diff --git a/src/widget/menu/menu_bar.rs b/src/widget/menu/menu_bar.rs
index 88727818..938f80e1 100644
--- a/src/widget/menu/menu_bar.rs
+++ b/src/widget/menu/menu_bar.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use std::sync::Arc;
 
 use super::menu_inner::{
     CloseCondition, Direction, ItemHeight, ItemWidth, Menu, MenuState, PathHighlight,
+    close_innermost,
 };
 use super::menu_tree::MenuTree;
 use crate::Renderer;
@@ -626,6 +627,23 @@ where
         });
 
         match event {
+            event::Event::Keyboard(iced_widget::core::keyboard::Event::KeyPressed {
+                key:
+                    iced_widget::core::keyboard::Key::Named(
+                        iced_widget::core::keyboard::key::Named::Escape,
+                    ),
+                ..
+            }) if open => {
+                my_state.inner.with_data_mut(|state| {
+                    let handler = self.on_surface_action.as_ref();
+                    close_innermost(state, &mut |id| {
+                        if let Some(handler) = handler {
+                            shell.publish((handler)(crate::surface::Action::DestroyPopup(id)));
+                        }
+                    });
+                });
+                shell.capture_event();
+            }
             Mouse(mouse::Event::ButtonPressed(Left))
             | Touch(touch::Event::FingerPressed { .. })
                 if view_cursor.is_over(layout.bounds()) =>
diff --git a/src/widget/menu/menu_inner.rs b/src/widget/menu/menu_inner.rs
index f01682b1..ef4523b6 100644
--- a/src/widget/menu/menu_inner.rs
+++ b/src/widget/menu/menu_inner.rs
@@ -546,7 +546,48 @@ impl<'b, Message: Clone + 'static> Menu<'b, Message> {
         })
     }
 
+    /// Close every menu and, on Wayland, destroy the root popup this menu belongs to.
+    /// Used when clicking outside a menu.
     #[allow(clippy::too_many_lines)]
+    fn close_all(
+        &self,
+        state: &mut super::menu_bar::MenuBarStateInner,
+        shell: &mut Shell<'_, Message>,
+    ) {
+        #[cfg(wayland_platform)]
+        if matches!(WINDOWING_SYSTEM.get(), Some(WindowingSystem::Wayland))
+            && let Some(handler) = self.on_surface_action.as_ref()
+        {
+            let mut root = self.window_id;
+            let mut depth = self.depth;
+            while let Some(parent) = state.popup_id.iter().find(|(_, v)| **v == root) {
+                if depth == 0 {
+                    break;
+                }
+                root = *parent.0;
+                depth = depth.saturating_sub(1);
+            }
+            shell.publish((handler)(crate::surface::Action::DestroyPopup(root)));
+        }
+
+        state.reset();
+    }
+
+    /// Close the innermost open menu, see [`close_innermost`].
+    /// Used when pressing `esc`.
+    fn close(
+        &self,
+        state: &mut super::menu_bar::MenuBarStateInner,
+        shell: &mut Shell<'_, Message>,
+    ) {
+        let handler = self.on_surface_action.as_ref();
+        close_innermost(state, &mut |id| {
+            if let Some(handler) = handler {
+                shell.publish((handler)(crate::surface::Action::DestroyPopup(id)));
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
     fn update(
         &mut self,
         event: &event::Event,
@@ -601,6 +642,19 @@ impl<'b, Message: Clone + 'static> Menu<'b, Message> {
         );
 
         match event {
+            event::Event::Keyboard(iced_widget::core::keyboard::Event::KeyPressed {
+                key:
+                    iced_widget::core::keyboard::Key::Named(
+                        iced_widget::core::keyboard::key::Named::Escape,
+                    ),
+                ..
+            }) if !self.is_overlay => {
+                self.tree
+                    .inner
+                    .with_data_mut(|state| self.close(state, shell));
+                shell.capture_event();
+            }
+
             Mouse(WheelScrolled { delta }) => process_scroll_events(
                 self,
                 shell,
@@ -676,27 +730,7 @@ impl<'b, Message: Clone + 'static> Menu<'b, Message> {
                         needs_reset |= self.close_condition.click_outside && !is_inside;
 
                         if needs_reset {
-                            #[cfg(wayland_platform)]
-                            if matches!(WINDOWING_SYSTEM.get(), Some(WindowingSystem::Wayland))
-                                && let Some(handler) = self.on_surface_action.as_ref()
-                            {
-                                let mut root = self.window_id;
-                                let mut depth = self.depth;
-                                while let Some(parent) =
-                                    state.popup_id.iter().find(|(_, v)| **v == root)
-                                {
-                                    // parent of root popup is the window, so we stop.
-                                    if depth == 0 {
-                                        break;
-                                    }
-                                    root = *parent.0;
-                                    depth = depth.saturating_sub(1);
-                                }
-                                shell
-                                    .publish((handler)(crate::surface::Action::DestroyPopup(root)));
-                            }
-
-                            state.reset();
+                            self.close_all(state, shell);
                         }
                     }
 
@@ -1782,6 +1816,45 @@ fn get_children_layout<Message>(
     (Size::new(width, height), child_positions, child_sizes)
 }
 
+/// Close the innermost open menu level
+pub(super) fn close_innermost(
+    state: &mut super::menu_bar::MenuBarStateInner,
+    destroy: &mut dyn FnMut(window::Id),
+) {
+    let outermost = state
+        .popup_id
+        .iter()
+        .find(|(parent, _)| !state.popup_id.values().any(|id| id == *parent))
+        .map(|(_, id)| *id);
+    let innermost = state
+        .popup_id
+        .values()
+        .find(|id| !state.popup_id.contains_key(id))
+        .copied();
+
+    let levels = state.menu_states.len();
+    if levels <= 1 {
+        if let Some(id) = outermost {
+            destroy(id);
+        }
+        state.popup_id.clear();
+        state.reset();
+        return;
+    }
+
+    state.active_root.truncate(levels - 1);
+    state.menu_states.truncate(levels - 1);
+
+    // Forget the parent's hovered item, so hovering it again reopens the submenu.
+    if let Some(parent) = state.menu_states.last_mut() {
+        parent.index = None;
+    }
+    if let Some(id) = innermost {
+        state.popup_id.retain(|_, popup| *popup != id);
+        destroy(id);
+    }
+}
+
 fn search_bound(
     default: usize,
     default_left: usize,