Icaraí is Niterói's smartest beachfront neighbourhood, a stretch of apartment buildings and restaurants along a broad bay-facing beach. Unlike the oceanic beaches to the south, the water here is calm — you're looking across Guanabara Bay at Rio, with Sugarloaf framed in the distance. The beach is less about swimming and more about the promenade: joggers, food kiosks, and a good cross-section of Niterói life.
The neighbourhood has the best concentration of restaurants and bars in the city. Several blocks back from the beach, the streets around Rua Lemos Cunha and Rua Miguel de Frias fill up in the evenings. It is also the most convenient base for visiting the MAC and the Caminho Niemeyer waterfront.