Best British Pub
The Blue Anchor
804 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach
561-272‑7272, Theblueanchor.com
Owned by a true Brit, Lee Harrison, The Blue Anchor serves above-average food, and the elbow-to-elbow crowd at the bar always makes room for a serious drinker or raconteur. But the establishment becomes downright intriguing once you’re clued in to its history. The pub’s exterior dates back to London circa 1864. From Chancery Lane to Atlantic Avenue, the paneling, stained-glass windows and dark-oak doors were shipped over piece-by-piece in 1996. Legend has it Winston Churchill passed through the pub’s doors many a time and the ghost of a young woman named Berth Starkey, who was stabbed by a jealous husband, made the trip across the Atlantic and continues to haunt the venue.
