There's a particular kind of anxiety that comes with setting a beautiful table outdoors. The right glasses, the right pitcher — Mario Luca Giusti solves this problem entirely.
Founded in Florence, Mario Luca Giusti produces synthetic crystal tableware that looks and feels indistinguishable from fine glass — the same weight, the same clarity, the same catch of light — but is virtually unbreakable. It's become the go-to choice for anyone who takes their outdoor entertaining seriously: from Tuscan villas to English garden terraces, from superyacht decks to Cotswolds lunch tables.
This guide covers everything in the Mario Luca Giusti range at Barnbury — every collection, every use case, and everything you need to know before buying.
Quick answer: The best starting point for most people is the Dolce Vita wine glass — available in seven colours, priced at £24 each, and the piece that best demonstrates what synthetic crystal can do.
Mario Luca Giusti Collection Overview
Collection
Type
Price
Best For
Dolce Vita
Wine glasses, water glasses, flutes
£24 each
Everyday outdoor dining, gifting
Super Milly
Tumblers
£26 each
Long drinks, poolside, entertaining
Roberta
Pitchers
£85 each
Table centrepiece, summer entertaining
Palla
Pitchers
£70 each
Cocktails, water, outdoor lunches
Pallina
Small pitcher
£65 each
Cocktails & smaller tables
Antartica
Bottle holders/coolers
£125 each
Wine service, statement pieces
About Mario Luca Giusti: Italian Design, Reinvented
Mario Luca Giusti set out to answer a deceptively simple question: why should outdoor entertaining mean compromising on style? Fine crystal is beautiful but fragile. Plastic is unbreakable but charmless. His solution — synthetic crystal, engineered to the weight, clarity and brilliance of real glass — has become one of the most imitated concepts in luxury tableware.
Each piece is designed in Florence and manufactured to exacting standards, using BPA-free materials that are temperature resistant, freezable, and safe around water. The colour palette — from classic clear and amber to vivid turquoise, ruby and royal blue — is one of the collection's defining signatures. A Mario Luca Giusti table doesn't just cope with the outdoors; it celebrates it.
The Collections, Reviewed
Dolce Vita — The Signature Collection
Dolce Vita is the heart of the Mario Luca Giusti range — a complete set of wine glasses, water glasses and flutes available in seven colours: Ruby, Grey, Green, Clear, Blue, Amber and Turquoise. The silhouette is classic and refined, with a stem that feels substantial in the hand and a bowl that catches the light exactly as crystal should.
At £24 per glass, Dolce Vita sits at a price point where buying a full set of six or eight feels genuinely achievable — and where replacing the occasional breakage (they're tough, but not indestructible) doesn't cause anxiety.
Wine glass: The most popular piece in the collection. Works equally well for red and white. Available in all seven colours.
Water glass: Slightly taller and wider — doubles as a large wine glass.
Flute: Elegant and genuinely flute-shaped — not a compromise. Perfect for prosecco on a summer terrace.
Best for: Garden lunches, outdoor dinner parties, pool tables, gifting sets
Super Milly Tumblers — Best for Casual Entertaining
The Super Milly is Mario Luca Giusti's tumbler — shorter, wider and more relaxed than the Dolce Vita glasses. It's the right choice for poolside drinks, casual lunches, or any occasion where stemware feels slightly too formal. The slightly heavier base gives it a solid, quality feel that cheaper acrylic tumblers completely lack.
Available in Green, Clear, Turquoise, Amber and Blue at £26 each.
Best for: Casual outdoor drinks, poolside, children's use, cocktails on ice
Colours available: Green, Clear, Turquoise, Amber, Blue
The Roberta is the most sculptural piece in the Mario Luca Giusti range — a tall, elegant pitcher with a gently curved form that looks as good on a table as it does in use. It's large enough to serve a table of six and striking enough to act as a centrepiece in its own right. Available in Turquoise, Blue and Green at £85.
Best for: Summer entertaining, table centrepieces, water service, Pimm's or sangria
Where the Roberta is tall and refined, the Palla is rounder and more exuberant — a wide-bodied pitcher that feels festive and generous on the table. The spherical form is one of Mario Luca Giusti's most recognisable shapes and looks particularly striking in the Orange and Green colourway. Available in Orange/Green, Green and Clear at £70.
Best for: Cocktails, garden parties, colourful table settings
The Pallina is a smaller version of the Palla — ideal for smaller tables, dressings and sauces, or as a companion piece to the larger Palla. The Blue and Green colourway is one of the most eye-catching in the entire collection. At £65 it's also an excellent gift for anyone who already has the glasses.
Antartica Bottle Holders — Best Statement Piece for Wine Service
The Antartica is the most impressive piece in the range — a sculptural bottle holder and cooler that doubles as a genuine design object. The faceted surface catches the light dramatically, and the clear version in particular looks almost indistinguishable from cut crystal. At £125, it's a considered purchase — but one that makes an immediate impression on a table.
Best for: Wine service, statement table styling, superyacht or high-end outdoor entertaining
The colour palette is one of Mario Luca Giusti's great joys — and one of the hardest decisions. A few pointers:
Clear is the most versatile and the easiest to mix with other tableware. It reads as pure crystal and suits every table setting from casual to formal.
Amber is warm and autumnal — works beautifully with natural linen, wooden tables, and earthy tones. Our most popular colour at Barnbury alongside Ruby.
Ruby is vivid and celebratory — perfect for summer lunches and Mediterranean-style table settings. Striking in the Dolce Vita wine glass.
Turquoise is the most holiday-evoking colour in the range — immediately transports a table to somewhere warm. Works best at outdoor lunches in strong sunlight.
Green is fresh and botanical — pairs well with garden settings and natural greenery. The Roberta pitcher in green is particularly good.
Blue is cool and coastal — excellent for nautical settings or anyone who wants a more restrained, sophisticated palette.
Grey is the most understated option — suits formal or monochrome table settings where you want the synthetic crystal quality without the colour.
How to Build a Mario Luca Giusti Table Setting
The range is designed to mix — you don't need to match every piece in the same colour. In fact, mixing works better. A few approaches that work well:
The Tonal Table: Pick two colours in the same family — Amber and Clear, or Turquoise and Green — and mix them across glasses, tumblers and pitcher. Looks considered rather than matchy.
The Bold Table: Choose one vivid colour — Ruby, Turquoise or Royal Blue — for the glasses and keep everything else neutral. The glasses do the work.
The Mediterranean Table: Mix Blue, Green and Turquoise freely. Pair with white linen and terracotta for an Amalfi Coast effect.
The Classic Table: Clear glasses throughout, with an Amber or Green pitcher as the single colour accent. The most formal option and the easiest to get right.
Mario Luca Giusti Care Guide
Synthetic crystal is resilient but not indestructible — and a few simple care steps will keep it looking its best for years.
Hand wash only. The dishwasher will cloud the surface over time. A quick wash in warm soapy water is all that's needed.
Use neutral detergent. Avoid anything containing aluminium or metal protection agents, which can discolour the surface.
Rinse drinks promptly. Coffee, tea, red wine and dairy can leave a residue if left overnight. Rinse or wash shortly after use.
Temperature range. Safe from -10°C to 50°C — freezable, and suitable for cold drinks in direct sunlight. Not for microwave use.
Storage. Avoid prolonged exposure to high heat and humidity, which can affect clarity over time.
Buying Mario Luca Giusti in the UK
Barnbury is an Official UK Stockist of Mario Luca Giusti, with the full collection available online and in our Chelsea showroom at 114–116 Fulham Road, SW3 6HU. We also carry a selection at our Cotswolds showroom in Winchcombe — where the range looks particularly at home.
All UK orders over £50 qualify for free delivery. For advice on building a table setting or buying a gift, email us at shop@barnbury.com or visit us in store.
Not entirely — Mario Luca Giusti describe their pieces as highly resistant rather than unbreakable. They will survive almost all the everyday accidents that would shatter real glass — drops on stone, knocks on hard surfaces, being tipped over — but a direct, forceful impact can still cause damage. In practical terms, they're robust enough to use without anxiety in almost any outdoor setting.
Does Mario Luca Giusti feel like real glass?
Yes, noticeably so — this is the most common reaction from customers who handle the pieces for the first time. The weight is comparable to crystal glassware, the surface has genuine clarity, and the light catch is remarkably close to real glass. Cheaper acrylic tableware feels hollow and lightweight by comparison.
Can I put Mario Luca Giusti in the dishwasher?
Mario Luca Giusti recommend hand washing to preserve clarity and colour over time. The dishwasher won't cause immediate damage, but repeated dishwasher cycles will gradually cloud the surface. Hand washing in warm soapy water takes seconds and keeps the pieces looking new.
What is the best Mario Luca Giusti piece for gifting?
A set of four or six Dolce Vita wine glasses in a single colour makes an excellent gift — it's immediately useful, visually striking, and suits almost any recipient who entertains outdoors. The Roberta pitcher is a strong alternative for someone who already has the glasses.
Are Mario Luca Giusti glasses BPA free?
Yes — all Mario Luca Giusti synthetic crystal is BPA free, tasteless and odourless. They are safe for use with food and drink.
What is the difference between the Dolce Vita wine glass and water glass?
The wine glass has a smaller bowl on a shorter stem — designed for wine service. The water glass is taller and slightly wider — it doubles well as a large wine glass, or soft drinks or juice. Both are available in the same seven colours at the same price.
Which Mario Luca Giusti colour is most popular?
At Barnbury, Transparent and green are consistently our most popular colours — classic and immediately evocative of summer entertaining. Clear is the most versatile. Turquoise is the most eye-catching in direct sunlight.
Can Mario Luca Giusti be used indoors?
Absolutely — the collection works beautifully indoors, particularly for informal dining, kitchen suppers, or anyone with young children or boisterous dogs. The visual quality is high enough that many customers use their Mario Luca Giusti pieces as their everyday glassware year-round.
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