Food pub · Winscales, Workington Open daily
Food 11.45am–8pm · bar open later
Winscales · Workington · West Cumbria
Proper food. A proper welcome.
Hearty pub classics, Sunday roasts and good company. Join us at Oily’s for a family lunch, a catch-up with friends or a leisurely meal after exploring West Cumbria.
Christmas Day lunch is now fully booked — thank you! Party nights and the Christmas Fayre menu still have tables.
Kitchen
Sunday
Roasts & lunch
Served 11.45am–8pm
Find us
Winscales, CA14 4JG
On the A595, Workington
Welcome to Oily’s
Food, family, and a proper feed.
Oily’s opened in June 2008 with a simple idea: a family pub where the food is the point. Behind the white render and black timber is a kitchen that’s been drawing people across West Cumbria ever since.
Today it’s still exactly what a food pub should be — somewhere for a slab of steak pie, a Sunday roast or the mixed grill people drive over for, whether you’re five minutes away or touring the Western Lakes.
Discover the story of Oily’s
The legend of Oily Johnnies
Come for the food. Stay for the legend.
A landmark with a story to tell
From the Royal Oak to Oily Johnnies.
An inn has stood on this site since at least the mid-1860s, when Ordnance Survey maps record the Royal Oak at Winscales. Local tradition says a later landlord, James Kirkpatrick, sold paraffin from a shed beside the inn — earning him the nickname “Oily Johnnie”, a name the pub itself would carry. Relaunched as Oily’s in 2008, it keeps more than 150 years of local character alive.
- 1864–66Ordnance Survey mapping records the Royal Oak Inn at Winscales
- 1879Distington ironworks opens at Lillyhall, and the rural community begins to change
- One day…Landlord James Kirkpatrick sells paraffin beside the inn and becomes “Oily Johnnie” — so says local tradition
- By 2005The pub is officially known as Oily Johnnies
- 2007“The Legend of Oily Johnnies” is painted across the building
- 2008A new chapter begins as Oily’s
Photographs: the inn in its earlier days.
Did you work at the Royal Oak, Oily Johnnies or Oily’s — or have an old photograph, menu or newspaper cutting? We’d love to hear from you.
From the kitchen
Plates people drive over for.
All cooked here, all photographed here — Sunday roasts with proper gravy, the famous prawn salad, and homemade puddings worth saving room for.
Inside Oily’s
Warm inside, whatever the weather.
Oak beams, exposed stone and deep leather seats — the dining room has had the same care as the kitchen, with room for two or twenty-two.
At the bar: Beavertown Neck Oil, Moretti and Cruzcampo on tap, a back shelf that takes its rum seriously, and wines by the glass.
Since 2008
Eighteen years at the heart of West Cumbria.
What started as one chef’s pub at Winscales has become a destination — rated among the area’s best places to eat, supplied by Graham’s of Middletown for potatoes and Seascale for milk and cream, and still run the same way: cook it properly, serve it generously.
Come and eat 2008 the year Oily’s opened its doors at Winscales
4.5 rated by more than 1,300 diners across Tripadvisor and Google
7 days a week — kitchen 11.45am–8pm, bar open later
2026 Restaurant Guru — best atmosphere in Workington
Restaurant Guru 2026 Best service Two nods from Restaurant Guru in 2026 — best atmosphere in Workington, and best service. Straight on the wall.
Stay next door
Eat well. Sleep well.
Oily’s sits alongside Lillyhall Lodge Retreat — comfortable lodges minutes from the coast and the western fells, with Oily’s kitchen a short stroll across the way.
Check lodge availabilityAvailability and booking handled by the lodge retreat — link opens their booking site.
The beer garden
Fell views with your pint.
Benches on the grass, the Western Lakes on the horizon and the lodges a few steps away — on a good day there’s nowhere better in West Cumbria to lose an afternoon.
Meet the neighbours
The donkeys, the pigs and the Highland cows live right by the garden — the walk round before pudding is part of the visit, and kids never say no.
Good to know
Questions, answered.
Do I need to book a table?
Walk-ins are always welcome when there’s space, but we’d recommend booking — especially for weekends, Sunday lunch and party sizes of six or more. You can book online in under a minute, or call 01900 403142.
When is food served?
The kitchen is open 11.45am to 8pm, seven days a week, and on Sundays the roasts run right through — no cut-off if you arrive late afternoon. The bar stays open later for drinks.
Are dogs welcome?
Yes — Oily’s is dog friendly. Well-behaved dogs are welcome, and there’s usually a water bowl by the door.
Is Oily’s family friendly?
Very — we’re a family pub first. Children are welcome all day, high chairs are available, and the animals next door are a five-minute adventure between courses.
Is there parking?
Yes — free parking on site, right outside the door, with plenty of space.
Can we meet the animals?
Yes! Our resident miniature donkeys, Highland cows, Kune Kune pigs, chickens and ducks live in the paddocks right by the beer garden — the walk round is free and kids never say no.
What about allergies and dietary requirements?
Tell us when you book or order and the kitchen will look after you — there are vegetarian dishes on every menu, and our team can talk you through allergen information for any dish.
Can we stay over?
The lodges at Lillyhall Lodge Retreat are right next door — minutes from the coast and the fells, with Oily’s kitchen a short stroll away. See the Stay section for details.
Come and see us
Book a table
Your table is waiting.
Book online for instant confirmation, straight into the kitchen’s diary. For larger groups or private functions, call the team and we’ll help arrange your visit.