Can’t remember last time a Seattle restaurant was as breathlessly awaited as Bastille, the big new Ballard brasserie from James Weimann (Pesos, May Thai, El Camino, Triangle Tavern, Talarico’s Pizza) and Deming Maclise (Caffe Fiore), with Shannon Galusha (Veil) in the kitchen and Peter Lewis (founder of Campagne) mastermind of the front of the house.

It opens tonight. Bistro faves (steak frites, Croque Monsieur, poulet roti, French onion soup, etc.) dominate the menu; falafel and suchlike the Ballard Ave takeout window; nibbles and aperitifs aplenty the breezy patio; late-night eats (til 1am nightly) the intimate Back Bar.

Mostly, the place is a looker. Salvaged Parisian appointments set a Musee d’Orsay tone, from the Paris metro tiles to the vintage light fixtures, some from French churches. Other stuff was reclaimed from our back yard, like the 3,000-piece chandelier from an old Ballard mansion.

And check the 45-foot zinc bar. Yeah. Forty-five feet. And the 2,500-square-foot rooftop garden, whose 12 raised beds will produce much of the menu’s greenery.

The size and vision of this joint are what sets it apart in these lean times. There is nothing small about the scope of Bastille.

The place, including bars and patio, will seat some 200 comers.

If you’re one of them, tonight…do let us know, won’t you?