article: A restaurant in Chicago has been voted the best restaurant in the world for a fourth year running. Alinea, run by the talented Grant Achatz has retained its crown as the best restaurant in the world, the annual poll by luxury magazine Elite Traveler revealed. The eatery, which is Chicago’s only three-Michelin-starred restaurant,  is the brainchild of culinary prodigy Grant Achatz and features taffy balloons, edible tablecloths and cinnamon bark chopsticks. Scroll down for video . Alinea, a restaurant in Chicago has been voted the best restaurant in the world for a fourth year running. Alinea, run by the talented Grant Achatz has retained its crown as the best restaurant in the world, the annual poll by luxury magazine Elite Traveler revealed . The top 10 featured four American restaurants which are all in New York. Eleven Madison Park came in at fourth position, while Per Se came seventh and Le Bernardin came ninth. Achatz and his business partner Nick Kokonas opened Alinea in 2005, and it quickly became one of America's must-visit restaurants. Having a three-star Michelin star qualifies a restaurant as a place worth traveling to, just to eat at. Achatz's culinary origins, however, are surprisingly humble. He first started cooking when he was a kid, helping his mom and dad at their diner in Michigan. In July 2007, once he achieved culinary fame, Achatz had a scare when he was diagnosed with stage IV tongue cancer, which threatened to take away his sense of taste. El Celler de Can Roca, Spain, came in second place.  Spain has eight in the list while Italy has seven and Australia had five . However, five months later he was able to beat the disease into remission. The US has 19 of the best restaurants in the world, followed by France which boasts 14 and the UK, which has a mere eight. Spain has eight in the list while Italy has seven and Australia had five. Germany, Japan and China have six restaurants respectively which made it into the top hundred. These include Mizai in Kyoto, Japan which placed at number 15, Aqua in Wolsberg, Germany, which came in at number 21 and Hong Kong's Amber. Switzerland, Mexico, Belgium, Singapore and Brazil all had two restaurants each in the list. Three restaurants in South Africa -  The Test Kitchen, Cape Town (44); Tasting Room at Le Quartier Francais, Franschhoek (85), and Rust en Vrede, Stellenbosch (87) - were considered the best in the country. Denmark, Austria, Norway, Ireland, Monaco, India, Canada and the UAE all had one restaurant in the top 100 list. The awards also awarded its chef of the year accolade, which this year went to Swiss chef Daniel Humm, chef and co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, which came in a fourth in the list and The NoMad in New York City, which placed 89th. Both Grant Achatz and Heston Blumenthal were shortlisted. Young chef of the year went to three Michelin-starred Eneko Atxa who runs third-best restaurant in the world, Azurmendi in Spain. Head Chef of San Francisco’s Saison Joshua Skenes, and American Southern cuisine specialist Sean Brock were both shortlisted for the accolade. Each year Elite Traveler readers are open polled for their favorite restaurants, producing a top 100 list driven by thousands of votes of paying customers. In 2015 readers were asked to vote on their favorite restaurants, chefs, young chefs and which culinary maestro deserves the lifetime Elite Traveler achievement award. With the average Elite Traveler reader taking 41 private jet trips a year and eating in the world's finest restaurants this really is the guide that leads the global fine dining conversation. 1. Alinea, Chicago, USA . 2. El Celler de Can Roca, Spain . 3. Azurmendi, Spain . 4. Eleven Madison Park, New York . 5. The Fat Duck, Bray, UK . 6. Robuchon au Dome. Macau . 7. Per Se. New York . 8. La Pergola, Rome . 9. Le Bernardin, New York . 10. Osteria Francescana, Italy . 11. Daniel, New York, USA . 12. The Ledbury, London, UK . 13. Pierre Gagnaire, Paris, France, . 14. DOM, Sao Paolo, Brazil . 15. Mizai, Kyoto, Japan . 16. The Restaurant at Meadowood, St Helena, USA . 17. Pujol, Mexico City, Mexico . 18. Restaurant Vendome, Cologne, Germany . 19. Hof Van Cleve, Kruishoutem, Belgium . 20. La Vague d'Or, Saint Tropez, France . 21. Aqua, Wolsberg, Germany . 22. Restaurant Guy Savoy, Paris, France . 23. Da Vittoria, Bergamo, Italy . 24. Le Calandre, Padua, Italy . 25. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London, UK . 26. Nihonryori Ryugin, Tokyo, Japan . 27 Jean-Georges, New York, USA . 28. Mugaritz, San Sebastian, Spain . 29. 7 Chome Kyoboshi, Tokyo, Japan . 30. Villa Crespi, Novara, Italy . 31. Amber, Hong Kong, China . 32. Restaurant Gordon Ramsey, London, UK . 33. Le Louis XV-Alain Ducasse, Monte Carlo, Monaco . 34. Restaurant Schwarwaldstube, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany . 35. Made in China, Beijing, China . 36. Biko, Mexico City, Mexico . 37. Waku Ghin, Singapore, Singapore . 38. Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark . 39. Quique Dacosta, Alicante, Spain . 40. Mr & Mrs Bund, Shanghai, China, . 41. Taillevent, Paris, France . 42. Astrance, Paris, France . 43. L'Ambroisie, Paris, France . 44. The Test Kitchen, Cape Town, South Africa . 45. La Maison Troisgros, Roanne, France . 46. Maison Pic, Valence, France . 47. Next, Chicago, USA . 48. Victor's Gourmet-Restaurant Schloss Berg, Perl, Germany . 49. Maaemo, Oslo, Norway . 50. Manresa, Los Gatos, USA . 51. Narisawa, Tokyo, Japan . 52. The French Laundry, Yountville, USA . 53. Al Sorriso, Novara, Italy . 54. Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare, New York . 55. Bras, Laguoile, France . 56. Auberge du Vieux Puits, France . 57. Restaurant De L'Hotel De Ville, Lausanne, Switzerland . 58. Sainson, San Francisco, USA . 59. Roberta Sudbrack, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil . 60. Ledoyen, Paris, France . 61. Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Oxford, UK . 62. Diver XO, Madrid, Spain . 63. Martin Berasategui, San Sebastian, Spain . 64. Tetsuya's, Sydney, Australia . 65. Coi, San Franciso, USA . 66. L'Aperge, Paris, France . 67. Arzak, San Sebastian, Spain . 68. Tantris, Munich, Germany . 69. Sushi Saito, Tokyo, Japan . 70. Toque, Montreal, Canada . 71. Dal Pescatore, Mantua, Italy . 72. Attica, Melbourne, Australia . 73. Les Pres, d'Eugenie, France . 74. Restaurant Patrick Guilband, Dublin, Ireland . 75. Restaurant Andre, Singapore, Singapore . 76. Schloss Schauenstein, Switzerland . 77. Benu, San Francisco, USA . 78. Kitcho, Kyoto, Japan . 79. Steirereck, Vienna, Austria . 80. Marque, Sydney, Australia . 81. Vue de Monde, Melbourne, Australia . 82. De Karmeliet, Bruges, Belgium . 83. Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain . 84. Marea, New York, USA . 85. Tasting Room at Le Quartier Francais, Franschhoek, South Africa . 86. Melisse, Santa Monica, USA . 87. Rust en Vrede, Stellenbosch, South Africa . 88. Caprice, Hong Kong, China . 89. The NoMad, New York, USA . 90. Le Cinq, Paris, France . 91. Ultraviolet, Shanghai, China . 92. Amaya, London, UK . 93. Le Gavroche, London, UK . 94. La Petite Maison Dubai, Dubai, UAE . 95. Restaurant Amador, Mannheim, Germany . 96. Husk, Charleston, USA . 97. Quay, Sydney, Australia . 98. Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Auchterarder, UK . 99. Momofuku Ko, New York, USA . 100. Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India .
highlights: Best restaurant in the world is Grant Achatz's Alinea, Chicago .
  The awards are voted for by readers of Elite Traveler magazine .
  The US has 19 of the best restaurants in the world, followed by France which boasts 14 and the UK, which has a mere eight .
prediction: A 
   voted 
   best 
   a fourth year running 
   Alinea, run by the talented Grant Achatz has retained its crown as the best restaurant in the world, the annual poll by luxury magazine Elite Traveler 
   is Chicago 
   only three - Michelin - starred restaurant 
   brainchild of culinary 
   . 
   top 10 featured four American restaurants which are 
   in New York 
  ' s 
   star 
   with 
   Spain 
   eight 
   list while Italy has seven and Australia 
   five . 
   five 
   US 
   seven and 
   have 
   The 
  