diff --git a/src/app_model/backends/qt/_qmainwindow.py b/src/app_model/backends/qt/_qmainwindow.py
index 77fa637..7e7a38b 100644
--- a/src/app_model/backends/qt/_qmainwindow.py
+++ b/src/app_model/backends/qt/_qmainwindow.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from typing import Collection, Mapping, Optional, Sequence, Union
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Collection, Mapping, Optional, Sequence, Union
 
 from qtpy.QtCore import Qt
 from qtpy.QtWidgets import QMainWindow, QWidget
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@
 
 from ._qmenu import QModelMenuBar, QModelToolBar
 
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from app_model.registries import MenusRegistry
+
 
 class QModelMainWindow(QMainWindow):
     """QMainWindow with app-model support."""
@@ -20,14 +23,17 @@ def __init__(
         self._app = Application.get_or_create(app) if isinstance(app, str) else app
 
     def setModelMenuBar(
-        self, menu_ids: Mapping[str, str] | Sequence[str | tuple[str, str]]
+        self,
+        menu_ids: Mapping[str, str] | Sequence[str | tuple[str, str]] | MenusRegistry,
     ) -> QModelMenuBar:
         """Set the menu bar to a list of menu ids.
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-        menu_ids : Mapping[str, str] | Sequence[str | tuple[str, str]]
-            A mapping of menu ids to menu titles or a sequence of menu ids.
+        menu_ids : Mapping[str, str] | Sequence[str | tuple[str, str]] | MenusRegistry
+            A mapping of `{menu ids -> menu title}` or a sequence of menu ids. If a
+            `MenuRegistry` instance is passed, all menus in the registry will be added
+            to the menu bar.
         """
         menu_bar = QModelMenuBar(menu_ids, self._app, self)
         self.setMenuBar(menu_bar)
diff --git a/src/app_model/backends/qt/_qmenu.py b/src/app_model/backends/qt/_qmenu.py
index 98db3f9..6c24945 100644
--- a/src/app_model/backends/qt/_qmenu.py
+++ b/src/app_model/backends/qt/_qmenu.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 from qtpy.QtWidgets import QMenu, QMenuBar, QToolBar
 
 from app_model import Application
+from app_model.registries import MenusRegistry
 from app_model.types import SubmenuItem
 
 from ._qaction import QCommandRuleAction, QMenuItemAction
@@ -261,13 +262,24 @@ def _on_registry_changed(self, changed_ids: Set[str]) -> None:
             self.rebuild()
 
 
+def _menu_sort(menu_name: str | tuple[str, str]) -> tuple:
+    if isinstance(menu_name, tuple):
+        menu_name = menu_name[0]
+    order = ["file", "edit", "format", "view", None, "window", "help"]
+    menu_name = menu_name.lower()
+    idx = order.index(menu_name if menu_name in order else None)
+    return (idx, menu_name)
+
+
 class QModelMenuBar(QMenuBar):
     """QMenuBar that is built from a list of model menu ids.
 
     Parameters
     ----------
     menus : Mapping[str, str] | Sequence[str | tuple[str, str]]
-        A mapping of menu ids to menu titles or a sequence of menu ids.
+        A mapping of `{menu ids -> menu title}` or a sequence of menu ids. If a
+        `MenuRegistry` instance is passed, all menus in the registry will be added
+        to the menu bar.
     app : Union[str, Application]
         Application instance or name of application instance.
     parent : Optional[QWidget]
@@ -276,13 +288,23 @@ class QModelMenuBar(QMenuBar):
 
     def __init__(
         self,
-        menus: Mapping[str, str] | Sequence[str | tuple[str, str]],
+        menus: Mapping[str, str] | Sequence[str | tuple[str, str]] | MenusRegistry,
         app: Union[str, Application],
         parent: Optional[QWidget] = None,
     ) -> None:
         super().__init__(parent)
 
-        menu_items = menus.items() if isinstance(menus, Mapping) else menus
+        menu_items: Iterable[str | tuple[str, str]]
+        if isinstance(menus, MenusRegistry):
+            menu_items = [m for m, *_ in menus if m != MenusRegistry.COMMAND_PALETTE_ID]
+            # sort menus so that they are in this order
+            # File Edit Format View <...> Window Help
+            menu_items.sort(key=_menu_sort)
+        elif isinstance(menus, Mapping):
+            menu_items = menus.items()
+        else:
+            menu_items = menus
+
         for item in menu_items:
             id_, title = item if isinstance(item, tuple) else (item, item.title())
             self.addMenu(QModelMenu(id_, app, title, self))