Want to see Egyptian artefacts? Greek or Roman art? European masters? Middle-Eastern antiquities?

It’s all in The Metropolitan Museum of Art aka The Met in New York, which, as its director says, holds “every category of art in every known medium from every part of the world during every epoch of recorded time."

Yes, The Met is the mother of all art galleries in the city to rival all cities and is certainly an art lover’s paradise. It’s overwhelming, but as The Met’s director, Philippe de Montebello, says, the museum "is not meant to be 'done' in a day, any more than one should try to listen to all nine Beethoven symphonies in an evening or to read all of a library's books in a single sitting." Quite.

And when you are art-ed out after all the Monets and Van Goghs, therein lies nother level – one that even some New York friends weren’t aware of….

The sculpture-strewn garden on the Met’s rooftop is a gem of a place – and miraculously missed by many visitors. The garden has one of the most stunning (and free) views over Central Park as it looks out over the elegant midtown architecture that lines the park either side.

Grab a shady spot underneat the wisteria-laced trellis or head to the west side for a view of Cleopatra’s Needle.

Only certain southwest lifts offers access up to the garden, by the 20th-century art gallery. Intrepid as you might feel, it’s sometimes easier to ask a museum official which one to take – The Met is a maze as much as anything else.

Generally open from April to October, the garden also has a refreshment stand serving wine and cocktails (and don’t be fooled by guides which make out there’s a swanky bar up there).

But it’s worth the trip up for the skyline views alone - make sure you’ve got room on your memory card.