A method and system for displaying menus of menu items as a navigation dial is provided. A menu system provides a menu hierarchy for an application that includes menu items with menu sub-items and displays the menu items in a navigation dial. The menu hierarchy is dependent on the current context of the application. A navigation dial is a circular area in which the menu items are displayed near the perimeter of the area. When a user selects a menu item with menu sub-items, the menu system creates a radially expanding navigation dial and populates it with the menu sub-items. The radially expanding navigation dial is displayed outside the perimeter of the displayed navigation dial near the selected menu item.