Nestled in the heart of Old Manali, Dylan’s Toasted & Roasted is far more than just a café. Over the last two decades, it has become a cultural landmark for travelers, artists, musicians, and backpackers from across the world. Founded in 2005 by Rajan Nalwa, popularly known as Raj Dylan Nalwa, the café is often credited as one of Himachal Pradesh’s earliest specialty coffee spaces.
But behind the aroma of fresh coffee and homemade cookies lies a deeply personal story of struggle, compassion, creativity, and purpose. In this conversation, Raj Dylan Nalwa reflects on his extraordinary journey — from theatre artist and social worker to café pioneer — while sharing the philosophy, memories, and vision that continue to shape Dylan’s timeless legacy.
Q. What inspired you to start Dylan’s Toasted & Roasted in Old Manali back in 2005?
Before café I was a full time theater artist and then moved to Mumbai where I became a social worker and worked at Kamathipura one of the largest redlight area of Mumbai. Where I failed to rescue one 13 year old Bangladeshi girl who was sold to brothels by her own father along with her mom just in 5k only.
As a poor social worker I felt helpless to support such kind of need. That one incident moved me to start something creative where I will make enough for my bread & butter and same time I will help such kind of need around. Since that time I regularly support lots of real rescue projects in Mumbai & Pune.
Q. How did a small café in the hills become such a legendary backpacker destination?
21 years back there was not even a single coffee house where a good coffee lover will get proper coffee so as a real coffee pioneer Dylan’s became the first real coffee place in Himachal even CCD came year 2008 in Shimla and Dylan’s introduced real coffee year 2005. Within two weeks only Dylan’s became hub for the backpackers and then cookies and coffee turned USP of this place and year 2015 with first national award never looked back and till now 11 national & international recognitions and awards Dylan’s coffee house got.
Q. The café was first called “Double Vision.” How did it eventually become “Dylan’s”?
As I shared earlier that it started from a social worker to business so the name of place was Double Vision but mostly people misunderstood the meaning of this name when people used to ask me if I provide hash to them so they will smoke and go to different vision. Then Dylan’s name was suggested by a dear friend when we painted first painting of Bob Dylan on one of the walls and then Dylan’s Toasted & Roasted became a history.
Q. What makes Dylan’s coffee and food stand out even today?
Each serves are made freshly and each items are with little twist of mine as I myself is a baker, chef and coffee expert. We understand our customers taste and liking disliking so each preparations are customised that’s why people love our products so much even within last 21 years venture people kept introducing our café to their 2nd generation to even 3rd generation.
Q. How has Old Manali’s café culture changed over the last two decades?
It changed so quickly after the pandemic year when the flood of domestic tourism came. So everything quickly prepared, no proper café manners, loud volume and no proper relaxed café culture any more. Of course fast food culture and good amount spent so this is now main change.
Q. What were the biggest struggles you faced while building the café in its early years?
Everything making from scratch and those days no proper supply of several things so we used to struggle a lot to get good coffee beans, chocolate, olive oil and many more. It’s not just next door.
Q. Is there a memorable guest, moment, or story from Dylan’s that you still cherish?
There are hundreds of them, like meeting several celebrities and some of them introduced by themselves to me and few became my best friends till now.
It was a lovely love story happened between two strangers both are from different part of the world politically both are enemies. But they met very first time at Dylan’s and fell in love and after a year I got an email from a girl thanking me and sharing her love life, that they are now one. And both left their original nationality and moved to New Zealand. Girl was from Israel and boy was from Iran.
Under one roof cup of coffee brought several lives together.
Q. How important have music, art, and travel culture been in shaping the café’s identity?
It builds the character of the place so music, art, books helps shaping any cafés.
Q. What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs who want to open independent cafés?
One must start with all heart and passion. Work hard make sure your products, services and behaviour always brings customers back to your place. Value each suggestion, corrections & appreciations.
Q. After all these years, what still motivates you to keep Dylan’s going strong?
My passion and dream to give respected life to those kids from the brothels who are rescued.
Q. With so many cafés coming up today, what do you think has helped Dylan’s stay timeless and stand out from the competition?
Keep the high standard, don’t just keep few staff and they will work for you and you just keep counting money. This is not us it’s a family own business so me my daughter and son we are fully involved with high force to keep the place different than others. No competition for us even I teach at other cafés and suggest them what they should do. If one café help other café to provide good products then more good customers will come and everyone will get benefit. Always in healthy competition.
Q. How do you balance preserving Dylan’s old charm while adapting to changing trends?
It’s all about art of balance keeping old charm and changing little bit with new trends and people are always looking for a new style either is old or new.
Q. What is your vision for the future of Dylan’s and Himachal’s coffee culture?
Not only coffee culture I wanted to see my kids are taking this legacy into different heights with keeping themselves grounded and reaching to unreached till the end. My café is not just a café, it is a lifestyle.