In Reply to: I was once told..... posted by bunbury gal on Thursday, 12. January 2012 at 15:45 Bali Time:
Often drivers are given a meal gratis for taking you to a restaurant.
If you are eating at a "western" restaurant by all means ask your driver if he'd like to join you - usually, they would rather go to a nearby warung.
Definitely do not ever insist that your driver join you at an up-market restaurant - often they don't enjoy the food - they would prefer the cost of the meal as a tip & they feel uncomfortable. Too often I have seen a most uncomfortable driver in a restaurant eating expensive food the cost of which woud probably feed his family for a few days or more. Give the driver a choice.
That said, though, a driver friends & I had when we went to Kampung Cafe at Tegalalang was thrilled to accept our invitation for lunch as he knew that the Balinese food there is excellent. BTW, on the way he stopped at a roadside sate stall near Sanur for the best sate lilit I have ever eaten. His treat.
It IS a tricky one. I guess you should ask your driver if he would care to join you. If he says no twice then let him go his own way,