Larissa Dubecki

Freelance Writer at Freelance

None at Domain

Writer. Author of Prick With a Fork. Founding member of Octogang. More gauche than droit.

Articles

This Melbourne mansion belongs in Versailles, not Canterbury

3 days ago | domain.com.au | Larissa Dubecki

By Larissa DubeckiJune 25, 2025Pro tip for exploring Shrublands: wear sensible shoes. Its jaw-dropping entrance might be worthy of Manolo Blahniks, thanks to its sweeping gravel walkway and lush blanket of lawn trimmed with classical statues, but the staggering scale of the Canterbury estate – all 6500 square metres of it – is a better fit for New Balance. However you’re dressed, few Melbourne properties do first impressions like this.
Why people are clamouring to get into Caulfield

1 week ago | domain.com.au | Larissa Dubecki

Caulfield has long been the quiet achiever of the city’s wealthy south-east. Family-sized houses on larger blocks attract people searching for space from the high-density living of St Kilda and Elwood, which means it is also inevitably becoming more hip, says Gary Peer of Gary Peer Real Estate. “Take a walk around Caufield Junction and you’ll see a great range of new cafes and restaurants.
Golden Dragon Palace in Templestowe restaurant review

1 week ago | theage.com.au | Larissa Dubecki

ReviewEating outTemplestowe LowerDim sum is as entrenched in the local DNA as a love of footy, and Golden Dragon Palace kicks plenty of goals. , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for laterAdd articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.
Heathcote: Victoria’s wine country gem with community charm

2 weeks ago | domain.com.au | Larissa Dubecki

You don’t have to be a wine buff to be enamoured of this idyllic Central Victorian town, but it helps. The epicentre of the wine region of the same name, Heathcote can be tasted in the form of its flagship shiraz gracing the shelves of bottleshops around Australia. But for an equally rich and full-bodied experience, it’s worth taking the hour and 40-minute drive up the Calder Freeway. “Heathcote is a beautiful, warm-hearted country town,” says Adrian Harris of Heathcote Real Estate.
Discover Hawthorn: Melbourne’s stylish suburb with European charm and top schools

2 weeks ago | domain.com.au | Larissa Dubecki

Hawthorn residents are a worldly bunch. They’re keen aesthetes (just look at the homewares shops clustering along Church Street), cinephiles (hello, Lido Cinema on Glenferrie Road) and avid gardeners (take a walk along its winding green streets for a lesson in horticultural trends). They can also stand up and be counted among the Melburnians who believe an annual overseas trip is a fundamental human right.
What’s next for the developer behind the reinvention of Moonee Valley Racecourse?

2 weeks ago | domain.com.au | Larissa Dubecki

For an impressive track record in urban regeneration, Hamton Property Group stands out, notably through its $3 billion joint venture redevelopment of Moonee Valley Park, delivered in partnership with Hostplus and the Moonee Valley Racing Club. Started in 2017, the mammoth project is transforming a 40-hectare site into an integrated master-planned community occupying residential “villages” set among parks and gardens, alongside a major upgrade to the iconic racecourse.
Bear’s Wine Bar in North Melbourne serves perfect potato cakes

2 weeks ago | theage.com.au | Larissa Dubecki

ReviewEating outNorth MelbourneThis warm bear hug of a venue has plenty to offer across the board, but its fate is tied to this battered snack. , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for laterAdd articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.
Give it a break - Melbourne's most ridiculed suburb is just misunderstood

3 weeks ago | domain.com.au | Larissa Dubecki

Docklands can get a bad rap, but not on Daniel Hibberd’s watch. “Contrary to popular stigma, Docklands doesn’t have its own weather patterns,” says the franchisee for Docklands’ Quest Apartment Hotels and head of the Docklands Chamber of Commerce. “Go and stand on St Kilda Beach in winter and see if the wind coming off it is warm.”Whatever criticisms Melburnians throw at the city’s 30-year urban renewal project, Hibberd has heard it all before.
12 Australian Bars Where the Food Steals the Spotlight

3 weeks ago | qantas.com | Larissa Dubecki

Looking for more than a snack but a little less than dinner? These bars deliver tempting menus, great drinks and good times. When opening her own bar earlier this year, Kelsie Gaffey had a single guiding principle. “I just wanted to make the kind of place my friends and I like to hang out at,” says the 25-year-old owner of Gracie’s Wine Room in South Yarra, Melbourne (Naarm). “To me, a great bar is a place to socialise and have some snacks but not be forced to commit to a full meal.
Inside the luxury wellness club with meditation cave and a 20,000 person waitlist

3 weeks ago | domain.com.au | Larissa Dubecki

By Larissa DubeckiJune 4, 2025There’s a meditation cave and cryotherapy chambers. Vitamin-infused IV drips and oxygen-rich air pods. A personal nutritionist, sound therapist and spiritual healer. And don’t miss the kava ceremony. Since opening in Collingwood in 2023, Saint Haven has established itself as the Rolls-Royce of private wellness clubs, with venues now also in South Yarra and Toorak.