diff --git a/packages/tauri-app/src-tauri/capabilities/main-window.json b/packages/tauri-app/src-tauri/capabilities/main-window.json
index c51d1f33..61d6e346 100644
--- a/packages/tauri-app/src-tauri/capabilities/main-window.json
+++ b/packages/tauri-app/src-tauri/capabilities/main-window.json
@@ -3,15 +3,14 @@
   "identifier": "main-window-native-dialogs",
   "description": "Grant the main window access to required core features and native dialog commands.",
   "remote": {
-    "urls": [
-      "http://127.0.0.1:*",
-      "http://localhost:*"
-    ]
+    "urls": ["http://127.0.0.1:*", "http://localhost:*"]
   },
   "windows": ["main"],
   "permissions": [
     "core:default",
+    "core:menu:default",
     "dialog:allow-open",
-    "opener:allow-default-urls"
+    "opener:allow-default-urls",
+    "core:webview:allow-set-webview-zoom"
   ]
 }
diff --git a/packages/tauri-app/src-tauri/gen/schemas/capabilities.json b/packages/tauri-app/src-tauri/gen/schemas/capabilities.json
index 7a25c24f..c98bf3f4 100644
--- a/packages/tauri-app/src-tauri/gen/schemas/capabilities.json
+++ b/packages/tauri-app/src-tauri/gen/schemas/capabilities.json
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"main-window-native-dialogs":{"identifier":"main-window-native-dialogs","description":"Grant the main window access to required core features and native dialog commands.","remote":{"urls":["http://127.0.0.1:*","http://localhost:*"]},"local":true,"windows":["main"],"permissions":["core:default","dialog:allow-open","opener:allow-default-urls"]}}
\ No newline at end of file
+{"main-window-native-dialogs":{"identifier":"main-window-native-dialogs","description":"Grant the main window access to required core features and native dialog commands.","remote":{"urls":["http://127.0.0.1:*","http://localhost:*"]},"local":true,"windows":["main"],"permissions":["core:default","core:menu:default","dialog:allow-open","opener:allow-default-urls","core:webview:allow-set-webview-zoom"]}}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/tauri-app/src-tauri/src/main.rs b/packages/tauri-app/src-tauri/src/main.rs
index 08e85de1..e92cce9d 100644
--- a/packages/tauri-app/src-tauri/src/main.rs
+++ b/packages/tauri-app/src-tauri/src/main.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ mod cli_manager;
 
 use cli_manager::{CliProcessManager, CliStatus};
 use serde_json::json;
-use tauri::menu::Menu;
+use tauri::menu::{MenuBuilder, MenuItem, SubmenuBuilder};
 use tauri::plugin::{Builder as PluginBuilder, TauriPlugin};
 use tauri::webview::Webview;
 use tauri::{AppHandle, Emitter, Manager, Runtime, Wry};
@@ -84,8 +84,81 @@ fn main() {
             Ok(())
         })
         .invoke_handler(tauri::generate_handler![cli_get_status, cli_restart])
-        .on_menu_event(|_app_handle, _event| {
-            // No menu items defined currently
+        .on_menu_event(|app_handle, event| {
+            match event.id().0.as_str() {
+                // File menu
+                "new_instance" => {
+                    if let Some(window) = app_handle.get_webview_window("main") {
+                        let _ = window.emit("menu:newInstance", ());
+                    }
+                }
+                "close" => {
+                    if let Some(window) = app_handle.get_webview_window("main") {
+                        let _ = window.close();
+                    }
+                }
+                "quit" => {
+                    app_handle.exit(0);
+                }
+
+                // View menu
+                "reload" => {
+                    if let Some(window) = app_handle.get_webview_window("main") {
+                        let _ = window.eval("window.location.reload()");
+                    }
+                }
+                "force_reload" => {
+                    if let Some(window) = app_handle.get_webview_window("main") {
+                        let _ = window.eval("window.location.reload(true)");
+                    }
+                }
+                "toggle_devtools" => {
+                    if let Some(window) = app_handle.get_webview_window("main") {
+                        window.open_devtools();
+                    }
+                }
+
+                "toggle_fullscreen" => {
+                    if let Some(window) = app_handle.get_webview_window("main") {
+                        let _ = window.set_fullscreen(!window.is_fullscreen().unwrap_or(false));
+                    }
+                }
+
+                // Window menu
+                "minimize" => {
+                    if let Some(window) = app_handle.get_webview_window("main") {
+                        let _ = window.minimize();
+                    }
+                }
+                "zoom" => {
+                    if let Some(window) = app_handle.get_webview_window("main") {
+                        let _ = window.maximize();
+                    }
+                }
+
+                // App menu (macOS)
+                "about" => {
+                    // TODO: Implement about dialog
+                    println!("About menu item clicked");
+                }
+                "hide" => {
+                    if let Some(window) = app_handle.get_webview_window("main") {
+                        let _ = window.hide();
+                    }
+                }
+                "hide_others" => {
+                    // TODO: Hide other app windows
+                    println!("Hide Others menu item clicked");
+                }
+                "show_all" => {
+                    // TODO: Show all app windows
+                    println!("Show All menu item clicked");
+                }
+
+                _ => {
+                    println!("Unhandled menu event: {}", event.id().0);
+                }
+            }
         })
         .build(tauri::generate_context!())
         .expect("error while building tauri application")
@@ -118,8 +191,77 @@ fn main() {
 }
 
 fn build_menu(app: &AppHandle) -> tauri::Result<()> {
-    // Minimal empty menu for now (Tauri v2 menu API differs from v1 roles).
-    let menu = Menu::new(app)?;
+    let is_mac = cfg!(target_os = "macos");
+
+    // Create submenus
+    let mut submenus = Vec::new();
+
+    // App menu (macOS only)
+    if is_mac {
+        let app_menu = SubmenuBuilder::new(app, "CodeNomad")
+            .text("about", "About CodeNomad")
+            .separator()
+            .text("hide", "Hide CodeNomad")
+            .text("hide_others", "Hide Others")
+            .text("show_all", "Show All")
+            .separator()
+            .text("quit", "Quit CodeNomad")
+            .build()?;
+        submenus.push(app_menu);
+    }
+
+    // File menu - create New Instance with accelerator
+    let new_instance_item = MenuItem::with_id(
+        app,
+        "new_instance",
+        "New Instance",
+        true,
+        Some("CmdOrCtrl+N")
+    )?;
+    
+    let file_menu = SubmenuBuilder::new(app, "File")
+        .item(&new_instance_item)
+        .separator()
+        .text(if is_mac { "close" } else { "quit" }, if is_mac { "Close" } else { "Quit" })
+        .build()?;
+    submenus.push(file_menu);
+
+    // Edit menu with predefined items for standard functionality
+    let edit_menu = SubmenuBuilder::new(app, "Edit")
+        .undo()
+        .redo()
+        .separator()
+        .cut()
+        .copy()
+        .paste()
+        .separator()
+        .select_all()
+        .build()?;
+    submenus.push(edit_menu);
+
+    // View menu
+    let view_menu = SubmenuBuilder::new(app, "View")
+        .text("reload", "Reload")
+        .text("force_reload", "Force Reload")
+        .text("toggle_devtools", "Toggle Developer Tools")
+        .separator()
+
+        .separator()
+        .text("toggle_fullscreen", "Toggle Full Screen")
+        .build()?;
+    submenus.push(view_menu);
+
+    // Window menu
+    let window_menu = SubmenuBuilder::new(app, "Window")
+        .text("minimize", "Minimize")
+        .text("zoom", "Zoom")
+        .build()?;
+    submenus.push(window_menu);
+
+    // Build the main menu with all submenus
+    let submenu_refs: Vec<&dyn tauri::menu::IsMenuItem<_>> = submenus.iter().map(|s| s as &dyn tauri::menu::IsMenuItem<_>).collect();
+    let menu = MenuBuilder::new(app).items(&submenu_refs).build()?;
+    
     app.set_menu(menu)?;
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/packages/tauri-app/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json b/packages/tauri-app/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
index 1f66ec67..e847379d 100644
--- a/packages/tauri-app/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
+++ b/packages/tauri-app/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@
         "fullscreen": false,
         "decorations": true,
         "theme": "Dark",
-        "backgroundColor": "#1a1a1a"
+        "backgroundColor": "#1a1a1a",
+        "zoomHotkeysEnabled": true
       }
     ],
     "security": {
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/App.tsx b/packages/ui/src/App.tsx
index 187bd683..f300f48b 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/App.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/App.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { Component, Show, createMemo, createEffect, createSignal } from "solid-js"
+import { Component, Show, createMemo, createEffect, createSignal, onMount, onCleanup } from "solid-js"
 import { Dialog } from "@kobalte/core/dialog"
 import { Toaster } from "solid-toast"
 import AlertDialog from "./components/alert-dialog"
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { useCommands } from "./lib/hooks/use-commands"
 import { useAppLifecycle } from "./lib/hooks/use-app-lifecycle"
 import { getLogger } from "./lib/logger"
 import { initReleaseNotifications } from "./stores/releases"
+import { runtimeEnv } from "./lib/runtime-env"
 import {
   hasInstances,
   isSelectingFolder,
@@ -247,6 +248,28 @@ const App: Component = () => {
     getActiveSessionIdForInstance: activeSessionIdForInstance,
   })
 
+  // Listen for Tauri menu events
+  onMount(() => {
+    if (runtimeEnv.host === "tauri") {
+      const tauriBridge = (window as { __TAURI__?: { event?: { listen: (event: string, handler: (event: { payload: unknown }) => void) => Promise<() => void> } } }).__TAURI__
+      if (tauriBridge?.event) {
+        let unlistenMenu: (() => void) | null = null
+        
+        tauriBridge.event.listen("menu:newInstance", () => {
+          handleNewInstanceRequest()
+        }).then((unlisten) => {
+          unlistenMenu = unlisten
+        }).catch((error) => {
+          log.error("Failed to listen for menu:newInstance event", error)
+        })
+
+        onCleanup(() => {
+          unlistenMenu?.()
+        })
+      }
+    }
+  })
+
   return (
     <>
       <InstanceDisconnectedModal