composers.php

<?php
// include this file in app/start/global.php

View::creator('menu', 'MenuCreator');
View::composer('menu', 'MyMenuComposer');
// you can add as many composers to the same view as you like
View::composer('menu', 'MyOtherMenuComposer');

macros.php

<?php
// include this file in app/start/global.php

HTML::macro('menuItem', function($item)
{
	if (!empty($item['subitems'])) {
		return '<li>' . HTML::menu($item['subitems']) . '</li>';
	}

	if (!empty($item['url'])) {
		$url = URL::to($item['url']);
	} elseif (!empty($item['route'])) {
		$url = URL::route($item['route']);
	} elseif (!empty($item['action'])) {
		$url = URL::action($item['action']);
	}

	if (isset($url)) {
		return '<li>' . HTML::link($item['title'], $url) . '</li>';
	} else {
		return '<li>' . HTML::entities($item['title']) . '</li>';
	}
});

HTML::macro('menu', function($items)
{
	$html = '<ul>';

	foreach ($items as $item) {
		$html .= HTML::menuItem($item);
	}

	$html .= '</ul>';
});

menu.php

<h1>Composed menu</h1>
<?php echo HTML::menu($menu); ?>

MenuComposer.php

<?php
abstract class MenuComposer
{
	protected $view;

	public final function compose($view)
	{
		$this->view = $view;
		$this->addMenus();
	}

	protected abstract function addMenus();

	protected function add($id, array $items = array())
	{
		$menu = $this->view->menu;

		if (is_array($id)) {
			$menu = array_merge($menu, $id);
		} elseif (isset($oldMenu[$id])) {
			if (isset($oldMenu[$id]['subitems'])) {
				$menu[$id] = array_merge($menu[$id], $items);
			} elseif (isset($items['subitems'])) {
				$menu[$id]['subitems'] = array_merge($menu[$id]['subitems'], $items['subitems']);
			} else {
				$menu[$id] = $items;
			}
		} else {
			$menu[$id] = $items;
		}

		$this->view->with('menu', $menu);
	}
}

MenuCreator.php

<?php
final class MenuCreator
{
	public final function create($view)
	{
		$view->with('menu', array());
	}
}

MyMenuComposer.php

<?php
class MyMenuComposer extends MenuComposer
{
	protected function addMenus()
	{
		$this->add([
			'topmenu1' => [
				'title' => 'Top menu 1',
				'subitems' => [
					['title' => 'Subitem 1', 'url' => 'http://www.example.com' ],
					['title' => 'Subitem 2', 'route' => 'my.route.name' ],
				]
			],
			'topmenu2' => [
				'title' => 'Top menu 2',
				'route' => 'my.route.name',
			]
		]);

		$this->add('topmenu3', [
			'title' => 'Top menu 3',
			'action' => 'MyController@action',
		]);
	}
}