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The Cloisters museum, a branch of the Met, houses an extraordinary collection of art from the Middle Ages in an outstanding setting—Fort Tryon’s highest hilltop overlooking the Hudson River. While the paintings, stained glass, textiles, and sculptures are the draw, the seasonal café is also a looker, situated within a three-sided columned portico that is surmounted by a barrel ceiling. An enclosed open-air garden houses plants featured in the Unicorn Tapestries, a much-visited attraction. As in much of the museum, many of the café’s marble columns, capitals, and other architectural fragments are from actual medieval French cloisters and include exquisite religious-themed carvings. The fare, appropriately, is modest, with a small selection of pre-made sandwiches, chips, and soft drinks, though the ham and brie on a baguette is above reproach. While this cheerful café supplies sustenance, the milieu provides the epiphanies. — Michael Anstendig

Ham and brie on a baguette, $8.75; brownie, $3.50