Celebrity chef Aldo Zilli's city centre cafe has closed just nine months after opening.

The closure is the latest of a series in Brighton and Hove which has prompted concern for the future of the city's restaurant trade.

TV star Zilli opened the cafe, along with a brasserie, on the ground floor of the newly-built Myhotel in Jubilee Street, Brighton, in June.

But this week diners arriving at the cafe found it shut, with signs up saying the management was "making some changes".

Staff from Zilli's admitted to The Argus they had taken the decision to close the cafe until the summer because they were not getting enough trade.

Manager Ben Ranger said: "Like everyone we are experiencing the recession at the moment. The cafe was not getting as much trade as we would have liked so we've taken a decision to close it for a while and to push the trade towards our brasserie instead."

Mr Ranger said the restaurant itself was faring well and was close to fully booked for the next three months. It is one of five eateries set up by the flamboyant Italian.

The closure follows prominent others including The Saint and Love's Fish in St James's Street, in Kemp Town, Brighton.

Critically acclaimed Spanish tapas eatery Pintxo People, in Western Road, Brighton, has been put up for sale, and Preston Street, known as one of the city's core restaurant areas, has a number of vacant properties.

Soozie Campbell, the city centre manager for the Brighton and Hove Economic Forum, said the restaurant trade had been encountering difficulties because of the recession.

She said: "It is one of the areas which people cut back on first so it has been hit quite hard.

"In December Preston Street had a 13% vacancy rate, which is the highest I've ever known. It is known as a place for restaurants and yet several are closing up."

Aldo Zilli has become the latest celebrity chef to be forced into closing part of his chain because of the troubled financial climate.

Raymond Blanc has shut down his Manchester restaurant, Gordon Ramsay's chain has reported debts of more than £10 million, and Anthony Worrall Thompson has closed six branches and put his company into administration.

The move by Zilli has come within weeks of the planned opening of Jamie Oliver's new restaurant Jamie's Italian in the revamped Black Lion Street in Brighton.