With our ear to the ground, as always, we hear Dubai is soon to see the opening of a chic new Mexican restaurant. However, there is so much cloak-and-dagger mystery surrounding this news that even the name and location remain classified information. Watch this space for yet more security leaks and, hopefully, more specific details.

In less top-secret news, it seems Spain continues to infiltrate the tastes on offer in Dubai, with two tapas launches. Café M at Media One has introduced the Olé Tapas promotion: a Spanish-themed event offering tapas, Spanish beverages and flamenco entertainment. Meanwhile, new venue Tapeo has opened in Lafayette Gourmet at The Dubai Mall, serving authentic tapas and paella.

Just down the road in Jumeirah Emirates Towers, exciting thingsare afoot at The Rib Room, which is benefiting from the creative charms of executive chef Jack Brennan (formerly of Verre by Gordon Ramsay – now Table 9), who is putting together some unique, creative offerings (keeping in mind that this is a steakhouse) after a sabbatical in the UK helping Heston Blumenthal create dishes for high-end supermarket Waitrose.

While Jack is tantalising tastebuds upstairs, we’re not quite sure what to make of the news that the partition walls of Alfie’s and The Ivy will be removed to give diners a view of Emirates Towers Boulevard. Surely the partition walls are there to help us forget we’re eating in a mall?

Just next door in DIFC, Caramel Restaurant and Lounge has unveiled a new menu featuring kobe bolognese, hoisin steak salad and veggie salad, while the DIFC branch of Gourmet Burger Kitchen (winner of our 2010 Burger Challenge) now offers nhickory-smoked burgers and a ‘Gourmet Dynamite Burger’ (with Swiss cheese, jalapeños and chilli – kapow!) following its menu revamp.

The hive of multinational activity continues in JLT, with several impending openings. As well as Brazilian venue Sweet Brasil (previously reported on these pages), this summer sees the introduction of German-style kebab shop Döner Kebab and Chinese restaurant Homey’s. All three venues are still in the pipeline (some still have the builders in), but Insider is looking forward to making a culinary tour of these three continents in future.

In other news, Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa has welcomed a few new acquisitions. These include South African executive chef Nicolas Smallberger, who’s doubtless looking forward to taking advantage of the resort’s bio garden. Incidentally, the venue bagged three wins at the World Travel Awards (which were hosted at the resort), including the gong for the Middle East’s Leading Family Resort. Jebel Ali International will also be celebrating the launch of a new property, the Ocean View Hotel, in Dubai Marina in late 2012, which will house five new eating and drinking options. And with that, bon appétit!