I think glass is an expensive option especially because you would need it tempered but you can look up glass installers or mirror repair experts in your area to cut and size glass tops for you. I love the look alot more than the faux covers that top tables. But ours showed alot of smudges, rings and scratches and were more maintaince than without so now we just eat on our naked table and love it with its dings and all.

Look locally for a place which will cut glass or plexiglass to order for you (you provide the dimensions and a pattern of the scalloped ends. There are usually places like that in decent sized cities, but they do more commercial work than consumer so they don't advertise to consumers. I've done that for end tables and dresser tops that get hard use and it does really help.

With a table that large, you might want to consider several pieces of glass because one piece or glass or plexiglass will be really heavy and difficult to handle.

You will need to get plastic disks to put under the glass ever 18"-24" or so to keep the glass off the table surface and allow air to circulate under it. And if you choose this route, I recommend you move the glass circles every year or so or else you get a mark in the wood where they've been.

You would still need to have coasters for hot or cold drinks because condensation will build up under the glass/plexiglass.

For my dining room table, we bit the bullet and had stiff folding custom covers (three pieces) made. They are wood colored plastic on the top and felt on the bottom. I use them under tablecloths or whenever there's a job that I want to do on the table that might cause scratching.

Good luck figuring out your solution.

Do not put plastic disks under glass. They can permanently mar the wood.

You can also buy tabletop protectors that go under a tablecloth that are simply a thin sheet of foam you cut yourself to fit. Not as good as the stiff custom covers but better than nothing.

For the table in the breakfast room that gets so much use for purposes other than eating, I use one of the felt-backed vinyl cloths under a pretty regular tablecloth. That way I can protect my table and enjoy the way it looks. I linked one from Bed, Bath & Beyond below, but I find them at Tuesday morning and other discount places all the time for less.

Here is a link that might be useful: Table protector

The plastic disks will not hurt the veneer which is what the top has on it and why it may scratch easily. IMHO, it's more important to have the ventilation underneath to keep the glues from separating than to worry about marking the veneer.

We have had a glass top on our 36" x 60" butcher block kitchen table for over FIFTEEN YEARS now...

NEVER placed anything - no plastic disks or the like - between the surfaces.

NEVER had to use coasters for hot and cold items.

Yes, the kids and their friends had spills, but they were easy to wick out.

The glued butcher block top looks as good now as when we bought the table in 1993.

You probably have your heart set on the new table....but consider the option of looking on Craigslist if you are anywhere near a reasonably sized metro area. Dining sets are cheap as heck there (even nice ones...people move and don't want to take..or buy too big and want to sell). Use it for 5 years or so, let it get some war wounds and don't fret about it, and replace when the kids are bigger. Just an alternative.

I actually made our dining table out of an unfinished solid core interior door stained to match chairs I had. Bought legs online. Minimal cost and when the kids wreak havoc on it I'm not so bothered. It's not a nice formal dining room table though, more of a casual modern eat in kitchen table.

Polyurethane ends liquid marks from glasses and spills. Buy distressed wood top tables and dents won't be seen. This has worked for us for 20 years.