In Martin McDonagh’s “In Bruges,” a pair of hit men are forced to cool their heels in Belgium’s beautifully preserved medieval city. New Yorkers can take a historic European vacation of sorts this weekend — without leaving the city — with a trip to the Cloisters. The Metropolitan Museum-owned site, located in Fort Tryon Park, houses the institution’s preserved re-creations of medieval- and Renaissance-era chapels and cloisters. Also in the park is the New Leaf Café, a restaurant operated by the nonprofit New York Restoration Project. The journey uptown can prove as restful as Bruges does for the men in “In Bruges.”

DINNER

The culinary approach of Scott Campbell (formerly of @SQC) at the New Leaf Café is straightforward and delicious. Before the cold weather ends, diners should try the soul-soothing pumpkin risotto with black trumpet and morel mushrooms, or the crispy duck with chanterelles, Brussels sprouts, and bacon. Much of the food here is organic and sourced from upstate farms. Beyond the food, though, it’s the atmosphere that’s really satisfying. Situated on one of the high points at Fort Tryon Park, the restaurant offers a stunning view of the Hudson River and the palisades: On winter nights, the star-filled sky (yes, stars can be seen in Manhattan) is visible from various perches in the restaurant; during spring and summer nights, patrons can look out on the river from a patio space while sipping cocktails.

(New Leaf Cafe, Fort Tryon Park, 1 Margaret Corbin Dr. at Park Drive, 190th Street and Broadway, 212-568-5323)

MUSEUMS

The Cloisters — one of the often-overlooked artistic offerings in Manhattan — is best known perhaps for “The Hunt of the Unicorn,” a tapestry series created between the late 1400s and the early 1500s, presumably as a wedding gift for an aristocratic Dutch family. The design of the museum itself features parts of five French cloisters from the Middle Ages: Each quiet cloister serves as a passageway from one gallery to another, leading into richly reconstructed medieval Spanish chapels or stripped-down Romanesque chapels complete with tiny wooden chairs and large stained-glass windows. (Fort Tryon Park, 190th Street and Broadway, 212-923-3700, $20 recommended for adults, $15 seniors, $10 students, free for children and members)

MOVIE

After a harrowing murder assignment in London goes wrong, Harry, a British crime boss (Ralph Fiennes), sends his two shaken hit men (Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson) to the city of Bruges to lie low. Mr. McDonagh, perhaps best known for his play “The Pillowman,” takes advantage of the scenery in sending the older, wiser Ken, played by Mr. Gleeson, on a cultural romp; Ken climbs never-ending flights of church stairs and makes his way through tiny alleyways built in the 12th century. Meanwhile, Ray, played by Mr. Farrell, finds life in peaceful Bruges painfully slow and gets himself into adventures with a Dutch woman, a dwarf, and a scam artist who will kill to get money from tourists. Soon enough, though, a call from Harry comes through, and Ken learns that his next assignment is to go after the man who botched the London assignment in the first place: Ray. The boss sets out for Bruges to ensure that the criminal code he is dispensing is upheld, and Ray finds himself running for his life — amid some of the most picturesque scenery in Europe. (Friday, 2, 4:40, 7:35, and 10:20 p.m., AMC Loews Lincoln Square, 1998 Broadway at 68th Street, 212-336-5020, $10.50)