The 2011 S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants List has been announced.

And guess what? Alinea Restaurant (1723 N. Halsted Street, Chicago, Illinois, 312-867-0110) is now 6th on the list. Up from 7th on list in 2010, and wins the Acqua Panna Best Restaurant In North America award. Congrats go to Grant Achatz, Nick Kononas, Dave Beran, and all at Alinea!

Alinea, which made its debut at #36 in 2007, jumped to #21 2008, leaped another 11 places to reach 10th place in 2009, moved up 3 more in 2010, and is now in 6th place worldwide!

Organized by Restaurant Magazine, the S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants List is an annual snapshot of the opinions and experiences of over 800 international restaurant industry experts. What constitutes “best” is left to the judgment of these trusted and well-travelled gourmets.

You can find the complete list at theworlds50best.com.