Alessi olive oil jug

A special table setting is not just about the plate, the glass or the cutlery. It is often the smaller details that define the atmosphere. And this is exactly the kind of detail your eye is naturally drawn to.

The reflective stainless steel, flowing shape and graceful pouring spout turn the cruet into an almost sculptural table object. It does not dominate, but it certainly gets noticed. Exactly the kind of design that gives a beautiful Extra Virgin olive oil the presentation it deserves.

Very little is left to chance in fine dining. Crockery, cutlery, glassware and linen are all part of the overall experience. It would therefore seem rather strange to place an exceptional olive oil on the table in just any old bottle.

An object like this Alessi cruet fits precisely that level of attention. It presents the oil in an elegant, understated way and almost automatically invites guests to look at it, pick it up and pour the olive oil themselves.

Alessi began in 1921 in Omegna, northern Italy, as a metalworking workshop. Over more than a century, the family business grew into one of the best-known names in Italian design.

The Alessi philosophy is unusual: an everyday object does not have to be purely practical. It may also surprise, have character and create emotion. That is why Alessi likes to describe itself as the Dream Factory.

At Alessi, the designer is never simply a name in small print on the packaging. The design itself is an essential part of the product. Taste-huile was designed by Lorenzo Piccione di Pianogrillo and Köbi Wiesendanger.

The rounded form, long pouring spout and elegant leaf-like base almost flow together in a single movement. As a result, the cruet feels much more like a small sculptural table object than a traditional olive oil jug.

Over the years Alessi has worked with hundreds of leading architects and designers. Names such as Ettore Sottsass, Richard Sapper, Achille Castiglioni, Alessandro Mendini, Michael Graves, Philippe Starck and Zaha Hadid all form part of that history.

That explains why so many Alessi objects are recognisable without even seeing the logo. The shape already tells the story.

With a capacity of 5.3 cl, this cruet is deliberately small. It is designed to present and pour a limited amount of beautiful olive oil elegantly at the table.

Think of a good olive oil with bread, a refined Extra Virgin olive oil with a starter or simply a beautiful finishing oil that guests can dose themselves at the table.

That is exactly what Alessi does so well. It turns a practical object into something that gives pleasure before you have even used it. And at a beautifully laid table, that matters.

Of course there are cheaper olive oil cruets. Much cheaper ones, in fact. But with Alessi, that is a little like saying a plastic garden chair is perfectly good for sitting on. Technically, that is true. Yet something is missing. Here you are not simply buying a cruet, but a distinctive design that adds something every time it appears on the table.

Alessi article code PW01. Designed by Lorenzo Piccione di Pianogrillo and Köbi Wiesendanger.

It belongs on the table. Beside beautiful tableware, good glassware and, of course, an exceptional Extra Virgin olive oil. At home for a dinner where you want to do something a little special, but certainly also in a restaurant where attention to detail is part of the guest experience. Small, elegant, unmistakably Alessi and just extravagant enough.