Some of the best coffees i've had have been from very ordinary cafes whilst i lived in Madrid. Nothing fancy, just a decent coffee served in a small cup with a small amount of milk and they are CHEAP.
The coffees from Starbuck et al are usually just milky rubbish and when you can taste the coffee it usually just tastes burnt. I try and get a double expresso with a splash of milk, can't stand the pint of milk and froth they shove on top.