida.) Then they sell these wind sock looking cloth filters that you can pour your coffee through. They can be found at DISCO and are ~AR$2.00.
It's not cappuccino, but it's a cup of coffee that tastes good, has caffeine, and isn't as thick as sludge.
suerte
